Screening for antioxidants in complex matrices using high performance liquid chromatography with acidic potassium permanganate chemiluminescence detection

The use of high performance liquid chromatography with acidic potassium permanganate chemiluminescence detection to screen for antioxidants in complex plant-derived samples was evaluated in comparison with two conventional post-column radical scavenging assays (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) and 2,2'-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical cation (ABTS(+))). In this approach, acidic potassium permanganate can react with readily oxidisable compounds (potential antioxidants), post-column, to produce chemiluminescence. Using flow injection analysis, experimental parameters that afforded the most suitable permanganate chemiluminescence signal for a range of known antioxidants were studied in a univariate approach. Optimum conditions were found to be: 1×10(-3)M potassium permanganate solution containing 1% (w/v) sodium polyphosphates adjusted to pH 2 with sulphuric acid, delivered at a flow rate of 2.5 mL min(-1) per line. Further investigations showed some differences in detection selectivity between HPLC with the optimised post-column permanganate chemiluminescence detection and DPPH and ABTS(+) assays towards antioxidant standards. However, permanganate chemiluminescence detection was more sensitive. Moreover, screening for antioxidants in green tea, cranberry juice and thyme using potassium permanganate chemiluminescence offers several advantages over the traditional DPPH and ABTS(+) assays, such as faster reagent preparation and superior stability; simpler post-column reaction manifold; and greater compatibility with fast chromatographic separations using monolithic columns.     

Separation of chitosan by degree of acetylation using simple free solution capillary electrophoresis

Chitosan is a biopolymer of increasing significance, as well as a renewable and sustainable material. Its main molecular characteristics are molar mass and degree of acetylation (composition). Precise average degrees of acetylation were measured by quantitative ¹H solution-state NMR spectroscopy. While number-average degrees of acetylation had already been determined by ¹H NMR spectroscopy, weight-average degrees of acetylation are also determined and may be more relevant for some properties, such as mechanical properties. We report the first separation of chitosan according to its degree of acetylation using free solution capillary electrophoresis. Capillary electrophoresis separates chitosan in the ‘critical conditions’: the molar mass plays little role and the separation is by the degree of acetylation. It characterises the heterogeneity of chitosan samples in terms of composition (dispersity of the distribution of degrees of acetylation). This heterogeneity (broad distribution of degrees of acetylation) cannot be neglected contrary to a common assumption found in the literature. This fast and easy separation will allow establishing a structure–property relationships.

Design,Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Novel Pyrazolo[1,2,4]triazolopyrimidine Derivatives as Potential Anticancer Agents

Three novel pyrazolo-[4,3-e][1,2,4]triazolopyrimidine derivatives (1, 2, and 3) were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their in vitro biological activity. All three compounds exhibited different levels of cytotoxicity against cervical and breast cancer cell lines. However, compound 1 showed the best antiproliferative activity against all tested tumor cell lines, including HCC1937 and HeLa cells, which express high levels of wild-type epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Western blot analyses demonstrated that compound 1 inhibited the activation of EGFR, protein kinase B (Akt), and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (Erk)1/2 in breast and cervical cancer cells at concentrations of 7 and 11 µM, respectively. The results from docking experiments with EGFR suggested the binding of compound 1 at the ATP binding site of EGFR. Furthermore, the crystal structure of compound 3 (7-(4-bromophenyl)-9-(pyridin-4-yl)-7H-pyrazolo[4,3-e][1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-c]pyrimidine) was determined by single crystal X-ray analysis. Our work represents a promising starting point for the development of a new series of compounds targeting EGFR.     

Diversity-oriented, one-pot, multi-component synthesis of substituted uracil derivatives

Abstract  

With the emergence of high throughput screening of bioactive molecules, there is constant need for the development of new strategies for diversity-oriented synthesis. We describe here a novel one-pot multicomponent reaction for the synthesis of uracil derivatives using easily available starting materials. This new synthetic strategy provides easy access to diverse uracil derivatives in moderate to good yields.     

Stability of various PLGA and lipid nanoparticles in temperature and in time and new technology for the preparation of liposomes for anticancer and antibiotic loading

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - The stabilizer, which is used during the preparation of Poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs), is of great importance for particle...     

Potential constants,mean amplitudes of vibration,and thermodynamic properties of ethylene oxide,ethylene oxide-d4 and ethylene sulphide

A normal co-ordinate analysis of ethylene oxide, ethylene oxide-d₄ and ethylene sulphide is carried out and the potential energy constants are determined using both the most general quadratic potential function and Urey-Bradley force field. Using the potential energy constants obtained by the former method the mean amplitudes of vibration of these molecules are calculated by the secular equation method. The thermodynamic properties of these molecules are reported for the ideal gaseous state at one atmosphere pressure for eleven temperatures from 100° K. to 1000° K.     

氧气含量对射频磁控溅射方法制备的NiO∶Cu/ZnO异质pn结的光电性能的影响

利用磁控溅射方法改变氧气含量制备了一系列NiO∶Cu/ZnO异质pn结。实验结果表明,氧含量对NiO∶Cu/ZnO异质pn结电学影响很大。相对于纯氩溅射,引入一定氧气(O2/(Ar+O2)比例为30%)后,NiO∶Cu/ZnO异质pn结的整流特性明显得到改善。与此同时,NiO∶Cu/ZnO异质pn结的光透过率也从40%增大到80%。这可能是由于氧气的轻量引入致使NiO∶Cu/ZnO异质pn结的结晶得到改善,薄膜内缺陷减少所致。进一步提高氧气含量,直到O2/(Ar+O2)比例至80%后,异质结的整流特性有所削弱,这可能是由于过多氧气的引入造成薄膜缺陷再次增多,进而影响到异质结的整流特性。这一结论得到了EDS、XRD、AFM和UV结果的支持。     

Millisecond kinetics of nanocrystal cation exchange using microfluidic X-ray absorption spectroscopy

We describe the use of a flow-focusing microfluidic reactor to measure the kinetics of the CdSe-to-Ag2Se nanocrystal cation exchange reaction using micro-X-ray absorption spectroscopy (microXAS). The small microreactor dimensions facilitate the millisecond mixing of CdSe nanocrystals and Ag+ reactant solutions, and the transposition of the reaction time onto spatial coordinates enables the in situ observation of the millisecond reaction using microXAS. Selenium K-edge absorption spectra show the progression of CdSe nanocrystals to Ag2Se over the course of 100 ms without the presence of long-lived intermediates. These results, along with supporting stopped-flow absorption experiments, suggest that this nanocrystal cation exchange reaction is highly efficient and provide insight into how the reaction progresses in individual particles. This experiment illustrates the value and potential of in situ microfluidic X-ray synchrotron techniques for detailed studies of the millisecond structural transformations of nanoparticles and other solution-phase reactions in which diffusive mixing initiates changes in local bond structures or oxidation states.