Rearrangement of 5-phenylthiazolidine-2,4-diones to chiral α-ketoamides via α-elimination

An unexpected reaction took place when 5-phenylthiazolidine-2,4-diones were treated in basic media to produce phenyl-α-ketoamides in good yields. The 5-phenylthiazolidine-2,4-diones used as reactants were achieved through a rearrangement, which took place in the corresponding N-acyloxazolidinethiones.     

Photocatalysis of Chloroform Decomposition by Hexachloroosmate(IV)

Hexachloroosmate(IV) effectively catalyzes the photodecomposition of chloroform in aerated solutions. The decomposition products are consistent with a mechanism in which excited state OsCl₆²⁻ reduces chloroform, rather than one involving photodissociation of chlorine atoms. Trace amounts of ethanol or water in the chloroform lead to photosubstitution to form OsCl₅(EtOH)⁻ or OsCl₅(H₂O)⁻, neither of which is photocatalytically active.     

A kinetic study of the reactions of sulfate and dihydrogen phosphate radicals with epicatechin,epicatechingallate, and epigalocatechingallate

The bimolecular rate constants for the reactions of sulfate radicals with epicatechin (EC), epicatechingallate (ECG), and epigallocatechingallate (EGCG) were found to be (1.46 ± 0.06) × 10⁹, (1.20 ± 0.08) × 10⁹, and (1.04 ± 0.07) × 10⁹, respectively. The activation energy [E_A = 9 ± 3 kJ mol^?1] and preexponential factor [A = (4.8 ± 0.6) × 10¹⁰] for the reaction of EC with the sulfate radical were measured in the temperature range 288–303 K. The phenoxyl radicals of EC (λ_max = 310 nm) were obtained both by the reaction of this flavonoid with the sulfate radicals and by photoionization. The measured bimolecular rate constants for the reactions of the dihydrogen phosphate radicals with EC, ECG, and EGCG were (7.8 ± 0.9) × 10⁸, (8.5 ± 0.4) × 10⁸, and (6.8 ± 0.4) × 10⁸, respectively. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 42: 391–396, 2010     

Water intake of cellulose materials monitored by positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy

Cellulose - In this study, for the first time, the experimental technique of positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) has been applied to monitor in situ the microstructural changes of...     

Agro-industrial waste enzymes: Perspectives in circular economy

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, approximately 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted each year, equivalent to approximately one-third of world production. Agri-food wastes are the source of proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and other essential minerals that have been exploited for value-added products by the development of biorefineries and sustainable business as important elements of circular economies. The innovation and materialization of these types of processes, including the use of disruptive technologies on microbial bioconversion and enzyme technology, such as nanotechnology, metabolic engineering, and multi-omics platforms, increase the perspectives on the waste valorization process. Lignocellulolytic enzymes, pectinases, and proteases are mainly used as catalyzers on agri-food waste treatment, and their production in house might be the trend in near future for agro-industrial countries. Another way to transform the agri-food wastes is via aerobic or anaerobic microbial process from fungal or bacterial cultures; these processes are the key to produce waste enzymes.     

Development and Validation of Multi-Residue Method for Drugs Analysis in Human Feces by Liquid Chromatography–Tandem Mass Spectrometry

The use of veterinary drugs in animal production is a common practice to secure animal and human health. However, residues of administrated drugs could be present in animal food products. Levels of drugs in food of animal origin are regulated within the European Union. In recent years, residues have been detected not only in food, but also in the environmental elements such as water or soil, meaning that humans are involuntarily exposed to these substances. This article presents a multiclass method for the analysis of various therapeutic groups of pharmaceuticals in human feces. Pharmaceuticals are extracted from feces with an acid extraction solvent, and after filtration the extract was analyzed by HPLC–MS/MS. A limit of detection of 10 ng/g was achieved for 9 pharmaceuticals, with linearity over 0.99 and repeatability and reproducibility lower than 20%. The method was satisfactorily applied in 25 feces samples of individuals that had declared not to be under medical treatment for the last two months. Results indicate the presence of six different compounds at concentration between 10 and 456 ng/g. This preliminary study showed the involuntary exposure of human gut microbiota to active substances such as pharmaceuticals     

Indoxyl sulfate- and P-cresol-induced monocyte adhesion and migration is mediated by integrin-linked kinase-dependent podosome formation

Cardiovascular disease is an important cause of death in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Protein-bound uremic toxins, such as p-cresyl and indoxyl sulfate (IS), are poorly removed during hemodialysis, leading to vascular endothelial dysfunction and leukocyte extravasation. These processes can be related to dynamic adhesion structures called podosomes. Several studies have indicated the role of integrin-linked kinase (ILK) in the accumulation of integrin-associated proteins in podosomes. Here, we investigated the involvement of ILK and podosome formation in the adhesion and extravasation of monocytes under p-cresol (pc) and IS exposure. Incubation of THP-1 human monocyte cells with these toxins upregulated ILK kinase activity. Together, both toxins increased cell adhesion, podosome formation, extracellular matrix degradation, and migration of THP-1 cells, whereas ILK depletion with specific small interfering RNAs suppressed these processes. Interestingly, F-actin colocalized with cortactin in podosome cores, while ILK was colocalized in podosome rings under toxin stimulation. Podosome Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein (WASP)-interacting protein (WIP) and AKT protein depletion demonstrated that monocyte adhesion depends on podosome formation and that the ILK/AKT signaling pathway is involved in these processes. Ex vivo experiments showed that both toxins induced adhesion and podosome formation in leukocytes from wild-type mice, whereas these effects were not observed in leukocytes of conditional ILK-knockdown animals. In summary, under pc and IS stimulation, monocytes increase podosome formation and transmigratory capacity through an ILK/AKT signaling pathway-dependent mechanism, which could lead to vascular injury. Therefore, ILK could be a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of vascular damage associated with CKD.Subject terms: Experimental models of disease, Atherosclerosis, Mechanisms of disease, Integrins, End-stage renal disease