High-performance liquid chromatographic assay of bacterial collagenase

Summary The activity of bacterial collagenase Clostridiopeptidase A was estimated using a labelled synthetic peptide, 4-phenylazobenzyloxycarbonyl-L-Pro-L-Leu-Gly-L-Pro-D-Arg, as substrate. The N-protected dipeptide obtained after enzymatic hydrolysis of Leu-Gly peptide bond was quantified by reversed-phase, high-performance liquid chromatography using 4-phenylazobenzyloxycarbonyl-L-Pro-L-Phe as internal standard. The time dependence of the appearance of the hydrolysis product and the dependence of rates of hydrolysis on collagenase concentration were linear. Kinetic parameters for collagenase were determined to test the suitability of the described procedure.     

Selective chemical shift assignment of B800 and B850 bacteriochlorophylls in uniformly [13C,15N]-labeled light-harvesting complexes by solid-state NMR spectroscopy at ultra-high magnetic field

The electronic ground states of the bacteriochlorophyll a type B800 and type B850 in the light-harvesting 2 complex of Rhodopseudomonas acidophila strain 10050 have been characterized by magic angle spinning (MAS) dipolar (13)C-(13)C correlation NMR spectroscopy. Uniformly [(13)C,(15)N] enriched light-harvesting 2 (LH2) complexes were prepared biosynthetically, while [(13)C,(15)N]-B800 LH2 complexes were obtained after reconstitution of apoprotein with uniformly [(13)C,(15)N]-enriched bacteriochlorophyll cofactors. Extensive sets of isotropic (13)C NMR chemical shifts were obtained for each bacteriochlorin ring species in the LH2 protein. (13)C isotropic shifts in the protein have been compared to the corresponding shifts of monomeric BChl a dissolved in acetone-d(6). Density functional theory calculations were performed to estimate ring current effects induced by adjacent cofactors. By correction for the ring current shifts, the (13)C shift effects due to the interactions with the protein matrix were resolved. The chemical shift changes provide a clear evidence for a global electronic effect on the B800 and B850 macrocycles, which is attributed to the dielectrics of the protein environment, in contrast with local effects due to interaction with specific amino acid residues. Considerable shifts of -6.2 < Deltasigma < +5.8 ppm are detected for (13)C nuclei in both the B800 and the B850 bacteriochlorin rings. Because the shift effects for the B800 and B850 are similar, the polarization of the electronic ground states induced by the protein environment is comparable for both cofactors and corresponds with a red shift of approximately 30 nm relative to the monomeric BChl dissolved in acetone-d(6). The electronic coupling between the B850 cofactors due to macrocycle overlap is the predominant mechanism behind the additional red shift in the B850.     

Direct introduction of heterocyclic residues into 1,2,4-triazin-5(2H)ones

3-Aryl-1,2,4-triazin-5(2H)-ones 1a-c react with indoles 2a-c in trifluoroacetic acid/chloroform or in boiling butanol or acetic acid to give 3-aryl-6-(indolyl-3)-1,6-dihydro-1,2,4-triazin-5(2H)-ones 3a-g . Oxidation of the dihydro-1,2,4-triazin-5(2H)-ones 3a-e afforded 6-(indolyl-3)-1,2,4-triazin-5(2H)-ones 4a-e , products of nucleophilic substitution of hydrogen in 1a-c . Refluxing 1b with N-methylpyrrote 5b in butanol for an extended time resulted in the formation of 3-(4-chlorophenyl)-6-(1-meuiylpyrrolyl-2)-1,2,4-triazin-5(2H)-one 4h. The reaction of 1a-c with indoles 2a-c , pyrroles 5a,b , 1,3-dimethyl-2-phenylpyrazol-4-one (8) and aminothiazoles 9a,b in acetic anhydride affords the 1-acetyl-3-aryl-6-hetaryl-1,6-dihydro-1,2,4-triazin-5(2H)-ones 6a-s . Reaction of 1a-c with N-methyl-pyrrole 5b in acetic anhydride gives beside the 1:1 addition products 6h-k also the 2:1 addition products 7a-c .     

