UHPLC-DAD Characterization of Origanum vulgare L. from Atacama Desert Andean Region and Antioxidant,Antibacterial and Enzyme Inhibition Activities

The Lamiaceae family is an important source of species among medicinal plants highly valued for their biological properties and numerous uses in folk medicine. Origanum is one of the main genera that belong to this family. The purpose of the study was to determine the phenolic composition of the Origanum vulgare extract and evaluate the antimicrobial, antioxidant, and inhibitory activities of this species that grows in the Andean region of the Atacama Desert. High-performance liquid chromatography was performed to determine the main phenols. Rosmarinic acid was identified as the predominant phenolic compound in this species (76.01 mg/100 g DW), followed by protocatechuic acid, which to our knowledge, no previous study reported similar concentrations in O. vulgare. The oregano extract exhibited a content of total phenolic (3948 mg GAE/100 g DW) and total flavonoid (593 mg QE/100 g DW) with a higher DPPH antioxidant activity (IC₅₀ = 40.58 µg/mL), compared to the same species grown under other conditions. Furthermore, it was found to inhibit α-glucosidase activity with an IC₅₀ value (7.11 mg/mL) lower than acarbose (129.32 mg/mL). Pseudomonas syringae and Pantoea agglomerans (both MIC 0.313 mg/mL and MBC 1.25 mg/mL) were the bacteria most susceptible to oregano extract with the lowest concentration necessary to inhibit bacterial growth. These results open the door for the potential use of this plant to manage chronic diseases, and they expand the knowledge of the species cultivated in arid environmental conditions.     

Theoretical prediction of intrinsic self-trapping of electrons and holes in monoclinic HfO2

We predict, by means of ab initio calculations, stable electron and hole polaron states in perfect monoclinic HfO2. Hole polarons are localized on oxygen atoms in the two oxygen sublattices. An electron polaron is localized on hafnium atoms. Small barriers for polaron hopping suggest relatively high mobility of trapped charges. The one-electron energy levels in the gap, optical transition energies and ESR g-tensor components are calculated.     

Electrochemical Determination of Organic Compounds in Automotive Fuels

This article critically reviews the electroanalytical methods devoted for the determination of organic compounds in automotive fuels that can range from contaminants to additives typically introduced into liquid biofuels and liquid fossil fuels. Contaminants such as aldehydes and ketones in bioethanol, free fatty acids and glycerol in biodiesel, and sulfur and nitrogen organic compounds in gasoline and diesel fuel, and additives such as colour markers and antioxidants added to fuels were determined by electroanalytical methods. Special focus is given to electrodes, electrochemical techniques, and sample preparation strategies. Future directions of research on electroanalysis of liquid fuels are presented.     

Thermoanalytical study of acid-treated clay containing amino acid immobilized on its surface

The aim of this study is to investigate the incorporation of amino acid molecules in an acid-activated montmorillonite by means of solid characterization after the incorporation of these biomolecules. The acid activation procedure was carried out for the purpose of increasing the acid sites in the clay as well as the impurity elimination in the mineral. Cysteine, aspartic, and glutamic acids were adsorbed on montmorillonite K10 which was previously treated with a hydrochloric acid solution. The clay was put in contact with amino acid solutions at two different concentrations. Each amino acid was adsorbed at identical conditions, with the pH fixed to ensure the charge of molecules and surface clay. The solid was characterized by means of X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and nitrogen adsorption at 77 K. After the amino acid adsorption, the powders showed changes in their characteristics as well as in their thermal behavior, which depended on both the concentration and the nature of the adsorbed amino acid. The thermal decomposition and elimination of cysteine occurred at a higher temperature than the aspartic and glutamic acid; the complete removal of glutamic acid molecules was not observed at 850 °C. The differences observed in the solid characteristic after the adsorption of each amino acid were discussed. Both the thermoanalytical study and characterization of materials after the interaction with amino acid molecules can be useful to understand the adsorption mechanism of biomolecules on solid surfaces.     

Decomposition of pseudo-radioactive chemical products with a mathematical approach

The aim of this paper is to study the decomposition of pseudo–radioactive products that follow a dynamics determined by a trigonometric factor. In particular for maps of the form $e^{\cos (\pi t)}$ is proved that an asymptotic sampling recomposition property, generalizing the classical Shannon–Whittaker–Kotel’nikov Theorem, works.     

Determination of levofloxacin in pharmaceutical formulations and urine at reduced graphene oxide and carbon nanotube-modified electrodes

Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry - In this paper, we compare reduced graphene oxide (RGO) electrode with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) as modifiers for the sensitive detection of...     

