Evaluation of calcipotriol transdermal permeation through pig,rat and mouse skin using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

A rapid and sensitive liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometric method to evaluate the permeation and retention of calcipotriol in excised samples of pig, rat and mouse skin after application of a calcipotriol ointment has been developed and validated. After sample preparation of ointment, skin homogenate and receptor medium by liquid–liquid extraction, chromatography was performed on an Extend‐C₁₈ column using isocratic elution. Detection was by electrospray ionization in the negative ion mode using multiple‐reaction monitoring of the precursor to product ion transitions of calcipotriol at m/z 411.1 → 393.5, and of lovastatin (internal standard) at m/z 403.2 → 101.2. The assay was linear in all matrices with LLOQs of 1, 0.5 and 40 ng/mL for skin homogenate, receptor medium and ointment samples respectively. In terms of the permeation profiles, it was found that calcipotriol permeated through all skins to only a limited extent over 20 h after application but was efficiently retained in all skins at a level at 20 h of between 40% (pig) and 60% (rat and mouse) of the applied dose. This indicates that calcipotriol ointment has the potential to provide sustained therapeutic benefit in the treatment of psoriasis with minimal systemic side effects. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Role of Tryptophan in the Active Site of Plant Esterase: Chemical Modification and Fluorometric Studies

Plant esterase extracted from wheat flour play key roles in the spectrophotometric detection of organophosphorus compounds (OPs) for food safety and human health. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the role of tryptophan residues in the activity and structure of plant esterase by chemical modification and fluorometric studies. Active site characterization of purified plant esterase showed the involvement of tryptophan in the catalytic activity. Only one was essential for the enzyme activity by the Tsou’s analysis. Substrate protection experiments further confirmed that the tryptophan residue was located at the substrate-binding site. Fluorescence quenching studies elucidated that the tryptophan residues were largely exposed to the solvent, and a smaller fraction of the surface tryptophan residues had electropositively charged amino acids around them. Experimental results obtained here are expected to promote the applications of plant esterase in OPs detection. Further confirmation of the existence of other critical residues and detailed explanation of their functions were also required for the elucidation of the mechanism involved in the detection of OPs.     

SYNTHESIS AND FUNGICIDAL ACTIVITIES OF 2-BENZOTHIAZOLYLTHIO-SUBSTITUTED 4H-IMIDAZOL-4-ONES AND 4(3H)-QUINAZOLINONES

4H-Imidazol-4-ones 4 or 4(3H)-quinazolinones 8 were synthesized by base catalytic reactions of 2-mercaptobenzothiazole with carbodiimides 2 or 6, respectively, which were obtained via aza-Wittig reaction of iminophosphorane 1 or 5 with aromatic isocyanates. 4 and 8 exhibited fungicidal activity.     

Novel hybrids of Cu2+ ternary complexes of salicylidene-amino acid Schiff base with phenanthroline（or bipyridine） intercalated in Mg/Al-NO3-layered double hydroxide

Four Cu²⁺ complexes of salicylidene-amino acid Schiff base with 1,10-phenanthroline（Phen） or 2,2’- bipyridine（Bipy） were successfully intercalated in interlayer galleries of Mg/Al-NO₃-layered double hydroxide（LDH） by the swelling-restored method.The hybrids were characterized by elemental analysis,X-ray diffraction,FT-IR spectra,UV-vis DRS,TG-DTA and SEM observation.Good protection of the complexes by LDH in neutral and weak acidic solutions was revealed by UV spectra,cyclic voltammograms and luminescence spectra.     

A scalable synthesis of 1-amino-5-cyanonaphthalene,a precursor for a nitric oxide probe(NO550) designed via the "dye assembly" principle

A convenient and scalable synthesis of l-amino-5-cyanonaphthalene was described.     

A Facile Synthesis of Fused Phosphorus-Heterocycle with Bioactivity via Lawesson's Reagent

A convenient one-pot synthesis of fused phosphorus-heterocycles with biological activity via the cyclization reactions of Lawesson's reagent with bifunctional substrates is reported.