LC-ESI-MS/MS profiling of alkaloids and antiproliferative activity of Pachypoduim lamerei drake leaves

Abstract

In the present study, evaluation of the antiproliferative activity of Pachypodium lamerei Drake leaves (family Apocyaceae) against human breast cancer cell lines MDA-MB-231 was done for the total methanolic extract, crude alkaloidal mixture and ursolic acid using the MTT colorimetric assay. The methanolic extract showed the strongest antiproliferative activity followed by ursolic acid and crude alkaloidal fraction with an IC₅₀ equal to 6.2, 14.55 and 56.3?µg/ml respectively compared to oleocanthal. It is the first record for the LC/ESI-MS/MS alkaloidal profiling of the leaves of P. lamerei. Seven alkaloids were tentatively identified according to their fragmentation patterns. Four alkaloids were related to the parent indole class and two alkaloids belong to the quinoline class in addition to one steroidal alkaloid with a pregnan nucleus. Phytochemical investigation of the methanolic extract led to the isolation of three triterpenoidal compounds including ursolic acid, 11,12-didehydroursolic acid lactone and ursolic acid lactone.     

Healable dual organic–inorganic crosslinked sol–gel based polymers: Crosslinking density and tetrasulfide content effect

In this article, the first generation of healable sol–gel based polymers is reported. A dual organic–inorganic crosslinked network is developed containing non‐reversible crosslinks and reversible (tetrasulfide) groups. The designed polymer architecture allows thermally induced mesoscale flow leading to damage closure followed by interfacial strength restoration due to reformation of the reversible groups. While the reversible bonds are responsible for the flow and the interface restoration, the irreversible crosslinks control the required mechanical integrity during the healing process. The temperature dependent gap closure kinetics is strongly affected by the crosslinking density and tetrasulfide content. Raman spectroscopy is used to explain the gap closure kinetics in air and dry nitrogen. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2014 , 52, 1953–1961     

Reversible fixation and release of carbon dioxide with a binary system consisting of polyethylene glycol and polystyrene‐bearing cyclic amidine pendant group

In this study, we investigated the CO₂‐capture/release behavior of the polystyrene‐bearing cyclic amidine pendant groups, which was synthesized via free radical polymerization of HCl salt of the corresponding styrene monomer followed by neutralization. For comparison, we also prepared the polystyrene bearing N‐formyl‐1,3‐propanediamine pendant groups through the hydrolysis of the cyclic amidine group by treatment with an alkaline solution. First, we examined the CO₂‐capture/release behaviors of the amidine and amine monomers in aqueous solution in terms of conductivity. The conductivity of a wet DMSO solution of the amidine monomer increased upon CO₂ bubbling at 25 °C and reached a stationary value of about 11 mS/m, which indicated the formation of the bicarbonate salt. Conversely, the conductivity decreased to its original value upon N₂ bubbling at 50 °C, reflecting the complete release of the trapped CO₂ molecules. Both solutions showed the changes in the conductivity with quick responses, and no appreciable difference was observed between them. We then investigated the CO₂‐capture/release behaviors of the amidine and amine polymers, by taking advantage of the binary system with polyethylene glycol, and found that the binary system with the amidine polymer captured and released CO₂ more efficiently than that with the amine polymer. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2014 , 52, 2025–2031     

Novel Four-Step Synthesis of Thioxo-quinazolino[3,4-a]quinazolinone Derivatives

A novel synthesis of thioxo-quinazolino[3,4-a]quinazolinone framework was developed through a four-step reaction starting from isatoic anhydride. The resulting 2-aminobenzamides from the reaction of isatoic anhydride and different amines underwent coupling–cyclization reaction with 2-nitrobenzaldehydes, reduction of nitro group, and then cyclization reaction with carbon disulfide (CS₂). All steps were carried out under easy and user-friendly conditions in a short time without using expensive catalysts or reagents.

[Supplementary materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Synthetic Communications® for the following free supplemental resource(s): Full experimental and spectral details.]     

Vilsmeier Reagent: An Efficient Reagent for the Transformation of 2-Aminobenzamides into Quinazolin-4(3H)-one Derivatives

Clean and easy preparation of quinazolin-4(3H)-one derivatives using 2-aminobenzamides and Vilsmeier reagent is described. 2-Aminobenzamides were converted into the corresponding quinazolinones under mild and efficient conditions, in good yields without undesirable by-products.

[Supplementary materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Synthetic Communications® for the following free supplemental resource(s): Full experimental and spectral details.]     

Synthesis,X‐ray Studies,and Catalytic Efficacy of a Novel Iron Complex Containing an N,O‐Type Bidentate Thiazoline Ligand

The reactions of FeCl₃ · 6H₂O and 2‐(2′‐hydroxyphenyl)‐2‐thiazoline as a bidentate O‐N donor thiazoline ligand (thoz) afford a five‐coordinate Fe^III complex [Fe(thoz)₂Cl] with a distorted square pyramidal configuration. Complex [Fe(thoz)₂Cl] was isolated as air‐stable crystalline solids and fully characterized, including by single‐crystal X‐ray structure analysis. Complex [Fe(thoz)₂Cl] shows very efficient reactivity in the oxidation of sulfides to their corresponding sulfoxides using urea hydrogen peroxide (UHP) as the oxidant at room temperature in air.     

