Optimization of Surfactin Production by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus subtilis</Emphasis> Isolate BS5

Bacillus subtilis BS5 is a soil isolate that produces promising yield of surfactin biosurfactant in mineral salts medium (MSM). It was found that cellular growth and surfactin production in MSM were greatly affected by the environmental fermentation conditions and the medium components (carbon and nitrogen sources and minerals). Optimum environmental conditions for high surfactin production on the shake flask level were found to be a slightly acidic initial pH (6.5-6.8), an incubation temperature of 30 degrees C, a 90% volumetric aeration percentage, and an inoculum size of 2% v/v. For media components, it was found that the optimum carbon source was molasses (160 ml/l), whereas the optimum nitrogen source was NaNO(3) (5 g/l) and the optimum trace elements were ZnSO(4).7H(2)O (0.16 g/l), FeCl(3).6H(2)O (0.27 g/l), and MnSO(4).H(2)O (0.017 g/l). A modified MSM (molasses MSM), combining the optimum medium components, was formulated and resulted in threefold increase in surfactin productivity that reached 1.12 g/l. No plasmid could be detected in the tested isolate, revealing that biosurfactant production by B. subtilis isolate BS5 is chromosomally mediated but not plasmid-mediated.     

Determination of capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin in Capsicum fruit samples using high performance liquid chromatography

The aim of the present study was to determine the content of capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin in Capsicum samples collected from city markets in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), calculate their pungency in Scoville heat units (SHU) and evaluate the average daily intake of capsaicin for the population of Riyadh. The investigated samples consisted of hot chillies, red chillies, green chillies, green peppers, red peppers and yellow peppers. Extraction of capsaicinoids was done using ethanol as solvent, while high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used for separation, identification and quantitation of the components. The limit of detection (LOD) of the method was 0.09 and 0.10 μg/g for capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin, respectively, while the limit of quantification (LOQ) was 0.30 and 0.36 μg/g for capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin, respectively. Hot chillies showed the highest concentration of capsaicin (4249.0 ± 190.3 μg/g) and the highest pungency level (67984.60 SHU), whereas green peppers had the lowest detected concentration (1.0 ± 0.9 μg/g); green peppers, red peppers and yellow peppers were non pungent. The mean consumption of peppers for Riyadh city population was determined to be 15.5 g/person/day while the daily capsaicin intake was 7.584 mg/person/day.     

Spectrofluorimetric determination of guanethidine sulphate,guanfacine hydrochloride,guanoclor sulphate and guanoxan sulphate in tablets and biological fluids,using benzoin

A sensitive and rapid Spectrofluorimetric method for the determination of guanethidine sulphate, guanfacine hydrochloride, guanoclor sulphate and guanoxan sulphate in tablets and spiked human serum and urine samples is described. The method is based on the reaction of monosubstituted guanidino compounds in an aqueous potassium hydroxide solution with benzoin, in the presence of -mercaptoethanol and sodium sulphite. Highly fluorescent derivatives were obtained, with excitation and emission maximum wavelengths around 325 and 430 nm, respectively. In optimal reaction conditions, the linearity ranges were 0.04–0.28 g/ml, with relative standard deviations less than 2%. The method has been successfully applied to the determination of these drugs in tablets. The results are highly correlated with the B.P. method. Chloroform (or for guanoxan dichloromethane) was used to extract the drugs from serum and urine at basic pH, followed by the proposed fluorimetric method. The limit of detection is 0.02 g/ml for the selected drugs.     

Galactose Oxidase/Prussian Blue Based Biosensors

This paper describes the development of an amperometric biosensor based on galactose oxidase (GAOx) immobilization within a laponite clay film deposited on Carbon Screen‐Printed Electrodes modified by electrodeposited Prussian Blue and coated with poly‐(O‐phenylenediamine) (PPD/PB/CSPEs). Amperometric performances of GAOx@laponite/PPD/PB/CSPEs bioelectrodes were determined using several GAOx substrates. Using these modified electrodes the reduction of enzymatically generated hydrogen peroxide was performed at ?0.2 V vs. Ag‐AgCl. In an initial attempt, E.Coli transketolase activity on its immobilized form was followed using a bienzymatic GAOx‐TK biosensor.     

Genetic diversity and haplotype structure of 21 Y‐STRs,including nine noncore loci,in South Tunisian Population: Forensic relevance

Y chromosome STRs (Y‐STRs) are being used frequently in forensic laboratories. Previous studies of Y‐STR polymorphisms in different groups of the Tunisian population identified low levels of diversity and discrimination capacity (DC) using various commercial marker sets. This definitely limits the use of such systems for Y‐STRs genotyping in Tunisia. In our investigation on South Tunisia, 200 unrelated males were typed for the 12 conventional Y‐STRs included in the PowerPlex® Y System. Additional set of nine noncore Y‐STRs including DYS446, DYS456, DYS458, DYS388, DYS444, DYS445, DYS449, DYS710, and DYS464 markers were genotyped and evaluated for their potential in improving DC. Allele frequency, gene diversity, haplotype diversity (HD), and DC calculation revealed that DYS464 was the most diverse marker followed by DYS710 and DYS449 markers. The standard panel of 12 Y‐STRs (DC = 80.5%) and the nine markers were combined to obtain DC of 99%. Among the 198 different haplotypes observed, 196 haplotypes were unique (HD = 99.999). Out of the nine noncore set, six Y‐STRs (DYS458, DYS456, DYS449, DYS710, DYS444, and DYS464) had the greatest impact on enhancing DC. Our data provided putative Y‐STRs combination to be used for genetic and forensic applications.     

