In vitro drug release characteristic and cytotoxic activity of silibinin-loaded single walled carbon nanotubes functionalized with biocompatible polymers

In this paper, we demonstrate the preparation of silibinin-loaded carbon nanotubes (SWSB) with surface coating agents via non-covalent approach as an effective drug delivery system. The resulting surface-coated SWSB nanocomposites are extensively characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopies, ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) spectrometry and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The FTIR and Raman studies show that an additional layer is formed by these coating agents in the prepared nanocomposites during the coating treatment and these results are confirmed by FESEM. Drug loading and release profiles of the coated SWSB nanocomposites in phosphate buffered saline solution at pH 7.4 is evaluated by UV–Vis spectrometry. The in vitro results indicate that the surface-modified nanocomposites, with SB loading of 45 wt%, altered the initial burst and thus, resulted in a more prolonged and sustained release of SB. In addition, these nanocomposites exhibit a pseudo-second-order release kinetic which was driven by the ion exchange between the ionized SWSB and the anions in the release medium. The cytotoxicity effect of the resulting nanocomposites on normal mouse fibroblast cells is evaluated by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. It is observed that the surfactant and polymer coating improved the biocompatibility of the SWSB nanocomposites significantly, which deem further exploitation for their application as potential anticancer drug delivery system.     

Contrasting effects of temperature on the rheology of normal and reverse wormlike micelles

Wormlike micelles are flexible polymerlike chains formed by the self-assembly of amphiphilic molecules either in water ("normal" worms) or in oil ("reverse" worms). Normal and reverse worms have both been studied extensively and have generally been found to exhibit analogous rheological properties (e.g., Maxwell fluidlike behavior). Here, we report a hitherto unexplored difference between these two classes of micelles pertaining to the effect of temperature on their rheological properties. For normal worms, the plateau modulus remains constant as the sample is heated while the relaxation time exponentially decreases. For reverse worms, however, both the plateau modulus and the relaxation time decrease exponentially upon heating. Consequently, the zero-shear viscosity of reverse worms decreases more rapidly with temperature than for normal worms. To explain these differences, we propose that increasing the temperature weakens the driving force for micellization in reverse worms whereas it only accelerates the dynamics of surfactant exchange in normal worms.     

Enantio- and diastereoselectivities in chiral sulfur ylide promoted asymmetric aziridination reactions

Density functional theory investigation on the factors controlling enantio- and diastereoselection in asymmetric aziridination reaction by the addition of chiral bicyclic sulfur ylides to substituted aldimines is presented. High levels of enantioselection are predicted toward the formation of (2S,3S)-cis and (2R,3S)-trans aziridines by the addition of stabilized ylide (R = COMe) respectively to SO2Me and CO2Me protected aldimines. Similarly, high %ee is predicted for the formation of (2S,3R)-cis aziridines from semistabilized (R = Ph) ylide. Moderate to high levels of diastereoselectivity is noticed as well. The present study highlights that a correct prediction on extent of enantioselection requires the knowledge of the activation barriers for elementary steps beyond the initial addition step. In the case of stabilized ylides the ring-closure (or elimination of sulfur compound) is found to be crucial in controlling enantio- and diastereoselection. A cumulative effect of electronic as well as other weak interactions is identified as factors contributing to the relative energies of transition states leading to enantio- and diastereomeric products for the stabilized ylide addition to aldimines. On the contrary, steric control appears quite dominant with semistabilized ylide addition. With the smallest substituent on ylide (R = Me), high enantioselectivity is predicted for the formation of (2R,3R)-trans aziridines although the %de in this case is found to be very low.     

A novel, easy and mild preparation of sulfilimines from sulfoxides using the Burgess reagent

A novel preparation of sulfilimines from the corresponding sulfoxides using the Burgess reagent is described. The reaction is general to dialkyl- and aryl alkyl sulfoxides and proceeds under mild conditions in benzene. A variety of protecting groups can be introduced on the nitrogen of the sulfilimine by choosing the appropriate Burgess reagent.     

