Development and Characterization of Novel Biopolymer Derived from Abelmoschus esculentus L. Extract and Its Antidiabetic Potential

Abelmoschus esculentus (Okra) is an important vegetable crop, widely cultivated around the world due to its high nutritional significance along with several health benefits. Different parts of okra including its mucilage have been currently studied for its role in various therapeutic applications. Therefore, we aimed to develop and characterize the okra mucilage biopolymer (OMB) for its physicochemical properties as well as to evaluate its in vitro antidiabetic activity. The characterization of OMB using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) revealed that okra mucilage containing polysaccharides lies in the bandwidth of 3279 and 1030 cm⁻¹, which constitutes the fingerprint region of the spectrum. In addition, physicochemical parameters such as percentage yield, percentage solubility, and swelling index were found to be 2.66%, 96.9%, and 5, respectively. A mineral analysis of newly developed biopolymers showed a substantial amount of calcium (412 mg/100 g), potassium (418 mg/100 g), phosphorus (60 mg/100 g), iron (47 mg/100 g), zinc (16 mg/100 g), and sodium (9 mg/100 g). The significant antidiabetic potential of OMB was demonstrated using α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzyme inhibitory assay. Further investigations are required to explore the newly developed biopolymer for its toxicity, efficacy, and its possible utilization in food, nutraceutical, as well as pharmaceutical industries.     

Butylene copolyesters based on aldaric and terephthalic acids. Synthesis and characterization

The synthesis, characterization, and some properties of new copolyesters analogous to poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT), based on L ‐arabinaric and galactaric acids, are described. These copolyesters were obtained by polycondensation reaction in the melt of mixtures of methyl 2,3,4‐tri‐O‐methyl‐L ‐arabinarate or methyl 2,3,4,5‐tetra‐O‐methyl‐galactarate and dimethyl terephthalate with 1,4‐butanediol. Their weight‐average molecular weights ranged between 10,000 and 34,000, with polydispersities ranging from 1.4 to 2.2. The composition of all the copolymers was analyzed by NMR, and was found to have a statistical microstructure. All these copolyesters were thermally stable, with degradation temperatures well above 300 °C. The melting temperature and crystallinity decreased in both series, and the glass transition temperature increased and decreased respectively, for the PBTGa and PBTAr series with increasing amounts of aldaric units in the copolyester chain. Only PBT‐derived copolyesters containing a maximum of 30% aldaric units showed discrete scattering characteristic of crystalline material. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 1168–1177, 2009     

Iron,copper and zinc ammonium-1-hydroxyalkylidene-diphosphonates with zero-, one- and two-dimensional covalent metal–ligand structures extended into three-dimensional supramolecular networks by charge-assisted hydrogen-bonding

Hydrothermal synthesis with MCl₂ (M = Fe, Cu, and Zn) and disodium 5-ammonium-1-hydroxypentylidene-1,1-bisphosphonate, (Na⁺)₂[⁺H₃N(CH₂)₄C(OH)(PO₃²⁻)(PO₃H⁻)] (Na₂HAC₅OHP₂) or sodium 3-ammonium-1-hydroxypropylidene-1,1-bisphosphonate hydrate, Na⁺[⁺H₃N(CH₂)₂C(OH)(PO₃H^–)(PO₃H^–)]·H₂O (NaH₂PAM·H₂O) the sodium salt of pamidronic acid, H₃PAM) yielded the one-dimensional (1D) iron, molecular copper and two-dimensional (2D) zinc compounds 1D-{[Fe(μ₃-η⁵-HAC₅OHP₂)]·H₂O}, 1, [Cu(η²-H₂AC₅OHP₂)₂], 2, 2D-{[Zn₂(μ₅-η⁷-AC₅OHP₂)Cl], 3, and 2D-{[Zn(μ₂-η³-H₂PAM)₂], 4, respectively. The bisphosphonate ligand bridges (μ_n) between 2–5 metal atoms and uses 2–7 oxygen donor atoms towards metal coordination (ηⁿ). The zwitterionic nature of the now bis- or tetrakis-deprotonated ammonium–bisphosphonate is retained in the metal complexes. From the reaction of NiCl₂ and Na₂HAC₅OHP₂ the zwitterionic 5-ammonium-1-hydroxypentylidene-1-phosphonic acid, ⁺H₃N(CH₂)₄CH(OH)PO₃H⁻, 5 was obtained as a product of the ligand P–C bond hydrolysis. Adjacent strands, molecules or layers in 1–4, respectively are organized through the Coulomb attraction between the positive ammonium group and the negative phosphonate groups, supported by hydrogen-bonding. Each protic H atom on the C–OH, NH₃⁺ and –PO₃H⁻ group is involved in charge-assisted hydrogen-bonding. The ammonium-pentylidene groups act as hydrophobic separators between the hydrophilic units with the polar M{C(OH)(PO₃)₂} and {NH₃} units. Bond valence sum calculations support the Fe(II) oxidation state in 1, which was experimentally determined from a quantitative polarographic Fe(II)/Fe(III) speciation analysis as well as a temperature variable magnetic study.     