Effect of preparation temperature in solvent evaporation process on Eudragit RS microsphere properties

Eudragit RS 100 microspheres containing ketoprofen as a model drug were prepared by the solvent evaporation method using an acetone/liquid paraffin solvent system. The influence of various preparation temperatures: 10, 25, 35, and 40 degrees C, on particle size and morphology, drug content and release kinetics, and drug crystal state was evaluated. With increasing temperature, microsphere average size was found to increase and particle size distribution to widen significantly. At 10 degrees C particles of irregular shape are formed, whereas higher temperatures gradually improve the sphericity of microspheres. As can be seen from SEM photographs, particle surface roughness decreases as preparation temperature increases. It was found that temperature had no effect either on ketoprofen microencapsulation efficiency or on its crystal state, but it does influence emulsion-stabilizer incorporation. Ketoprofen forms solid solution in Eudragit matrix and maintains amorphous state for significant period of time. Drug release rates from microspheres correlated with microspheres' surface roughness and to a lesser extent with particle size.     

Purification and monolayer study of the thylacoid lipids of moss marchantia polymorpha

The original lipid content of the thylakoid membranes of moss Marchantia polymorpha has been determined for the first time. In particular, the content of SQDG is almost 3 times higher than those for both of the other classes. The ratios for DGDG and MGDG are just a little bit lower than those for green algae, but almost 2 times less than those for plants. The distribution of unsaturated bonds has changed in C₁₈ -residues of fatty acids. The total content of C₁₈-residues in thylacoid lipids have been almost the same but the content of C_18:1, C_18:2 and C_18:3 are altered in the fractions of DGDG, PG and PE. The light stress produces only the quantitative, but no qualitative, changes of the thylakoid lipid composition. The properties of the thylakoid lipids and corresponding fatty acids in the monolayers at the liquid/gas interfaces have been studied. The changes in distribution of unsaturated bonds in C₁₈ residues of fatty acids at light stress have been confirmed by Langmuir method.     

Cyanoisocyanoacetylene,N≡C−C≡C−N≡C

Vacuum pyrolysis of the precursor complex [(CO)₅Cr(CN−CCl=CF−CN)] resulted in the isolation and structure elucidation by molecular spectroscopy of isomer 1 . According to ab initio calculations 1 is 109 kJ mol⁻¹ less stable than NC−C≡C−CN, which has been known for some time. An accurate equilibrium structure for 1 has been determined with mixed experimental and theoretical methods.     

Separation of lactose from human milk oligosaccharides with simulated moving bed chromatography

The successful separation of the disaccharide lactose from a complex mixture of human milk oligosaccharides (HMOS) with the continuous chromatography of simulated moving bed (SMB) technique is described. Since lactose is the main carbohydrate in human milk with well-known functions for the infant, it is necessary to separate it from the rest of the oligosaccharides to divide them into less complex fractions and analyse their partial unknown functions. For separation of lactose from HMOS two different stationary phases (size-exclusion gel as well as ion-exchange gel) were used. As the main result, it is shown that a size-exclusion gel with the particle size of 50-100 microm and porosity of 50 A was the preferred stationary phase for our separation process with almost complete lactose separation and stable conditions.     

Three-dimensional total synchronous luminescence spectroscopy criteria for discrimination between normal and malignant breast tissues

Specimens of malignant and normal female human breast tissues were analyzed after surgery by means of synchronous luminescence spectroscopy. Measurements were performed in the ranges of excitation wavelengths from 330 to 650 nm and synchronous wavelengths from 30 to 120 nm to obtain ordinary and first derivative three-dimensional total synchronous luminescence spectra (3d-TSLS) of each specimen. Arithmetic mean of these spectra has been calculated for normal and malignant specimens and analyzed to establish criteria for tissue differentiation. Spectral domain volumes (volumes below luminescence intensity surface) and mean spectral slopes have been calculated and also analyzed as tissue discrimination criteria. The obtained results are discussed in view of the possible relevance of synchronous luminescence spectroscopy in discrimination between normal and malignant breast tissue.     

Study of Complex Organic Binding Media Systems on Artworks Applying GC-MS Analysis: Selected Examples from the Kunsthistorisches Museum,Vienna

Within the Kunsthistorisches Museum (KHM), Vienna, three off-line GC-MS analytical procedures for the identification of natural organic media have been refined, tested, and validated for the use in investigating original, historic works of art. The analysis of a sample from a Greek terracotta statue suggested that the white ground layer of the polychromy, still partly present today, contained a gum-based binding medium. Furthermore, a procedure for the simultaneous analysis of oils, waxes and resins was applied to the identification of the composition of the varnish layer from the 16^th century painting “Lucretia” by Jacopo Negretti (1480–1528). In addition, in a collaboration with the Department for Conservation and Restoration, University of Applied Arts, Vienna, a series of samples from paintings on wooden panels from the Buddhist temple complex in Nako, Himachal Pradesh, India, was investigated for the presence of proteinaceous binding media.