The B2–B7 phase transition in symmetrical bent‐shaped mesogens with methoxy substitution

New mesogens composed of achiral bent molecules with thermally stable ester linkages, and laterally substituted by a methoxy group symmetrically near the central benzene ring, were synthesized. Texture, calorimetric, electro‐optical, X‐ray and dielectric measurements were performed. In most of studied compounds the antiferroelectric B₂ phase was found on cooling from the isotropic phase, followed by the B₇ phase at lower temperatures. Undulation of layers in the B₇ phase was confirmed by precise synchrotron studies.     

Contamination of therapeutic human immunoglobulin preparations with apolipoprotein H (β2‐glycoprotein I)

Polyclonal immunoglobulin (Ig) concentrates are important biological medicinal products and the assurance of their quality and safety is crucial. In our present approach we used proteomic methods to check the purity of commercial Ig products of different origin. The experimental setup included nonreducing 2DE or DIGE combined with MALDI‐TOF and the thrombin generation assay, a routine safety test for pharmaceutical Ig preparations, and was complemented by a specific immunoassay. 2DE patterns displayed contaminations with trace amounts of human apolipoprotein H (Apo‐H), transferrin, albumin, and its fragments. In contrast to the latter, Apo‐H is a protein that is active in the coagulation cascade, and thus a potential involvement in thromboembolic events in vivo cannot be excluded. It was found by 2DE and MALDI‐TOF to be a contaminant of several Ig preparations. Spiking experiments of Ig preparations with pure Apo‐H demonstrated an Apo‐H concentration dependent increase in thrombin generation assay values. Traces of Apo‐H are possibly also contributing to unwanted side effects, as already known for factor XIa. The significance of Apo‐H contaminations for these side effects might be verified by detailed analyses of pharmacovigilance data.     

The Effects of Food on Cannabidiol Bioaccessibility

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a hydrophobic non-psychoactive compound with therapeutic characteristics. Animal and human studies have shown its poor oral bioavailability in vivo, and the impact of consuming lipid-soluble CBD with and without food on gut bioaccessibility has not been explored. The purpose of this research was to study the bioaccessibility of CBD after a three-phase upper digestion experiment with and without food, and to test lipase activity with different substrate concentrations. Our results showed that lipase enzyme activity and fatty acid absorption increased in the presence of bile salts, which may also contribute to an increase in CBD bioaccessibility. The food matrix used was a mixture of olive oil and baby food. Overall, the fed-state digestion revealed significantly higher micellarization efficiency for CBD (14.15 ± 0.6% for 10 mg and 22.67 ± 2.1% for 100 mg CBD ingested) than the fasted state digestion of CBD (0.65 ± 0.7% for 10 mg and 0.14 ± 0.1% for 100 mg CBD ingested). The increase in bioaccessibility of CBD with food could be explained by the fact that micelle formation from hydrolyzed lipids aid in bioaccessibility of hydrophobic molecules. In conclusion, the bioaccessibility of CBD depends on the food matrix and the presence of lipase and bile salts.     

Extract from the Marine Seaweed Padina pavonica Protects Mitochondrial Biomembranes from Damage by Amyloidogenic Peptides

The identification of compounds which protect the double-membrane of mitochondrial organelles from disruption by toxic confomers of amyloid proteins may offer a therapeutic strategy to combat human neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we exploited an extract from the marine brown seaweed Padina pavonica (PPE) as a vital source of natural bioactive compounds to protect mitochondrial membranes against insult by oligomeric aggregates of the amyloidogenic proteins amyloid-β (Aβ), α-synuclein (α-syn) and tau, which are currently considered to be major targets for drug discovery in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD). We show that PPE manifested a significant inhibitory effect against swelling of isolated mitochondria exposed to the amyloid oligomers, and attenuated the release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria. Using cardiolipin-enriched synthetic lipid membranes, we also show that dye leakage from fluorophore-loaded vesicles and formation of channel-like pores in planar bilayer membranes are largely prevented by incubating the oligomeric aggregates with PPE. Lastly, we demonstrate that PPE curtails the ability of Aβ42 and α-syn monomers to self-assemble into larger β-aggregate structures, as well as potently disrupts their respective amyloid fibrils. In conclusion, the mito-protective and anti-aggregator biological activities of Padina pavonica extract may be of therapeutic value in neurodegenerative proteinopathies, such as AD and PD.     

