Investigation of the Flavonoids in Croatian Propolis by Thin-Layer Chromatography

JPC – Journal of Planar Chromatography – Modern TLC - Flavonoids and phenolic acids with a variety of biological activity are considered to be the main compounds in propolis–a...     

The comparison of sample extraction procedures for the determination of cations in soil by IC and ICP-AES

This paper presents the extraction of cations from a soil sample, type ranker on serpentinite, in deionized water, by use of three different extraction techniques. The first extraction technique included the use of a rotary mixer, the second technique involved the use of a microwave digestion system with different extraction temperatures, and the third technique employed an ultrasonic bath with different extraction times. Ion chromatography was used for determining the concentration of Li, Na, K, Ca, Mg and ammonium ions in soil extracts with subsequent determination of concentrations for all cations, except for ammonium ion extraction, conducted by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometry. The results of cation extractions showed that microwave assisted extraction was most efficient for the Li, Na, K, Ca, Mg, Co, Mn, Ni, Pb and ammonium ions. Use of a rotary mixer for extraction was most efficient for Cd and Zn ions, while use of ultrasound bath was most efficient for Cr, Cu, Fe and Al ions. Several times higher amount of cations extracted by the most efficient, compared to the second best technique, under optimal conditions, were noticed in the case of: Ca, Mg, Co, Mn, Fe, Al, and Zn ions.     

Combining size-exclusion chromatography and fully automated chip-based nanoelectrospray quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry for structural analysis of chondroitin/dermatan sulfate in human decorin

Chondroitin/dermatan sulfate (CS/DS) chain of decorin (DCN) from human skin fibroblasts (HSk) was released by reductive β-elimination reaction and digested with chondroitin AC I lyase. Enzymatic hydrolysis mixture of CS/DS chains was separated by size-exclusion chromatography (SEC). Collected octasaccharide fraction was subjected to fully automated chip-based nanoelectrospray (nanoESI) quadrupole time-of-flight (QTOF) MS and tandem MS (MS/MS). MS of human skin fibroblasts DCN CS/DS displayed a high complexity due to the large variety of glycoforms, which under chip-nanoESI MS readily ionized to form multiply charged ions. Except for the regularly tetrasulfated octasaccharide, the investigated fraction contained four additional octasaccharides of atypical sulfation status. Two new oversulfated glycoforms and two undersulfated species were identified. Remarkably, the series of decasaccharides discovered in the same SEC pool was found to encompass a trisulfated and a novel hexasulfated [4,5-Δ-GlcAGalNAc(IdoAGalNAc)?] species. MS/MS by collision-induced dissociation (CID) on the [M-4H]? ion corresponding to the previously not reported [4,5-Δ-GlcAGalNAc(IdoAGalNAc)?](5S) corroborated for a novel motif in which three N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc) moieties are monosulfated, 4,5-Δ-GlcA and the first IdoA from the non-reducing end bear one sulfate group each, while the second N-acetylgalactosamine from the reducing end is unsulfated.     

Theoretical study of cyclic conjugation in phenes: Some hitherto unnoticed features

Summary Cyclic conjugation in phenes is examined by means of theBosanac-Gutman-Aihara method. In contrast to the predictions based on the analysis ofKekulé orClar structures, we find that when going along the hexagons of a phene molecule, cyclic conjugation varies in a rather non-uniform manner. In contrast to a number of other homologous series of benzenoid hydrocarbons, the intensity of cyclic conjugation in phenes increases when going towards the center of the molecule.

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Theoretische Untersuchung der cyclischen Konjugation in Phenen: Einige bisher unbekannte Eigenschaften

Zusammenfassung Die cyclische Konjugation in Phenen wird mittels derBosanac-Gutman-Aihara-Methode untersucht. Im Gegensatz zu auf der Analyse vonKekulé- oderClar-Strukturen beruhenden Voraussagen variiert die cyclische Konjugation entlang der Sechsecke eines Phenmoleküls ziemlich unregelmäßig. Anders als bei anderen homologen benzenoiden Kohlenwasserstoffen nimmt bei Phenen die Intensität der cyclischen Konjugation zum Zentrum des Moleküls hin zu.

