In-Vitro Screenings for Biological and Antioxidant Activities of Water Extract from Theobroma cacao L. Pod Husk: Potential Utilization in Foods

Increasing production of cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) leads to a higher environmental burden due to its solid waste generation. Cocoa pod husk, one of the major solid wastes of cocoa production, contains rich bioactive compounds unveiling its valorization potential. With that in mind, our research aimed to explore the biological and antioxidant activities of aqueous extracts from cocoa pod husks. In this present work, cocoa pod husk was extracted using water and subsequentially partitioned using n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and methanol. The antimicrobial investigation revealed that the ethyl acetate solubles were active against the Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Candida albicans, where at a 20% w/v concentration, the inhibition diameters were 6.62 ± 0.10, 6.52 ± 0.02, and 11.72 ± 0.36 mm, respectively. The extracts were found non-toxic proven by brine shrimp lethality tests against Artemia salina with LC₅₀ scores ranging from 74.1 to 19,054.6 μg/mL. The total phenolic content and total flavonoid content were obtained in the range of 47.44 to 570.44 mg/g GAE and 1.96 to 4.34 mg/g QE, respectively. Antioxidant activities of the obtained extracts were revealed by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate (DPPH) assay with EC₅₀ reached as low as 9.61 μg/mL by the ethyl acetate soluble. Phytochemical screening based on gas chromatography—mass spectroscopy analysis on the sample with the highest antioxidant activities revealed the dominant presence of three phytosterols, namely gamma-sitosterol, stigmasterol, and campesterol.     

Zirconium-Based Metal Organic Frameworks for the Capture of Carbon Dioxide and Ethanol Vapour. A Comparative Study

This paper reports on the comparison of three zirconium-based metal organic frameworks (MOFs) for the capture of carbon dioxide and ethanol vapour at ambient conditions. In terms of efficiency, two parameters were evaluated by experimental and modeling means, namely the nature of the ligands and the size of the cavities. We demonstrated that amongst three Zr-based MOFs, MIP-202 has the highest affinity for CO₂ (−50 kJ·mol⁻¹ at low coverage against around −20 kJ·mol⁻¹ for MOF-801 and Muc Zr MOF), which could be related to the presence of amino functions borne by its aspartic acid ligands as well as the presence of extra-framework anions. On the other side, regardless of the ligand size, these three materials were able to adsorb similar amounts of carbon dioxide at 1 atm (between 2 and 2.5 µmol·m⁻² at 298 K). These experimental findings were consistent with modeling studies, despite chemisorption effects, which could not be taken into consideration by classical Monte Carlo simulations. Ethanol adsorption confirmed these results, higher enthalpies being found at low coverage for the three materials because of stronger van der Waals interactions. Two distinct sorption processes were proposed in the case of MIP-202 to explain the shape of the enthalpic profiles.     

Electronic and magnetic structures of V-doped zinc blende Zn1-xVxNyO1-y and Zn1-xVxPyO1-y

Electronic and magnetic structures of zinc blende ZnO doped with V impurities are studied by first-principles calculations based on the Korringa-Kohn-Rostoker (KKR) method combined with the coherent potential approximation (CPA).Calculations for the substitution of O by N or P are performed and the magnetic moment is found to be sensitive to the N or P content.Furthermore,the system exhibits a half-metallic band structure accompanied by the broadening of vanadium bands.The mechanism responsible for ferromagnetism is also discussed and the stability of the ferromagnetic state compared with that of the paramagnetic state is systematically investigated by calculating the total energy difference between them by using supercell method.     

An efficient synthesis of substituted 2-iminothiazolidin-4-one and thiadiazoloquinazolinone derivatives

A convenient synthesis of functionalized 2-iminothiazolidin-4-ones and thiadiazoloquinazolinones has been achieved by the reaction of dialkyl acetylenedicarboxylates (DAAD) with 1-pheny-3-pyridin-2-yl-thiourea (1) and 3-amino-2-mercapto-3H-quinazolin-4-one (8), respectively. The starting materials for these processes were prepared from phenyl isothiocyanate, 2-aminopyridine for (1) and anthranilic acid, carbon disulfide, hydrazine for (8). Treatment of these compounds with DAAD resulted in the formation of an intermediate that readily underwent intramolecular cyclization to afford functionalized five membered heterocyclic rings was formed.     

Regiospecific iodocyclization of S-allyl dithiocarbamates: synthesis of 2-imino-1,3-dithiolane and 2-iminium-1,3-dithiolane derivatives

4-Alkyl-2-imino-1,3-dithiolanes and 4-alkyl-2-iminium-1,3-dithiolanes were prepared in excellent yields with complete regiospecificity under mild conditions by the iodocyclization of S-allyl dithiocarbamates. Dehydrohalogenation of the 4-alkyl-2-imino-1,3-dithiolanes gave 4-alkylidene-2-imino-1,3-dithiolanes in excellent yields.     

Synthesis and Crystal Structure of Ethylenediammonium bis iodate tetra iodic Acid: [C<Subscript>2</Subscript>H<Subscript>10</Subscript>N<Subscript>2</Subscript>] (IO<Subscript>3</Subscript>)<Subscript>2</Subscript>·4HIO<Subscript>3</Subscript>

Abstract  

The synthesis and crystal structure are presented for the ethylenediammonium bis iodate tetra iodic acid. An X-ray investigation has shown that this compound crystallizes in a centrosymmetric monoclinic system, space group P2₁/c with the lattice parameters: a = 7.2536(2) ?, b = 18.5351(5) ?, c = 7.5685(2) ?, β = 107.937(1)°, V = 968.10(3) ?³. The structure was solved from 5281 independent reflections with R ₁ = 0.0229 and wR ₂ = 0.0428, and refined with 156 parameters. The structure is built up of [(CH₂)₂(NH₃)₂]²⁺ cations connected to the one-dimensional [HIO₃]_n chains and to the [H₂I₄O₁₂]²⁻ clusters by a weak N–H···O hydrogen bonds.