An efficient high-speed counter-current chromatography method for the preparative separation of sesquiterpenoids from the rhizomes of Cyperus rotundus L. combined with evaluation of the anti-inflammation activity in vitro and molecular docking

Cyperus rotundus L. has been extensively used in ancient medication for the treatment of different disorders worldwide, in which sesquiterpenes are the most representative components. In this study, sesquiterpenes were effectively purified by two-dimensional counter-current chromatography in combination with continuous injection and inner-recycling mode with a solvent system of n-hexane/ethyl acetate/methanol/water (1:0.2:1:0.2, v/v/v/v). For one-dimension separation, continuous injection mode was used with three times injection and the inner-recycling mode was adopted for the separation of two mixtures for two-dimensional separation. Finally, four sesquiterpenoids, including scariodione ( 1 ), cyperenoic acid ( 2 ), scariodione ( 3 ), and α-cyperone ( 4 ), were obtained with purities over 98%. Mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance were applied to identify their structures. The results from the anti-inflammation effect with zebrafish demonstrated that cyperenoic acid exhibited stronger anti-inflammation activity. Molecular docking results suggested that cyperenoic acid possessed lower binding energies –9.4545 kcal/mol with 1CX2 to form formed hydrogen bond interaction with ARG120. In general, all the obtained findings proved that the strong anti-inflammation capacity of cyperenoic acid can have the potential of being adopted for treating diseases resulting from inflammation.     

Magnetic,Electrical and Thermal Studies of Polypyrrole-Fe<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> Nanocomposites

This research paper comprises of the synthesis of polypyrrole (PPy)-Fe₂O₃ nanocomposites by employing the in situ chemical oxidative polymerization method. The concentration of the filler material was adjusted between 10–50 wt % of PPy. The synthesized nanocomposites were characterized by using X-ray diffraction (XRD). Magnetic analysis and DC electrical conductivity of the samples were carried out using vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) and two probe DC conductivity method, point towards magnetically active and electrically conductive samples. The magnetic parameters under applied magnetic field demonstrated that the values of coercivity (H _c ), saturation magnetization (M _s ) and remanence (M _r ) can be tailored by carefully controlling the amount of dopant material into the nanocomposites indicating their suitability for controllable switching devices and microwave absorption applications. The DC electrical conductivity showed an increase up to 20 wt % of filler material and thereafter a decrease in the conductivity of nanocomposites with increase in filler content is observed. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) showed an increase in thermal stability with an increase in ferrite content in nanocomposites.     

Biotechnological Innovations from Ocean: Transpiring Role of Marine Drugs in Management of Chronic Disorders

Marine drugs are abundant in number, comprise of a diverse range of structures with corresponding mechanisms of action, and hold promise for the discovery of new and better treatment approaches for the management of several chronic diseases. There are huge reserves of natural marine biological compounds, as 70 percent of the Earth is covered with oceans, indicating a diversity of chemical entities on the planet. The marine ecosystems are a rich source of bioactive products and have been explored for lead drug molecules that have proven to be novel therapeutic targets. Over the last 70 years, many structurally diverse drug products and their secondary metabolites have been isolated from marine sources. The drugs obtained from marine sources have displayed an exceptional potential in the management of a wide array of diseases, ranging from acute to chronic conditions. A beneficial role of marine drugs in human health has been recently proposed. The current review highlights various marine drugs and their compounds and role in the management of chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases, and cardiovascular disorders, which has led to the development of new drug treatment approaches.     

Effect of quantization and positron concentration on shielding potentials in electron-positron-ion plasma

The kinetic theory of plasma has been employed to compute the test-charge potential distributions accounting for quantization effects in magnetized electron-positron-ion (EPI) plasmas. In this regard, the degenerate positrons and electrons are assumed to follow the Fermi-Dirac distribution, while inertial ions are modelled by Maxwellian velocity distribution. By solving the Fourier-transformed Vlasov–Poisson equations, a modified dielectric function and electrostatic potential is obtained. By imposing various constraints on the test-charge speed, the potential profile has been analysed in terms of Debye–Hückel (DH), far-field (FF), and wake-field (WF) potentials. It has been found that the amplitude of DH and FF potentials increases by the inclusion of quantization effects, and it becomes the opposite for the WF potential profile. Furthermore, the variation of positron concentration significantly affects the DH, FF, and WF potentials. The present findings are important to understand the shielding phenomenon in degenerate multi-species plasmas.     

