Computer Simulations of the Formation of Bile Salt Micelles and Bile Salt/DPPC Mixed Micelles in Aqueous Solutions

Brownian dynamics simulations for a coarse-grained model have been performed to study the formation of micelles from bile salts and mixed micelles with dipalmitoyl-phosphatidylcholine (DPPC) in aqueous solutions. The particular association behavior of bile salts as facial surfactants was shown to be caused by their special molecular architecture with a hydrophilic and a hydrophobic side. The experimentally observed smooth transition into the micellar region with increasing concentration is reproduced. Micelle size distributions have been evaluated at different bile salt concentrations. Typical structures of pure bile salt micelles could be identified. The composition and the structure of mixed micelles have been studied in their dependence on the bile salt/lipid concentration ratio in the aqueous solution. We have found that the bile salt fraction in the mixed micelles increases considerably with increasing bile salt/lipid concentration ratio and decreasing micelle size. The structural and thermodynamic features of micelle formation in the aqueous bile salt solutions with DPPC, which we have studied with the coarse-grained model, are in good qualitative agreement with experimental findings.     

Unidirectional growth of l-asparagine monohydrate single crystal: First time observation of NLO nature and other studies of crystalline perfection,optical, mechanical and dielectric properties

L-asparagine monohydrate (LAM), a new amino acid single crystal, was grown by slow evaporation solution technique (SEST) as well as by recently invented Sankaranarayanan–Ramasamy (SR) method in aqueous medium. Using SR method, LAM single crystal of diameter ∼18 mm and length ∼52 mm was grown for the first time. The growth conditions were optimized and the maximum growth rate of 1.0 mm per day was observed for the SR crystal. The crystal structure was confirmed by powder XRD. The crystalline perfection was assessed by high resolution XRD and etching studies and found that the quality of the SR crystal is better than the SEST crystal. The UV–vis–NIR spectroscopic study revealed that the SR crystal has good optical transparency than that of SEST crystal. The relative second harmonic generation efficiency was measured and found to be ∼0.35 times to that of KDP. The laser damage threshold (LDT) was measured and found that the SR crystal has higher LDT value (5.76 GW cm⁻²) than SEST crystal (4.75 GW cm⁻²). The Vickers’s microhardness and dielectric studies were also carried out and discussed.     

Dual mechanisms of HNO generation by a nitroxyl prodrug of the diazeniumdiolate (NONOate) class

Here we describe a novel caged form of the highly reactive bioeffector molecule, nitroxyl (HNO). Reacting the labile nitric oxide (NO)- and HNO-generating salt of structure iPrHN-N(O)═NO(-)Na(+) (1, IPA/NO) with BrCH(2)OAc produced a stable derivative of structure iPrHN-N(O)═NO-CH(2)OAc (2, AcOM-IPA/NO), which hydrolyzed an order of magnitude more slowly than 1 at pH 7.4 and 37 °C. Hydrolysis of 2 to generate HNO proceeded by at least two mechanisms. In the presence of esterase, straightforward dissociation to acetate, formaldehyde, and 1 was the dominant path. In the absence of enzyme, free 1 was not observed as an intermediate and the ratio of NO to HNO among the products approached zero. To account for this surprising result, we propose a mechanism in which base-induced removal of the N-H proton of 2 leads to acetyl group migration from oxygen to the neighboring nitrogen, followed by cleavage of the resulting rearrangement product to isopropanediazoate ion and the known HNO precursor, CH(3)-C(O)-NO. The trappable yield of HNO from 2 was significantly enhanced over 1 at physiological pH, in part because the slower rate of hydrolysis for 2 generated a correspondingly lower steady-state concentration of HNO, thus, minimizing self-consumption and enhancing trapping by biological targets such as metmyoglobin and glutathione. Consistent with the chemical trapping efficiency data, micromolar concentrations of prodrug 2 displayed significantly more potent sarcomere shortening effects relative to 1 on ventricular myocytes isolated from wild-type mouse hearts, suggesting that 2 may be a promising lead compound for the development of heart failure therapies.     

