Chemical Synthesis and Immunological Evaluation of a Pentasaccharide Bearing Multiple Rare Sugars as a Potential Anti-pertussis Vaccine

With the infection rate of Bordetella pertussis at a 60-year high, there is an urgent need for new anti-pertussis vaccines. The lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of B. pertussis is an attractive antigen for vaccine development. With the presence of multiple rare sugars and unusual glycosyl linkages, the B. pertussis LPS is a highly challenging synthetic target. In this work, aided by molecular dynamics simulation and modeling, a pertussis-LPS-like pentasaccharide was chemically synthesized for the first time. The pentasaccharide was conjugated with a powerful carrier, bacteriophage Qβ, as a vaccine candidate. Immunization of mice with the conjugate induced robust anti-glycan IgG responses with IgG titers reaching several million enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) units. The antibodies generated were long lasting and boostable and could recognize multiple clinical strains of B. pertussis, highlighting the potential of Qβ-glycan as a new anti-pertussis vaccine.     

Natural dye-based photoelectrode for improvement of solar cell performance

In the present paper, photovoltaic studies of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) based on betacyanin/TiO₂ and betacyanin/WO₃–TiO₂ have been done. The cell performances were compared through I–V curves and wavelength dependant photocurrent measurements for the two new types of DSSCs. The TiO₂-coated DSSC showed the photovoltage and photocurrent of 300 mV and 4.96 mA/cm², whereas the cell employing WO₃–TiO₂ photoelectrode showed the values 435 mV and 9.86 mA/cm², respectively. The conversion efficiency of TiO₂ based dye-sensitized solar cell was found to be 0.69 %, while WO₃–TiO₂-based cell exhibited a higher conversion efficiency of 2.2 %. The better performance of the WO₃–TiO₂ dye-sensitized solar cell photoelectrode is thought to be due to an inherent energy barrier at the electrode/electrolyte interface leading to the reduced recombination of photoinduced electrons.     

Low dissipative entropy stable schemes using third order WENO and TVD reconstructions

A low dissipative framework is given to construct high order entropy stable flux by addition of suitable numerical diffusion operator into entropy conservative flux. The framework is robust in the sense that it allows the use of high order reconstructions which satisfy the sign property only across the discontinuities. The third order weighted essentially non-oscillatory (WENO) interpolations and high order total variation diminishing (TVD) reconstructions are shown to satisfy the sign property across discontinuities. Third order accurate entropy stable schemes are constructed by using third order WENO and high order TVD reconstructions procedures in the diffusion operator. These schemes are efficient and less diffusive since the diffusion is actuated only in the sign stability region of the used reconstruction which includes discontinuities. Numerical results with constructed schemes for various test problems are given which show the third order accuracy and less dissipative nature of the schemes.     

Synthesis and characterization of water-soluble carbon nanotubes from mustard soot

Carbon nanotubes (CNT) has been synthesized by pyrolysing mustard oil using an oil lamp. It was made water-soluble (wsCNT) through oxidative treatment by dilute nitric acid and was characterized by SEM, AFM, XRD, Raman and FTIR spectroscopy. The synthesized wsCNT showed the presence of several junctions and defects in it. The presence of curved graphene structure (sp²) with frequent sp³ hybridized carbon is found to be responsible for the observed defects. These defects along with the presence of di- and tri-podal junctions showed interesting magnetic properties of carbon radicals formed by spin frustration. This trapped carbon radical showed ESR signal in aqueous solution and was very stable even under drastic treatment by strong oxidizing or reducing agents. Oxidative acid treatment of CNT introduced several carboxylic acid group functionalities in wsCNT along with the nicking of the CNT at different lengths with varied molecular weight. To evaluate molecular weights of these wsCNTs, an innovative method like gel electrophoresis using high molecular weight DNA as marker was introduced.     

