High-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection for determination of nobiletin content in the brain and serum of mice administrated the natural compound

We recently demonstrated that nobiletin, a citrus flavonoid, exhibits anti-dementia action in animals. However, no determination methods for the content of nobiletin with beneficial action in the brain of nobiletin-administered animals have been developed, nor has its pharmacokinetics been revealed completely. Here, we established the high-performance liquid chromatography/photodiode array detection method for nobiletin determination using Bond Elut C18 SPE cartridges for extraction, where the calibration curve was linear over 0.025-10 ng, with coefficient of variation of less than 6.76%. This method enabled us to determine pharmacokinetic parameters of nobiletin given intraperitoneally or per os in the brain of mice.     

Microbial conversion of curcumin into colorless hydroderivatives by the endophytic fungus Diaporthe sp. associated with Curcuma longa

We investigated the microbial conversion of curcumin (1) using endophytic fungi associated with the rhizome of Curcuma longa (Zingiberaceae). We found that Diaporthe sp., an endophytic filamentous fungus, converts curcumin (1) into four colorless derivatives, namely (3R,5R)-tetrahydrocurcumin (2), a novel (3R,5S)-hexahydrocurcumin (3) named neohexahydrocurcumin, (3S,5S)-octahydrocurcumin (4) and meso-octahydrocurcumin (5).     

9-Azanoradamantane N-oxyl (Nor-AZADO): a highly active organocatalyst for alcohol oxidation

A highly active organocatalyst for alcohol oxidation has been developed. 9-Azanoradamantane N-oxyl (Nor-AZADO 4), constituting an unhindered, stable nitroxyl radical, exhibits superior catalytic activity to 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO) and AZADOs in the oxidation of alcohols to their corresponding carbonyl compounds.     

Hydrodynamic interpretation on the rotational diffusion of peroxylamine disulfonate solute dissolved in room temperature ionic liquids as studied by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy

Rotational motion of a nitroxide radical, peroxylamine disulfonate (PADS), dissolved in room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) was studied by analyzing electron paramagnetic resonance spectra of PADS in various RTILs. We determined physical properties of PADS such as the hyperfine coupling constant (A), the temperature dependence of anisotropic rotational correlation times (τ(∥) and τ(⊥)), and rotational anisotropy (N). We observed that the A values remain unchanged for various RTILs, which indicates negligible interaction between the N-O PADS group and the cation of RTIL. Large N values suggest strong interaction of the negative sulfonyl parts of PADS with the cations of RTILs. Most of the τ(∥), τ(⊥), and (τ(∥)τ(⊥))(1/2) values are within the range calculated on the basis of a hydrodynamic theory with stick and slip boundary conditions. It was deduced that this theory could not adequately explain the measured results in some RTILs with smaller BF(4) and PF(6) anions.     

Molecular-shape selectivity by molecular gel-forming compounds: bioactive and shape-constrained isomers through the integration and orientation of weak interaction sites

A molecular gel system was assembled on carrier particles and the integrated effect of weak interaction sites enabled highly efficient separation of the bioactive and shape-constrained isomers of tocopherols, β-carotene, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) by multiple interaction mechanisms.     

Isomerization dynamics of the 2-phenylazo-1,3-dimethylimidazolium cation photoexcited to the S2 (π, π*) state as studied by transient absorption spectroscopy in the time domain of 10(-13) to 10(3) seconds

Photoinduced isomerization of a novel photochromic cation, [2PA-Mmim](+) (2-phenylazo-1,3-dimethylimidazolium cation), was studied by optical spectroscopic methods. The UV-Vis absorption spectra of the [2PA-Mmim](+) cation show two prominent bands starting around 410 and 520 nm, corresponding to the S(0)-S(2) (π, π*) and S(0)-S(1) (n, π*) transitions, respectively. The photoisomerization mechanism is studied by femtosecond time-resolved transient absorption experiments performed after S(0)-S(2) (π, π*) excitation in several solvents with different viscosity, including ionic liquids. The transient absorption signals at two representative wavelengths were fitted by bi-exponential functions, which yield four decay components. The photoisomerization mechanism is discussed in light of the relaxation schemes available for azobenzene. Only one of the components depends on the solvent viscosity and it changes from 1.2 ps (dichloromethane, 0.4 cP) to 5.6 ps ([Bmim][BF(4)], 93 cP). This component is assigned to a molecule at the S(1) state, which is responsible for the "rotational" isomerization. The weak dependence on the solvent viscosity of this component is explained in terms of local change in the viscosity as a result of local heating due to excess energy released at S(2)-S(1) internal conversion. The other three components of ～0.4, 1.0 and 10 ps are attributed to relaxation processes of the molecule at S(2), S(1) and S(0) states, respectively. The quantum yields for the forward E-Z photoisomerization are ～0.15 after S(2) excitation. The backward Z-E isomerization is slow with a lifetime of 1 hour and an activation energy of 91 kJ mol(-1) through an "inversion" mechanism.     

Dependence of thermal conductivity on electrical resistivity in Bismuth-Tellurides

The p-type (Bi_0.25Sb_0.75)₂Te₃ doped with 3-12 wt% excess Te alone and n-type Bi₂(Te_0.94Se_0.06)₃ codoped with 0.017-0.026 wt% Te and 0.068-0.102 wt% I were prepared by the Bridgman method, to produce intentionally polycrystalline. Some of the as-grown specimens were annealed, in order to prepare specimens with much different ρ. These polycrystalline specimens have almost the same degree of alignment of the c plane parallel to the freezing direction. The electrical rersistivity ρ and thermal conductivity κ were measured at 298 K along the freezing direction and κ was plotted as a function of ρ. As a result, the lattice components κ_ph obtained by subtracting the electronic component κ_el from the observed κ were found to decrease almost linearly with a decrease of ρ in both p- and n-type specimens, where κ_el was calculated using Wiedemann-Franz law. This tendency is consistent with the conventional result that κ_ph becomes negligible small in metals. The significant decrease in κ_ph with decrease in ρ is considered to be caused predominantly by the phonon scattering due to dopants. The relationship between κ_ph and ρ was first clarified in the intermediate region between the metal and insulator.     

Selectivity enhancement for trans-2-(2,3-anthracenedicarboximido)-cyclohexane-derived diastereomers in HPLC by using an ordered organic stationary phase.

2-(2,3-anthracenedicarboximido)cyclohexane derivatives (AC) have been known as the evolutionary diastereomerizing reagents for enantiomer discrimination in HPLC with ODS. However, a substantial separation of diastereomers can be observed only at lower temperatures, such as -40 degrees C. Therefore, in this work, poly(octadecyl acrylate)-grafted silica, ODAn was applied as an alternative stationary phase to ODS for the separation of AC-derived diastereomers. As a result, complete separation was achieved even under the conventional condition: for example, methanol as the mobile phase and 0 degrees C as the column temperature. An investigation on the temperature dependency of the selectivity demonstrated that ODAn shows a remarkable increase in selectivity at temperatures below 30 degrees C, which almost agreed with the peak-top temperature of the endothermic peak in a DSC thermogram for ODA35 immersed in a mobile phase. The better separation would be derived from a highly ordered structure of ODAn and a carbonyl-pi interaction with AC-derived diastereomers.