Supramolecular association of a triblock copolymer in water

Solutions of a poly(oxyethylene)-poly(oxypropylene)-poly(oxyethylene) triblock copolymer, Pluronic F(68), were investigated in isothermal and isopleth mode. Surface tension, sigma, dynamic shear viscosity, n(omega), QELS experiments, and volumetric, colligative, and refractive index measurements characterize the system behavior in a wide range of compositions and temperatures. The thermodynamic properties associated with micelle formation, above the critical micellar temperature, were determined by different experimental methods. The large entropic contributions to the system stability are ascribed to significant dehydration of the oxypropylene portion in the copolymer, consequent to micelle formation. Temperature has a pronounced effect on the association features of F(68). It gives rise to abrupt changes in QELS and rheological properties when the critical micellar temperature is approached. Such effects are explained in terms of thermally driven micellization processes and interconnection between micelles.     

Photodamaging Effects of Porphyrin in a Human Carcinoma Cell Line

A convenient procedure to visualize the photodynamic effect of porphyrins on cell lines is shown. 5,10,15,20-Tetra(4-methoxyphenyl)porphyrin (TMP) was used as photosensitizer. The culture flasks bearing a Hep-2 cell line were incubated for 24 h with 1 M of TMP. Under these conditions saturation of the TMP intracellular concentration is obtained. The irradiation of cell cultures for 30 min produces 90% cell mortality, while no toxicity was observed under dark conditions or under irradiation without TMP. This methodology can be used to demonstrate the photodynamic therapy (PDT) process in a laboratory experiment.     

Thermal,Magnetic, FTIR and XRD Study of New Co(II) and Ni(II) Theophyllinato Complexes with Benzylamine or Ethanolamine

Four new theophyllinato (th) complexes of Co(II) and Ni(II) were synthesized containing ethanolamine (2-aminoethanol, ea) or benzylamine (ba). Comprehensive FTIR spectroscopic, powder XRD, magnetic and thermal studies on these mixed ligand complexes have been carried out to get structural information. The almost identical FTIR spectra and XRD patterns of Co and Ni compounds with same composition have indicated that Co(th)2(ba)2·2H2O (1) and Ni(th)2(ba)2·2H2O (2) or Co(th)2(ea)2 (3) and Ni(th)2(ea)2 (4) have very similar structure pair wise. The infrared spectra and X-ray diffraction patterns of thermally dehydrated 1 and 2containing benzylamine have allowed only to suggest that the co-ordination number around the metal centres is four, while the high thermal stability of complexes 3and 4have indicated that they contain two of bidentate ethanolamine molecules in octahedral co-ordination. A big difference observed between the magnetic moments of Co compounds 1and 3have proven that the inner co-ordination sphere of complexes with benzylamine (1and 2) is tetrahedral, whilst that with ethanolamine (3and 4) is basically octahedral, independent of the cation centres (Co or Ni). This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

A Novel Continuous Industrial Process for Producing Hydroxyapatite Nanoparticles

Fluidinova, a recent start‐up high technology engineering company, has developed and is now commercializing a novel continuous industrial reactor NETmix for the manufacture of high added value products, such as nanomaterials, microemulsions, and pharmaceutical products. Through this technology, Fluidinova, in cooperation with Instituto de Engenharia Biomédica, has developed and patented the industrial process for the synthesis of a new high quality product consisting of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles with extremely high purity and crystallinity to be used as biocompatible nanomaterial for biomedical and pharmaceutical applications, to improve the quality of the already existing hydroxyapatite based medical devices, such as bone grafts, coated implants, and drug delivery systems.     

Structural and Kinetic Profiling of Allosteric Modulation of Duplex DNA Induced by DNA-Binding Polyamide Analogues

A combined structural and quantitative biophysical profile of the DNA binding affinity, kinetics and sequence-selectivity of hairpin polyamide analogues is described. DNA duplexes containing either target polyamide binding sites or mismatch sequences are immobilized on a microelectrode surface. Quantitation of the DNA binding profile of polyamides containing N-terminal 1-alkylimidazole (Im) units exhibit picomolar binding affinities for their target sequences, whereas 5-alkylthiazole (Nt) units are an order of magnitude lower (low nanomolar). Comparative NMR structural analyses of the polyamide series shows that the steric bulk distal to the DNA-binding face of the hairpin iPr-Nt polyamide plays an influential role in the allosteric modulation of the overall DNA duplex structure. This combined kinetic and structural study provides a foundation to develop next-generation hairpin designs where the DNA-binding profile of polyamides is reconciled with their physicochemical properties.     

