Influence of Altitudes and Development Stages on the Chemical Composition,Antioxidant, and Antimicrobial Capacity of the Wild Andean Blueberry (Vaccinium floribundum Kunth)

The chemical composition and biological capacities of berries depend on environmental parameters, maturity, and location. The Andean blueberry (Vaccinium floribundum Kunth), also known as mortiño, presents a unique combination of several phytochemicals, which play a synergistic role in its characterization as a functional food. We aimed to expose the possible variations that exist in the profile of the phenolic compounds as well as the antioxidant and antimicrobial capacity of the wild Andean blueberry with respect to three ripeness stages and two different altitudes. We found that polyphenols are the predominant compounds in the berry during the early ripeness stage and are the main bioactive compounds that give rise to the antioxidant capacity and inhibition effect on the growth of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Moreover, the accumulation of ascorbic acid, free amino acids, and anthocyanins increases as the ripening process progresses, and they were the main bioactive compounds in the ripe berry. The latter compounds influence the production of the typical bluish or reddish coloration of ripe blueberries. In addition, it was determined that environmental conditions at high altitudes could have a positive influence in all cases. Overall, our data provide evidence regarding the high functional value of the wild Andean blueberry.     

Light effect and reactive oxygen species in the action of ciprofloxacin on Staphylococcus aureus

Oxygen consumption by Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213 sensitive to ciprofloxacin was determined with an oxygen selective electrode. Increase in the O(2) consumption was observed with 0.45 micromL(-1) ciprofloxacin while higher concentrations gave rise to a reduction of O(2) consumption. Resistant S. aureus strain did not show increase of O(2) consumption in presence of ciprofloxacin. Nitro Blue Tetrazolium assay showed that production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) increased intracellularly in sensitive bacteria incubated with this antibiotic. The exposition to UV light (360 nm) augmented the intracellular oxidative stress of S. aureus and provoked increment of ROS in extracellular media. Generation of singlet oxygen O(2) ((1)Delta(g)) in S. aureus was measured by means of oxidation of methionine. The absorbance of methionine was monitored at 215 nm and a clear decrease was detected when sensitive S. aureus was stressed with ciprofloxacin. Sodium azide and 2,5-dimethylfuran were used to reinforce the evidence of O(2) ((1)Delta(g)) generation during oxidative stress. Assays with methionine and 2,5-dimethylfuran demonstrated that resistant S. aureus did not increase the production of O(2) ((1)Delta(g)) in the presence of antibiotic. DNA oxidation was investigated in presence of O(2) ((1)Delta(g)) generated by laser excitation of perinaphthenone and subsequent energy transfer. Deactivation of O(2) ((1)Delta(g)) by reaction with DNA of sensitive and resistant bacteria was observed. According to the results obtained, the effect of ciprofloxacin in S. aureus led to an increment of O(2) ((1)Delta(g)) generating oxidative stress in the bacteria.     

Neutral and ionic hydrogen bonding in Schiff bases

Low-temperature, high-resolution X-ray studies of charge distributions in the three Schiff bases, the dianil of 2-hydroxy-5-methylisophthaldehyde, 3,5-dinitro-N-salicylidenoethylamine and 3-nitro-N-salicylidenocyclohexylamine, have been carried out. These structures exhibit interesting weak interactions, including two extreme cases of intramolecular hydrogen bonds that are ionic N(+)-H...O- and neutral O-H...N in nature. These two types of hydrogen bond reflect differences in geometrical parameters and electron density distribution. At the level of geometry, the neutral O-H...N hydrogen bond is accompanied by an increase in the length of the C(1)-O(1) bond, opening of the ipso-C(1) angle, elongation of the aromatic C-C bonds, shortening of the C(7)-N(2) bond and increased length of the C(1)-C(7) bond, relative to the ionic hydrogen bond type. According to the geometrical and critical point parameters, the neutral O-H...N hydrogen bond seems to be stronger than the ionic ones. There are also differences between charge density parameters of the aromatic rings consistent with the neutral hydrogen bond being stronger than the ionic ones, with a concomitant reduction in the aromaticity of the ring. Compounds with the ionic hydrogen bonds show a larger double-bond character in the C-O bond than appears in the compound containing a neutral hydrogen bond; this suggests that the electronic structure of the former pair of compounds includes a contribution from a zwitterionic canonical form. Furthermore, in the case of ionic hydrogen bonds, the corresponding interaction lines appear to be curved in the vicinity of the hydrogen atoms. In the 3-nitro-N-salicylidenocyclohexylamine crystal there exists, in addition to the intramolecular hydrogen bond, a pair of intermolecular O...H interactions in a centrosymmetric dimer unit.     

