Antioxidant, Anti-inflammatory, and Hypoglycemic Effects of the Leaf Extract from Passiflora nitida Kunth

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease characterized by abnormally high plasma glucose levels, leading to major complications, such as insulin resistance, obesity, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension, also with alterations in the immune and neuronal systems. Brazilian plants have been studied as important sources for new molecules with medicinal properties. The genus Passiflora known as “Maracujá” has been used as a traditional folk medicine for a long time, so an investigation was performed regarding an endemic kind of passion fruit (Passiflora nitida Kunth) from Amazonas, Brazil. Here, we aimed to determine its potential biological activity against metabolic syndrome, oxidative stress, pain, and inflammation. The hydroethanol leaf extract revealed an in vitro α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of 50 % inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀)?=?6.78?±?0.31 μg/mL and an α-amylase inhibition of IC₅₀?=?93.36?±?4.37. In vivo, experiments of different saccharide tolerance resulted in significant glycemia control and, with alloxan-diabetic mice, resulted in a decrease of total cholesterol, a hypoglycemic effect, and an antioxidant activity by thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances measurement. Also, it decreased the carrageenan-induced edema volume and the rate of writhing as a nociceptive response. These results indicate positive effects of P. nitida extract and its potential to inhibit metabolic syndrome.     

Multicompartment micelles from silicone-based triphilic block copolymers

An amphiphilic linear ternary block copolymer was synthesised in three consecutive steps via reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer polymerisation. Oligo(ethylene glycol) monomethyl ether acrylate was engaged as a hydrophilic building block, while benzyl acrylate and 3-tris(trimethylsiloxy)silyl propyl acrylate served as hydrophobic building blocks. The resulting “triphilic” copolymer consists thus of a hydrophilic (A) and two mutually incompatible “soft” hydrophobic blocks, namely, a lipophilic (B) and a silicone-based (C) block, with all blocks having glass transition temperatures well below 0 °C. The triphilic copolymer self-assembles into spherical multicompartment micellar aggregates in aqueous solution, where the two hydrophobic blocks undergo local phase separation into various ultrastructures as evidenced by cryogenic transmission electron microscopy. Thus, a silicone-based polymer block can replace the hitherto typically employed fluorocarbon-based hydrophobic blocks in triphilic block copolymers for inducing multicompartmentalisation.     

The relationship between nanosilica dispersion degree and the tensile properties of polyurethane nanocomposites

The tensile properties and structure of silica-based polyurethane (PU) nanocomposites were parametrically studied as a function of silica type and weight concentration, polyol OH number, and mixing methods. The variation of the silica functionalization groups (from silanols to silazanes) had a relevant effect on dispersion. An elevated interparticle distance of the silica agglomerates improved substantially the tensile strength (from 44.3 to 82.8 MPa) and strain to failure (from 3.0 to 7.95) while maintaining elastic modulus (from 2.08 to 2.31 GPa) with respect to the neat PU matrix. Polyol’s with different OH numbers have shown to dramatically modify the silica dispersion degree by the modification of the stability of the colloidal dispersion. An increase of its value deteriorated dispersion and the tensile properties of the nanocomposites. The effect of three dispersion methods (ultrasonic dispersion, high shear mixing, and tip sonication) has shown to have a relative effect on the reduction of agglomerate size and the interparticle distance. High power sonication methods were more effective in reducing agglomerate size in contrast to shear methods. Classical theories of colloidal dispersion (Derjaguin, Landau, Verwey, and Overbeek) have been able to explain the correlation between the silica aggregation state and the final tensile properties of the nanocomposite.     

