In vitro and in vivo inhibition of skin matrix metalloproteinases by Pothomorphe umbellata root extract

Exposure to UV radiation up-regulates the synthesis of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), a group of matrix-degrading enzymes. MMPs are regarded as promising therapeutic targets and the development of effective inhibitors is an important research focus. The plant Pothomorphe umbellata has been shown to exert a potent antioxidant activity on the skin and to delay the onset and reduce the incidence of UVB-induced chronic skin damage. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of P. umbellata ethanolic root extract on MMP-2 and MMP-9. The in vitro inhibition of MMP-2 and MMP-9 was measured by gelatin zymography in the presence of different concentrations of P. umbellata extract, as well as in the presence of its isolated active principle 4-nerolidylcatechol (4-NC). The inhibitory effect of the P. umbellata extract was stronger than that of 4-NC. Gelatin zymography and histological analysis revealed that P. umbellata was able to inhibit constitutive MMP-9 activity in vivo in mice sacrificed 2 h after UVB irradiation. The intensity of the MMP-2 band was unchanged. Our data contribute to the elucidation of the mechanism of prevention of photoaging by P. umbellata and may provide a rational basis for the use of this plant in prophylaxis against and treatment of skin cancer.     

Background electrolytes in 50% methanol/water for the determination of acidity constants of basic drugs by capillary zone electrophoresis

The acidic dissociation constants of several hydrophobic drugs, amiodarone and a series of antidepressants that show a secondary or tertiary amino group, were determined in a 50% methanol/water mixture by capillary zone electrophoresis. The electrophoretic behavior of buffers prepared from sodium acetate, tris(hydroxymethyl) aminomethane hydrochloride, sodium hydrogenphosphate, ammonium chloride, ethanolamine, butilammonium chloride, and sodium borate in the hydroalcoholic solution was tested. Thus, all of them follow the Ohm's law until about 25 kV and, therefore, they can be used without significant Joule heat dissipation at 20 kV. For the studied drugs, buffers prepared with phosphate or borate give effective mobility measurements lower than those from other buffers. The wide pKa range of the studied drugs provides a wide pH range where the protonated forms of the amino compounds coexist with hydrogenphosphate ions and where the neutral amines coexist with boric acid. The decrease of the experimental effective mobilities in these instances can be explained through the interactions between coexisting species. Therefore, phosphate and borate buffers should be avoided to determine the mobility of amines with aqueous pKa higher than 8, at least in solutions with high methanol content. Independent measurements of acidic dissociation constants of drugs validate this statement.     

Preparation and Characterization of Interpenetrating Polymer Hydrogels Based on Poly(acrylic acid) and Poly(vinyl alcohol)

Interpenetrating polymer hydrogels (IPHs) of Poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and Poly (acrylic acid) (PAAc) have been prepared by a sequential method: crosslinked PAAc chains were formed in aqueous solution by crosslinking copolymerization of acrylic acid and N, N′-methylenebisacrylamide in the presence of PVA. The application of freezing-thawing cycles (F-T cycles) leads to the formation of a PVA hydrogel within the synthesized PAAc hydrogel. The swelling and the viscoelastic properties of the prepared IPHs were evaluated on the basis of the structural features obtained from solid state ¹³C-NMR spectroscopy.     