Phytochemical investigation of Gynura bicolor leaves and cytotoxicity evaluation of the chemical constituents against HCT 116 cells

Gynura bicolor (Compositae) is a popular vegetable in Asia and believed to confer a wide range of benefits including anti-cancer. Our previous findings showed that the ethyl acetate extract of G. bicolor possessed cytotoxicity and induced apoptotic and necrotic cell death in human colon carcinoma cells (HCT 116). A combination of column chromatography had been used to purify chemical constituents from the ethyl acetate and water extract of G. bicolor leaves. Eight chemical constituents 5-p-trans-coumaroylquinic acid (I), 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (II), rutin (III), kampferol-3-O-rutinoside (IV), 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid (V), kampferol-3-O-glucoside (VI), guanosine (VII) and chlorogenic acid (VIII) were isolated from G. bicolor grown in Malaysia. To our best knowledge, all chemical constituents were isolated for the first time from G. bicolor leaves except rutin (III). 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid (V), guanosine (VII) and chlorogenic acid (VIII) demonstrated selective cytotoxicity (selective index>3) against HCT 116 cancer cells compared to CCD-18Co human normal colon cells.     

Discovery of potential M2 channel inhibitors based on the amantadine scaffold via virtual screening and pharmacophore modeling

The M2 channel protein on the influenza A virus membrane has become the main target of the anti-flu drugs amantadine and rimantadine. The structure of the M2 channel proteins of the H3N2 (PDB code 2RLF) and 2009-H1N1 (Genbank accession number GQ385383) viruses may help researchers to solve the drug-resistant problem of these two adamantane-based drugs and develop more powerful new drugs against influenza A virus. In the present study, we searched for new M2 channel inhibitors through a combination of different computational methodologies, including virtual screening with docking and pharmacophore modeling. Virtual screening was performed to calculate the free energies of binding between receptor M2 channel proteins and 200 new designed ligands. After that, pharmacophore analysis was used to identify the important M2 protein-inhibitor interactions and common features of top binding compounds with M2 channel proteins. Finally, the two most potential compounds were determined as novel leads to inhibit M2 channel proteins in both H3N2 and 2009-H1N1 influenza A virus.     

Oligosaccharides might contribute to the antidiabetic effect of honey: a review of the literature

Evidence shows that honey improves glycemic control in diabetes mellitus. Besides its hypoglycemic effect, studies indicate that honey ameliorates lipid abnormalities in rats and humans with diabetes. The majority of these studies do not examine the mechanisms by which honey ameliorates glycemic and/or lipid derangements. The gut microbiota is now recognized for its ability to increase energy harvest from the diet and alter lipid metabolism of the host. Recently available data implicate a causal role of these gut microbes in the pathophysiology of obesity, insulin resistance, and diabetes mellitus. In this review, we present some of the latest findings linking gut microbiota to pathogenesis of obesity, insulin resistance, and diabetes mellitus. The review also underlines data that demonstrate the beneficial effects of oligosaccharides on various abnormalities commonly associated with these disorders. Based on the similarities of some of these findings with those of honey, together with the evidence that honey contains oligosaccharides, we hypothesize that oligosaccharides present in honey might contribute to the antidiabetic and other health-related beneficial effects of honey. We anticipate that the possibility of oligosaccharides in honey contributing to the antidiabetic and other health-related effects of honey will stimulate a renewed research interest in this field.     

Three New Pentacyclic Triterpenoids from Lantana camara

Three new pentacyclic triterpenes ursoxy acid ( 1 ), methyl ursoxylate ( 2 ), and ursangilic acid ( 3 ), along with three known compounds dotriacontanoic acid, oleanolic acid acetate, and tetracosanoic acid, were isolated from the aerial parts of Lantana camara Linn . Structures of the new compounds were elucidated by chemical transformation and spectral studies including 1D (¹H‐ and ¹³C‐NMR) and 2D (COSY‐45, NOESY, J‐resolved, HMQC, and HMBC) NMR spectroscopy.     

A Statistical Thermodynamics and Growth Restrictions (STGR) Model of Polytypism with Special Reference to Zinc Sulfide

A model to explain polytypism based upon classical statistics and the idea of minimum sandwiches of basic phases has been developed. Presence of two or more phases under suitable thermodynamic conditions and restrictions imposed by statistical, structural, and growth factors have been elaborated. A new statistical approach is used and a criterion to find most probable polytypes of a compound has been evolved. Logical implications of the model are found in good agreement with the experimental data.     

Polytypism in MX2 Compounds: A Case of Mixed Equilibrium Phases

Classical polytypism in MX₂-type compounds has been investigated. It has been established that polytypism can be understood, not as the case of independent stacking of A, B, or C layers but in terms of basic structural units, the most stable and only equilibrium phases of the given compounds. Other polytypes are formed only as a result of various equivalent positions that these units can take a given cell height. A criterion to predict whether a given compound would exhibit polytypism is also suggested. Several problems in applying ANNNI and other spin models to polytypism have been pointed out and a modified Hamiltonian is suggested.