Feeding deterrents against two grain storage insects from Euphorbia fischeriana

The screening of several Chinese medicinal herbs for insecticidal principles showed that Euphorbia fischeriana roots possessed significant feeding deterrent activity against two stored-product insects (Tribolium castaneum and Sitophilus zeamais). From ethanol extract, four feeding deterrents were isolated by bioassay-guided fractionation. The compounds were identified as jolkinolide B, 12-deoxyphorbol 13-(9Z)-octadecenoate 20-acetate, 17-hydroxyjolkinolide A and B on the basis of their phytochemical and spectral data. Jolkinolide B and 17-hydroxyjolkinolide B possessed strong feeding deterrent activities against S. zeamais (EC?? = 342.1 and 543.9 ppm, respectively) and T. castaneum adults (E?? = 361.4 and 551.5 ppm, respectively). 17-Hydroxyjolkinolide A and 12-deoxyphorbol 13-(9Z)-octadecenoate 20-acetate A also exhibited feeding deterrent activity against the two grain storage insects with EC?? values of 631.9 and 884.3 ppm for S. zeamais and 656.5 and 1058.4 ppm for T. castaneum adults.     

Immunomodulatory activity of polysaccharide-protein complex of longan (Dimocarpus longan Lour.) pulp

The immunomodulatory function of longan pulp polysaccharide-protein complex (LP3) was investigated in immunosuppressed mice models. Compared with the model control, peroral administration of 100 mgkg?1d?1 LP3 could significantly increase/enhance antibody production against chicken red blood cell (CRBC), concanavalin A (ConA)-induced splenocyte proliferation, macrophage phagocytosis, NK cell cytotoxicity against YAC-1 lymphoma cell, and interferon-gamma (INF-γ) and interleukin-2 (IL-2) secretion in serum (P < 0.05). The immunomodulatory effects, except for those on splenocytes and macrophages (P > 0.05), were also observed in mice administered with 50 or 200 mgkg?1d?1 LP3 (P < 0.05). The beneficial effects of 50-200 mgkg?1d?1 LP3 were comparable to those of 50 mgkg?1d?1 ganoderan. The strong immunomodulatory activity of LP3 confirmed its good potential as an immunotherapeutic adjuvant.     

Impact of sugar stereochemistry on natural killer T cell stimulation by bacterial glycolipids

Natural killer T (NKT) cells recognize glycolipids produced by Sphingomonas bacteria, and these glycolipids contain C6-oxidized sugars, either glucuronic acid or galacturonic acid, linked to ceramides. Glycolipids with gluco stereochemistry are the most prevalent. Multiple studies have demonstrated that galactosylceramides are more potent stimulators of NKT cells than their glucose isomers. To determine if this stereoselectivity is retained in the context of the C6-oxidized sugars found in bacterial glycolipids, we prepared two sets of gluco and galacto-glycolipids oxidized at their C6 positions and compared their NKT stimulatory properties. In the context of carboxylic acid groups at C6, gluco stereochemistry gave the more potent responses. We also prepared bacterial glycolipids containing more complex ceramide groups to determine if these chains impact NKT cell responses.     

A covalently-linked microporous organic-inorganic hybrid framework containing polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane moieties

By a Yamamoto-type of Ullmann cross-coupling reaction, a well-defined covalently-linked microporous organic-inorganic hybrid framework polyoctaphenylsilsesquioxane (JUC-Z1) was effectively prepared from the nano building block p-iodio-octaphenylsilsesquioxane (I8OPS) with a yield of ca. 100%. The structure of JUC-Z1 was characterized by (13)C CP/MAS NMR and (29)Si MAS NMR experiments. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was performed to confirm the presence of functions in the framework. The results showed that inorganic silsesquioxane cubes were linearly covalently-linked by biphenyls, offering a highly cross-coupling framework. The powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) pattern and transmission electron microscope (TEM) image show that JUC-Z1 is spherical with uniform micropores. N(2) adsorption results suggest that the hybrid framework has a narrow pore size distribution from 11.8 to 20.0 ?, with a BET surface area of 283 m(2)g(-1) and a pore volume of 0.226 cm(3)g(-1). A thermogravimetric (TG) analysis indicates the thermal stability of JUC-Z1 up to 397 °C in air. Moreover, a liquid sorption experiment reveals the favorable sorption of benzene and water.     