Synthesis and characterization of zirconogermanates

Six new zirconogermanates have been prepared under hydrothermal conditions using amines as bases. There are four new structure types (ASU-n) with a common motif of ZrGe(5). ASU-23 is a layered structure: ZrGe(3)O(8)(OH)F.[C(10)H(26)N(4)].H(2)O, space group P2(1)/n, a = 6.7957(8) A, b = 12.700(1) A, c = 24.293(3) A, beta = 97.936(2) degrees, V = 2076.4(4) A(3). ASU-24 is a pillared layered structure: Zr(3)Ge(6)O(18)(OH(2),F)(4)F(2).[C(6)H(18)N(2)].[C(6)H(17)N(2)](2).2H(2)O, space group P2(1)/n, a = 7.4249(3) A, b = 25.198(1) A, c = 11.3483(5) A, beta = 90.995(1) degrees, V = 2122.9(2) A(3). This material has the lowest framework density (FD) of any oxide material that we are aware of (FD = 8.48 metal atoms/nm(3)). Two other materials form three-dimensional open-frameworks, ASU-25: ZrGe(3)O(9).[C(3)H(12)N(2)], space group P112(1)/a, a = 13.1994(4) A, b = 7.6828(2) A, c = 11.2373(3) A, gamma = 91.233(3) degrees, V = 1139.29(5) A(3). The other is ASU-26: ZrGe(3)O(9).[C(2)H(10)N(2)], space group Pn, a = 13.7611(3) A, b = 7.7294(2) A, c = 11.2331(3) A, beta = 104.793(1) degrees, V = 1155.21(4) A(3). ASU-25 is related to the mineral umbite K(2)ZrSi(3)O(9).H(2)O. The germanium equivalent has been prepared through the inorganic route: K(2)ZrGe(3)O(9).H(2)O, space group P2(1)2(1)2(1), a = 13.6432(6) A, b = 7.4256(3) A, c = 10.3973(4) A, V = 1053.33(8) A(3). The structural relationships between ASU-25 and its inorganic counterpart are described. The thermal decomposition of the germanium umbite generated the cyclic trigermanate K(2)ZrGe(3)O(9), analogue of the mineral wadeite, crystallizing in the orthorhombic system, a = 7.076 A, b = 12.123 A, c = 10.451 A, V = 904.5 A(3).     

Self‐Sorting of Cyclic Peptide Homodimers into a Heterodimeric Assembly Featuring an Efficient Photoinduced Intramolecular Electron‐Transfer Process

We describe the thermodynamic characterisation of the self‐sorting process experienced by two homodimers assembled by hydrogen‐bonding interactions through their cyclopeptide scaffolds and decorated with Zn–porphyrin and fullerene units into a heterodimeric assembly that contains one electron‐donor (Zn–porphyrin) and one electron‐acceptor group (fullerene). The fluorescence of the Zn–porphyrin unit is strongly quenched upon heterodimer formation. This phenomenon is demonstrated to be the result of an efficient photoinduced electron‐transfer (PET) process occurring between the Zn–porphyrin and the fullerene units of the heterodimeric system. The recombination lifetime of the charge‐separated state of the heterodimer complex is in the order of 180 ns. In solution, both homo‐ and heterodimers are present as a mixture of three regioisomers: two staggered and one eclipsed. At the concentration used for this study, the high stability constant determined for the heterodimer suggests that the eclipsed conformer is the main component in solution. The application of the bound‐state scenario allowed us to calculate that the heterodimer exists mainly as the eclipsed regioisomer (75–90 %). The attractive interaction that exists between the donor and acceptor chromophores in the heterodimeric assembly favours their arrangement in close contact. This is confirmed by the presence of charge‐transfer bands centred at 720 nm in the absorption spectrum of the heterodimer. PET occurs in approximately 75 % of the chromophores after excitation of both Zn–porphyrin and fullerene chromophores. Conversely, analogous systems, reported previously, decorated with extended tetrathiafulvalene and fullerene units showed a PET process in a significantly reduced extent (33 %). We conclude that the strength (stability constant (K)×effective molarity (EM)) of the intramolecular interaction established between the two chromophores in the Zn–porphyrin/fullerene cyclopeptide‐based heterodimers controls the regioisomeric distribution and regulates the high extent to which the PET process takes place in this system.     

