Determination of metabolites relating to the tryptophan-NAD pathway in rat urine by cellulose high performance thin-layer chromatography

High performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) was used to determine 12 metabolites of the tryptophan-NAD pathway in rat urine. The method of separation described in the previous report was improved. The metabolites were separated on the cellulose plate by using five multiple developments with four solvent systems. The plate was scanned by the TLC scanner at 254 nm and the amounts of the metabolites were calculated by comparing peak areas of the scanning curves obtained for the urine sample and for the authentic standards. This procedure can be used as a semiquantitative determination method for the metabolites in biological fluids.     

Synthesis and antitumor activity of novel pyrimidinyl pyrazole derivatives. III. Synthesis and antitumor activity of 3-phenylpiperazinyl-1-trans-propenes

A series of novel 3-[4-phenyl-1-piperazinyl]-1-[5-methyl-1-(2-pyrimidinyl)-4-pyrazolyl]-1-trans-propenes and related compounds were synthesized and evaluated by their cytotoxic activity against several tumor cell lines in vitro and in vivo antitumor activity against some tumor models when administered both intraperitoneally and orally. Compounds with the 3-chloropyridin-2-yl group (9g) and the 3-fluoro-5-substituted phenylpiperazinyl group (29b, c, and e) showed significantly potent cytotoxicity by in vitro testing. Among them, the 3-cyano-5-fluorophenyl derivative (29b) exhibited potent antitumor activity against several tumor cells including human carcinoma without causing undesirable effects in mice.     

Total Synthesis of (+)‐Gracilamine Based on an Oxidative Phenolic Coupling Reaction and Determination of Its Absolute Configuration

The enantioselective total synthesis of (+)‐gracilamine ( 1 ) is described. The strategy features a diastereoselective phenolic coupling reaction followed by a regioselective intramolecular aza‐Michael reaction to construct the ABCE ring system. The configuration at C3a in 1 was controlled by the stereocenter at C9a, which was selectively generated (91 % ee) by an organocatalytic enantioselective aza‐Friedel–Crafts reaction developed by our research group. This synthesis revealed that the absolute configuration of (+)‐gracilamine is 3aR, 4S, 5S, 6R, 7aS, 8R, 9aS.     

Preconcentration by coprecipitation of arsenic and tin in natural waters with a Ni–pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate complex and their direct determination by solid-sampling atomic-absorption spectrometry

A method for the determination of trace amounts of arsenic and tin in natural waters is described. Trace amounts of arsenic and tin were preconcentrated by coprecipitation with a Ni–ammonium pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (APDC) complex. The coprecipitates obtained were directly analyzed by graphite-furnace atomic-absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) using the Ni–APDC complex solid-sampling technique. The coprecipitation conditions used for the trace amounts of arsenic and tin in natural water were investigated in detail. It was found that arsenic and tin at sub-ng mL^–1 levels were both coprecipitated quantitatively by Ni(PDC)₂ in the pH range 2–3. The concentration factors by coprecipitation reached approximately 40,000 when 2 mg nickel was added as a carrier element to 500 mL of the water sample. The proposed method has been applied to the determination of trace amounts of arsenic and tin in river water and seawater reference materials, and the detection limits for arsenic and tin, which were calculated from three times of the standard deviation of the procedural blanks, are 0.02 ng mL^–1 and 0.04 ng mL^–1, respectively, for 500-mL volumes of water sample.     

Morphology of micron‐sized,monomer‐adsorbed,crosslinked polymer particles having snowmanlike shapes prepared by the dynamic swelling method

A series of monomer‐adsorbed, crosslinked polystyrene/polydivinylbenzene composite particles having snowmanlike shapes were prepared by the dynamic swelling method that the authors had proposed in 1991. The morphology of the snowman‐shaped particles was estimated with the contact angle of the monomer phase on the polymer particle. Influences of the kind of monomers and polyvinyl alcohol colloidal stabilizer on the morphology were obviously observed and discussed from the viewpoint of thermodynamic stability. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 39: 3106–3111, 2001     

