Surface activity of thymol: implications for an eventual pharmacological activity

In the present work, we studied the ability of thymol to affect the organization of model membranes and the activity of an intrinsic membrane protein, the GABA(A) receptor (GABA(A)-R). In this last aspect, we tried to elucidate if the action mechanism of this terpene at the molecular level, involves its binding to the receptor protein, changes in the organization of the receptor molecular environment, or both. The self-aggregation of thymol in water with a critical micellar concentration approximately = 4 microM and its ability to penetrate in monomolecular layers of soybean phosphatidylcholine (sPC) at the air-water interface, even at surface pressures above the equilibrium, lateral pressure of natural bilayers were demonstrated. Thymol affected the self-aggregation of Triton X-100 and the topology of sPC vesicles. It also increased the polarity of the membrane environment sensed by the electrochromic dye merocyanine. A dipolar moment of 1.341 Debye was calculated from its energy-minimized structure. Its effect on the binding of [3H]-flunitrazepam ([3H]-FNZ) to chick brain synaptosomal membranes changed qualitatively from a tendency to the inhibition to a clear activatory regime, up on changing the phase state of the terpene (from a monomeric to a self-aggregated state). Above its CMC, thymol increased the affinity of the binding of [3H]-FNZ (K(d-control)= 2.9, K(d-thymol)= 1.7 nM) without changing the receptor density (B(max-control)= 910, B(max-thymol)= 895 fmol/mg protein). The activatory effect of thymol on the binding of [ [3H]-FNZ was observed even in the presence of the allosteric activator gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) at a concentration of maximal activity, and was blocked by the GABA antagonist bicuculline. Changes in the dipolar arrangement and in the molecular packing of GABA(A)-R environment are discussed as possible mediators of the action mechanism of thymol.     

Spectrophotometric determination of the protolytic dissociation constants of the new chromogenic reagent "palladiazo"-I Investigations with sodium hydroxide, perchloric acid and different aqueous buffer solutions

The "palladiazo" reagent has been subjected to a detailed spectrophotometric investigation in concentrated perchloric acid, different aqueous buffers and concentrated sodium hydroxide solutions. K(1)-K(10) and (1)-(10) values corresponding to the instability constants of the protolytic equilibria involved and to the molar absorptivities at 540 and 630 run of the different proton complex species of the system have been calculated by a number of analytical and graphical spectrophotometric methods. Special attention has been paid to the study of the complicated phenomena implied by the interaction of the reagent with perchloric acid, which has been shown to give rise to alteration of the initial isomeric composition of the reagent and to the formation of addition and/or oxidation products derived from side-reactions undergone by the reagent with the medium. All the instability constants and molar absorptivities, which have been determined by several methods, are tabulated for comparison.     

New polymer syntheses. LXXXII. Syntheses of poly(ether-sulfone)s from silylated aliphatic diols including chiral monomers

Attempts were made to synthesize poly(ether-sulfone)s from aliphatic diols or bissilylated diols on the one hand, and 4,4′-dichlorodiphenylsulfone or 4,4′-difluorodiphenylsulfone on the other hand. The reaction conditions and the catalyst were varied. Polycondensations of silylated diols with 4,4′-difluorodiphenylsulfone and powdered K₂ CO₃ in N-methylpyr-rolidone proved to give the best results. Using silylated isosorbide and isomannide as mono-mers chiral poly(ether-sulfone)s were prepared. GPC measurements indicate weight-average molecular weights in the range of 27×10³–200×10³. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Coulometric redox titrations of some biologically active thiols with iodine in methanol and bromine in acetic acid

The possibility of coulometric titrations of cysteine, 2-thio-uracil, 6-mercaptopurine, and 6-thioguanine with iodine and bromine in methanol and with bromine in acetic acid has been investigated. Conditions have been found for the direct titration of the test substances with iodine in methanol based on their 1-electron oxidation to the corresponding disulphides and for their direct and indirect determination with bromine in acetic acid based on their 6-electron oxidation to the corresponding sulphonic acids.On leave from Department of Analytical Chemistry, Charles University, Prague, Czechoslovakia     

Investigating bidentate and tridentate carbamoylmethylphosphine oxide ligand interactions with rare-Earth elements using electrospray ionization quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometry

Electrospray ionization (ESI) quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometry (QIT-MS) and collisionally activated dissociation (CAD) were used to evaluate the rare-earth binding properties of two hydrophobic carbamoylmethylphosphine oxide (CMPO) ligands, the normal bidentate variety, (t-BuC6H4)2P(O)CH2C(O)N(i-Bu)2 (A), a new potentially tridentate extractant, (t-BuC6H4)2P(O)CH[CH2C(O)N(i-Bu)2]C(O)N(i-Bu)2 (B), and tributyl phosphate. The mass spectral results obtained from analysis of 1% HNO3/methanol solution containing the ligands and dissolved lanthanide salts reveal that the favorable stoichiometries of the ligand/metal/nitrate complexes are 2:1:2 for the bidentate ligand A, 1:1:2 for the tridentate ligand B, and 3:1:2 for the monodentate tributyl phosphate. These observed stoichiometries correlate with the number of available binding sites on each ligand as well as with potential steric effects. Energy-variable collisionally activated dissociation experiments showed that for the 2:1:2 complexes involving ligand A or B, as the ionic radius of the bound metal decreased, the removal of nitric acid required less energy and resulted in less extensive spontaneous solvent coordination. This experimental trend suggests that, as the ionic radius of the lanthanide ion decreases, a pair of the carbamoylmethylphosphine ligands is able to more completely solvate the bound metal ion thereby weakening the nitrate-metal interaction.     

