Determination of diclofensine, an antidepressant agent, and its major metabolites in human plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorometric detection

A sensitive and selective high-performance liquid chromatographic assay was developed for the determination of diclofensine (I) and its key metabolites in human plasma. The assay involves deproteinization of plasma, overnight Glusulase incubation to hydrolyze the major metabolite (I-B-glucuronide), extraction of the parent compound and its deconjugated metabolites (I-A, I-B and I-C) from the alkalinized aqueous phase into diethyl ether-ethanol (95:5), the residue of which (containing compounds I, I-A, I-B and I-C) is alkylated with 2-iodopropane dissolved in acetone, using solid potassium hydroxide as a catalyst. The compounds are extracted from the reaction mixture into diethyl ether, after adding ethanol-water-acetic acid (55:40:5), the residue of which is dissolved in 0.05 M sulfuric acid, and reacted with mercuric acetate at 100 degrees C, which oxidizes tertiary tetrahydroisoquinolines to their 3,4-dihydroisoquinoline derivatives, followed by a photochemical reaction in the same solution to form intensely fluorescent isoquinolinium derivatives. An aliquot of this reaction mixture is injected onto a reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography column (5-microns Nova-Pac C13 phase in a radial compression cartridge, 10 cm X 8 mm), using the mobile phase 0.25 M triethylammonium phosphate (pH 2.5)-0.25 M acetic acid-methanol-acetonitrile-tetrahydrofuran (150:350:125:375:25). The void volume (Vo) is approximately 1.4 min and the retention times (tR) of the respective isoquinolium derivatives of diclofensine (I) are ca. 3.5 min, internal standard (II) ca. 4.2 min, nordiclofensine (I-A) ca. 5 min, while the phenolic metabolites I-B and I-C give peaks at 6.4 min and 10.4 min, respectively. The derivatives are detected by fluorescence. The method was used to determine plasma concentrations of the parent drug (I) and its major phenolic metabolite I-B (aglycone) in plasma in two normal volunteers following a single oral 45-mg dose and following seven consecutive days of oral dosing of 45 mg three times a day as part of a multiple ascending dose tolerance study.     

Reactivity of 2-halo-2H-azirines. 1. Reactions with nucleophiles.

Nucleophilic substitution reactions of 2-halo-2H-azirines 1a, 1b, 1d, and 1e with potassium phthalimide and aniline allowed the preparation of new substituted 2H-azirines 2-5. The reactions of 2-bromo-2H-azirine 1a with methylamine led to the synthesis of alpha-diimines 7 and 8. 2-Halo-2H-azirines were also established as building blocks for the synthesis of a range of heterocyclic compounds, namely, quinoxalines 10a-10d, 3-oxazoline 14, and 2H-[1,4]oxazines 18 and 20. X-ray crystal structures of alpha-diimine 7, 3-oxazoline 14, and 2H-[1,4]oxazine 18 are reported.     

Two-step upflow anaerobic sludge bed system for sewage treatment under subtropical conditions with posttreatment in waste stabilization ponds

A pilot-scale sewage treatment system consisting of two upflow anaerobic sludge bed (UASB) reactors followed by five waste stabilization ponds (WSPs) in series was studied under subtropical conditions. The first UASB reactor started up in only 1 mo (stable operation, high chemical oxygen demand [COD] removal efficiency, low volatile fatty acids concentration in the effluent, alkalinity ratio above 0.7, biogas production above 0.1 Nm3/kg of CODremoved). Removal efficiencies up to 90% were obtained in the anaerobic steps at a hydraulic retention time of 6 + 4 h (80% removal in the first step). Fecal coliform removal in the whole system was 99.9999% (99.94% in anaerobic steps and 99.98% in WSPs). COD balances over UASB reactors are provided. A minimum set of data necessary to build COD balances is proposed. Intermittent sludge washout was detected in the reactors with the COD balances. Sludge washout from single-step UASB reactors should be monitored and minimized in order to ensure constant compliance with discharge standards, especially when no posttreatment is provided. The system combined high COD and fecal coliform removal efficiency with an extremely low effluent concentration, complying with discharge standards, and making it an attractive option for sewage treatment in subtropical regions.     

Clean osmium-catalyzed asymmetric dihydroxylation of olefins in ionic liquids and supercritical CO2 product recovery

The combination of ionic liquids (ILs) as solvents in the asymmetric Sharpless dihydroxylation (AD) with the use of scCO(2) in the separation process allows a very simple, efficient, clean and robust system for the reuse of the AD catalytic system, which also does not need the use of organic solvents either for the reaction or for the separation of products and allows the isolation of the diol, in high yield and enantiomeric excess and basically without contamination with osmium.     

