The effects of cooking on residues of malachite green and leucomalachite green in carp muscles

The effects of various cooking methods (boiling, baking and microwaving) on residues of malachite green (MG) and its major metabolite, leucomalachite green (LMG), in incurred carp muscles were investigated. Moreover, the stability of MG and LMG standard solutions under boiling in water and in oil was examined. The MG and LMG residues in cooked meat were determined by liquid chromatography with visible and fluorescence detectors. The results showed that in muscles cooked by boiling or baking MG concentration was reduced by 54% in 15 min while LMG was stable in these conditions. By microwave cooking MG residues were reduced by 61% after 1 min. Microwaving was the only method of cooking when a loss of LMG was observed (40% in 1 min). Both MG and LMG standard solutions were stable in boiling water at 100 degrees C. In cooking oil, MG was reduced by 49% after 10 min and less than 3% of the original MG remains after 90 min at 150 degrees C. No losses of LMG were observed over a time period of 120 min in cooking oil at 150 degrees C. Upon increasing the temperature to 210 degrees C and holding for 120 min, MG was rapidly reduced by 97% after 10 min. LMG under the same conditions was reduced by 18% after 10 min. No further loses of MG and LMG were observed after 120 min. The findings of this investigation show that the high temperature does not guarantee a full breakdown of residue of MG and LMG which may occur in carp muscles.     

Quantum-chemical study on the effect of Lewis acid centers in a poly(ethylene oxide)-based solid electrolyte

Quantum-chemical calculations on borate and aluminate esters have been performed to study the effect of a Lewis acid center on the ion complexation in a poly(ethylene oxide)-based solid electrolyte. The preferred conformations of the investigated model molecules have been determined. Stabilization energies for Li+ and ClO4- ions complexed at the boron or aluminum center have been calculated. The results reveal that the stabilization of the perchlorate ion at the boron center is mainly due to the interactions with CH2 and CH3 groups and suggest much stronger binding of the anion to the aluminum atom.     

Multiple-frequency EPR spectra of two aqueous Gd3+ polyamino polypyridine carboxylate complexes: a study of high field effects

In the search for highly efficient magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents, polyamino polypyridine carboxylate complexes of Gd3+ have shown unusual properties with both very rapid and very slow electron spin relaxation in solution observed by electron paramagnetic resonance. Since the relationship between the molecular structure and the electron spin properties remains quite obscure at this point, detailed studies of such complexes may offer useful clues for the design of Gd3+ compounds with tailored electronic features. Furthermore, the availability of very high-frequency EPR spectrometers based on quasi-optical components provides us with an opportunity to test the existing relaxation theories at increasingly high magnetic fields and observation frequencies. We present a detailed EPR study of two gadolinium polyamino polypyridine carboxylate complexes, [Gd(tpaen)]- and [Gd(bpatcn)(H2O)], in liquid aqueous solutions at multiple temperatures and frequencies between 9.5 and 325 GHz. We analyze the results using the model of random zero-field splitting modulations through Brownian rotation and molecular deformations. We consider the effect of concentration on the line width, as well as the possible existence of an additional g-tensor modulation relaxation mechanism and its possible impact on future experiments. We use (17)O NMR to characterize the water exchange rate on [Gd(bpatcn)(H2O)] and find it to be slow (approximately 0.6 x 10(6) s-1).     

Blue-shifting intramolecular C-H...O interactions

Two model systems, 3-methylacroleine and 3-(difluoromethyl)acroleine, are investigated computationally with respect to the character of the C-H...O interaction in their chelate-type (ZZ) conformers. By selecting the appropriate reference conformers, the C-H...O interaction is shown to result in the increase of the C-H stretching frequency (i.e., in the blue shift of the C-H stretching band). This is accompanied by the shortening of the C-H bond distance as compared to its values in reference molecules. Parallel to calculations of the C-H bond distance and stretching frequency, the energy contribution of the C-H...O interaction to the total energy (i.e., the energy associated with the C-H...O contact) is evaluated by using the methods proposed recently for the estimation of the energies of intramolecular hydrogen bonds. It is found that the C-H...O contact in the chelate-type forms of 3-methylacroleine and 3-(difluoromethyl)acroleine corresponds to the negative energy contribution and is repulsive. It is concluded that, despite the stability of the ZZ conformers of the two molecules and their deceptive structural shape, no hydrogen bond in the usual sense is formed between the C-H bond and the lone pair donor. The results are interpreted in terms of the steric compression, which leads to the dominance of the valence repulsion contribution in the C-H...O contact. This mechanism suggests that blue-shifting intramolecular interactions should not be that uncommon, although their recognition requires a careful consideration of the reference system.     

