Optimisation of stir bar sorptive extraction for the analysis of volatile phenols in wines

An easy, fast and reliable analytical method is proposed for the determination of the concentration of volatile phenols (ethyl- and vinylphenols) in wines. The novel stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) technique is employed, following a simple and fast procedure that allows 15 samples to be extracted simultaneously using very small sample volume. Extracts are desorbed in a thermodesorption system (TDS) coupled on-line to a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometry system. The SBSE offers better recovery and linear regression coefficient (r2) for the four volatile phenols than solid-phase extraction (SPE). The mass spectrometric detection in selected ion monitoring mode contributes to the lower detection limit and good sensibility obtained with this method.     

Rapid screening of selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors in urine samples using solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

In this paper a solid-phase microextraction–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (SPME–GC–MS) method is proposed for a rapid analysis of some frequently prescribed selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRI)—venlafaxine, fluvoxamine, mirtazapine, fluoxetine, citalopram, and sertraline—in urine samples. The SPME-based method enables simultaneous determination of the target SSRI after simple in-situ derivatization of some of the target compounds. Calibration curves in water and in urine were validated and statistically compared. This revealed the absence of matrix effect and, in consequence, the possibility of quantifying SSRI in urine samples by external water calibration. Intra-day and inter-day precision was satisfactory for all the target compounds (relative standard deviation, RSD, <14%) and the detection limits achieved were <0.4 ng mL^–1 urine. The time required for the SPME step and for GC analysis (30 min each) enables high throughput. The method was applied to real urine samples from different patients being treated with some of these pharmaceuticals. Some SSRI metabolites were also detected and tentatively identified.     

Langmuir monolayers of the zwitterionic surfactant hexadecyl 1-N-L-tryptophan glycerol ether

We report the formation of Langmuir monolayers of pure zwitterionic hexadecyl 1-N-L-tryptophan glycerol ether (C(16)-TGE) surfactant and mixed monolayers of cationic-zwitterionic surfactant obtained modifying the pH of the subphase. The pressure-area and surface potential-area isotherms and fluorescence microscopy measurements have been used to characterize the surface phase transitions in the monolayers. These transitions appeared at larger areas as the pH decreased from 6.0 to 2.0 and almost disappeared as the pH decreased further. The analysis of the surface potential and the infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy data suggests that the phase transition is associated with a change of orientation of both the hydrocarbon chain and the aromatic group of the surfactant with respect to the air-water surface. The surface rheology of the monolayers was studied by quasielastic light scattering and by the oscillatory barrier technique. The results indicate that there is at least one relaxation process in the monolayer.     

Penetration and interactions of the antimicrobial peptide, microcin J25, into uncharged phospholipid monolayers

Microcin J25 forms stable monolayers at the air-water interface showing a collapse at a surface pressure of 5 mN/m, 220 mV of surface potential, and 6 fV per squared centimeter of surface potential per unit of molecular surface density. The adsorption of microcin J25 from the subphase at clean interfaces leads to a rise of 10 mN/m in surface pressure and a surface potential of 220 mV. From these data microcin appears to be a poor surfactant per se. Nevertheless, the interaction with the lipid monolayer further increase the stability of the peptide at the interface depending on the mode in which the monolayer is formed. Spreading with egg PC leads to nonideal mixing up to 7 mN/m, with hyperpolarization and expansion of components at the interface, with a small excess free energy of mixing caused by favorable contributions to entropy due to molecular area expansion compensating for the unfavorable enthalpy changes arising from repulsive dipolar interactions. Above 7 mN/m microcin is squeezed out, leaving a film of pure phospholipid. Nevertheless, the presence of lipid at 10 and 20 mN/m stabilize further microcin at the interface and adsorption from the subphase proceeds up to 30 mN/m, equivalent to surface pressure in bilayers.     

Biophysical characterization of complexation of DNA with block copolymers of poly(2-dimethylaminoethyl) methacrylate, poly(ethylene oxide), and poly(propylene oxide)