Possible Mechanisms of Intercalation

Recent knowledge of the kinetics and intercalation mechanisms are summarized and accompanied by examples of intercalation reactions of water and ethanol into anhydrous vanadyl phosphate and redox intercalation of alkali metal cations into vanadyl phosphate dihydrate. Three possible mechanisms of intercalation are presented which are based on: (i) a concept of exfoliation of layers; (ii) the formation of stages and randomly stacked layers; (iii) co-existence of intercalated and non-intercalated parts of crystals of the host separated by an advancing phase boundary. The corresponding kinetic curves are ascribed to mechanisms (ii) and (iii).     

Ag(I) complexes with alkylidene-bis(2-aminopyrimidines) as building units for discrete metallomacrocyclic frames. A structural and solution study

Alkylidene-bis(2-aminopyrimidines) (pyr2Cx, x = 2-5) are useful ligands to interact with Ag(I) yielding discrete metallocycles. Crystal structures of the [(pyr2C2)Ag(NO3)]2 and [(H-pyr2C4)Ag(NO3)2]2 have been isolated where each macrocyclic moiety interacts with their surroundings through weak interactions, yielding 3D discrete structures, On the other hand, the solution study shows that the equilibrium constants for the formation of Ag(pyr2Cx)+ complexes are higher than the literature values for Ag(I) complexes with single pyrimidines, although the differences could be explained by invoking the solid-state structures of the Ag(I)-pyr2Cx complexes.     

Reactions of substituted furo[3,2-<Emphasis Type="Italic">b</Emphasis>]pyrrole-5-carboxhydrazides and their biological activity

The reactions of substituted furo[3,2-b]pyrrole-5-carboxhydrazides 1 with 5-arylfuran-2-carboxaldehydes 2, 4,5-disubstituted furan-2-carboxaldehydes 3 and thiophene-2-carboxaldehyde 4 has been studied. The advantage of microwave irradiation on some of these reactions was reflected in the reduced reaction time and increased yields. Reactions of 1 with 4-substituted 1,3-oxazol-5(4H)-ones 11 led to diacylhydrazines 13 or to imidazole derivatives 14 depending on the temperature. 1,2,4-Triazole-3-thione 17 was synthesized by two-step reaction of 1 with phenylisothiocyanate and subsequent base-catalyzed cyclization of thiosemicarbazide 16. The effects of hydrazones 5–10 on inhibition of photosynthetic electron transport in spinach chloroplasts and chlorophyll content in the antialgal suspensions of Chlorella vulgaris were investigated.     

Photophysical properties of neutral and cationic tetrapyridinoporphyrazines

We describe the synthesis and photophysical properties of a series of neutral and cationic 3,4-tetrapyridinoporphyrazines, potential lead photosensitizers for photodynamic inactivation of bacteria. Tetracationic TPyPzs exist essentially as monomers in aqueous systems, but the presence of trialkylated compounds due to incomplete quaternization of the outer nitrogen atoms induces severe aggregation. The absorption, fluorescence, triplet, and singlet oxygen quantum yields for both the neutral and cationic compounds are comparable to those of the related phthalocyanines.     

Use of micellar mobile phases for the chromatographic determination of clorazepate, diazepam, and diltiazem in pharmaceuticals

An ODS-2 column, a micellar mobile phase of high elution strength containing 0.1M sodium dodecyl sulfate and 3% (v/v) butanol, and ultraviolet detection at 230 nm are used for the determination of either of two benzodiazepines (clorazepate and diazepam) and a benzothiazepine (diltiazem) in pharmaceuticals. The procedure is shown to be competitive against conventional chromatography with methanol-water mobile phases, especially for diltiazem. The composition of the micellar mobile phase is selected using a predictive strategy based on an accurate retention model and assisted by computer simulation. Calibration graphs are linear at least in the 2.5 to 20 microg/mL, 4 to 20 microg/mL, and 5 to 40 microg/mL ranges for clorazepate, diazepam, and diltiazem, respectively. The intra- and interday repeatabilities (%) are clorazepate (1.7, 5.2), diazepam (0.43, 3.7), and diltiazem (0.36, 3.1). Limits of detection are well below the concentrations of the drugs found in the commercial pharmaceutical preparations analyzed. The drug contents evaluated with the proposed procedure are compared with the declared contents given by the manufacturers. The achieved percentages of label claim are usually between 95 and 104%.