Separation and identification of a new saponin from the flowers of Guaiacum officinale L

A triterpenoid saponin, guaianin O (1), oleanolic acid 3-O-{α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-[β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 3)]-α-L-arabinopyranoside}-28- O-[β-D-glucopyranosyl]-ester, was isolated from the n-butanol extract of flowers of Guaiacum officinale L. The structural elucidation of 1 was accomplished by extensive studies of both one and two dimensional 1H, 13C-NMR spectra, the FAB mass spectrum, and alkaline and acid hydrolyses.     

Synthesis,physico-chemical and spectral investigations of novel homo-bimetallic mixed-ligand complexes: 57Fe Mössbauer parameters of [Fe2(imda)2(H2O)3Cl]

The newly prepared homo-bimetallic complexes [M₂(imda)₂(H₂O)₄], [M₂(imda)₂(Bipy)₂] (M = Co, Ni or Cu) and [Fe₂(imda)₂(H₂O)₃Cl] (H₂imda = iminodiacetic acid and Bipy = 2,2′-bipyridine) have been studied employing IR, FAB-mass, ¹H and ¹³C NMR, EPR and ligand field spectra, which indicated a high-spin state of metal ion with hexa-coordinate environment. ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer data of the homo-bimetallic complex [Fe₂(imda)₂(H₂O)₃Cl] confirm a high-spin configuration with Fe (±3/2 → 1/2) nuclear transitions and the presence of Kramer's double degeneracy. At RT, the spin–spin interactions of the neighbouring nuclei (Fe³⁺–Fe³⁺ = S_5/2–S_5/2) are anti-ferromagnetically coupled. However, at LNT, the complex acquires a mixed-valent [Fe^III–Fe^II] composition corroborated from the X-band EPR data. CV studies indicated the presence of quasi-reversible redox Cu^II/I, Cu^II/III, Fe^III/II, Fe^III/I and Fe^II/I couples.     

Spectral and physico-chemical investigations of novel homo-dinuclear di-μ2-alkoxo bridged Schiff base complexes: 57Fe Mössbauer parameters of the Fe(III) complex

Spectral and molecular model computations on homo-dinuclear complexes [M₂L₂(H₂O)₂Cl₂] [L = 1-(salicylaldeneamino)-3-hydroxypropane, M = Cr³⁺, Mn³⁺, Fe³⁺, Co³⁺, Ni³⁺ or Cu³⁺] are consistent with a distorted hexa-coordinate geometry. X-band EPR spectral data indicated a rhombic distortion around Cu(II) ion. Magnetic moment and ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer data confirmed a high-spin state electronic configuration (t_2g³e_g², S = 5/2) and asymmetric ligand environment around Fe(III) with nuclear transitions Fe(±3/2 → 1/2) exhibiting Kramer's double degeneracy. The neighboring Fe(III) nuclei in the homo-dinuclear species are antiferromagnetically coupled.     