Synthesis of 2-azaanthracenes via a sequential Sonogashira coupling/alkynyl imine-allenyl imine isomerization/aza-Diels-Alder/elimination-aromatization reaction

An interesting sequential Sonogashira coupling/alkynyl imine-allenyl imine isomerization/aza-Diels-Alder/elimination-aromatization reaction, providing a facile synthesis of substituted 2-azaanthracenes from 1,6-diynes and imidoyl chlorides, is reported. The easy procedure accessing the products efficiently from readily available starting materials may imply a potential synthetic application.     

Interplay of olefin metathesis and multiple hydrogen bonding interactions: covalently cross-linked zippers

Hydrogen-bonded zippers bearing terminal alkene groups were treated with Grubbs' catalyst, leading to covalently cross-linked zippers without violating H-bonding sequence specificity. The yield of a cross-linked zipper depended on the stability of its H-bonded precursor, with a weakly associating pair giving reasonable yields only at high concentrations while strongly associating pairs showed nearly quantitative yields. The integration of thermodynamic (H-bonding) and kinetic (irreversible C═C bond formation) processes suggests the possibility of developing many different covalent association units for constructing molecular structures based on a self-assembling way.     

Tandem reaction of propargylic alcohol, sulfonamide, and N-iodosuccinimide: synthesis of N-(2-iodoinden-1-yl)arenesulfonamide

An efficient and straightforward strategy for the synthesis of N-(2-haloinden-1-yl)arenesulfonamides from propargylic alcohols and sulfonamides is described. Allenesulfonamide is postulated to be the key intermediate for this tandem transformation.     

Three-component and nonclassical reaction of phosphines with enynes and aldehydes: formation of γ-lactones featuring α-phosphorus ylides

Inverted carbenoid species, generated from attack of phosphines at the α(δ')-carbon of hex-2-en-4-ynedioic acid dialkyl esters, react with aldehydes to give γ-lactones possessing an α-phosphorus ylide moiety.     

Determination of phenylenediamine isomers in hair dyes by coal cinders micro-column extraction and MEKC

A new micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) method using beta-cyclodextrins (β-CDs) and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphates (ionic liquids) as additives was successfully developed for determination of para-, meta-, and ortho-phenylenediamines isomers (p-P, m-P, and o-P) in hair dyes. To improve the sensitivity of the MEKC-UV, a simple and cheap flow injection (FI) technique using a micro-column packed with coal cinders (the by-products from combustion in a boiler) as solid-phase extractant was also investigated. In the presence of 20 mmol L(-1) phosphates at pH 5.5, addition of 12 mmol L(-1) ionic liquids and 8 mmol L(-1) β-CDs greatly improved the separation efficiency. The three analytes could be quantitatively adsorbed by coal cinders, and desorbed readily with 0.15 mL of 0.01 mol L(-1) NaOH. Under the optimum conditions, an enrichment factor (EF) of 33.3 was obtained, and determination limits of p-P, m-P, and o-P were 1.97?×?10(-7), 0.99?×?10(-7), and 0.61?×?10(-7) mol L(-1), respectively. The adsorption capacities of the coal cinders micro-column for p-P, m-P, and o-P were all 1.20 mg g(-1). The presented procedure was successfully applied to the determination of p-P, m-P, and o-P in hair dyes with satisfactory results.     

Analysis of doxorubicin uptake in single human leukemia K562 cells using capillary electrophoresis coupled with laser-induced fluorescence detection

The doxorubicin (DOX) uptake in single human leukemia K562 cells with changes in both drug dosage and exposure period was studied using capillary electrophoresis (CE) coupled with laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) detection. The cells were treated with DOX at different concentrations (1, 3, 10, 20, 30, and 50 μM) and for different exposure times (1, 3, 5, 24, and 48 h). At least 20 cells were analyzed for each DOX-treated cell population. A marked heterogeneity in DOX uptake among single cells was observed, because the relative standard deviation of the uptake of DOX by single cells ranged from 24.0% to 61.1% within each cell population. The cell-to-cell heterogeneity in DOX uptake first decreased and then became constant with increasing drug concentration, but it did not exhibit regular variation with increasing exposure time. The mean DOX uptake was a linear function of drug concentration (r ≥ 0.9667). In terms of the correlation with exposure time, the mean DOX uptake reached its maximum at 3 h for the cell populations treated with 1–10 μM DOX, while it kept increasing during 48 h exposure of cell populations to 20–50 μM DOX. Because it eliminates DOX fluorescence quenching and sample loss, the CE-LIF method directly detects the true DOX uptake by single cells, and thus presents accurate information on both the cell-to-cell heterogeneity in DOX uptake and the patterns of DOX uptake in K562 cells as functions of drug concentration and exposure time.