Application of Dispersive Liquid�CLiquid Microextraction for the Analysis of Six Fungicides in Fruit Samples by GC�CECD

A novel approach for the determination of six fungicides (triadimefon, procymidone, hexaconazole, myclobutanil, diniconazole and iprodione) in fruit samples is presented. Analytes were extracted using the dispersive liquid?Cliquid microextraction technique and determined by GC?CECD. Parameters affecting the dispersive liquid?Cliquid microextraction performance, such as the kind and volume of extraction and dispersive solvents, extraction time and salt concentration, were studied and optimized. Under the optimum extraction conditions, the linearities of the method were obtained in the range of 0.5?C20.0 ??g kg^?1 for triadimefon, hexaconazole, diniconazole and procymidone, and 1.0?C40.0 ??g kg^?1 for myclobutanil and iprodione, with the correlation coefficients ranging from 0.9902 to 0.9995. The enrichment factors ranged from 685 to 820 and the extraction recoveries ranged from 81.3 to 98.4%. The relative standard deviations varied from 3.1 to 7.8%. The limits of detection of the method were in the range of 0.02?C0.12 ??g kg^?1. Results showed that the method we proposed can meet the requirements for the determination of target fungicides in fruit samples. Several compounds considered in this study were found in fruit samples.     

Three-Phase Solvent Bar Microextraction Combined with HPLC for Extraction and Determination of Plasma Protein Binding of Bisoprolol

A three-phase solvent bar microextraction (TPSBME) technique combined with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)?Cfluorescence detection was evaluated for the quantitative determination of plasma protein binding of bisoprolol. Bisoprolol was extracted from a 5.6-mL basified plasma sample (donor phase) into the organic solvent (n-octanol) impregnated in the pores of a hollow fiber and then extracted into an acidic solution (acceptor phase) inside the lumen of the hollow fiber. Metoprolol was used as the internal standard. Several parameters influencing the efficiency of the method were investigated and optimized including organic solvent (n-butanol, n-octanol, dibutyl phthalate, dihexyl ether), stirring rate (100?C1,000 rpm), extraction time (5?C35 min), extraction temperature (15?C45 °C), concentration of the donor phase (0.1?C2 M NaOH) and the acceptor phase (0.5?C5 M formic acid), salt concentration (2.5?C10%, w/v). Under the optimal condition, extraction recoveries from plasma samples were above 61.4% for bisoprolol. The calibration curves were obtained in the range of 10?C100 ng mL^?1 with reasonable linearity (r > 0.994). The method was successfully applied to determine the plasma protein binding rate of bisoprolol.     

Determination of SYUIQ-F5, a Novel Telomerase Inhibitor and Anti-tumor Lead-Compound, in Tissues and Plasma Samples by LC�CMS�CMS: Application to a Tissue Distribution Study in Rat

A sensitive assay for determining SYUIQ-F5, a novel telomerase inhibitor and anti-tumor drug, in rat tissues and plasma was developed and validated by using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC?CMS?CMS). After a single step liquid?Cliquid extraction with ethyl acetate-dichloromethane, SYUIQ-F5 and SUCL (internal standard) were subjected to LC?CMS?CMS analysis using positive electro-spray ionization under selected reaction monitoring mode. Chromatographic separation of SYUIQ-F5 and SUCL was achieved on a Zorbax Eclipse Plus C18 column (I.D. 4.6 mm × 150 mm, 3.5 ??m) with a mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile-2 mM ammonium formate (90:10, v/v) at a flow rate of 0.6 mL min^?1. The intra- and inter-batch precision of the method were <12.2 and 8.7%, respectively. The intra- and inter-batch accuracies ranged from 100.2 to 107.3%. The lowest limit of quantification for SYUIQ-F5 was 0.5 ng mL^?1. The method was applied to a SYUIQ-F5 tissue distribution study after an oral dose of 30 mg kg^?1 to rats. SYUIQ-F5 tissue concentrations decreased in the order of small intestine> liver> lung> spleen> stomach> kidneys> heart> brain> muscle> fat> testes> plasma. SYUIQ-F5 could still be detected in most of the tissues at 48-h post-dosing. These results indicated that the LC?CMS?CMS method was sensitive, reliable, and specific to quantify SYUIQ-F5 in different rat tissues.     