Spectroscopic,thermal and toxicity studies of some 2-amino — 3- cyano — 1, 5 -diphenylpyrrole containing Schiff bases copper (II) complexes

Two novel Schiff base ligands of 2-amino-3-cyano-1,5-diphenylpyrrole and salicylaldehyde (HL¹) or 2- hydroxy1-naphthylaldehyde (HL²) and their copper(II) complexes have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analyses, spectral (UV-Vis, IR, EPR, Mass (for ligands)), thermal (DTA-TGA) methods, magnetic and conductance measurements. IR results demonstrate the bidentate binding of the Schiff base ligands involving azomethine nitrogen, phenolic or naphtholic oxygen and suggest the presence of HL² and complexes (1, 2, 4 and 8) in enolimine-ketonamine tautomeric forms in the solid state. The EPR spectral data of complexes (2, 5, 6) show that the metal — ligand bonds have considerable covalent character. The thermal studies show that complexes (1, 2, 4 and 8) that are present in enolimine-ketonamine tautomeric forms exhibit lower thermal stability. The effect of synthesized ligands (HL¹, HL²) and complexes (1, 5) were tested on the mortality of entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN) (Heterorhabditis bacteriophora and Steinernema carpocapsae). The study shows that the mortality of the nematodes increased with increasing concentrations of copper(II) ion, ligands and complexes. Copper(II) ion was the most toxic for EPN.      

Effect of radiation dose on the properties of natural rubber nanocomposite

Effect of radiation dose and carbon nanotubes (CNT) on the mechanical properties of standard Malaysian rubber (SMR) was investigated in this study. SMR nanocomposites containing 1–7 phr CNT were prepared using the solvent casting method and the nanocomposites were radiated at doses of 50–200 kGy. The change in mechanical properties, especially, tensile strength (Ts), elongation at break (Eb), hardness and tensile modulus at 100% elongation (M₁₀₀) were studied as a function of radiation dose. The structure and morphology of reinforced natural rubber was investigated by FESEM, TEM and AFM in order to gain further evidence on the radiation-induced crosslinking. It was found that the Ts, M₁₀₀ and the hardness of the SMR/CNT nanocomposites significantly increased with radiation dose; the elongation at break exhibited an increase up to 100 kGy, and a downward trend thereafter. Results on gel fraction further confirmed the crosslinking of SMR/CNT nanocomposites upon radiation.     

The effect of anti-reflection coating of porous silicon on solar cells efficiency

Anti-reflection coatings of solar cells have been fabricated using different techniques. The techniques used include SiO₂ thermal oxidation, ZnO/TiO₂ sputtering deposition and porous silicon prepared by electrochemical etching. Surface morphology and structural properties of solar cells were investigated by using scanning electron microscopy and atomic forces microscopy. Optical reflectance was obtained by using optical reflectometer. I-V characterizations were studied under 80 mW/cm² illumination conditions. Porous silicon was found to be an excellent anti-reflection coating against incident light when it is compared with another anti-reflection coating and exhibited good light-trapping of a wide wavelength spectrum which produced high efficiency solar cells.     

Living fungal hyphae-templated porous gold microwires using nanoparticles as building blocks

Abstract  

A simple and environmentally benign green method is reported to decorate growing fungal hyphae with high loading of gold nanoparticles, which were initially produced using aqueous tea extract as a sole reducing/stabilizing agent. Inoculation of fungal spores in aqueous suspension of nanoparticles led to the growth of intensely red-coloured fungal hyphae due to the accumulation of gold nanoparticles. Heat treatment of these hybrid materials led to the formation of porous gold microwires. This report is thus an interesting example of using green and sustainable approach to produce nanostructured materials which have potential applications in catalysis, sensing and electronics.