Changes in Porosity and Amounts of Adsorbed Water in Sol-Gel Derived Porous Silica Films with Heat Treatment

Porous silica films were obtained by a heat treatment of poly(ethyleneglycol)-containing gels for micro-patterning. Changes in porosity and the amount of adsorbed water with the heat treatment temperature in the silica films were evaluated from the refractive index of the films. The apparent refractive index of the silica films in an ambient atmosphere was much higher than the intrinsic refractive index of the film due to the large amount of adsorbed water in the films. The amount of adsorbed water in the films decreased with an increase in the heat treatment temperature and became almost zero after a heat treatment at 850°C. The decrease in the amount of adsorbed water in the films was caused by the decrease in silanol groups, which acted as the sites for water adsorption in the films. The drastic decreases in thickness and in porosity of the films at temperatures from 850 to 950°C occurred after the disappearance of silanol groups in the films. The densification of the films due to collapse of the pores at high temperatures should have resulted from the viscous flow of silica network.     

Identification of novel sesterterpenes by genome mining of phytopathogenic fungi Phoma and Colletotrichum sp.

Two homologous gene clusters for the biosynthesis of sesterterpenes betaestacins were identified from two phytopathogens, Phoma betae and Colletotrichum orbiculare. Heterologous expression of identified oxidation enzymes with previously-characterized PbTS1 (BtcA_Pb) resulted in the production of seven novel sesterterpenes. Although both strains possessed homologous enzymes, oxidation state of corresponding products were different from each other, suggesting that structural diversification of sesterterpene skeletons might be achieved by these homologous enzymes with different functions.     

Morphological change of thermosensitive imidazolium‐based poly(ionic liquid)/poly(phenylethylmethacrylate) composite particles

Composite particles comprising poly(2‐phenylethyl methacrylate) (PPhEMA) and imidazolium‐based poly(ionic liquid)s were prepared by suspension polymerization of 1‐vinyl‐3‐ethylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide as an ionic liquid monomer with dissolved PPhEMA. Not only PPhEMA exhibits lower critical solution temperature (LCST) behavior in 1‐vinyl‐3‐ethylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide but also the polymer blend in the bulk state exhibited LCST behavior. However, the composite polymer particles obtained after polymerization at 70°C maintained a homogeneous inner structure after heat treatment as the polymerization temperature was greater than the LCST in this system due to the formation of a cross‐linked structure during polymerization. When the composite particles were prepared by suspension polymerization at 30°C, their inner morphology changed from homogeneous to phase separated during the subsequent heat treatment. Moreover, the morphology transformation of the composite particles was dependent on the PPhEMA molecular weight. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis and antiarrhythmic activity of 2,2-dialkyl-1'-(N-substituted aminoalkyl)-spiro-(chroman-4,4'-imidazolidine)-2',5'-diones.

A novel series of 2,2-dialkyl-1'-(N-substituted aminoalkyl)-spiro-[chroman-4,4' -imidazolidine]-2',5'-diones was synthesized and evaluated for antiarrhythmic activity in chloroform- or/and aconitine-induced ventricular arrhythmia in mice. Among these compounds, (-)-6-chloro-2,2-dimethyl-1'-[3-(4-hydroxypiperidino)propyl] -spiro-[chroman-4,4'-imidazolidine]-2',5' -dione was found to be more effective than reference agents and was selected for further development.     

Photosensitive function of encapsulated dye in carbon nanotubes

Single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) exhibit resonant absorption localized in specific spectral regions. To expand the light spectrum that can be utilized by SWCNTs, we have encapsulated squarylium dye into SWCNTs and clarified its microscopic structure and photosensitizing function. X-ray diffraction and polarization-resolved optical absorption measurements revealed that the encapsulated dye molecules are located at an off center position inside the tubes and aligned to the nanotube axis. Efficient energy transfer from the encapsulated dye to SWCNTs was clearly observed in the photoluminescence spectra. Enhancement of transient absorption saturation in the S1 state of the semiconducting SWCNTs was detected after the photoexcitation of the encapsulated dye, which indicates that ultrafast (<190 fs) energy transfer occurred from the dye to the SWCNTs.