The interactions of DNA (salmon testes) with two new cationic block copolymers made of poly(2-dimethylaminoethyl) methacrylate and poly(ethylene oxide), PEO-pDMAEMA, or poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide), L92-pDMAEMA, were studied with the aim to understand their different in vitro transfection efficiencies when used as nonviral delivery vectors. PEO-pDMAEMA does not show surface activity while L92-pDMAEMA is as surface active as its parent Pluronic L92. Surface tension, titration microcalorimetry, ethidium bromide displacement, and zeta-potential measurements were carried out in phosphate buffers at pH 5 and 7. The association of L92-pDMAEMA with DNA was strongly exothermic at both pHs; the critical aggregation concentration (CAC) corresponded to a N/P ratio of 0.3, the maximum energy evolved was reached for N/P ratios of 0.82 and 1.27 at pH 5 and pH 7, respectively, and the saturation occurred for N/P ratios close to 2. The presence of L92 in the structure of this new block copolymer apparently did not modify the thermodynamic parameters of the interaction with DNA. In contrast, the interaction with PEO-pDMAEMA was significantly less exothermic, and CAC and saturation occurred for N/Ps equal to 0.43 and 1.37, respectively. The strong affinity of L92-pDMAEMA for DNA was reflected in its capacity to displace ethidium bromide and in the jump in the values of the zeta potential when N/P is near 1. Above the N/P ratio at which electroneutral polyplexes are formed, only at pH 5 an excess of L92-pDMAEMA is incorporated in the complexes, resulting in positively charged complexes. The profile of the zeta-potential values obtained for mixtures of L92-pDMAEMA with Pluronic P123 showed a shift to a lower N/P ratio, owing to an easier interaction of L92-pDMAEMA molecules with DNA in the presence of P123. Additionally, a visual inspection of the systems indicates that P123 contributes to stabilize/solubilize the DNA/cationic polymer aggregates, by avoiding the typical phase separation near the charge neutralization point. The information obtained can be particularly useful to optimize the conditions to form efficient polyplexes for gene delivery systems.     

Interaction of antimicrobial arginine-based cationic surfactants with liposomes and lipid monolayers

The present work examines the relationship between the antimicrobial activity of novel arginine-based cationic surfactants and the physicochemical process involved in the perturbation of the cell membrane. To this end, the interaction of these surfactants with two biomembrane models, namely, 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC) multilamellar lipid vesicles (MLVs) and monolayers of DPPC, 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-[phospho-rac-(1-glycerol)] sodium salt (DPPG), and Escherichia coli total lipid extract, was investigated. For the sake of comparison, this study included two commercial antimicrobial agents, hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide and chlorhexidine dihydrochloride. Changes in the thermotropic phase transition parameters of DPPC MLVs in the presence of the compounds were studied by differential scanning calorimetry analysis. The results show that variations in both the transition temperature (Tm) and the transition width at half-height of the heat absorption peak (deltaT1/2) were consistent with the antimicrobial activity of the compounds. Penetration kinetics and compression isotherm studies performed with DPPC, DPPG, and E. coli total lipid extract monolayers indicated that both steric hindrance effects and electrostatic forces explained the antimicrobial agent-lipid interaction. Overall, in DPPC monolayers single-chain surfactants had the highest penetration capacity, whereas gemini surfactants were the most active in DPPG systems. The compression isotherms showed an expansion of the monolayers compared with that of pure lipids, indicating an insertion of the compounds into the lipid molecules. Owing to their cationic character, they are incorporated better into the negatively charged DPPG than into zwitterionic DPPC lipid monolayers.     

Carvone epoxidation by system “hydrogen peroxide-[Mn2L2O3][PF6]2 (L = 1,4,7-trimethyl-1,4,7-triazacyclononane)-carboxylic acid”: a combinatorial approach to the process optimization?

Summary Epoxidation of natural terpene (+)-carvone by the system consisting of a catalyst, oxalic acid (co-catalyst) and H₂O₂ (70% aqueous solution; oxidant) was studied and factorial design methods were applied for the optimization of this reaction. A dinuclear manganese(IV) complex [LMn(O)₃MnL](PF₆)₂ (L = 1,4,7-trimethyl-1,4,7-triazacyclononane) was used as a catalyst, and acetonitrile was employed as a solvent. An analysis by methods of the complete 2⁴ factorial design showed that an increase in the catalyst concentration gives a strong positive effect on the carvone conversion and selectivity. Hydrogen peroxide has a smaller positive effect on the conversion, but at high concentration, H₂O₂ leads to some decrease in the selectivity. An increase in the oxalic acid concentration has a beneficial effect on the conversion, but does not affect the selectivity.     

New benzyne approach to the synthesis of dehydroaporphines, 4,5-dioxoaporphines and aristolactams

A new strategy for the synthesis of some aporphinoid alkaloids is described. It is based on the intermolecular Diels-Alder cyclization between benzyne and an appropriate methylene isoquinoline derivative.     

Carboxylate-bridged copper(II)-lanthanide(III) complexes [(Cu(3)Ln(2)(oda)(6)(H(2)O)(6)).12H(2)O](n)(Ln = Dy,Ho, Er,Y; oda = oxydiacetate)

The hydrothermal reaction of Ln(2)O(3) (Ln = Dy and Ho), Cu(OAc)(2).2H(2)O, and oxydiacetic acid in the approximate mole ratio of 1:3:8 resulted in the formation of two new members of the isostructural series of polymers formulated as [(Cu(3)Ln(2)(oda)(6)(H(2)O)(6)).12H(2)O](n), crystallizing in the hexagonal crystal system, space group P6/mcc (No. 192). Temperature-dependent magnetic susceptibilities and EPR spectra are reported for the heterometallic compounds Cu-Dy 1, Cu-Ho 2, Cu-Er 3, and Cu-Y 4. The results are discussed in terms of the structure of the compounds, the electronic properties of the lanthanide ions, and the exchange interactions between the magnetic ions.