Maximizing the xylitol production from sugar cane bagasse hydrolysate by controlling the aeration rate

Batch fermentations of sugar cane bagasse hemicellulosic hydrolysate treated for removing the inhibitors of the fermentation were performed byCandida guilliermondii FTI20037 for xylitol production. The fermentative parameters agitation and aeration rate were studied aiming the maximization of xylitol production from this agroindustrial residue. The maximal xylitol volumetric productivity (0.87 g/L h) and yield (0.67 g/g) were attained at 400/min and 0.45 v.v.m. (K_La 27/h). According to the results, a suitable control of the oxygen input permitting the xylitol formation from sugar cane bagasse hydrolysate is required for the development of an efficient fermentation process for large-scale applications.     

New designs for inhibitors of the NF-κB: DNA binding

We present a series of new inhibitors of the association between nuclear factor kappa B (NF-B) and the corresponding B site in DNA. They were designed using the lead compound 15-deoxy-^12,14 -prostaglandin J₂ (PGJ2), which is a natural product with demonstrated inhibitory efficiency for this system. First, the binding mode of PGJ2 to NF-B was unraveled by GOLD docking calculation. Subsequently, substitutions were made to PGJ2 to optimize its association with NF-B. Care was taken not to strongly increase the reactivity of the new compounds, and to keep the overall shape, size and hydrophilicity of the lead compound, which should render them a similar bioavailability. Molecular mechanics calculations were performed to decide on the suitability of the substitutions, and to evaluate the energies of association with NF-B. Density functional theory calculations were performed also to study the overall reactivity of the substituted drugs towards NF-B. Important general conclusions were obtained, concerning the improvement of these natural inhibitors; namely, a set of rational methodologies were deduced to improve the association between the PGJ2 derivatives and NF-B, and their efficiency demonstrated by generating a set of substituted complexes, some of them with a very much increased affinity for NF-B, opening new doors to enlarge the therapeutic capabilities of this class of drugs.     

Crystal,Molecular, and Electronic Structure of 1-Acetyl-indoline and Derivatives

The crystal and molecular structures of the following molecules have been determined: 1-acetyl-indoline, 1-acetyl-5-nitro-indoline, l-acetyl-5-nitro-7-bromo-indoline, 1-acetyl-5-bromo-7-nitroindoline, and l-acetyl-5-bromo-7-nitro-indol. Molecular orbital calculations are performed for these compounds and two related species.     

Studies on the encapsulation of diclofenac in small unilamellar liposomes of soya phosphatidylcholine

The encapsulation of acid (AD) and sodium diclofenac (SD) in small unilamellar liposomes (SUV) as well as the interactions of the drug with the bilayer was studied. SUV was prepared by sonication from multilamellar liposomes containing soya phosphatidylcholine and diclofenac at various proportions. The size distribution obtained from dynamic light scattering showed that the incorporation of SD decreases significantly the size of the liposomes suggesting that the drug interacts with the bilayer of the liposomes. This size decrease is related with the phase transition of liposomes to mixed micelar solution. The encapsulation of the hydrophilic dye indocyanine green in the aqueous compartment of liposomes showed that the rate of captured dye decreases with SD concentration suggesting the transition of liposomes to mixed micelles. The (31)P NMR analysis indicates that SD interacts with the phosphate of phosphatidylcholine head groups. A schematic model for interaction of SD with phosphatidylcholine of the liposomes in which the diclofenac anion interacts with the ammonium group of the phospholipid and the dichlorophenyl ring occupies a more internal site of bilayer near phosphate group was proposed.     

Oxygen isotope corrections for online delta(34)S analysis

Elemental analyzers have been successfully coupled to stable-isotope-ratio mass spectrometers for online measurements of the delta(34)S isotopic composition of plants, animals and soils. We found that the online technology for automated delta(34)S isotopic determinations did not yield reproducible oxygen isotopic compositions in the SO(2) produced, and as a result calculated delta(34)S values were often 1-3 per thousand too high versus their correct values, particularly for plant and animal samples with high C/S ratio. Here we provide empirical and analytical methods for correcting the S isotope values for oxygen isotope variations, and further detail a new SO(2)-SiO(2) buffering method that minimizes detrimental oxygen isotope variations in SO(2).