Synthesis, characterization, and biological activities of homo- and heterobimetallic complexes of Sn(IV) and Pd(II) with 2-mercapto-5-methyl benzimidazole

Organotin complexes have been synthesized by refluxing 2-mercapto-5-methyl benzimidazole with R₂SnCl₂/R₃SnCl (R = Me, n-Bu, Ph) in 1:1 molar ratio in the first step. In the second step, synthesized organotin(IV) complexes were treated with CS₂ and R₂SnCl₂/R₃SnCl/PdCl₂ to yield homo- and heterobimetallic complexes. The composition of the synthesized complexes, the bonding behavior of the donor groups, and structural assignments were studied by elemental analysis and different spectral techniques, including IR and multinuclear NMR (¹H, ¹³C). The IR data shows bidentate nature of the ligand which is also confirmed by semiempirical study, while NMR data confirms the four-coordinated geometry in solution. The free ligand and its respective homo- and heterobimetallic complexes were screened in vitro against a number of microorganisms to assess their biocidal properties. The biological activity data show that complexes exhibits significant antibacterial and antifungal activities as compared to ligand with few exceptions.     

Organotin(IV) derivatives as biocides: An investigation of structure by IR, solution NMR, electron impact MS and assessment of structure correlation with biocidal activity

A brief account is given of the synthesis, structural chemistry and the antibacterial, antifungal and cytotoxic effects of organotin complexes of 2-[(2,4-dichloroanilinocarbonyl)]benzoic acid. The unimolar and bimolar substitution products have been characterized by elemental analysis and spectral studies, including IR, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, ¹¹⁹Sn NMR, and mass spectra. The data support the binding of the oxygen atom to the tin atom in [R₂Sn(OOCR’)₂] and [R₃Sn(OOCR’)] (R = Me, Bu, and Ph, R’ = 2-[(2,4-dichloroanilinocarbonyl)]benzoic acid). Based on these studies, with a coordination number of four, a distorted tetrahedral geometry has been proposed for the resulting derivatives in solution. The free ligand (R’/COOH) and its respective tin complexes were tested in vitro against a number of microorganisms to assess their biocidal properties and to correlate them with the structures of the derivatives.     

Diorganotin(IV) Complexes with Monohydrate Disodium Salt of Iminodiacetic Acid: Synthesis,Characterization, Crystal Structure and Biological Activities

Diorganotin(IV) derivatives have been synthesized by the reaction of R₂SnL₂ (R=n‐Bu 1 , Ph 2 ) with monohydrate disodium salt of iminodiacetic acid ( Na₂L ) in 1 : 1 M/L ratio under reflux conditions. The compounds have been characterized by FT‐IR, NMR (¹H and ¹³C) spectoscopy, electron ionization mass spectrometry (EIMS), thermogravimetric analyses (TGA) and single crystal XRD. FTIR data indicates a mono‐dentate binding mode of the carboxylic acid group as well as participation of the amino nitrogen and aqua oxygen in coordination with organotin(IV) moieties. NMR data demonstrates a tetra‐coordinated environment around tin(IV) in solution. Mass spectrometric and thermogravimetric analyses verify the close similarities between the molecular structures of both complexes. The thermal stability of diphenyltin(IV) derivative ( 2 ) was found slightly higher than that of the free ligand ( Na₂L ). Single crystal X‐ray analysis of the complex 1 have shown a hexa‐coordinated geometry around Sn(IV) with trans configuration. There are evidences for the existence of intermolecular hydrogen bonding in the structure of the complexes. The products displayed significant antibacterial and antifungal activities in contrast to the biologically inactive ligand precursor. However, the hemolytic cytoxicity of the complexes was comparatively high than the free ligand.     

