Umbelliferose Isolated from Cuminum cyminum L. Seeds Inhibits Antigen-Induced Degranulation in Rat Basophilic Leukemia RBL-2H3 Cells

Cuminum cyminum L. (cumin) is an annual plant of the Umbelliferae family native to Egypt. We previously showed that the aqueous extract of cumin seeds suppresses degranulation by downregulating the activation of antigen-induced intracellular signaling molecules in rat basophilic leukemia RBL-2H3 cells. However, the active substances in the extract have not yet been identified. Accordingly, herein, we aimed to ascertain the water-soluble substances present in cumin seeds that inhibit degranulation, which led to the identification of umbelliferose, a characteristic trisaccharide present in plants of the Umbelliferae family. Our study is the first to reveal the degranulation-suppressing activity of umbelliferose, and quantification studies suggest that cumin seed powder contains 1.6% umbelliferose. Raffinose, an isomer of umbelliferose, was also found to significantly suppress antigen-induced degranulation, but less so than umbelliferose. Both umbelliferose and raffinose contain sucrose subunits in their structures, with galactose moieties bound at different sites. These differences in structure suggest that the binding of galactose to the sucrose subunit at the α1-2 bond contributes to its strong degranulation-inhibiting properties.     

Synthesis and properties of novel polysulfone bearing exomethylene structure

A novel polysulfone bearing exomethylene structure in the main chain was obtained by oxidation of polysulfide prepared by radical ring-opening polymerization of an eight-membered cyclic allyl sulfide, although the corresponding sulfone monomer was not polymerized at all. The thermal behaviors and the crystalline characters of the polysulfone and polysulfide are compared.     

Photo-curable organically modified silicate-phosphate alternating copolymer for photonics applications

Photo-curable vinyl modified silicate-phosphate alternating copolymers were prepared by a direct condensation of organochlorosilane and organophosphoric acid in a solvent-free condition. The obtained copolymers have complete alternating copolymer structure of silicate and phosphate unit, where the main oxo chain consist of –(Si–O–P–O) _n -network. They exhibited an excellent solubility of ionic species such as ionic organic dyes. It was also demonstrated the photo-reduction of Au⁺ ions to form Au nano particles for plasmonics applications. Micro patterns were also fabricated by soft lithographic processes. These results indicate that the photo-curable alternating copolymers are one of promising materials for advanced optical information processing devices.     

Alternative methods of globotrioside production using Vero cells: a microcarrier system procedure

Background  

Glycolipids are one component of cell membranes, and are found most prevalently at the surface of the plasma membrane. Animal cells take in amphipathic glycosides, which are later glycosylated after assimilation in biosynthetic pathways. Gycosylated glycosides are released outside of cells to the surrounding culture medium. This represents an accessible method of obtaining complex glycosides.     

A novel route to poly(α-hydroxyacrylic acid) derivatives by the hydrolysis of polymers containing 1,3-dioxolan-4-one moiety

The alkali hydrolysis of poly(2,2-dimethyl-5-methylene-1,3-dioxolan-4-one) and poly(2,2-dimethyl-5-methylene-1,3-dioxolan-4-one-co-styrene) was carried out with a sodium hydroxide solution (40%) in tetrahydrofuran at room temperature to obtain poly(α-hydroxyacrylic acid) or poly(α-hydroxyacrylic acid-co-styrene) with number-average molecular weights of 39,000–73,000 in 41–86% yields. The styrene unit in the hydrolyzed copolymer hindered the formation of a lactone ring. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 39: 1629–1633, 2001     

Uracil as Nucleating Agent for Bacterial Poly[(3‐Hydroxybutyrate)‐co‐(3‐hydroxyhexanoate)] Copolymers

In this study, uracil has been introduced as the nucleating agent (NA) for bacterially synthesized poly[(3‐hydroxybutyrate)‐co‐(3‐hydroxyhexanoate)] (PHBHHx) copolymers with HHx content of 5, 10, 18 mol‐%, and poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) homopolymer for the first time. Its effect was compared with the conventional NA of PHB, that is, boron nitride (BN), and two other naturally occurring pyrimidine derivatives, i.e., thymine and cytosine. The effects of uracil on the crystallization kinetics, melting behavior, spherulite morphology, and crystalline structure of PHBHHx and PHB were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), polarized optical microscopy (POM), and wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD). Uracil and BN exhibit the comparable nucleation efficiency on the crystallization of PHB, whereas uracil shows much more effective nucleation ability than BN for PHBHHx copolymers. With incorporation of 1 wt.‐% uracil, PHBHHx with 0–10 mol‐% HHx units can finish crystallization upon cooling at 10 °C · min^?1. The crystallization half‐times (t_1/2) of all the PHB and PHBHHx samples decrease significantly with presence of uracil. The crystallization rate of polymers further enhances with increase in uracil concentration. With addition of 1 wt.‐% uracil, the t_1/2 value of PHBHHx with 10 mol‐% HHx units melt‐crystallizing at 80 °C decreases to ≈4.0% of the neat polymer, and the nucleation density increases by 3–4 orders of magnitude. The incorporation of uracil has no discernable effect on the crystalline structure of PHBHHx, as evidenced by WAXD results. It was proposed that the nucleation mechanism of the uracil/PHBHHx (or PHB) system might be the epitaxial nucleation.

     

Distributions of rectilinear deviation distance to visit a facility

This paper deals with the deviation distance to visit a facility from pre-planned routes. Facilities are approximated by both points and lines on a continuous plane. To see the relationship between the deviation distance and the availability of facilities, we derive the distributions of the rectilinear deviation distance for regular and random patterns of facilities. These distributions demonstrate how the shortest distance and the relative position of origin and destination affect the deviation distance. We also show that the deviation distance is a generalization of the nearest neighbour distance.     

A helical amplification system composed of artificial nucleic acids

Herein we report an amplification system of helical excess triggered by nucleic acid hybridization for the first time. It is usually impossible to prepare achiral nanostructures composed of nucleic acids because of their intrinsic chirality. We used serinol nucleic acid (SNA) oligomers for the preparation of achiral nanowires because SNA oligomers with symmetrical sequences are achiral. Nanowire formation was confirmed by atomic force microscopy and size exclusion chromatography. When a chiral nucleic acid with a sequence complementary to SNA was added to the nanostructure, helicity was induced and a strong circular dichroism signal was observed. The SNA nanowire could amplify the helicity of chiral nucleic acids through nucleobase stacks. The SNA nanostructures have potential for use as platforms to detect chiral biomolecules under aqueous conditions because SNA can be readily functionalized and is water-soluble.

Herein we report an amplification system of helical excess triggered by nucleic acid hybridization for the first time.