Identification and determination of effective components in Euphrasia regelii by capillary zone electrophoresis

A capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) method has been developed for simultaneous determination of eukovoside, cinnamic acid and ferulic acid in Euphrasia regelii for the first time. The electrophoresis buffer was 20 mmol/L sodium borate containing 10% (v/v) methanol (pH 8.50). The effects of concentration of borate and electrolyte pH on electrophoretic behavior and separation were studied. Regression equations revealed linear relationships (correlation coefficients 0.9995-0.9998) between the peak area of each analyte and the concentration. The levels of analytes in the different parts of Euphrasia regelii were easily determined with recoveries ranging from 95.5 to 104.2%.     

An aldol approach to the total synthesis of (+)-brefeldin A

A convergent selective route to (+)-brefeldin A (BFA) and 7-epi-BFA was developed, with the crucial C-4/C-5 stereogenic centers were established using Crimmins asymmetric aldolization.     

Lewis acid catalyzed cyclization of glycals/2-deoxy-D-ribose with arylamines: additional findings on product structure and reaction diastereoselectivity

The cyclization reactions of arylamines with 2-deoxy-D-ribose or glycals were reinvestigated in the current report. In the montmorillonite KSF- or InCl(3)-initiated reactions of 2-deoxy-D-ribose with arylamines, a pair of diastereomeric tetrahydro-2H-pyran-fused tetrahydroquinolines was obtained in a nearly 1:1 ratio where the structure of one diastereomer was incorrectly assigned in the literature. Meanwhile, the diastereoselectivity in InBr(3)-catalyzed cyclization of glycals with arylamines was also incorrectly reported previously. It was found that high diastereomeric selectivity was achieved only when a C5-substituted glycal was used; otherwise, a pair of diastereomers was obtained in moderate yield with 1:1 diastereomeric ratio. Furthermore, tetrahydrofuran-fused tetrahydroquinolines 5b and 5b' were also prepared successfully by using TBDPS-protected ribose as the glycal precursor and montmorillonite KSF as the activator.     

基于仿生膜的功能化单纳米通道在分析化学中的应用

灵感来源于蛋白质离子通道的仿生功能化单纳米通道,已逐渐成为一种成熟的单分子检测技术和离子整流器。功能化纳米通道包括两种:基因改造的蛋白质纳米通道和固体加工的纳米通道。常用的固体纳米通道有三种:在纳米氮化硅或石墨烯上用聚焦离子束(FIB)或电子束(FEB)轰击得到的纳米通道,化学腐蚀聚合物薄膜中的重金属离子轨迹得到的锥形纳米通道和拉制毛细管或激光刻蚀得到的玻璃纳米孔。相对于蛋白质纳米通道,固态的人工纳米通道具有更优越的机械稳定性,并可用于各种功能基团的修饰。经过近十年的发展,包括蛋白质纳米通道在内的各种仿生的纳米通道已广泛用于对小分子、蛋白质和聚合物等其他一些对象的定性和定量检测。本综述详细介绍了近年来国内外该领域的发展,并对未来的发展方向作了简要的展望。     

Highly sensitive detection of S-nitrosylated proteins by capillary gel electrophoresis with laser induced fluorescence

S-nitrosylated proteins are biomarkers of oxidative damage in aging and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here, we report a new method for detecting and quantifying nitrosylated proteins by capillary gel electrophoresis with laser induced fluorescence detection (CGE-LIF). Dylight 488 maleimide was used to specifically label thiol group (SH) after switching the S-nitrosothiol (S-NO) to SH in cysteine using the "fluorescence switch" assay. In vitro nitrosylation model-BSA subjected to S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) optimized the labeling reactions and characterized the response of the LIF detector. The method proves to be highly sensitive, detecting 1.3 picomolar (pM) concentration of nitrosothiols in nanograms of proteins, which is the lowest limit of detection of nitrosothiols reported to date. We further demonstrated the direct application of this method in monitoring protein nitrosylation damage in MQ mediated human colon adenocarcinoma cells. The nitrosothiol amounts in MQ treated and untreated cells are 14.8±0.2 and 10.4±0.5 pmol/mg of proteins, respectively. We also depicted nitrosylated protein electrophoretic profiles of brain cerebrum of 5-month-old AD transgenic (Tg) mice model. In Tg mice brain, 15.5±0.4 pmol of nitrosothiols/mg of proteins was quantified while wild type contained 11.7±0.3 pmol/mg proteins. The methodology is validated to quantify low levels of S-nitrosylated protein in complex protein mixtures from both physiological and pathological conditions.     

Screening of inhibitors for oxidase mimics of Au@Pt nanorods by catalytic oxidation of OPD

Nanostructured materials are a new class of enzyme mimics, the inhibitors of which have not been studied. Herein, we demonstrate the screening of inhibitors for Au@Pt nanorod (NR) oxidase mimics. In addition, based on the enzyme inhibition reaction, determination of "poisoning" inhibitors is demonstrated.     