Present and Future Role of Chitin and Chitosan in Food

The conversion of processed discarded material into valuable by‐products and alternative specialty materials has been identified as a timely challenge for food research and development associated with numerous applications of chitinous products. Chitin, chitosan, calcareous chitin, and chitosan, N‐acetylated chitosan, N‐methylene phosphonic chitosan (NMPC), and N‐lauryl‐N‐methylene phosphonic chitosan (LMPC) are being studied as a result of their broad range of food applications. These biopolymers offer a wide range of unique applications including formation of biodegradable films, immobilization of enzymes, preservation of foods from microbial deterioration, as additives (clarification and deacidification of fruits and beverages, emulsifier agents, thickening and stabilizing agents, color stabilization), and dietary supplements. This review summarizes some of the most important developments in this field.     

DFT study of the NMR properties of xenon in covalent compounds and van der waals complexes-implications for the use of 129Xe as a molecular probe

The NMR properties (chemical shift and spin-spin coupling constants) of (129)Xe in covalent compounds and weakly bound complexes have been investigated by DFT methods including relativistic effects. For covalent species, a good agreement between experimental and calculated results is achieved without scalar relativistic effects, but their inclusion (with a triple-zeta, double-polarization basis set) leads to some improvement in the quality of the correlation. The spin-orbit coupling term has a significant effect on the shielding constant, but makes a small contribution to the chemical shift. Coupling constants contain substantial contributions from the Fermi contact and paramagnetic spin-orbit terms; unlike light nuclei the spin-dipole term is also large, whereas the diamagnetic spin-orbit term is negligible. For van der Waals dimers, the dependence of the xenon chemical shift and anisotropy is calculated as a function of the distance. Small (<1 Hz) but non-negligible through-space coupling constants between (129)Xe and (13)C or (1)H are predicted. Much larger couplings, of the order of few Hz, are calculated between xenon and (17)O in a model silicate residue.     

发光分析与中药质量控制

回顾了近年来发光(荧光，室温磷光)分析技术在中草药质量控制中的应用，总结其特点并展望了可能的应用。     

A Multimethodological Characterization of Cannabis sativa L. Inflorescences from Seven Dioecious Cultivars Grown in Italy: The Effect of Different Harvesting Stages

The chemical profile of the female inflorescence extracts from seven Cannabis sativa L. dioecious cultivars (Carmagnola, Fibranova, Eletta Campana, Antal, Tiborszallasi, Kompolti, and Tisza) was monitored at three harvesting stages (4, 14, and 30 September), reaching from the beginning of flowering to end of flowering/beginning of seed formation, using untargeted nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and targeted (ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) and spectrophotometry) analyses. The tetrahydrocannabinol content was always below the legal limits (<0.6%) in all the analyzed samples. The NMR metabolite profile (sugars, organic acids, amino acids, and minor compounds) subjected to principal components analysis (PCA) showed a strong variability according to the harvesting stages: samples harvested in stage I were characterized by a high content of sucrose and myo-inositol, whereas the ones harvested in stage II showed high levels of succinic acid, alanine, valine, isoleucine, phenylalanine, and threonine. Samples harvested in stage III were characterized by high levels of glucose, fructose, choline, trigonelline, malic acid, formic acid, and some amino acids. The ratio between chlorophylls and carotenoids content indicated that all plants grew up exposed to the sun, the Eletta Campana cultivar having the highest pigment amount. Tiborszallasi cultivar showed the highest polyphenol content. The highest antioxidant activity was generally observed in stage II. All these results suggested that the Cannabis sativa L. inflorescences of each analyzed dioecious hemp cultivar presented a peculiar chemical profile affected by the harvesting stage. This information could be useful for producers and industries to harvest inflorescences in the appropriate stage to obtain samples with a peculiar chemical profile suitable for proper applications.     

SYNTHESE DU FOSTEDIL (4-(2-BENZOTHIAZOLYL) BENZYLPHOSPHONATE DE DIETHYLE) A PARTIR D'IMIDATES N-ACYLES

Fostedil (diethyl 4-(benzothiazol-2-yl) benzylphosphonate) 7 has been synthesized efficiently by treatment of 2-(4-bromomethylphenyl) benzothiazole 6 with triethylphosphite. The latter (6) has been prepared by bromation of benzothiazole 3c. N-acylimidates 1(a–d) react with 2-aminobenzenethiol 2 to lead to the corresponding benzothiazoles 3(a–d) after elimination of primary amide 5. The structure of these products have been unequivocally confirmed by means of IR, ¹H, ¹³C, and ³¹P NMR spectroscopy and mass spectra.