Biological activities of biodegradable polysaccharide

A low toxicity of chitin was demonstrated to be mostly due to biodegradability and the fast metabolization of hydrolysate in animal body. Chitosan, a deacetylated derivative of chitin, is also known to be a biocompatible polymer in spite of a slight immunoadjuvant activity in animal body. Chitosan is easily regenerated to fiber, film, beads and non woven fabrics owing to its high solubility toward diluted aqueous organic acids such as formic acid, acetic acid, glutamic acid and ascorbic acid. The regeneration of chitin was achieved into fibers, gels, porous foams and non woven fabrics following to dissolution of chitin with formic acid or calcium chloride dihydrate saturated methanol. Chitin and its derivatives have been applied as biomedical materials due to remarkable advantages such as antimicrobial activity, acceleration of epidermal cell assembly, low toxicity, and biodegradability.     

Novel method for evaluation of chemicals based on ligand-dependent recruitment of GFP labeled coactivator to estrogen receptor displayed on bacterial magnetic particles

We established a novel method to evaluate endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) by assembling the estrogen receptor-ligand binding domain (ERLBD) and GFP labeled coactivator on magnetic nanoparticles. EDC can promote or inhibit coactivator recruitment to the ligand-ERLBD complex. ERLBD was displayed on the surface of nano-sized bacterial magnetic particles (BacMPs) produced by the magnetic bacterium, Magnetospirillum magneticum AMB-1. Our method resulted in 38 molecules of ERLBD molecules on a BacMPs with diameter of 75 nm. Furthermore, ligand-dependent recruitment assays of GFP labeled coactivator to ERLBD-BacMPs was performed by measuring the fluorescence intensity. 17β-estradiol (E2), estriol, diethylstilbestrol, zeralenone (full agonist), octylphenol (partial agonist) and ICI 182,780 (antagonist) were evaluated by this method. Full agonists tested showed increased fluorescence with increasing agonist concentration. Octylphenol had lower fluorescence intensity than E2. ICI 182,780 did not produce any fluorescence. The method developed in this study can evaluate the estrogenic potential of chemicals by discriminating whether they are an ER full agonist, partial agonist, or antagonist. Finally, this method is amenable adaptation into a high throughput format by using automated magnetic separation.     

Direct enantiomeric separation of racemic precursors to diltiazem hydrochloride and clentiazem maleate by HPLC on a chiral ovomucoid column

Summary A direct HPLC separation method was developed for the determination of the enantiomers of racemic precursors to diltiazem (I) and its 8-chloro derivatives (II). The enantiomers were successfully separated on a chiral ovomucoid column using an aqueous-organic mobile phase (reversed-phase HPLC). The influence of the organic modifier and buffer pH on the retention and enantioselectivity was investigated. The chromatographic conditions chosen for the separation permitted complete resolution of the enantiomers of both the acid (I_b and II_b) and methyl ester precursors (I_a and II_a) within 20 min. The influence of sample load on retention times, theoretical plates numbers, peak heights and peak areas was also investigated. The peak areas showed a good linearity over the concentration range examined, although all the others were influenced significantly by the sample size. An optical antipode of the intermediate to be determined could be detected by the area-percentage method down to ca. 0.1%, together with the determination of its precursor, including its optical purity.     

Synthesis of ion-free latex particles composed of polybutadiene and poly (vinyl pyrrolidone) as polymer electrolyte materials

The synthesis of polybutadiene (PB) by emulsion polymerization with use of poly (vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) stabilizer was investigated. The goal was to prepare flexible latex films that clearly retain particle morphology in the solid state after heat treatment and contain no ionic, hydroxyl, or (primary, secondary) amino groups. The latex particle core composed of PB was nonpolar and rubbery, while the particle shell composed of PVP was polar and glassy. Average particle diameter was measured by the dynamic light scattering technique, and particles were imaged by scanning and transmission electron microscopic analyses. Dialysis of the latices resulted in successful exchange of the dispersion medium without precipitation. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Ion-Free latex films as dual-phase electrolytes: Styrene–butadiene rubber and nitrile–butadiene rubber synthesized by emulsion polymerization with poly-(vinyl pyrrolidone) stabilizer

Ion-free latices of styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) and nitrile-butadiene rubber (NBR) were synthesized by emulsion polymerization with use of poly (vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) stabilizer. The goal was to prepare ion-free latex films, possessing dual-phase latex particle morphology, and swell the films with liquid electrolyte to yield dual-phase polymer electrolytes (DPE). SBR/PVP latex was prepared readily, but NBR/PVP latex was sensitive to coagulation. Differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) and scanning electron microscopic (SEM) analyses of latex films provided morphological evidence concerning particle structure and phase separation. Blends of NBR/PVP and PB/PVP latices (PB = polybutadiene) were also investigated, but particle structure was not present in the blended latex film, even though particle structure was present in the individual NBR/PVP and PB/PVP latex films. After extensive swelling of SBR/PVP latex films, PVP was extracted from the films, and ionic conductivities greater than 10^?3 S/cm were achieved. © 1994-John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Coordination and solvation of copper ion: infrared photodissociation spectroscopy of Cu(+)(NH(3))(n) (n = 3-8)

Coordination and solvation structures of the Cu(+)(NH(3))(n) ions with n = 3-8 are studied by infrared photodissociation spectroscopy in the NH-stretch region with the aid of density functional theory calculations. Hydrogen bonding between NH(3) molecules is absent for n = 3, indicating that all NH(3) molecules are bonded directly to Cu(+) in a tri-coordinated form. The first sign of hydrogen bonding is detected at n = 4 through frequency reduction and intensity enhancement of the infrared transitions, implying that at least one NH(3) molecule is placed in the second solvation shell. The spectra of n = 4 and 5 suggest the coexistence of multiple isomers, which have different coordination numbers (2, 3, and 4) or different types of hydrogen-bonding configurations. With increasing n, however, the di-coordinated isomer is of growing importance until becoming predominant at n = 8. These results signify a strong tendency of Cu(+) to adopt the twofold linear coordination, as in the case of Cu(+)(H(2)O)(n).     

Two new triterpenoids from the seeds of blackberry (Rubus fructicosus)

Two new ursane-type triterpenoids (1, 2) attached to isopropylidenedioxy group were isolated from the seeds of blackberry (Rubus fructicosus L., Rosaceae) along with two known ursane-type triterpenoids, 2,3-O-isopropylidenyl-2α,3α,19α-trihydroxyurs-12-en-28-oic acid (3) and 1β-hydroxyeuscaphic acid (4). The chemical structures of 1 and 2 were determined to be 2,3-O-isopropylidene-1β,2β,3β,19α-tetrahydroxyurs-12-en-28-oic acid and 1,2-O-isopropylidene-1β,2α,3α,19α-tetrahydroxyurs-12-en-28-oic acid, respectively, based on spectroscopic data. Additionally, their cytotoxic activity towards HL-60 human leukaemia cells was evaluated. Among them, 3 demonstrated a clear cytotoxic activity with 72.8 μM of IC₅₀ value.     

Carbazoledioxazines having long alkyl groups 1. Synthesis of carbazoledioxazines with linear type structure

Carbazoledioxazines with linear type structure (5,15-dialkyl-8,18-dichloro-5,15-dihydrodiindolo[3,2-b:-3′,2′-m]triphenodioxazine) were selectively synthesized by demethanolation ring closure of 2,5-bis(2-methoxy-9-alkyl-3-carbazolylamino)-3,6-dichloro-1,4-benzoquinone in a high boiling solvent. The structure has been confirmed by ¹H-nmr and X-ray crystallography.