Combination of radon and stable isotope analysis as a tool for decision support concerning the remediation of NAPL-contaminated sites

The non-aqueous phase-liquid (NAPL)-contaminated aquifer at a major refinery site in Mexico was investigated. Owing to the depth of the contaminated aquifer section (NAPL source zone) of over 100 m below the surface, the actual aquifer material was not accessible for sampling. Information on the residual NAPL contamination of the aquifer could only be obtained indirectly by analysing groundwater samples from a few wells available at the site. To tackle the problem, an approach alternative to conventional groundwater analysis for dissolved NAPL was chosen. For evaluating the recent contamination and estimating its probable future development, the radioisotope radon-222 and the stable isotopes 13C, 34S and 18O were used as naturally occurring contamination tracers and process indicators. Radon was used as partitioning tracer for the approximate localization and semi-quantitative assessment of the NAPL source zone. The stable isotopes were used as indicators for naturally occurring biodegradation processes, which might potentially be implemented into future remediation schemes.     

Imaging of Bacterial and Fungal Cells Using Fluorescent Carbon Dots Prepared from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Carica papaya</Emphasis> Juice

In this paper, we have described a simple hydrothermal method for preparation of fluorescent carbon dots (C-dots) using Carica papaya juice as a precursor. The synthesized C-dots show emission peak at 461 nm with a quantum yield of 7.0 %. The biocompatible nature of C-dots was confirmed by a cytotoxicity assay on E. coli. The C-dots were used as fluorescent probes for imaging of bacterial (Bacillus subtilis) and fungal (Aspergillus aculeatus) cells and emitted green and red colors under different excitation wavelengths, which indicates that the C-dots can be used as a promising material for cell imaging.     

Structurally Tunable 3‐Cyanoformazanate Boron Difluoride Dyes

The straightforward synthesis of a series of 3‐cyanoformazanate boron difluoride dyes is reported. Phenyl, 4‐methoxyphenyl and 4‐cyanophenyl N‐substituted derivatives were isolated and characterized by single‐crystal X‐ray crystallography, cyclic voltammetry, and UV/Vis spectroscopy. The compounds were demonstrated to possess tunable, substituent‐dependent absorption, emission, and electrochemical properties, which were rationalized through electronic structure calculations.     

Intermolecular Radical Carbofluorination of Non‐activated Alkenes

The Meerwein arylation has recently become an even more powerful tool for the functionalization of alkenes. Besides the attachment of an aryl group, radical reactions of this type allow the introduction of several different heteroatoms and a broad variety of alkenes are meanwhile tolerated as substrates. Closing a long‐standing gap of the methodology, this communication describes the first intermolecular Meerwein‐type carbofluorination. In metal‐free reactions, arylalkyl fluorides were obtained from arylhydrazines and alkenes with Selectfluor acting as oxidant and as radical fluorine source.     

Synthesis of Prenyl‐ and Geranyl‐Substituted Carbazole Alkaloids by DIBAL‐H Promoted Reductive Pyran Ring Opening of Dialkylpyrano[3,2‐a]carbazoles

The DIBAL‐H promoted reductive pyran ring opening of dialkylpyrano[3,2‐a]carbazoles provides a direct access to a broad range of prenyl‐ and geranyl‐substituted carbazoles. Formation of a pyran ring followed by reductive ring opening represents a new method for the introduction of prenyl and geranyl groups. In the course of the present work, we achieved the first total syntheses of the following eight carbazole alkaloids: clauraila‐E, 7‐hydroxyheptaphylline, 7‐methoxyheptaphylline, mukoenine‐B (clausenatine‐A), mukoenine‐A (girinimbilol), mahanimbinol (mahanimbilol), euchrestine‐A, and isomurrayafoline‐B.     

A Bioorthogonal Small‐Molecule‐Switch System for Controlling Protein Function in Live Cells

Chemically induced dimerization (CID) has proven to be a powerful tool for modulating protein interactions. However, the traditional dimerizer rapamycin has limitations in certain in vivo applications because of its slow reversibility and its affinity for endogenous proteins. Described herein is a bioorthogonal system for rapidly reversible CID. A novel dimerizer with synthetic ligand of FKBP′ (SLF′) linked to trimethoprim (TMP). The SLF′ moiety binds to the F36V mutant of FK506‐binding protein (FKBP) and the TMP moiety binds to E. coli dihydrofolate reductase (eDHFR). SLF′‐TMP‐induced heterodimerization of FKBP(F36V) and eDHFR with a dissociation constant of 0.12 μM . Addition of TMP alone was sufficient to rapidly disrupt this heterodimerization. Two examples are presented to demonstrate that this system is an invaluable tool, which can be widely used to rapidly and reversibly control protein function in vivo.