Analysis of T-2 and HT-2 toxins in cereal grains by immunoaffinity clean-up and liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection

A sensitive, precise and accurate method has been developed for the simultaneous determination of T-2 and HT-2 toxins in cereal grains at ppb levels using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection and 1-antroylnitrile (1-AN) as labeling reagent after immunoaffinity clean-up. Cereal samples were extracted with methanol/water (90:10, v/v), and the extracts were cleaned-up through commercially available immunoaffinity columns containing monoclonal anti-T-2 antibodies (T-2 test HPLC, Vicam). T-2 and HT-2 toxins were quantified by reversed-phase HPLC with fluorometric detection (excitation wavelength 381 nm, emission wavelength 470 nm) after derivatization with 1-AN. The monoclonal antibody showed 100% cross-reactivity with both T-2 and HT-2 toxin, and the immunoaffinity column clean-up was effective up to 1.4 microg of both toxins. The method was successfully applied to the analysis of T-2 and HT-2 toxins in wheat, maize and barley. Recoveries from spiked samples with toxin levels from 25 to 500 microg/kg ranged from 70% to 100%, with relative standard deviation generally lower than 8%. The limit of detection of the method was 5 microg/kg for T-2 toxin and 3 microg/kg for HT-2 toxin, based on a signal-to-noise ratio 3:1. HT-2 toxin was detected in ten naturally contaminated wheat samples out of 14 samples analyzed, with toxin levels ranging from 10 to 71 microg/kg; three of them contained also T-2 toxin up to 12 microg/kg.     

Photochemical cyclization of some aldehyde thiosemicarbazones

The photochemical behaviour of some substituted aldehyde thiosemicarbazones 1a-k has been investigated in methanol at 254 nm. Thiosemicarbazones of glyoxil methyl ester 1a-f cyclized to furnish the 3-thioxo- 1,2,4-triazin-5-one 2 ring system. The remaining thiosemicarbazones 1g-j gave 1,2,4-triazoline 4 derivatives.     

Short and efficient chemoenzymatic synthesis of goniothalamin

A high-yielding three-step synthesis of goniothalamin involving an enzymatic kinetic resolution in the presence of vinyl acrylate followed by ring-closing metathesis is discussed.     

Structure-dependent modulation of a pathogen response in plants by synthetic O-antigen polysaccharides

Many phytopathogenic bacteria display lipopolysaccharides (LPS) with the O-chain repeating unit [alpha-l-Rha-(1-->3)-alpha-l-Rha-(1-->3)-alpha-l-Rha-(1-->2)](n)(). This trisaccharide unit was synthesized and oligomerized to obtain hexa- and nonasaccharides. The deprotected rhamnans were effective in suppressing the hypersensitive response (HR) and in inducing PR-1 gene expression in Arabidopsis thaliana. Conformational analysis of the oligorhamnans by NMR spectroscopy and molecular dynamics calculations revealed that a coiled structure develops with increasing chain length of the oligosaccharide. This is associated with increasing efficacy in HR suppression and PR-1 gene expression. We therefore infer that the coiled structure of phytopathogenic bacteria is a plant-recognizable pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP).     

Interpretazione omotopica della coomologia di Cech a coefficienti in un prefascio

Sunto A partire da uno spazio topologico X e da un prefascio di gruppi abeliani & su X si determina, sotto npportune ipotesi, e per ogni dimensione n, un corrispondente fibrato gruppale abeliano tale che il gruppo di omotopia legata alle fibre delle sue sezioni globali è isomorfo alla coomologia di Čech n-dimensionale a coefficienti in & dello spazio X.     

Combinatorial optimization - Polyhedra and efficiency: A book review

We review the recent three-volume monograph authored by Alexander Schrijver, Combinatorial Optimization - Polyhedra and Efficiency, Springer-Verlag, 2003, ISBN 3-540-44389-4, 1881 pages (in a slip-case), price: € 89,95 .Received: November 2003, Revised: January 2004, AMS classification: 90C57, 68R10, 05C99     

Green conditions for the Suzuki reaction using microwave irradiation and a new HNT‐supported ionic liquid‐like phase (HNT‐SILLP) catalyst

A new catalytic system based on modified halloysite nanotubes was employed in the Suzuki reaction under microwave irradiation. A set of solvents, times and bases was screened and the best experimental conditions were obtained when the reactions were carried out for 10 min in water–ethanol at 120 °C in presence of K₂CO₃ as base. Good recyclability was observed. The new catalytic system was employed using either 1 mol% or 0.1 mol%. The palladium catalyst displayed good activity, allowing the synthesis of several biphenyl compounds in high yield working with only 0.1 mol% palladium loading. The application of microwave irradiation decreased the reaction time and also improved conversion with respect to traditional heating. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A Semisynthetic Approach to New Immunoadjuvant Candidates: Site‐Selective Chemical Manipulation of Escherichia coli Monophosphoryl Lipid A

A semisynthetic approach to novel lipid A derivatives from Escherichia coli (E. coli) lipid A is reported. This methodology stands as an alternative to common approaches based exclusively on either total synthesis or extraction from bacterial sources. It relies upon the purification of the lipid A fraction from fed‐batch fermentation of E. coli, followed by its structural modification through tailored, site‐selective chemical reactions. In particular, modification of the lipid pattern and functionalization of the phosphate group as well as of the sole primary hydroxyl group were accomplished, highlighting the unusual reactivity of the molecule. Preliminary investigations of the immunostimulating activity of the new semisynthetic lipid A derivatives show that some of them stand out as promising, new immunoadjuvant candidates.     

A quantitative study of substituent effects on oxidative cyclization of some 2-methylsubstituted aldehydes. Thiosemicarbazones induced by ferric chloride

In order to gain further mechanistical information about the cyclization of thiosemicarbazones and thiosemicarbazone-type substrates induced by metallic salts as oxidizing agents, we performed the synthesis of substrates 1a-s and a kinetic study of the oxidative cyclization of 1 to 5-imino-Δ²-1,3,4-thiadiazole 2 and 1,2,4-triazoline-5-thione 3 derivatives induced by methanolic ferric chloride solutions. The results of cyclization were compared to those of corresponding semicarbazones. The kinetic data were analyzed by means of the Hammett's equation and ρ values discussed.     

A unique bicyclic monosaccharide from the Bradyrhizobium lipopolysaccharide and its role in the molecular interaction with plants

Sugar coat: The nitrogen-fixing soil bacterium Bradyrhizobium sp. BTAi1 is coated with a unique lipopolysaccharide that does not induce innate immune responses in its host plant Aeschynomene indica or in different plant families. The chemical nature of the monosaccharide forming the polymer (see picture) is unprecedented in nature, which helps to avoid "harmful" recognition by its symbiotic host.