Photoacoustic and luminescence spectra study on the effects of chlorine substituent on the energy transfer of Eu(III)-chlorobenzoic acid

The photoacoustic (PA) amplitude spectra of three complexes of Eu(III) combined with chlorobenzoic acid (Eu(o-ClC6H4CO2)3.H2O, Eu(m-ClC6H4CO2)3.H2O and Eu(p-ClC6H4CO2)3.H2O) have been measured, and the PA phase of the different complexes have been calculated. Both the PA amplitude spectra and the luminescence spectra reflect the variation of the luminescent properties, and the PA phase is directly relative to the relaxation time. Since the relaxation is the process of the intramolecular energy transfer between the ligands and the central ion, the molecular structure of ligand is the important factor to decide the energy gap between the lowest triplet state of ligand and the resonance level of central ion. The effects of chlorine substituent on the molecular structure and energy gap of the complexes have been studied by PA phase and luminescence spectra.     

Simultaneous determination of nine intense sweeteners in foodstuffs by high performance liquid chromatography and evaporative light scattering detection--development and single-laboratory validation

A high performance liquid chromatographic method with evaporative light scattering detection (HPLC-ELSD) has been developed for the simultaneous determination of multiple sweeteners, i.e., acesulfame-K, alitame, aspartame, cyclamic acid, dulcin, neotame, neohesperidine dihydrochalcone, saccharin and sucralose in carbonated and non-carbonated soft drinks, canned or bottled fruits and yoghurt. The procedure involves an extraction of the nine sweeteners with a buffer solution, sample clean-up using solid-phase extraction cartridges followed by an HPLC-ELSD analysis. The trueness of the method was satisfactory with recoveries ranging from 93 to 109% for concentration levels around the maximum usable dosages for authorised sweeteners and from 100 to 112% for unauthorised compounds at concentration levels close to the limit of quantification (LOQs). Precision measures showed mean repeatability values of <4% (expressed as relative standard deviation) for highly concentrated samples and <5% at concentration levels close to the LOQs. Intermediate precision was in most cases <8%. The limits of detection (LODs) were below 15 microg g(-1) and the LOQs below 30 microg g(-1) in all three matrices. Only dulcin showed slightly higher values, i.e., LODs around 30 microg g(-1) and LOQs around 50 microg g(-1)     

Reversed-phase liquid chromatography of immunoglobulin G molecules and their fragments with the diphenyl column

A diphenyl column was able to resolve two closely related monoclonal IgG2 molecules, while a C8 column failed to separate these IgGs under identical chromatographic conditions. The diphenyl column also showed a better separation of a mixture of two light and two heavy chains than the C8 column. The influence of amino acid side chains from protein sequences in binding to the diphenyl and C8 stationary phases was studied by using a set of synthetic peptides with the sequence GXXLLLKK, where X represents substitution with all of the 20 amino acids. Peptides containing aromatic amino acids showed a greater binding on the diphenyl column than on the C8 column. This increase in retention was attributed to pi-pi interactions between the aromatic amino acid side chains and the diphenyl ligand. Based on the retention of peptides on the diphenyl column, new retention coefficients were assigned for the separation of proteins. A good correlation was observed between the sum of retention coefficients (SigmaRc) for IgGs and their retention time on the diphenyl column. On-column hydrogen-deuterium exchange showed that the diphenyl column had a larger surface of interaction with protein than the C8 column. pi-pi interactions and the large contact surface resulted in improved resolution of IgGs and their fragments on the diphenyl column.     

A new synthesis method for benzo[f]quinolin‐3‐carbonyl urea and thiourea derivatives in aqueous media catalyzed by TEBAC

A clean and simple synthesis procedure for benzo[f]quinolin‐3‐carbonyl urea and thiourea derivatives was developed based on the reaction between N‐arylidenenaphthalen‐2‐amine and barbituric acid or thiobarbituric acid in aqueous media catalyzed by triethylbenzylammonium chloride (TEBAC). It was interesting that the structures of products in solvent of DMSO‐d₆ solution were different from those of the crystal states, which keep the enol form. The products were characterized by ¹H NMR, and ¹³C NMR, and the crystal state was confirmed by X‐ray diffraction study of 3e . In addition, water was chosen as green solvent.     

Sulfur radicals embedded in various cages of ultramarine analogs prepared from zeolites

The colored (greenish) products analogous to ultramarine obtained from zeolite A, cancrinite and erionite by means of high-temperature (500-800 °C) treatment of zeolites mixed with elemental sulfur and alkalis can maintain the original structure of the parent zeolite under certain preparation conditions. The ESR spectra of samples recorded at room temperature always indicate the presence of radicals S₃⁻ (the blue chromophore). The spectra of samples prepared from zeolites recorded at 77 K exhibit additional signals that could be assigned to the yellow chromophore (the radical S₂⁻) encapsulated inside the β or ε-cages. It is remarkable that in the case of products with preserved cancrinite structure, where the S₂⁻ radicals are encapsulated inside the ε-cages, the above signals are visible already at room temperature. It may result from retarded mobility of these species in small cancrinite cages.