Random benzotrithiophene-based donor-acceptor copolymers for efficient organic photovoltaic devices

A series of benzotrithiophene-containing random terpolymers for polymer solar cells is reported. Through variations of the two other components in the terpolymers, the absorption profile and the frontier energy levels are optimized and maximum power conversion efficiencies are nearly doubled (5.14%) relative to the parent alternating copolymer.     

Simultaneous determination of perfluoroalkyl phosphonates, carboxylates, and sulfonates in drinking water

A trace analytical method based on high performance liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole time-of-flight high resolution mass spectrometry was developed for simultaneous determination of perfluoroalkyl phosphonates (PFPAs, carbon chain lengths C6,8,10), perfluoroalkyl carboxylates (PFCAs, C5-12), and perfluoroalkyl sulfonates (PFSAs, C4,6,8,10) in drinking water (tap water). Analytes were enriched on a mixed mode co-polymeric sorbent (C8+quaternary amine) using solid phase extraction. Chromatographic separation was achieved on a Zorbax Extend C18 reversed phase column using a mobile phase gradient consisting of water, methanol, and acetonitrile containing 2mM ammonium acetate and 5 mM 1-methyl piperidine. The mass spectrometer was operated in electrospray negative ion mode. Use of 1-methyl piperidine in the mobile phase resulted in a significant increase in instrument sensitivity for PFPAs through improved chromatographic resolution, background suppression, and increased ionization efficiency. Method detection limits for extraction of 500 mL tap water were in the ranges of 0.095-0.17 ng/L, 0.027-0.17 ng/L, and 0.014-0.052 ng/L for PFPAs, PFCAs, and PFSAs, respectively. Whole method recoveries at a spiking level of 0.5 ng/L to 500 mL HPLC grade water were 40-56%, 56-97%, and 55-77% for PFPAs, PFCAs, and PFSAs, respectively. A matrix effect (signal enhancement) was observed in the detection of PFPAs in tap water extracts, leading to calculated recoveries of 249-297% at a 0.5 ng/L spiking level. This effect resulted in an additional improvement of method sensitivity for PFPAs. To compensate for the matrix effect, PFPAs in tap water were quantified using matrix-matched and extracted calibration standards. The method was successfully applied to the analysis of drinking water collected from six European countries. PFPAs were not detected except for perfluorooctyl phosphonate (PFOPA) at close to the detection limit of 0.095 ng/L in two water samples from Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Highest levels were found for perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS, 18.8 ng/L) and perfluorooctanoate (PFOA, 8.6 ng/L) in samples from Amsterdam as well as for perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS, 8.8 ng/L) in tap water from Stockholm, Sweden.     

First-principle investigation of XSrH3 (X = K and Rb) perovskite-type hydrides for hydrogen storage

Hydrogen can be utilized as an energy source; therefore, hydrogen storage has received the most appealing examination interest in recent years. The investigations of hydrogen storage applications center fundamentally around the examination of hydrogen capacity abilities of recently presented compounds. XSrH₃ (X = K and Rb) compounds have been examined by density functional theory (DFT) calculations to uncover their different characteristics, as well as hydrogen capacity properties, for the first time. Studied compounds are optimized in the cubic phase, and optimized lattice constants are obtained as 4.77 and 4.99 Å for KSrH₃ and RbSrH₃, respectively. These hydrides have shown negative values of formation enthalpies as they are stable thermodynamically. XSrH₃ might be used in hydrogen storage applications because of high gravimetric hydrogen storage densities, which are 2.33 and 1.71 wt% for KSrH₃ and RbSrH₃, respectively. Moreover, electronic properties confirm the semiconductor nature of these compounds having indirect band gaps of values 1.41 and 1.23 eV for KSrH₃ and RbSrH₃, respectively. In addition, mechanical properties from elastic constants such as Young modulus and Pugh's ratio, also have been investigated, and these compounds were found to satisfy born stability conditions. Furthermore, Pugh's ratio and Cauchy pressure show that these hydrides have a brittle nature. Furthermore, thermodynamic properties such as entropy and Debye temperature have been examined using the quasiharmonic Debye model for different temperatures and pressures.