Formation of layered titania and zirconia catalysed by surface-bound silicatein

Silicatein immobilised on self-assembled polymer layers using a histidine-tag chelating anchor group retains its hydrolytical activity for the formation of biosilica, and catalyses the formation of layered arrangements of biotitania and biozirconia.     

Haloxylines A and B, antifungal and cholinesterase inhibiting piperidine alkaloids from Haloxylon salicornicum

Haloxylines A (1) and B (2), new piperidine alkaloids, have been isolated from the chloroform soluble fraction of Haloxylon salicornicum and their structures elucidated by spectroscopic techniques including 2D-NMR. Both the compounds displayed antifungal and cholinesterase enzymes inhibitory potentials.     

The crystal structure and thermal stability of [bis-picrate(pentaethylene glycol)] praseodymium(III)picrate complex

[Bis-picrate(pentaethylene glycol)]praseodymium(III) picrate, [Pr(pic)₂⋅(EO5]⁺[pic]⁻, was successfully obtained from the reaction of praseodymium nitrate hexahydrate, picric acid and pentaethylene glycol in acetonitrile–methanol as solvent. The crystal system is monoclinic with space group P2₁/c, a = 18.91419(11) Å, b = 9.0470(6) Å, c = 24.1209(14) Å and α = γ = 90^∘, β = 109.07(1)^∘, V = 3880.3(4) ų and Z = 4. The Pr atom is coordinated to the flexible and open EO5 ring via all the six oxygen atoms and two picrate ligands, one via phenoxo oxygen atom and the other one with both phenoxo and nitro oxygen atoms in a bidentate manner resulting a 9-coordinate tricapped trigonal prismatic geometry. The two picrate ligands coordinated to the Pr atom are at the opposite sides of the hexadentate EO5 ring with phenyl fragments almost perpendicular with dihedral angle of 89.7(3)^∘. Thermal analysis results show that the complex is stable up to 100^∘C when it began to slowly decompose and followed by an explosive decomposition at 290^∘C.     

Lipoxygenase inhibiting ethyl substituted glycoside from Symplocos racemosa

Phytochemical investigation of Symplocos racemosa resulted in the isolation of a new ethyl substituted glycoside, 1-ethyl brachiose-3'-acetate (1) along with four known compounds ketochaulmoogric acid (2), nonaeicosanol (3), triacontyl palmitate (4) and methyl triacontanoate (5). The substitution of ethyl group on 1 was natural because during the course of extraction and purification ethanol was not used. The structural elucidation of the isolated compounds was based primarily on 1D- and 2D-NMR analysis, including COSY, HMQC, and HMBC correlations. The glycoside 1 and triacontyl palmitate (4) displayed the inhibitory potential against lipoxygenase and urease enzyme, respectively.     

Parkintin: a new flavanone with epoxy-isopentyl moiety from Parkinsonia aculeata Linn. (Caesalpiniaceae)

A new flavanone with epoxy-isopentyl moiety named parkintin has been isolated from the methanol soluble part of Parkinsonia aculeata Linn. belonging to the family Caesalpiniaceae. The structure of parkintin has been established with the aid of spectroscopic techniques including COSY and HMBC experiments.     

Color versus bioactivity in the flowers of Bougainvillea spectabilis (Nyctaginaceae)

The methanolic extracts of Bougainvillea spectabilis (Nyctaginaceae) flowers (five different colors) were screened biologically by performing four bioassays: antibacterial, antifungal, brine shrimp lethality and phytotoxicity. It was observed that the methanolic extract of white flowers was the most biologically active among all tested extracts. The extracts of white, orange and shocking pink flowers inhibit, while the extracts of red and violet flowers promote, the growth of Lemna plants. The extract of white flowers also exhibits toxicity against shrimp larvae with a LD50 value of 33.5627 microg/mL. However, none of the tested samples gave positive responses against any tested fungi.     

Simulation on the response of new phosphate glass RPC for <Emphasis Type="Italic">γ</Emphasis>-rays and e<Superscript>+</Superscript>/e<Superscript>−</Superscript> particles using GEANT3

The influence of phosphate glass electrode in the configuration of resistive plate chamber has been studied using GEANT3.21 Monte Carlo code. Bakelite electrodes were replaced by phosphate glass electrodes, as these glass materials have low bulk resistivity, are portable and easy to handle. These types of RPCs in their compact form of all materials are suitable for high rate background environment. We find that these new types of RPCs give little higher response to γ-rays and e⁺/e⁻ particles, both for single-and double gap RPCs. The results of simulation are discussed.      

Resonance behaviour of viscoelastic fluid in Poiseuille flow in the presence of a transversal magnetic field

The oscillatory flow of a viscoelastic fluid in a circular pipe under the influence of a transversal magnetic field is studied. Exact solutions for the axial velocity and flow rate are presented. The velocity enhancement and the resonance behaviour are analysed both numerically and asymptotically in the case of small pipe radii. Approximations for the resonance frequencies and the achievable velocity enhancements are derived. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Preparation,characterization and biological evaluation of copper(II) and zinc(II) complexes with Schiff bases derived from amoxicillin and cephalexin

Copper(II) and zinc(II) complexes of Schiff bases obtained by condensation of amoxicillin and cephalexin with salicylaldehyde/pyridoxal were prepared and characterized by microanalytical, thermogravimetric, magnetic and spectroscopic data. All the complexes were found to be six‐coordinate and containing two water molecules. The electron paramagnetic resonance spectral lines exhibited rhombic distortion from axial symmetry, with g_|| > g_? > g_e, in the copper(II) complexes. The geometry of the zinc(II) complexes appears to be octahedral. All the compounds under investigation showed antibacterial activity. The antibacterial activity showed the following trend: copper(II) complexes > zinc(II) complexes > Schiff base ligands > parent drugs. The copper(II) complexes with the Schiff bases derived from cephalexin showed substantially enhanced activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa compared with the parent drug. All the copper complexes were also found to be active against kaolin paw oedema, whereas the parent drugs were inactive. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.