     

Oxidation states of technetium in diphosphonate complexes

Valence states of technetium in two most prominent bone imaging agents. i.e., their model complexes with⁹⁹Tc (⁹⁹Tc-MDP and⁹⁹Tc-DPD) were determined by redox potentiometric titration. Titrations of⁹⁹Tc-pertechnetate by Sn(II) solutions were performed in the presence of a ligand (MDP or DPD), as well as without them. Tc(III) was obtained in complexes with MDP and DPD in strongly alkaline medium (pH 12–13) while in the absence of the ligands Tc(IV) was formed. In strongly acidic medium (pH 2–3) the redox process resulted Tc(IV) in both complexes, while Tc(III) was formed in the absence of the ligands. At pH values near neutral or exactly neutral (important for radiopharmaceutical complexes^99mTc-MDP and^99mTc-DPD), it was possible to perform titrations in the ligand absence only at pH values from 7 to 11.8 (due to in hydrolysis) while the resulting oxidation state of Tc in the presence of ligand depended on the used ligand: Tc(IV)-MDP (pH 5.4–5.9 and pH 7.0–7.4), and Tc(III)-DPD (pH 8.0).     

Synthesis and fluorescent properties of some new unsymmetricbis-benzothiazolyl furans and thiophenes

Summary Some newmono- andbis-benzothiazolyl compounds with furan or thiophene nuclei were synthesized by multistep reactions from the corresponding furan and thiophene aldehydes. The data obtained from emission spectra show a large influence of the benzothiazole rings on the relative quantum efficiency of the compounds under investigation.

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Synthese und Fluoreszenzeigenschaften von neuen unsymmetrischenbis-Benzothiazolylfuranen und thiophenen

Zusammenfassung Einige neuebis-Benzothiazolylverbindungen mit einem Furan- bzw. Thiophenenring wurden in einer mehrstufigen Reaktion dargestellt. Die Fluoreszenzdaten der untersuchten Verbindungen zeigen einen großen Einfluß der Benzothiazolringe auf die relative Fluoreszenzquantenausbeute.

     

The effect of calcination conditions on the superconducting properties of Y−Ba−Cu−O powders

Calcination conditions of the precursor powders, i.e. temperature, type of atmosphere and duration, were determined with a view to obtain superconducting powders with the most advantageous physico-chemical properties. Investigated were powders in the Y?Ba?Cu?O system prepared by the sol-gel method. Thermogravimetric examinations of the powders have revealed that the decomposition kinetics of BaCO₃ determines the formation rate of the superconducting YBa₂Cu₃O_7?x (‘123’) phase. It follows from the decomposition kinetics of BaCO₃ that the process is the most intensive in argon, whereas in static air and oxygen it is the slowest. The phase composition analysis (XRD) and low-temperature magnetic susceptibility measurements of the calcinated powders, confirm the above mentioned changes in the decomposition kinetics. The reaction of barium carbonate can be completed if the calcination process is conducted at the temperature of 850°C for 25 h, yielding easily sinterable powders for obtaining single-phase superconducting bulk samples with advantageous functional parameters.     

Antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of essential oils of Satureja thymbra growing wild in Libya

The composition of essential oil isolated from Satureja thymbra, growing wild in Libya, was analyzed by GC and GC-MS. The essential oil was characterized by γ-terpinene (39.23%), thymol (25.16%), p-cymene (7.17%) and carvacrol (4.18%) as the major constituents. Antioxidant activity was analyzed using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging method. It possessed strong antioxidant activity (IC50 = 0.0967 mg/mL). The essential oil was also screened for its antimicrobial activity against eight bacterial and eight fungal species, showing excellent antimicrobial activity against the microorganisms used, in particular against the fungi. The oil of S. thymbra showed bacteriostatic activity at 0.001-0.1 mg/mL and was bactericidal at 0.002-0.2 mg/mL; fungistatic effects at 0.001-0.025 mg/mL and fungicidal effects at 0.001-0.1 mg/mL. The main constituents thymol, carvacrol and γ-terpinene also showed strong antimicrobial activity. The commercial fungicide bifonazole showed much lower antifungal activity than the tested oil.