Shape- and size-controlled synthesis in hard templates: sophisticated chemical reduction for mesoporous monocrystalline platinum nanoparticles

Here we report a novel hard-templating strategy for the synthesis of mesoporous monocrystalline Pt nanoparticles (NPs) with uniform shapes and sizes. Mesoporous Pt NPs were successfully prepared through controlled chemical reduction using ascorbic acid by employing 3D bicontinuous mesoporous silica (KIT-6) and 2D mesoporous silica (SBA-15) as a hard template. The particle size could be controlled by changing the reduction time. Interestingly, the Pt replicas prepared from KIT-6 showed polyhedral morphology. The single crystallinity of the Pt fcc structure coherently extended over the whole particle.     

Microbial desulfurization of waste latex rubber with Alicyclobacillus sp.

A microbe with desulfurizing capability, Alicyclobacillus sp., was selected to recycle waste latex rubber (WLR). The growth characteristics of the microorganism and the technical conditions in the co-culture desulfurization process were studied. The desulfurization effect of Alicyclobacillus sp. on the WLR was characterized, and the mechanism for the microbial desulfurization of WLR was tentatively explored. The results showed that adding 5% (w/v) WLR into medium had little effect on the growth of Alicyclobacillus sp. The surfactant polysorbate 80 (Tween 80) had a toxic effect on Alicyclobacillus sp., but the growth of the microbe was vigorous if the proper technique was used: the mixing of WLR with Tween 80, followed by the addition of the mixture into the culture media. With the increase of desulfurization time, the swelling value of desulfurizated waste latex rubber (DWLR) increased, but the crosslink density decreased. After co-culture desulfurization for 8–10 days, a DWLR with good desulfurization effect was obtained. The mechanical properties of natural rubber (NR)/DWLR composite improved significantly over those of NR/WLR composite. XPS and FTIR results revealed that Alicyclobacillus sp. could break the crosslinked sulfur bonds and oxidize them to sulfones groups. The increase of O element content on the surface of DWLR was confirmed by water contact angle measurements. The relationship between the crosslink density and sol fraction of DWLR with different desulfurization times agreed with the Horikx equation, an indication that the microorganisms could break the crosslinked sulfur bonds on the surface of WLR, but leaving the main chains intact.     

Mechanism of Ketone Allylation with Allylboronates as Catalyzed by Zinc Compounds: A DFT Study

The mechanism of the allylation reaction between 4‐chloroacetophenone and pinacol allylboronates catalyzed by ZnEt₂ with alcohols was investigated using density functional theory (DFT) at the M05‐2X/6‐311++G(d,p) level. The calculations reveal that the reaction prefers to proceed through a double γ‐addition stepwise reaction mechanism rather than a Lewis acid‐catalyzed concerted one. The intermediate with a four‐coordinated boron center, which is formed through proton transfer from EtOH to the ethyl group of ZnEt₂ mediated by the boron center, is the active species and an entrance for the catalytic cycle. The latter is composed of three elementary steps: 1) boron to zinc transmetalation leading to the formation of allylzincate species, 2) electrophilic addition of ketone to allylzincate species, and 3) generation of the final product with recovery of the catalyst. The boron to zinc transmetalation step has the largest energy barrier of 61.0 kJ mol^?1 and is predicted to be the rate‐determining step. The calculations indicate that the additive EtOH plays important roles both in lowering the activation free energy for the formation of the four‐coordinated boron active intermediate and in transforming the low catalytic activity ZnEt₂ into high activity zinc alkoxide species. The alcohols with a less sterically encumbering R group might be the effective additives. The substituted groups on the allylboronates might primarily affect the boron to zinc transmetalation, and the allylboronates with substituents on the C_γ atom is poor in reactivity. The comparison of the catalytic effect between the zinc compounds investigated suggest that Zn(OEt)₂, Zn(OH)₂, and ZnF₂ exhibit higher catalytic efficiency for the boron to zinc transmetalation due to the activation of the B? C_α bond through orbital interactions between the p orbitals of the EtO, OH, F groups and the empty p orbital of the boron center.     

Production and Characterization of Iturinic Lipopeptides as Antifungal Agents and Biosurfactants Produced by a Marine Pinctada martensii-Derived Bacillus mojavensis B0621A

Bacillus mojavensis B0621A was isolated from a pearl oyster Pinctada martensii collected from South China Sea. While screening for cyclic lipopeptides potentially useful as lead compounds for biological control against soil-bone fungal plant pathogens, three lipopeptides were isolated and purified from the fermentation broth of B. mojavensis B0621A via vacuum flash chromatography coupled with reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). The structural characterization and identification of these cyclic lipopeptides were performed by tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis as well as chemical degradation. These lipopeptides were finally characterized as homologues of mojavensins, which contained identical amino acids back bones of asparagine₁, tyrosine₂, asparagine₃, glutamine₄, proline₅, asparagine₆, and asparagine₇ and differed from each other by their saturated β-amino fatty acid chain residues, namely, iso-C14 mojavensin, iso-C16 mojavensin, and anteiso-C17 mojavensin, respectively. All lipopeptide isomers, especially iso-C16 mojavensin and anteiso-C17 mojavensin, displayed moderate antagonism and dose-dependent activity against several formae speciales of Fusarium oxysporum and presented surface tension activities. These properties demonstrated that the lipopeptides produced by B. mojavensis B0621A may be useful as biological control agent to fungal plant pathogens.