Fluorescence lifetime-based biosensing of zinc: Origin of the broad dynamic range

Fluorescence lifetime-based chemical sensors have recently been described for applications in medicine, environmental monitoring, and bioprocess control. These sensors transduce the level of the analyte as a change in the apparent fluorescence lifetime of an indicator phase. We have previously developed a wavelength-ratiometric fluorescence biosensor for zinc based on binding of zinc and dansylamide to apo-carbonic anhydrase which exhibited high sensitivity and selectivity. We demonstrate that the apo-carbonic anhydrase/dansylamide indicator system is very well suited for lifetime-based sensing, with a subnanomolar detection limit and greater than 1000-fold dynamic range. The theoretical basis for the wide dynamic range is discussed.     

Validated liquid chromatographic method for quantitative determination of allicin in garlic powder and tablets

In the present study, an RP high performance liquid chromatographic method was developed and validated for the determination of allicin in garlic powder and tablets. Chromatographic separation was carried out on an RP-18(e )column (125 mm x 4 mm), using a mobile phase, consisting of methanol-water (50:50 v/v), at a flow rate of 0.5 mL/min and UV detection at 220 nm. Ethylparaben was used as the internal standard. The assay was linear for allicin concentrations of 5.0-60.0 microg/mL. The RSD for precision was <6.14%. The accuracy was above 89.11%. The detection and quantification limits were 0.27 and 0.81 microg/mL, respectively. This method was used to quantify allicin in garlic powder samples. The results showed that the method described here is useful for the determination of allicin in garlic powder and tablets.     

Conformational study of (8alpha,8'beta)-bis(substituted phenyl)-lignano-9,9'-lactones by means of combined computational, database mining, NMR, and chemometric approaches

Beta-(3,4-Methylenedioxybenzyl)-gamma-butyrolactone (MDBL) and (-)-hinokinin (HK) were obtained by partial synthesis and characterized by 1H NMR and computational methods (conformational analysis, molecular modeling, structural data mining and chemometrics). Three conformers were detected for MDBL and nine were found for HK. The energy differences are around 1 and 2 kcal mol(-1) and rotation barriers are less than 3 and 5 kcal mol(-1) for MDBL and HK conformers, respectively. The geometries of these conformers, obtained from semiempirical PM3 and density functional theory (DFT) B3LYP 6-31G** calculations agree satisfactorily with 1H NMR data (vicinal proton-proton coupling constants) and structures retrieved from the Cambridge Structural Database (torsion angles). DFT combined with some variants of the Haasnoot-de Leeuuw-Altona equations gives the best predictions for the coupling constants. The molecular conformation of MDBL, of HK, and of related systems depends not only on intramolecular interactions but also on crystal packing forces and solvent-solute interactions, in particular hydrogen bonds and polar interactions. Hydration favors more stable HK conformers, which can be important for their behavior in chemical and biological systems.     

Nephila clavipes spider dragline silk microstructure studied by scanning transmission X-ray microscopy

Nephila clavipes dragline silk microstructure has been investigated by scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM), a technique that allows quantitative mapping of the level of orientation of the peptide groups at high spatial resolution (<50 nm). Maps of the orientation parameter P2 have been derived for spider silk for the first time. Dragline silk presents a very fine microstructure in which small, highly oriented domains (average area of 1800 nm2, thus clearly bigger than individual beta-sheet crystallites) are dispersed in a dominant, moderately oriented matrix with several small unoriented domains. Our results also highlight the orientation of the noncrystalline fraction in silk, which has been underestimated in numerous structural models. No evidence of either a regular lamellar structure or any periodicity along the fiber was observed at this spatial resolution. The surface of fresh spider silk sections consists of a approximately 30-120 nm thick layer of highly oriented protein chains, which was found to vary with the reeling speed, where web building (0.5 cm/s) and lifeline (10 cm/s) spinning speeds were investigated. While the average level of orientation of the protein chains is unaffected by the spinning speed, STXM measurements clearly highlight microstructure differences. The slowpull fiber contains a larger fraction of highly oriented domains, while the protein chains are more homogeneously oriented in the fastpull fiber. In comparison, cocoon silk from the silkworm Bombyx mori presents a narrower orientation distribution. The strength-extensibility combination found in spider dragline silk is associated with its broad orientation distribution of highly interdigitated and unoriented domains.     

Statistical designs and response surface techniques for the optimization of chromatographic systems

This paper describes fundamentals and applications of multivariate statistical techniques for the optimization of chromatographic systems. The surface response methodologies: central composite design, Doehlert matrix and Box-Behnken design are discussed and applications of these techniques for optimization of sample preparation steps (extractions) and determination of experimental conditions for chromatographic separations are presented. The use of mixture design for optimization of mobile phases is also related. An optimization example involving a real separation process is exhaustively described. A discussion about model validation is presented. Some applications of other multivariate techniques for optimization of chromatographic methods are also summarized.     

Eco-friendly synthesis of esters under ultrasound with p-toluenesulfonic acid as catalyst

The present work describes the efficient ultrasound-assisted synthesis of saturated aliphatic esters from synthetic aliphatic acids in methanol or in ethanol, using p-toluenesulfonic acid as a catalyst. The esters were isolated in good yields after short reaction times under mild conditions. The compounds were analyzed by high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), which give a fragmentations pathway common for these molecules.     

Copper‐Catalyzed Asymmetric Conjugate Addition of Dimethylzinc to Acyl‐N‐methylimidazole Michael Acceptors: a Powerful Synthetic Platform

An efficient copper‐catalyzed enantioselective conjugate addition of dimethylzinc to α,β‐ and α,β,γ,δ‐unsaturated 2‐acyl‐N‐methylimidazoles has been achieved using a chiral bidentate hydroxyalkyl‐NHC ligand. The reactions proceeded with both excellent regio‐ and enantioselectivity (14 examples, 87–95 % ee) to afford the desired 1,4‐adducts, which were easily transformed to the corresponding aldehydes, esters, and ketones. Subsequently, this powerful methodology was therefore successfully applied in the synthesis of natural products. Furthermore, an iterative process was also disclosed leading to highly desirable 1,3‐desoxypropionate skeletons (up to 94 % d.e.).