Phosphido‐diphosphine pincer aluminum complexes as catalysts for ring opening polymerization of cyclic esters

New aluminum alkyl complexes, supported by o‐phenylene‐derived phosphido diphosphine pro‐ligands [Ph‐PPP]‐H and [ⁱPr‐PPP]‐H ([Ph‐PPP]‐H = bis(2‐diphenylphosphinophenyl)phosphine; [ⁱPr‐PPP]‐H = bis(2‐diisopropylphosphinophenyl)phosphine) are reported. Compounds [Ph‐PPP]AlMe₂ ( 1 ), [ⁱPr‐PPP]AlMe₂ ( 2 ), and [Ph‐PPP]AlⁱBu₂ ( 3 ) have been synthesized by reaction of the pro‐ligand with the appropriate trialkyl aluminum precursor and have been characterized by ¹H, ¹³C and ³¹P NMR spectroscopy. The solution NMR data and theoretical calculations suggest for all complexes trigonal bipyramidal structures with C_2v symmetry in which the phosphido diphosphine ligand acts as a κ³ coordinated ligand. All complexes promote the ring‐opening polymerization of ε‐caprolactone, L‐ and rac‐lactide. Polyesters with controlled molecular parameters (M_n, end groups) and low polydispersities are obtained. Upon addition of isopropanol, efficient binary catalytic systems for the immortal ring‐opening polymerization of the cyclic esters are produced. Preliminary investigations show the ability of these complexes to promote copolymerization of l ‐lactide and ?‐caprolactone to achieve copolymers whose microstructures are depending on the structure of the catalyst. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2014 , 52, 49–60     

Synthesis and design of polyurethane and its nanocomposites derived from canola-castor oil: Mechanical,thermal and shape memory properties

The recent global pandemic and its tremendous effect on the price fluctuations of crude oil illustrates the side effects of petroleum dependency more evident than ever. Over the past decades, both academic and industrial communities spared endless efforts in order to replace petroleum-based materials with bio-derived resources. In the current study, a series of shape memory polymer composites (SMPC's) was synthesized from epoxidized vegetable oils, namely canola oil and castor oil fatty acids (COFA's) as a 100% bio-based polyol and isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) as an isocyanate using a solvent/catalyst-free method in order to eventuate polyurethanes (PU's). Thereafter, graphene oxide (GO) nanoplatelets were synthesized and embedded in the neat PU in order to overcome the thermomechanical drawbacks of the neat matrix. The chemical structure of the synthesized components, as well as the dispersion and distribution levels of the nanoparticles, was characterized. In the following, thermal and mechanical properties as well as shape memory behavior of the specimens were comprehensively investigated. Likewise, the thermal conductivity was determined. This study proves that synthesized PU's based on vegetable oil polyols, including graphene nanoparticles, exhibit proper thermal and mechanical properties, which make them stand as a potential candidate to compete with traditional petroleum-based SMPC's.     

Perovskite ceramics and recent experimental progress in reactor design for chemical looping combustion application

Chemical looping combustion (CLC) is a novel method of carbon capture and sequestration. It facilitates CO₂ capture by lower energy penalties compared with other methods in this category. The major challenges encountered in CLC are oxygen carrier, reactor and fuel-type selection. A proper combination of these factors is required for an efficient CLC. There have been several studies with regard to oxygen carriers applicable to these processes: novel oxygen carriers, single perovskites and potential oxygen carriers, double perovskites, have been investigated for their oxygen capture and release properties in a number of studies. Different kinds of reactors have also been proposed for use in CLC processes. This paper presents information on the materials capable of oxygen storage and release and the different kinds of reactors investigated for CLC in different studies. It has been shown that, although there are several oxygen carriers and reactors with the desired function and efficiency for CLC, there remains the need for further improvement and optimisation in both areas. © 2014 Institute of Chemistry, Slovak Academy of Sciences     

Revealing the Preferred Interlayer Orientations and Stackings of Two‐Dimensional Bilayer Gallium Selenide Crystals

Characterizing and controlling the interlayer orientations and stacking orders of two‐dimensional (2D) bilayer crystals and van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures is crucial to optimize their electrical and optoelectronic properties. The four polymorphs of layered gallium selenide (GaSe) crystals that result from different layer stackings provide an ideal platform to study the stacking configurations in 2D bilayer crystals. Through a controllable vapor‐phase deposition method, bilayer GaSe crystals were selectively grown and their two preferred 0° or 60° interlayer rotations were investigated. The commensurate stacking configurations (AA′ and AB stacking) in as‐grown bilayer GaSe crystals are clearly observed at the atomic scale, and the Ga‐terminated edge structure was identified using scanning transmission electron microscopy. Theoretical analysis reveals that the energies of the interlayer coupling are responsible for the preferred orientations among the bilayer GaSe crystals.