Bioelectronic detector with monoamine oxidase for halitosis monitoring

Methyl mercaptan (MM) is known as one of the major chemicals of halitosis (bad breath). In this study, a bioelectronic gas sensor (bio-detector) for gaseous MM was developed and was applied to measure halitosis in breath. The bio-detector consisted of a Clark-type dissolved oxygen electrode, a monoamine oxidase type-A (MAO-A) immobilized membrane and a reaction unit that had liquid and gaseous compartments separated by a hydrophobic porous polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) diaphragm membrane. The tip of the electrode covered with MAO-A membrane was placed into the liquid compartment as touching to the PTFE diaphragm membrane. In order to amplify the bio-detector output, a substrate regeneration cycle caused by coupling the monooxygenase with l-ascorbic acid as reducing reaction with reagent system, was applied. The results of MM vapor measurements showed the calibration range of the bio-detector for MM vapor was from 0.087 to 11.5 ppm (correlation coefficient: 0.993) and included the human sense of smell level 5 (0.2 ppm). The bio-detector had good selectivity being attributed to enzyme specificity was obtained for several substances (trimethyl amine, ammonia, dimethyl sulfide, etc.). The bio-detector was applied for halitosis measurement. Expired gases in five subjects were sampled every hour and the concentrations of MM in the expired gases were monitored. The output of bio-detector showed behaviour of halitosis level changes in a day such as increasing with passage of time and decreasing after eating.     

Crystal structures and Mössbauer spectroscopic studies of oxo-centered trinuclear chloroacetate complexes

The crystal structures of oxo-centered trineclear cobalt-iron chloroacetate complex [Co^IIFe ₂ ^III O(CH₂ClCO₂)₆(H₂O)₃]·3H₂O (1) was compared with that of previously reported trinuclear iron complex [Fe^IIFe ₂ ^III O(CH₂ClCO₂)₆(H₂O)₃]·3H₂O (2) which has an isomorphous structure to 1. Compound 1 crystallizes in space group P2₁/n with Z=4 in a unit cell of a=14.826 (4) Å, b=4.536 (8) Å, c=14.000 (4) Å, =100.32 (2)⁰ and V=2968 (11) ų. The structure was refined to R=0.75 and R_w=0.82. The coordination geometries of the three iron atoms are observed equivalent in 1 indicating a static disorder of the position among cobalt and iron atoms. Two distinct Fe^III doublets observed in Mössbauer spectra of 1 become an indistinguishable broad doublet by dehydration of crystal water. On the other hand, no significant line-broadening is observed after the dehydration in complex 2. The results indicate that the dehydration in 2 induces a local environmental change reordering of an electronic configuration around iron atoms, whereas the remaining disordering is reflected in Mössbauer spectrum after the dehydration in 1.     

Synthesis of 3-substituted 4H-1-benzothiopyran-4-ones

3-Substituted 2-phenyl-4H-1-benzothiopyran-4-ones (thioflavones) were prepared to test antimicrobial activity. It was found that 3-(phenyl)thiochromone derivatives (isothioflavones) were prepared by the Meerwein reaction of thiochromone with p-nitrobenzenediazonium ion. 3-(Formyl)thioflavone exhibits weak antimicrobial activity against Trichophytons and Candida.     

Condensed thienopyrimidines. II. Synthesis and gastric antisecretory activity of thiazole and polymethylene condensed thienopyrimidine derivatives

Thiazolo[3,2-a]thieno[3,2-d]-, [3,4-d]- and [2,3-d]pyrimidin-5-one derivatives (6, 11 and 16), and polymethylene condensed thieno[3,2-d]-, [3,4-d]- and [2,3-d]pyrimidin-5-one derivatives (19-21), in which the oxygen atom of the oxazolidine moiety in 3 was replaced by a sulfur atom or methylene groups, were synthesized and evaluated for gastric antisecretory activity in pylorus-ligated rats. The structure-activity relationships of these compounds are discussed.     

Radical ring-opening polymerization behavior of vinylcyclopropanes derived from dienes and chloroform

1,1-Dichloro-2-vinylcyclopropane ( Ia ), 1,1-dichloro-2-methyl-2-vinylcyclopropane ( Ib ), 1,1,2-trichloro-2-vinylcyclopropane ( Ic ) were prepared from the corresponding dienes and chloroform in the presence of a phase transfer catalyst (PTC), R₄N⁺Cl^?. Monomers Ia – Ic underwent a clean 1,5-type radical ring-opening process to afford the corresponding polymers in good yield. Further, the relative rate of polymerization and reaction of ( I ) with thiophenol were studied.     

XPS study of one-dimensional compounds: TiS3

X-Ray photoelectron spectra of TiS₃ with a one-dimensional structure were measured. TiS₃ may be regarded as Ti⁴⁺(S₂)^2?S^2? with pairs of S atoms (S₂) and isolated S atoms. The spectra of the sulfur core-levels are assigned by comparison with those of TiS₂, where all S atoms are largely separated. The binding energy of the S₂ pairs is found to be 1.4 eV higher than that of the isolated S atoms, which is consistent with the larger negative charge of the isolated atoms. The structures of the valence band of TiS₃ are discussed in terms of a molecular orbital scheme for the S₂ pairs.     

Novel polycationic biocides: Synthesis and antibacterial activity of polymeric phosphonium salts

Various polymeric phosphonium salts and the corresponding low-molecular-weight model compounds were prepared and their antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli were explored by the viable cell counting method in sterile distilled water. Antibacterial activity of the polymers was found to be higher than that of the corresponding model compounds, particularly against S. aureus. Furthermore, the polymeric phosphonium salt exhibited a higher activity by 2 orders of magnitude than the polymeric quaternary ammonium salt with the same structure except the cationic part. Compounds with the longest alkyl chain (octyl) studied were found to exhibit particularly high activity, and this finding may be ascribed to the contribution of the increased hydrophobicity of the compounds to the cidal activity. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Efficient photochemical oxetane formation from 1-methyl-2,4,5-triphenylimidazole and benzophenones

In contrast to simple imidazoles, 1-methy1–2,4,5-triphenylimidazole ($\text{1}$) produced stable oxetane photoadducts $\text{3b}$ - $\text{e}$ with good efficiency upon irradiation in the presence of benzophenone derivatives $\text{2b}$ - $\text{e}$ in acetonitrile solution. Irradiation in the solid-phase was also studied. The oxetanes $\text{3b}$ - $\text{e}$ readily underwent cycloreversion by acid catalysis or by heating.