Allium schoenoprasum L.: a review of phytochemistry,pharmacology and future directions

Allium schoenoprasum L. (family Amaryllidaceae), commonly known as chives has great culinary value besides being used as ethnomedicine. This review emphasises on phytochemistry and pharmacological activities of A. schoenoprasum, and discusses the future opportunities for systematic investigations. Scientific evaluation of chives validates its traditional claims and demonstrates diverse pharmacological potential including an anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antioxidant, anthelmintic and antihypertensive. Though phytochemical studies revealed the presence of sulphur and phenolic compounds, flavonoids, saponin and steroidal glycosides yet methodical research to identify bioactive compounds is required. This review confirms the medicinal importance of A. schoenoprasum and could stimulate future research on its unexplored aspects, especially identification of bioactive compounds and related mechanisms and safety, which might develop it as a drug.     

Oxidation of thiols with molecular oxygen catalyzed by cobalt(II) phthalocyanines in ionic liquid

An efficient procedure for catalyst solubility, recycling and easy product isolation in oxidation of thiols to disulfides with molecular oxygen catalyzed by cobalt(II) phthalocyanines dissolved in ionic liquid at room temperature is reported.     

Biomimetic oxidation of N-nitrosodibenzylamine with molecular oxygen catalysed by chemical cytochrome P-450 in AOT reverse micelles

Moderate yields of benzaldehyde, benzyl alcohol and benzylamine are obtained by the biomimetic oxidation of N-nitrosodibenzylamine with molecular oxygen catalysed by water soluble anionic manganese(III) 5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphyrin acetate/sodium dithionite/methylene blue in aerosol-OT (AOT) reverse micelles, under phase transfer conditions with AOT concentration higher than 10⁻³M. The formation of α-hydroxy-N-nitrosodibenzylamine and its decomposition products, benzaldehyde and benzyl alcohol in reverse micellar systems are governed by the ratio of water and AOT, pH and other changes in the microenvirpnment.     

DNA separation by EFFF in a microchannel

This paper theoretically explores the application of electric field flow fractionation (EFFF) for the size-based separation of DNA strands in a microchannel. An axial electric field cannot separate DNA strands in solution because the electrical mobility of the strands is independent of the length. However, lateral electric fields coupled with an axial Poiseuille flow can separate the DNA strands of different sizes. By using regular perturbation analysis, we obtain the effective diffusivity and the mean velocity of the DNA molecules that are undergoing a pressure driven Poiseuille flow in a 2D channel in presence of a lateral electric field. The mean velocities and the dispersion coefficients are then utilized to determine the scaling for length of the channel and the time required for separation of DNA molecules in different parameter regimes. The results show that EFFF can separate DNA strands in the range of 10 kbp that differ in size by about 2.5 kbp in about half an hour in a 1 cm long channel. While DNA strands can be separated by EFFF, the performance of devices based on EFFF seems to be at best comparable to other techniques such as entropic trapping.     

Formation of 6-formyl-7-hydroxy-8-methoxycoumarin and 5,8-dioxopsoralen by reaction of 8-methoxypsoralen with H2O2 and potassium superoxide (KO2) catalyzed by halogenated or perhalogenated 5,10,15,20-tetraarylporphyrinatoiron(III) chlorides

The oxidation of 8-methoxypsoralen (2) with hydrogen peroxide and potassium superoxide catalyzed by 5,10,15,20-(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)porphyrinatoiron(III) chlorides [Me12TPPFe(III)Cl] (1a) and 5,10,15,20-(2,6-dichlorophenyl)porphyrinatoiron(III) chlorides [Cl8TPPFe(III)Cl] (1b) in dichloromethane gives 6-formyl-7-hydroxy-8-methoxycoumarin (3) in moderate yields, whereas the oxidation of (2) with H2O2 catalyzed by 5,10,15,20-(2,6-dichlorophenyl)-beta-octahaloporphyrinatoiron(III) chlorides [Cl8betaX8TPPFe(III)Cl] (X=Cl, Br) (1c, 1d) gives specifically 5,8-dioxopsoralen (4) in moderate yields.     

Asymmetric Organocatalytic Addition Reactions of Maleimides: A Promising Approach Towards the Synthesis of Chiral Succinimide Derivatives

Recent progress in asymmetric organocatalysis has led to the development of several asymmetric transformations that employ various substrates. Among these substrates, maleimides have emerged as excellent Michael acceptors, dienophiles, and dipolarophiles. In this Focus Review we highlight the advances in the asymmetric synthesis of succinimide derivatives through asymmetric organocatalytic addition reactions of maleimides.     

Correction to: Effect of varying biogas mass flow rate on performance and emission characteristics of a diesel engine fuelled with blends of n‑butanol and diesel

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - In the original publication of the article, Figs. 6 and 7 were published incorrectly without test fuel D80/nb20+BG (0.5 kg/h).