Development of dispersive liquid-phase microextraction based on new ionic liquid 1,3-diisooctylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate as solvent for the extraction and determination of dicofol and its degradation products in water samples

In the current paper we describe a novel sample preparation technique termed dispersive liquid-phase microextraction for the preconcentration and determination of 2,2,2-trichloro-1,1-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethanol (dicofol) and its degradation products in water samples that includes 2-(2-chlorophenyl)-2-(4-chlorophenyl)-1,1-dichloroethene(2,4′-DDE), 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethane(4,4′-DDE) and 1,1,1-trichloro-2-(2-chlorophenyl)-2-(4-chlorophenyl)ethane (2,4′-DDT) coupled with gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS), in which a new ionic liquid 1,3-diisooctylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate abbreviated as [D(i-C₈)IM][PF₆] was used as extraction solvent. For each one extraction, 1.00 mL of the methanol solution containing 40 µL of the ionic liquid was sprayed into 25.00 mL of water sample. In the meantime the ionic liquid was finely dispersed into the aqueous phase and analytes were rapidly migrated into the ionic liquid. After the solution was centrifuged for 2 min at 5000 rpm, the droplets of the ionic liquid are subsided in the bottom of the conical test tube (30.0 ± 0.2 µL). Moreover, the factors relevant to extraction efficiencies were investigated and optimised including the volume of the ionic liquid, disperser solvent, extraction time, sample pH and ionic strength. Under optimal conditions, the enrichment factors of the extraction were between 550 and 725 with an extraction efficiency ranging from 66% to 87% for each different analyte. Finally, 1.0 µL of the ionic liquid collected from above extraction was injected into the injector block of GC-MS instrument for analysis. The detection limit (S/N = 3), the relative standard deviations for 2.0 µg L^?1 of the standard analyte (n = 5) and linearity in a calibration range were found to be 3–8 ng L^?1, 1.0–2.7% and 10–3000 ng L^?1, respectively. Good spiked recoveries over the range of 92.0–13.5% were obtained. The proposed method offers the advantages of simplicity of operation, rapidity, good extraction efficiency and enrichment factor; it has been successfully applied to determination of dicofol and its degradation products in environmental water samples.     

Total and inorganic mercury determination in fish tissue by flow injection cold vapour atomic fluorescence spectrometry

A simple and reliable method for Hg determination in fish samples has been developed. Lyophilised fish tissue samples were extracted in a 25% (w/v) tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) solution; the extracts were then analysed by FI-CVAFS. This method can be used to determine total and inorganic Hg, using the same FI manifold. For total Hg determination, a 0.1% (w/v) KMnO₄ solution was added to the FI manifold at the sample zone, followed by the addition of a 0.5% (w/v) SnCl₂ solution, whereas inorganic Hg was determined by adding a 0.1% (w/v) L-cysteine solution followed by a 1.0% (w/v) SnCl₂ solution to the FI system. The organic fraction was determined as the difference between total and inorganic Hg. Sample preparation, reagent consumption and parameters that can influence the FI-CVAFS performance were also evaluated. The limit of detection for this method is 3.7 ng g^?1 for total Hg and 4.3 ng g^?1 for inorganic Hg. The relative standard deviation for a 1.0 µg L^?1 CH₃Hg standard solution (n = 20) was 1.1%, and 1.3% for a 1.0 µg L^–1 Hg²⁺ standard solution (n = 20). Accuracy was assessed by the analysis of Certified Reference Material (dogfish: DORM-2, NRCC). Recoveries of 99.1% for total Hg and 93.9% inorganic Hg were obtained. Mercury losses were not observed when sample solutions were re-analysed after a seven day period of storage at 4°C.     

Evaluation of Pesticide Contamination of Ground Water in Two Agricultural Areas of Portugal

In two Portuguese agricultural areas, "Beira Litoral" and "Ribatejo e Oeste", several pesticides regularly applied in vineyards, maize, potato, tomato for industry, apple, pear and rice were detected in ground water. Atrazine was the most frequently detected, being found in 70% of the total of 79 sites selected in the year 2000, followed by its metabolites desethylatrazine and desisopropylatrazine with frequencies of detection, respectively, of 56% and 48% and by simazine (37%), alachlor (25%), metolachlor (24%) and metribuzin (15%). Other pesticides and metabolites i.e. 3,4-dichloroaniline, dimethoate, f and g -endosulfan, lindane, molinate and prometryn were also detected but at lower occurrences. Pesticides were detected mainly in ground water wells used for irrigation purposes, although in some locations they were also found in water wells used for human consumption. In this study, it was also observed a seasonal variation of pesticide residues in ground water of shallow and deep wells.     