Metabolite assignment of ultrafiltered synovial fluid extracted from knee joints of reactive arthritis patients using high resolution NMR spectroscopy

Currently, there are no reliable biomarkers available that can aid early differential diagnosis of reactive arthritis (ReA) from other inflammatory joint diseases. Metabolic profiling of synovial fluid (SF)—obtained from joints affected in ReA—holds great promise in this regard and will further aid monitoring treatment and improving our understanding about disease mechanism. As a first step in this direction, we report here the metabolite specific assignment of ¹H and ¹³C resonances detected in the NMR spectra of SF samples extracted from human patients with established ReA. The metabolite characterization has been carried out on both normal and ultrafiltered (deproteinized) SF samples of eight ReA patients (n = 8) using high-resolution (800 MHz) ¹H and ¹H─¹³C NMR spectroscopy methods such as one-dimensional ¹H CPMG and two-dimensional J-resolved¹H NMR and homonuclear ¹H─¹H TOCSY and heteronuclear¹H─¹³C HSQC correlation spectra. Compared with normal SF samples, several distinctive ¹H NMR signals were identified and assigned to metabolites in the ¹H NMR spectra of ultrafiltered SF samples. Overall, we assigned 53 metabolites in normal filtered SF and 64 metabolites in filtered pooled SF sample compared with nonfiltered SF samples for which only 48 metabolites (including lipid/membrane metabolites as well) have been identified. The established NMR characterization of SF metabolites will serve to guide future metabolomics studies aiming to identify/evaluate the SF-based metabolic biomarkers of diagnostic/prognostic potential or seeking biochemical insights into disease mechanisms in a clinical perspective.     

Synthesis and computational studies of potent antimicrobial and anticancer indolone scaffolds with spiro cyclopropyl moiety as a novel design element

The indolones nucleus is the central core to develop new effective anticancer agents and its substitution at the 3-position can affect antitumor activity, 3-spirocyclopropyl-2-oxindoles have attracted the scientist's community to design and develop expedition's strategies towards their construction and explore the potential of this useful scaffold with their newer derivatives in medicinal world. The present paper describes the synthesis of 3-spirocyclopropyl-2-indolone derivatives in three steps via synthesis of ylide leading to methylene-indolinones followed by the formation of the final product spirocyclopropyl oxindole derivatives with improved yields. In this milieu we considered motivating to advance exploration the biological potencies and computational studies of our newly synthesized molecules. The aimed target molecules were screened for antimicrobial and anticancer activities where they exhibited substantial effective antimicrobial activities. Amongst them, potent compound, bromospirocyclopropyl indolone, 6d displayed encouraging MIC ranging from 0.007 to 0.49 μg/mL for gram positive microbes and also substantial anticancer activity with an IC₅₀ of 11.5 μg/mL. Finally, the computational modelling studies were performed to explore structure-activity relationship analysis. Active site of receptor protein shows docking scores of these molecules as - 5.78 kcal/mol and ?5.097 kcal/mol for the docked target proteins. The binding energy of the best score is found to be ?41.67 kcal/mol to ?44.67 kcal/mol. Thus, the present paper efficaciously validated spirocyclopropyl indolone framework for drug candidates as potent anticancer as well as antimicrobial compounds.     

Asymmetric synthesis of (–)-leiocarpin A via (–)-(S)-goniothalamin employing Julia–Kocienski olefination

A concise and enantioselective syntheses of antileukemic natural products such as (–)-(S)-goniothalamin and (–)-leiocarpin A has been accomplished in excellent yields. By employing reported conditions on suitable substrates via Julia–Kocienski olefination, intramolecular lactonization, and subsequently dehydroxylative olefination, (–)-(S)-goniothalamin was synthesized. Then Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation–intramolecular Michael addition on (–)-(S)-goniothalamin provided (–)-leiocarpin A.     

Triazoles as complexing agents: Synthesis and structural studies of some bivalent metal ion complexes with Bi- and tridentate ligands

Summary Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), Zn(II) and Cd(II) complexes of 4-amino-5-mercapto-3-trifluoromethyl-s-triazole (AMTT) and 5-mercapto-4-salicylideneamino-3-trifluoromethyl-s-triazole (MSTT) have been synthesized and characterized on the basis of elemental analyses, magnetic measurements, infrared and electronic spectral data. The ligandsAMTT andMSTT were characterized by elemental analyses, infrared and¹H NMR spectral studies.AMTT, involving N and S as donor atoms, andMSTT, involving N, O and S as donor atoms, act as bi- and tridentate ligands, respectively. The geometry of the complexes has been assigned on the basis of magnetic and electronic spectral data. EPR parameters for copper (II) complexes have been calculated. Thermal stabilities of the complexes are also reported. Due to insolubility in water and common organic solvents and infusibility at higher temperatures, all the complexes are thought to be polymeric in nature.