Dual Amperometric Immunosensor for Improving Cancer Metastasis Detection by the Simultaneous Determination of Extracellular and Soluble Circulating Fraction of Emerging Metastatic Biomarkers

This paper reports the development of a dual immunosensor using magnetic microcarriers (MBs) and amperometric transduction at dual screen‐printed carbon electrodes (SPdCEs) for the simultaneous determination of two biomarkers: interleukin‐13 receptor α2 (IL‐13Rα2) and E‐cadherin (E‐CDH), with both extracellular and soluble fraction; oncogenic and tumor suppressor markers, respectively, of great relevance in metastatic processes. The implemented methodology involved the formation of sandwich‐type immunocomplexes using specific capture antibodies immobilized onto carboxylic acid magnetic microbeads (HOOC‐MBs), and biotinylated detector antibodies labeled with streptavidin?horseradish peroxidase conjugates (Strep‐HRP). The amperometric detection was performed by addition of hydrogen peroxide in the presence of hydroquinone (HQ) as the redox mediator. The dual immunosensing platform provided linear calibration ranges suitable for the determination of both biomarkers in liquid and solid clinical specimens as well as excellent selectivity against other cancer biomarkers. This simple handling dual bioplatform was applied to the determination of the soluble and extracellular fraction of the target biomarkers in serum and paraffined‐embedded tissues from colorectal cancer (CRC) patients diagnosed at different tumor grade. The obtained results reveal great potential of this configuration to improve the reliability in diagnosing metastatic CRC.     

Synthesis of Benzo[4,5]thiazolo[2,3-c][1,2,4]triazole Derivatives via C-H Bond Functionalization of Disulfide Intermediates

Many nitrogen- and sulfur-containing heterocyclic compounds exhibit biological activity. Among these heterocycles are benzo[4,5]thiazolo[2,3-c][1,2,4]triazoles for which two main synthetic approaches exist. Here we report a new synthetic protocol that allows the preparation of these tricyclic compounds via the oxidation of a mercaptophenyl moiety to its corresponding disulfide. Subsequent C-H bond functionalization is thought to enable an intramolecular ring closure, thus forming the desired benzo[4,5]thiazolo[2,3-c][1,2,4]triazole. This method combines a high functional group tolerance with short reaction times and good to excellent yields.     

Production and Digestibility Studies of β-Galactosyl Xylitol Derivatives Using Heterogeneous Catalysts of LacA β-Galactosidase from Lactobacillus Plantarum WCFS1

The synthesis of β-galactosyl xylitol derivatives using immobilized LacA β-galactosidase from Lactobacillus plantarum WCFS1 is presented. These compounds have the potential to replace traditional sugars by their properties as sweetener and taking the advantages of a low digestibility. The enzyme was immobilized on different supports, obtaining immobilized preparations with different activity and stability. The immobilization on agarose-IDA-Zn-CHO in the presence of galactose allowed for the conserving of 78% of the offered activity. This preparation was 3.8 times more stable than soluble. Since the enzyme has polyhistidine tags, this support allowed the immobilization, purification and stabilization in one step. The immobilized preparation was used in synthesis obtaining two main products and a total of around 68 g/L of β-galactosyl xylitol derivatives and improving the synthesis/hydrolysis ratio by around 30% compared to that of the soluble enzyme. The catalyst was recycled 10 times, preserving an activity higher than 50%. The in vitro intestinal digestibility of the main β-galactosyl xylitol derivatives was lower than that of lactose, being around 6 and 15% for the galacto-xylitol derivatives compared to 55% of lactose after 120 min of digestion. The optimal amount immobilized constitutes a very useful tool to synthetize β-galactosyl xylitol derivatives since it can be used as a catalyst with high yield and being recycled for at least 10 more cycles.     

and Au6 clusters: Superatomic molecules bearing an SP3‐hybrid Au6 core

The octahedral Au₆ core is explored for the formation of novel SP³‐hybrid superatomic molecules by considering and Au₆ clusters (X= F, Cl, Br, I). The bonding between the four capping atoms and the Au₆ core requires a combination of 1S and 1P shells of the core leading to a set of four equivalent hybrid orbitals. Thus, combining the superatom concept with both the Lewis structure model and VSEPR theory contributes to the rationalization of structure and bonding in metal clusters. For example, our results consider the Au₆ clusters as analogues of the simplest perhalogenated hydrocarbon, CX₄.