Effect of viscosity of a liquid membrane containing oleyl alcohol on the pertraction of butyric acid

Solvent formulation is important in the optimization of the mass-transfer through supported liquid membranes (SLM) in pertraction and membrane extraction. Oleyl alcohol (OA) is frequently used as the solvent or diluent in the extraction of carboxylic acids. A disadvantage of OA is its relatively high viscosity of 28.32 mPa s at 25°C. This can be decreased by the application of a less viscous OA diluent, e.g. dodecane. The relationship between the ratio of the distribution coefficient of butyric acid (BA), D _F, and the viscosity of OA-dodecane solvents, µ, as extraction and transport characteristics, and the overall mass-transfer coefficient, K _p, through SLMs was analyzed. Dependence of the D _F/µ ratio on the OA concentration showed a maximum at the OA concentration of 15 mass % to 30 mass %. The OA concentration dependence of K _p for SLMs exhibited also a maximum at about 30 mass % and 20 mass % of OA at the BA concentration driving force of 0.12 kmol m^?3 and 0.3 kmol m^?3, respectively. Shifting of the maximum in K _p dependences towards lower OA concentrations by increasing the BA concentration driving force is in agreement with the D _F/µ ratio dependence. Using pure OA as the solvent or diluent is not preferable and a mixture of a low viscosity diluent with the OA concentration below 40 mass % should be used. The presented results show the potential of the D _F/µ ratio in the screening and formulation of solvents in extraction and SLM optimization.     

辉光放电电解等离子体引发合成高吸水性树脂

以淀粉、丙烯酸和腐殖酸钠为原料,以N,N-亚甲基双丙烯酰胺为交联剂,采用辉光放电电解等离子体在水溶液中引发聚合制备淀粉-聚丙烯酸/腐殖酸钠复合高吸水树脂。考察了放电电压、放电时间,单体与淀粉质量比、腐殖酸钠含量、交联剂、温度及中和度对树脂吸水率的影响。用红外光谱和热重分析分别对树脂进行了结构表征和稳定性测试,结果表明,在优化合成条件下,所得的复合树脂具有较高的吸水性和耐盐性,常温下对蒸馏水吸收量为862g/g,对0.9%NaCl溶液的吸收量为69g/g。     

埃罗替尼的合成

以N,N-二甲基甲酰胺和硫酸二甲酯反应生成的亚胺盐与3-乙炔基苯胺进行亲核反应及甲醇的消去,获得了制备埃罗替尼所需的重要中间体N’-(3-乙炔基苯基)-N,N-二甲基甲脒,收率为75.8%。再以此中间体与2-氨基-4,5-二(2-甲氧基乙氧基)苯甲腈通过Dimroth重排反应方便地制得了抗肿瘤药物埃罗替尼,总收率(以3-乙炔基苯胺计)为56.5%。与以往合成埃罗替尼的方法相比,该方法更经济、更绿色。     

Response surface optimisation applied to a headspace-solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method for the analysis of volatile organic compounds in water matrices

A new method for the simultaneous determination of 12 volatile organic compounds (trans-1,2-dichloroethene, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, benzene, 1,2-dichloroethane, trichloroethene, toluene, 1,1,2-trichloroethane, tetrachloroethene, ethylbenzene, m-, p-, o-xylene) in water samples by headspace solid phase microextraction (HS–SPME)–gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC–MS) was described, using a 100?µm PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) coated fibre. The response surface methodology was used to optimise the effect of the extraction time and temperature, as well as the influence of the salt addition in the extraction process. Optimal conditions were extraction time and temperature of 30?min and ?20°C, respectively, and NaCl concentration of 4?mol?L^?1. The detection limits were in the range of 1.1?×?10^?3–2.3?µg?L^?1 for the 12 volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Global uncertainties were in the range of 4–68%, when concentrations decrease from 250?µg?L^?1 down to the limits of quantification. The method proved adequate to detect VOCs in six river samples.