An asymmetric synthesis of (+)-desoxoprosophylline

An efficient synthesis of (+)-desoxoprosophylline is described. The key steps in the reaction sequence include the preparation of an N-Cbz-sulfilimine from the corresponding sulfoxide using the Burgess reagent, regio- and stereoselective hetero-functionalization of an alkene using the pendant sulfilimine as the nucleophile and a stereoselective amidomercuration to form the cis-2,6-disubstituted piperidine ring.     

Stereoselective synthesis of α-hydroxy-β-amino acid derivatives from β-hydroxy-γ,δ-unsaturated sulfilimine

The first report on the use of N-sulfinyl benzylcarbamate for the preparation of N-Cbz sulfilimine from the corresponding sulfoxide is reported. The sulfilimine moiety is utilized as an intramolecular nucleophile for the regio- and stereoselective heterofunctionalization of an alkene to furnish a bromo carbamate which is used as a key advanced intermediate in the synthesis of representative α-hydroxy-β-amino acid derivatives.     

Validated reversed-phase column high-performance liquid chromatographic method for separation and quantification of polyphenolics and furocoumarins in herbal drugs

A rapid column high-performance liquid chromatographic-photodiode array method has been developed for the separation and identification of secondary metabolites, especially different types of phenols and furocoumarins, in a 35 min chromatographic run. The method has been optimized and validated for selectivity, precision, recovery, and robustness with the aim of application for standardization of selected herbal drugs. Almost all of the tested compounds had linearity of >98%, with relative standard deviation <10% in terms of variation of retention time. Interday and intraday variability was <5%. The developed method has been successfully applied in identification and quantification of phenols and furocoumarins present in different plants, viz., Artemisia pallens (whole plant), Hibiscus rosa-sinensis DC (flower), Heracleum candicans DC (fruit), and Ficus carica Linn (bark). The results indicate that the method is rapid, accurate, and robust for the analysis of different types of phenols and furocoumarins and, hence, can be successfully used in the quality control and standardization of plant extracts and herbal drugs.     

Synthesis, structure and physical properties of the manganese(ii) selenide/selenolate cluster complexes [Mn(32)Se(14)(SePh)(36)(PnPr(3))(4)] and [Na(benzene-15-crown-5)(C(4)H(8)O)(2)](2)[Mn(8)Se(SePh)(16)

The synthesis, molecular structures, and magnetic and optical properties of [Mn(32)Se(14)(SePh)(36)(PnPr(3))(4)] and [Na(benzene-15-crown-5)(C(4)H(8)O)(2)](2)[Mn(8)Se(SePh)(16)] have been investigated which are the first examples of manganese chalcogenide cluster complexes, despite known manganese oxo compounds, which comprise more than four manganese atoms.     

Unraveling high precision stereocontrol in a triple cascade organocatalytic reaction

The mechanism and stereoselectivity in an organocatalyzed triple cascade reaction between an aldehyde, electron deficient olefin and an alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehyde are investigated for the first time using density functional theory. The factors responsible for high levels of observed stereoselectivity (Enders et al., Nature, 2006, 441, 861) towards the generation of cyclohexene carbaldehyde with four contiguous stereocentres are unravelled. The triple cascade reaction, comprising a Michael, Michael and aldol sequence as the key elementary reactions, is studied by identifying the corresponding transition states for the stereoselective C-C bond-formation. In the first Michael addition step between the enamine (derived from the chiral catalyst and propanal) and nitrostyrene, energetically the most preferred mode of addition is found to be between the si-face of (E)-anti-enamine on the si-face of nitrostyrene. The addition of the si-face of the nitroalkane anion on the re-face of the iminium ion (formed between the enal and the catalyst) is the lowest energy pathway for the second Michael addition step. The high level of asymmetric induction is rationalized with the help of relative activation barriers associated with the competitive diastereomeric pathways. Interesting weak interactions, along with the steric effects offered by the bulky alpha-substituent on the pyrrolidine ring, are identified as critical to the stereoselectivity in this triple cascade reaction. The predicted stereoselectivities using computed energetics are found to be in perfect harmony with the experimental stereoselectivities.