Photophysics and Photochemical Studies of the Vitamin B6 Group and Related Derivatives

The photophysics and photochemical properties of vitamin B6 constituents and analogs were studied as function of pH and solvent. The p K of the phenolic oxygen and the pyridine ring nitrogen depends on the electron donor-acceptor ability of the 4-substituent, and agrees with the calculated proton affinity. For all studied compounds, the fluorescence properties showed that the phenolic oxygen is 8 units more acidic in the lowest singlet excited state than in the ground state. The pyridine N-atom is slightly more basic in the excited state. At pH of biological significance, pH 6–8, pyridoxamine and 4-pyridoxic acid are the more efficient chromophores with higher fluorescence yield and longer lifetime. Spectroscopic studies showed that the tautomeric equilibrium depends on the nature of the 4-substituent. The quenching of the singlet excited state of pyridoxamine and 4-pyridoxic acid by amino acids, free or in a peptide, and DNA bases at pH 7 was studied by time-resolved fluorescence techniques. The quenching rate constants are well correlated with the redox properties of the pyridoxinic compound and amino acids, and are related to the free energy change in the electron transfer process. Guanosine and pyrimidine bases also are efficient quenchers, involving an electron transfer reaction.     

Synthesis of pseudopeptidic (S)-6-amino-5-oxo-1,4-diazepines and (S)-3-benzyl-2-oxo-1,4-benzodiazepines by an Ugi 4CC Staudinger/aza-Wittig sequence

Sequential Ugi reaction between p-substituted arylglyoxals, alkylamines, cyclohexyl isocyanide and 3-azido-(S)-2-(tert-butoxycarbonylamino)propanoic acid, followed by a Staudinger/aza-Wittig cyclization in the presence of triphenylphosphine, gave rise to enantiomerically pure N-cyclohexyl 4-alkyl-2-aryl-5-oxo-(S)-6-(tert-butoxycarbonylamino)-4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-1H-1,4-diazepine-3-carboxamides, that can be useful for new drug design. By the same sequence, p-substituted benzaldehydes, 2-aminobenzophenone, cyclohexyl isocyanide and (S)-3-phenyl-2-azidopropionic acid gave rise to N-cyclohexyl 2-((S)-3-benzyl-2-oxo-5-phenyl-2,3-dihydro-1H-benzo[e][1,4]diazepin-1-yl)-(R/S)-2-arylacetamides.     

Supramolecular Solvent-Based Microextraction of Selected Anticonvulsant and Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs from Sediment Samples

The increase in the production and consumption of pharmaceuticals increases their presence in the global environment, which may result in direct threats to living organisms. For this reason, there is a need for new methods to analyze drugs in environmental samples. Here, a new procedure for separating and determining selected drugs (diclofenac, ibuprofen, and carbamazepine) from bottom sediment and water samples was developed. Drugs were determined by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with an ultraviolet detector (UHPLC-UV). In this work, a universal and single-step sample treatment, based on supramolecular solvents (SUPRAS), was proposed to isolate selected anticonvulsants and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) from sediment samples. The following parameters were experimentally selected: composition of the supramolecular solvent (composition THF:H₂O (v/v), amount of decanoic acid), volume of extractant, sample mass, extraction time, centrifugation time, and centrifugation speed. Finally, the developed procedure was validated. A Speedisk procedure was also developed to extract selected drugs from water samples. The recovery of analytes using the SUPRAS procedure was in the range of 88.8–115%, while the recoveries of the Speedisk solid-phase extraction procedure ranged from 81.0–106%. The effectiveness of the sorption of the tested drugs by sediment was also examined.     