Mixed‐Metal MIL‐100(Sc,M) (M=Al,Cr, Fe) for Lewis Acid Catalysis and Tandem CC Bond Formation and Alcohol Oxidation

The trivalent metal cations Al³⁺, Cr³⁺, and Fe³⁺ were each introduced, together with Sc³⁺, into MIL‐100(Sc,M) solid solutions (M=Al, Cr, Fe) by direct synthesis. The substitution has been confirmed by powder X‐ray diffraction (PXRD) and solid‐state NMR, UV/Vis, and X‐ray absorption (XAS) spectroscopy. Mixed Sc/Fe MIL‐100 samples were prepared in which part of the Fe is present as α‐Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles within the mesoporous cages of the MOF, as shown by XAS, TGA, and PXRD. The catalytic activity of the mixed‐metal catalysts in Lewis acid catalysed Friedel–Crafts additions increases with the amount of Sc present, with the attenuating effect of the second metal decreasing in the order Al>Fe>Cr. Mixed‐metal Sc,Fe materials give acceptable activity: 40 % Fe incorporation only results in a 20 % decrease in activity over the same reaction time and pure product can still be obtained and filtered off after extended reaction times. Supported α‐Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles were also active Lewis acid species, although less active than Sc³⁺ in trimer sites. The incorporation of Fe³⁺ into MIL‐100(Sc) imparts activity for oxidation catalysis and tandem catalytic processes (Lewis acid+oxidation) that make use of both catalytically active framework Sc³⁺ and Fe³⁺. A procedure for using these mixed‐metal heterogeneous catalysts has been developed for making ketones from (hetero)aromatics and a hemiacetal.     

Synthesis,Reactions, Characterization and Biological Evaluation of 2,3′‐Bipyridine Derivatives (III)

1‐Pyridin‐3‐yl‐3‐(2‐thienyl of 2‐furyl)prop‐2‐en‐1‐ones 1a , 1b reacted with 2‐cyanoethanethioamide 2 to afford the corresponding 4‐(thiophen‐2‐yl or furan‐2‐yl)‐6‐sulfanyl‐2,3′‐bipyridine‐5‐carbonitriles 3a , 3b . The synthetic potentiality of compounds 3a , 3b were investigated in the present study via their reactions with several active halogen containing compounds 4a , 4b , 4c , 4d , 4e , 4f , 4g , 4h , 5 , 5a , 5b . Our aim here is the synthesis of 4‐(2‐thienyl or 2‐furyl)‐6‐pyridin‐3‐ylthieno[2,3‐b]pyridin‐3‐amines 6a , 6b , 6c , 6d , 6e , 6g , 6h , 6i , 6j , 6k , 6l , 6m , 6n ,via 6‐(alkyl‐thio)‐4‐(2‐thienyl or 2‐furyl)‐2,3′‐bipyridine‐5‐carbonitriles 5a , 5b , 5c , 5d , 5e , 5i , 5j , 5k , 5l , 5m . The structures of all newly synthesized heterocyclic compounds were elucidated by considering the data of IR, ¹H‐NMR, mass spectra, as well as that of elemental analyses. Anti‐cancer, anti‐Alzheimer, and anti‐COX‐2 activities were investigated for all the newly synthesized heterocyclic compounds.     

Synthesis of Some Novel Imidazopyrazole and Pyrazolopyrimidine Derivatives

5‐Amino‐3‐anilino‐1H‐pyrazole‐4‐carbonitrile 1 was alkylated with various halo reagents under phase transfer conditions to give the corresponding imidazopyrazole derivatives 2a , 2b , 2c , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 . Pyrazolo[1,5‐a] pyrimidine derivatives 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 were prepared by treating compound 1 with different dicarbonyl reagents, namely, diethymalonate, ethyl 3‐oxo‐3‐phenylpropanoate, pentane‐2,4‐dione or ethyl 3‐oxobutanoate.     

Synthesis of Novel Modified Guanidines: Reaction of Dicyandiamide with Amino Acids,Amides, and Amines in Aqueous Medium

Reaction of dicyandiamide with series of amino acids afforded guanidinyl pyrazolones 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , respectively. Although reaction of dicyandiamide with urea, acetamide, bezamide, allantion, p‐aminobenzoic acid, sulphanilic acid, and adenine gave biguanides 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , respectively. All compounds have been characterized on the basis of IR and ¹H‐NMR.     

Mass cultivation of various algal species and their evaluation as a potential candidate for lipid production

Microalgae have been proposed as a promising source for biodiesel production. Focusing on algal strains for biodiesel production, efforts should be made to search new strains. Experiments were carried out to investigate the effects of growth parameters (nutrients, pH, light, aeration and temperature) and the oil percentage of eight algal strains (Chlorella sp., Cladophora sp., Hydrodictylium sp., Oedogonium sp., Oscillatoria sp., Spirogyra sp., Stigeocolonium sp., Ulothrix sp.). Results show that 6.5–7.5 is the optimum pH for the growth of all algal species. Temperature showed a greater variation (25°40°C). Ulothrix sp. gave more biomass productivity and is the most suitable strain for biodiesel production due to higher oil percentage (62%). Least biomass production was observed for Stigeocolonium sp. and least oil content was obtained from Hydrodictylium sp. It was observed that among these eight algal strains for biodiesel production, Ulothrix and Chlorella are the most promising algae species.