Phenethyl Ester of Gallic Acid Ameliorates Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis

Gallic acid is a phenolic acid present in various plants, nuts, and fruits. It is well known for its anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties. The phenethyl ester of gallic acid (PEGA) was synthesized with the aim of increasing the bioavailability of gallic acid, and thus its pharmacological potential. Here, the effects of PEGA on encephalitogenic cells were examined, and PEGA was found to modulate the inflammatory activities of T cells and macrophages/microglia. Specifically, PEGA reduced the release of interleukin (IL)-17 and interferon (IFN)-γ from T cells, as well as NO, and IL-6 from macrophages/microglia. Importantly, PEGA ameliorated experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, an animal model of chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system (CNS)—multiple sclerosis. Thus, PEGA is a potent anti-inflammatory compound with a perspective to be further explored in the context of CNS autoimmunity and other chronic inflammatory disorders.     

Phenolic Compounds as Phytochemical Tracers of Varietal Origin of Some Autochthonous Apple Cultivars Grown in Serbia

Domesticated international (standard) apple cultivars, together with resistant apple cultivars are the core of the Serbian apple production. Furthermore, autochthonous cultivars are characterized by a good adaptability to the local environmental conditions and represent a valuable source of genetic variability, as well as an important source of the gene pool for further breeding programs. Additionally, they show a higher phenolic content and a stronger antioxidant activity, in comparison to commercial cultivars. Therefore, they are more likely to be used as a functional food. The subjects of this study were seventeen samples of fruits and leaves from autochthonous apple cultivars, five international standard cultivars, and six resistant apple cultivars. The phenolic profile was determined using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC), coupled with a diode array detector and a TSQ Quantum Access Max triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer. A total of twenty compounds were quantified in the samples. Most of the analyzed phenolics were detected in higher amounts in the peel, compared to the mesocarp. The results of the multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) indicate that 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid is present in the highest amount in the mesocarp, while in the peel and leaves, quercetin-glycosides were detected in the highest amount. According to the MANOVA: phloretin, phlorizin, 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid, kaempferol, and p-coumaric acid are present in significantly higher levels in the autochthonous cultivars, compared to the standard and resistant ones (in both fruits and leaves). Therefore, these compounds can be used as chemical tracers of the apple varietal origin.     

Synthesis and DFT Defined trans (O5O6) Molecular Structure of Cs[Fe(1,3- pddadp )] · 2H2O. Strain Analysis and Spectral Assignment of the Complex

An iron(III) complex with the hexadentate ligand 1,3-propanediamine-N,N′-diacetate-N,N′-di-3-propionate (1,3-pddadp) was prepared, chromatographically isolated as its isomer trans(O₅O₆)-Cs[Fe(1,3-pddadp)] · 2H₂O, and characterized. The trans(O₅O₆) configuration of the iron(III) compound was found to dominate and this geometry was established by means of IR spectroscopy and Density Functional Theory (DFT). Structural data correlating the octahedral geometry of the [Fe(1,3-pddadp)]⁻ unit and an extensive strain analysis are discussed in relation to the information obtained for similar complexes. Antibacterial activities of the free ligand and its corresponding iron(III) complex towards common Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria are reported as well.     

Osmotic and Activity Coefficients of {yKCl+(1−y)MgCl2}(aq) at T=298.15 K

Isopiestic vapor-pressure measurements were made at the temperature 298.15 K for aqueous KCl + MgCl₂ solutions using KCl(aq) as the reference standard. The measurements for these ternary solutions were made at KCl ionic strength fractions of y=0.0, 0.1989, 0.3996, 0.5993, 0.7925 and 1.0 (with two additional sets at y=0.0, 0.2021, 0.3998, 0.6125, 0.8209 and 1.0) for the ionic strength range from 0.4014 to 6.2790 mol?kg^?1. Our results, and those from two previous isopiestic studies, were combined and used with previously determined parameters for KCl(aq) and those determined here for MgCl₂(aq) to evaluate mixing parameters for the Clegg-Pitzer-Brimblecombe model. These combined data were also used to determine the mixing parameters of the Scatchard model. Both sets of model parameters are valid for ionic strengths of I≤12.8 mol?kg^?1, where higher-order electrostatic effects have been included in the Clegg-Pitzer-Brimblecombe mixture model. The activity coefficients for KCl and MgCl₂ were calculated from these models and the results for KCl were compared to experimental data from Emf measurements. The Scatchard model interaction parameters were used for calculation of the excess Gibbs energy as a function of the ionic strength and ionic strength fraction of KCl. The Zdanovskii-Robinson-Stokes rule of linearity for mixing of isopiestic solutions was tested.     

On the extremal geometric–arithmetic graphs with fixed number of vertices having minimum degree

Annals of Operations Research - The geometric–arithmetic index GA of a graph is defined as sum of weights of all edges of graph. The weight of one edge is quotient of the geometric and...     

Isopiestic determination of the osmotic and activity coefficients of the {yKCl + (1 − y)K2HPO4}(aq) system at T = 298.15 K

The osmotic coefficients of aqueous mixtures of KCl and K₂HPO₄ have been measured at T = (298.15 ± 0.01) K by the isopiestic vapor pressure method over the range of ionic strengths from (2.3700 to 11.250) mol · kg⁻¹ using CaCl₂(aq) as the reference solution. Our new experimental results were modeled with an extended form of Pitzer’s ion-interaction model equations, both with the usual mixing terms and with Scatchard’s neutral–electrolyte mixing terms, and with the Clegg–Pitzer–Brimblecombe equations based on the mole-fraction-composition scale. There is a dearth of previously published isopiestic data for mixtures containing salts of and, consequently, no previous measurements are available for comparison with the present results. The present study yields mixing parameters for these three models that are needed for modeling the thermodynamic activities of solute components of natural waters and other complex aqueous electrolyte mixtures.