The Effect of Fermentation with Kefir Grains on the Physicochemical and Antioxidant Properties of Beverages from Blue Lupin (Lupinus angustifolius L.) Seeds

Plant derived fermented beverages have recently gained consumers’ interest, particularly due to their intrinsic functional properties and presence of beneficial microorganisms. Three variants containing 5%, 10%, and 15% (w/w) of sweet blue lupin (Lupinus angustifolius L. cv. “Boregine”) seeds were inoculated with kefir grains and incubated at 25 °C for 24 h. After processing, beverages were stored in refrigerated conditions (6 °C) for 21 days. Changes in microbial population, pH, bioactive compounds (polyphenolics, flavonoids, ascorbic acid), reducing sugars, and free amino acids were estimated. Additionally, viscosity, firmness, color, and free radicals scavenging properties were determined. Results showed that lactic acid bacteria as well as yeast were capable of growing well in the lupin matrix without any supplementation. During the process of refrigeration, the viability of the microorganisms was over the recommended minimum level for kefir products. Hydrolysis of polysaccharides as well as increase of free amino acids was observed. As a result of fermentation, the beverages showed excellent DPPH, ABTS^+·, ^·OH, and O₂⁻ radicals scavenging activities with a potential when considering diseases associated with oxidative stress. This beverages could be used as a new, non-dairy vehicle for beneficial microflora consumption, especially by vegans and lactose-intolerant consumers.     

In situ Electroreduction of Graphene Oxide: Increased Sensitivity for the Determination of NADH

A novel and useful method to catalyze the electro‐oxidation of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) over a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified with graphene oxide (GO) is presented. Based on the presence of oxygen moieties in GO, which can be easily reduced, an in situ electrochemical generation of reduced graphene oxide (denoted as erGO) applying a sufficient negative potential. A potential of ?1.000 V was selected to generate the erGO/GCE as a pretreatment potential before the detection of NADH. The in situ generated erGO/GCE system produces a decrease in the overpotential of NADH oxidation from +0.720 V to +0.230 V compared with GCE. The process also produced an important increase in current signals. The modified electrode was characterized by scanning electron (SEM) and electrochemical microscopies (SECM), cyclic voltammetry and by Raman spectroscopy. Amperometric detection of NADH via this straightforward electrocatalytic method provides a wide linear range between 10 and 100 μM, a lower detection limit of 0.36 μM and an excellent sensitivity of (1.47±0.09) μA mM^?1.     

New HPLC method for in vitro dissolution study of antihypertensive mixture amlodipine and perindopril using an experimental design

A new HPLC method was developed for the determination of amlodipine and perindopril in their binary mixture as a part of a routine control of combined formulations. For the first time an HPLC method was used for an in vitro dissolution study of tablets containing the above drugs. The presented method was validated to meet official requirements and this validation included specificity, stability, linearity, precision and accuracy. Chromatography was carried out using a LiChrospher RP-18 column, a mixture containing acetonitrile and phosphate buffer of pH 3.0 (50:50, v/v) as mobile phase and UV detection at 225 nm. The dissolution test was performed using 900 mL of phosphate buffer at pH 5.5 containing 1% cetylpyridini chloride (CPC) at 37°C and 75 rpm, using the paddle method. Robustness procedure was done according to the plan defined by the Plackett-Burman design. The effects of acetonitrile content, pH of the buffer and flow rate of the mobile phase, column temperature, pH and CPC content in the dissolution medium as well as rotation speed of the paddle were considered. After that, both graphical and statistical methods were used for identification of significant and non-significant effects.      

Synthesis and In vitro Antitumor Screening of Novel 2,7‐Naphthyridine‐3‐carboxylic Acid Derivatives

New derivatives of 2,7‐naphthyridine‐3‐carboxylic acid were synthesized. We report the hydrolysis, chlorination, alkylation, and amination of the 2,7‐naphthyridine esters 1 , 2 . A series of Schiff's bases 8a , 8b , 8c , 8d , 8e , 8f , 8g , 8h , 8i , 8j , 9a , 9b , 9b' , 9c , 9d , 9e were produced by treating the obtained hydrazides 6 and 7 with aromatic aldehydes. The anticancer activities of the obtained derivatives were examined. Eighteen of the 24 newly synthesized compounds were qualified by the National Cancer Institute NCI (Bethesda, MD, USA) for in vitro screening against 60 different human tumor cell lines. The most active compound 8i was evaluated against a 60‐cell panel at five concentration levels and proved to be most sensitive towards central nervous system cancer (SF‐539), with GI₅₀ = 0.70 µmol, total growth inhibition = 5.41 µmol, and LC₅₀ = 53.7 µmol.