A simple method for simultaneous determination of nine triazines in drinking water

A simple, effective, and economic method for determination of nine triazines (ametryn, atrazine, cyanazine, prometryn, propazine, simazine, simetryn, terbuthylazine, and terbutryn) in drinking water based on solid-phase extraction (SPE) followed by high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection (HPLC-DAD) was developed. A specialized solid phase (Oasis HLB) was used, and the parameters that may affect the efficiency of SPE were optimized. The limits of detection (ranged from 0.010 to 0.023 µg L^?1) were satisfactory and allow the determination of triazines at the levels required by European Union legislation. Repeatability (2.4–7.6%) and intermediate precision (0.9–11.0%) calculated at 0.1 µg L^?1 (legislation level) were adequate. The accuracy calculated as the average recovery of spiked tap and mineral waters was higher than 86% for all compounds. The developed method also could be used for undergraduate laboratory experiments because it acquaints students with solution preparation, solid phase extraction procedure, and HPLC-DAD technique.     

Feasibility of associative mechanism in enyne metathesis catalyzed by grubbs complexes

The mechanism of enyne metathesis catalyzed by first and second generation Grubbs complexes has been computationally explored at the DFT level. The relative reactivity and the regioselectivity for the reaction of differently substituted alkenes and alkynes with model Ru complexes has been studied. The usually accepted dissociative mechanism for the alkene metathesis has been explored for alkynes, and compared with an associative pathway involving initial coordination of the alkyne to the 16-electron catalyst. Our results show that an associative mechanism would be the preferred pathway for the reaction of phosphine-based (first generation) Ru carbenes, at least for small phosphines such as PMe(3), whereas for the more reactive complexes containing a heterocyclic carbene as ligand (second generation catalysts), the dissociative process is far more favourable.     

Exploring BODIPY Derivatives as Singlet Oxygen Photosensitizers for PDT

This minireview is devoted to honoring the memory of Dr. Thomas Dougherty, a pioneer of modern photodynamic therapy (PDT). It compiles the most important inputs made by our research group since 2012 in the development of new photosensitizers based on BODIPY chromophore which, thanks to the rich BODIPY chemistry, allows a finely tuned design of the photophysical properties of this family of dyes to serve as efficient photosensitizers for the generation of singlet oxygen. These two factors, photophysical tuning and workable chemistry, have turned BODIPY chromophore as one of the most promising dyes for the development of improved photosensitizers for PDT. In this line, this minireview is mainly related to the establishment of chemical methods and structural designs for enabling efficient singlet oxygen generation in BODIPYs. The approaches include the incorporation of heavy atoms, such as halogens (iodine or bromine) in different number and positions on the BODIPY scaffold, and also transition metal atoms, by their complexation with Ir(III) center, for instance. On the other hand, low-toxicity approaches, without involving heavy metals, have been developed by preparing several orthogonal BODIPY dimers with different substitution patterns. The advantages and drawbacks of all these diverse molecular designs based on BODIPY structural framework are described.     

Anodic formation of 3,6-diaryl-[1,2,4]triazolo[3,4-b][1,3,4]thiadiazoles and 2(3-aryl-5-methyl-1H-[1,2,4]triazol-1-yl)-5-aryl-1,3,4-thiadiazoles

3,6-Disubstituted 1,2,4-triazolo[3,4-b][1,3,4]thiadiazoles together with the unknown systems 2-(3-aryl-5-methyl-1H-[1,2,4]triazol-1-yl)-5-aryl-1,3,4-thiadiazoles were obtained by anodic oxidation, under aprotic conditions, of aryl aldehyde N-(5-aryl-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl) hydrazones. Mechanistic proposals are given.     

Deprotonation of Coordinated Phosphanes in a Rhenium Complex: CC Coupling with Diimine Coligands

The reaction of fac‐[Re(bipy)(CO)₃(PMe₃)][OTf] (bipy=2,2′‐bipyridine) with KN(SiMe₃)₂ affords two neutral products: cis,trans‐[Re(bipy)(CO)₂(CN)(PMe₃)], and a thermally unstable compound, which features a new C?C bond between a P‐bonded methylene group (from methyl group deprotonation) and the C6 position of bipy. The solid‐state structures of more stable 1,2‐bis[(2,6‐diisopropylphenyl)imino]acenaphthene analogs, resulting from the deprotonation of PMe₃, PPhMe₂, and PPh₂Me ligands, are determined by X‐ray diffraction.