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Triazole als Komplexierungs-Agentien: Synthese und Strukturuntersuchungen an einigen bivalenten Metallionenkomplexen mit zwei- und dreizähnigen Liganden

Zusammenfassung Es wurden Co(II)-, Ni(II)-, Cu(II)-, Zn(II)- und Cd(II)-Komplexe von 4-Amino-5-mercapto-3-trifluormethyl-s-triazol (AMTT) und 5-Mercapto-4-salizylidenamino-3-trifluormethyl-s-triazol (MSTT) hergestellt und mittels Elementaranalyse, magnetischen Messungen, Infrarot- und Elektronenspektroskopie charakterisiert. Die LigandenAMTT undMSTT wurden elementaranalytisch und spektroskopisch (IR und¹H-NMR) charakterisiert.AMT wirkt über die N-und S-Donoratome als zweizähniger Ligand,MSTT über N, O und S als dreizähniger Ligand. Die Geometrie der Komplexe wurde auf der Basis von magnetischen und elektronenspektroskopischen Daten zugeordnet. Für die Cu(II)-Komplexe wurden die EPR-Parameter berechnet. Die thermischen Stabilitäten der Komplexe wurde ebenfalls untersucht. Wegen ihrer Unlöslichkeit in Wasser und gängigen organischen Lösungsmitteln und der Unschmelzbarkeit bei höheren Temperaturen wird eine polymere Natur der Komplexe angenommen.

     

On-line high-performance liquid chromatography–ultraviolet–nuclear magnetic resonance method of the markers of nerve agents for verification of the Chemical Weapons Convention

This paper details an on-flow liquid chromatography–ultraviolet–nuclear magnetic resonance (LC–UV–NMR) method for the retrospective detection and identification of alkyl alkylphosphonic acids (AAPAs) and alkylphosphonic acids (APAs), the markers of the toxic nerve agents for verification of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). Initially, the LC–UV–NMR parameters were optimized for benzyl derivatives of the APAs and AAPAs. The optimized parameters include stationary phase C₁₈, mobile phase methanol:water 78:22 (v/v), UV detection at 268 nm and ¹H NMR acquisition conditions. The protocol described herein allowed the detection of analytes through acquisition of high quality NMR spectra from the aqueous solution of the APAs and AAPAs with high concentrations of interfering background chemicals which have been removed by preceding sample preparation. The reported standard deviation for the quantification is related to the UV detector which showed relative standard deviations (RSDs) for quantification within ±1.1%, while lower limit of detection upto 16 μg (in μg absolute) for the NMR detector. Finally the developed LC–UV–NMR method was applied to identify the APAs and AAPAs in real water samples, consequent to solid phase extraction and derivatization. The method is fast (total experiment time ∼2 h), sensitive, rugged and efficient.     

Application of Doehlert design in optimizing the determination of degraded products of nerve agents by ion-pair liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

A qualitative method was developed for the determination of degraded products of nerve agents by using ion-pair liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (IP-LC-ESI-MS(n)). Generally, alkylphosphonic acids (APAs) and O-alkyl alkylphosphonic acids (AAPAs) give deprotonated molecular ion [M-H](-) in negative mode. Interestingly, first time we obtained the molecular radical anion [M](.-) of phosphonic acids in negative mode by using tri-n-butyl amine as an ion-pairing agent. We interpreted this observation as an indication of electrochemical reduction of phosphonic acids in electrospray needle. Three variables such as sheath gas flow, electrospray needle voltage and pH of the mobile phase were investigated to enhance the molecular radical anion [M](.-) signal of each analyte. The Doehlert design was used to obtain the region in which the optimum value of such variables is simultaneously achieved. Limit of detection achieved was 0.5 microg mL(-1) for AAPAs and 10 microg mL(-1) for APAs. Excellent precision was observed with less than 8.61% RSD. Finally, the method was applied for the detection of ethyl methylphosphonic in aqueous extract of soil sample.