Determination of Imidol in Rat Plasma by UPLC�CMS�CMS and Its Application in a Pharmacokinetic Study

A rapid, sensitive and accurate ultra-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry method was developed and validated for the quantitative determination of imidol in rat plasma for the first time. The analyte and internal standard were extracted from plasma by liquid?Cliquid extraction with diethyl ether. The separation was performed on a BEH C₁₈ column (50 mm × 2.1 mm, 1.7 ??m). The detection was carried out by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry in positive ion mode with multiple reaction monitoring. Linear calibration curves were obtained in the concentration range of 2.5?C2,500 ng mL^?1, with the lower limit of quantification of 2.5 ng mL^?1. The intra- and inter-day precision (RSD) values were below 8% and accuracy (RE) was from ?7.9 to 6.3%. After strict validation, the method was applied successfully to the pharmacokinetic study of imidol in rats after oral and intravenous administration, respectively.     

Purification and Characterization of a New Serine Protease with Fibrinolytic Activity from the Marine Invertebrate, Urechis unicinctus

A non-hemorrhagic, chymotrypsin-like serine protease, UFEII, was purified from the marine echiuroid worm, Urechis unicinctus, after a combination of chromatography steps. UFEII was monomeric, with an apparent molecular weight of 26.7 kDa via SDS-PAGE. The isoelectric point of UFEII was 4.03, and the maximum activity of the enzyme was observed at 50 °C and pH?8.0. According to fibrin plate assays, UFEII could not only directly degrade fibrin and fibrinogen but also activate plasminogen. Further, UFEII preferentially hydrolyzed the fibrinogen γ-chain, followed by the Bβ-chains and Aα-chains. Moreover, ufeII, full length of the gene encoding UFEII, was obtained by RT-PCR, degenerated PCR, and nested PCR. The ufeII was determined to be a 906-bp cDNA containing an open reading frame of 795 bp encoding a putative protein of 264 amino acids with a predicted molecular weight of 27.03 kDa. Besides, UFEII exhibited no hemorrhagic effect. Overall, U. unicinctus may represent a potential source of new therapeutic agents in thrombolytic therapy.     

Borated Titania,a New Option for the Selective Enrichment of cis‐Diol Biomolecules

As low abundance cis‐diol biomolecules are of great significance in biological organisms, preparation of materials for the selective enrichment of such compounds is highly favorable for the development of the related proteomics and metabolomics. To this end, we have prepared monolithic borated titania by a non‐aqueous sol‐gel strategy as a new inorganic affinity material for the specific capture of nucleosides, glycopeptides and glycoproteins. Benefiting from the inorganic framework, this material prevented the hydrophobic interference, which was somewhat inevitable for the mainstream organic‐based boronate affinity materials. The prepared material was carefully characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and nitrogen‐sorption experiments to investigate the morphology and elemental composition. The excellent performance of borated titania on enrichment of cis‐diol biomolecules was demonstrated by extracting the glycopeptides from horseradish peroxidase (HRP) digestion, standard glycoproteins, and nucleosides from a human‐urine matrix. This kind of inorganic affinity material offers a new option for selective enrichment or separation of cis‐diol biomolecules.     

Efficient synthesis of water-soluble calix[4]arenes via thiol-ene “click” chemistry

Several water-soluble calix[4]arenes were synthesized via radical addition reaction between thiols and alkenes under UV lamp irradiation (λ= 365 nm) in good yields. The structures of these compounds synthesized herein were fully confirmed by 1H NMR, ESI-MS and elemental analysis.     

Theoretical studies on the interaction mechanisms between tetrachloro-p-benzoquinone and hydrogen peroxide

A detailed knowledge of the initial complexes is crucial for the better understanding of the reaction mechanisms between tetrachloro-p-benzoquinone (TCBQ) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). In the present study, the interaction modes and interaction mechanisms between TCBQ and H₂O₂ in the absence and presence of one, two, and three water molecules have been systematically investigated employing the B3LYP/6-311++G** level of theory in combination with the atoms in molecules theory and natural bond orbital (NBO) method. It was found that the introduction of water molecules can influence the original interaction modes between TCBQ and H₂O₂ through the formation of the intermolecular H-bonds. The interaction energies between TCBQ and H₂O₂ range from ?0.37 to ?2.75 kcal/mol for four stable complexes, which are smaller than that of the interaction between H₂O₂ and water molecule. Further energy decomposition analyses suggest that the coupling interactions between TCBQ and H₂O₂ are predominated by the electrostatic interactions regardless of the presence or absence of water molecules. In addition, the significant heat released from the interaction process in the presence of water molecules is expected to be favorable for the following reactions involving the production of the hydroxyl radical.     

Hydrogen‐bonding network of N,N′‐bis[2‐(tert‐butyldimethylsiloxy)ethyl]ethylenediammonium dichloride

The title salt, C₁₈H₄₆N₂O₂Si₂²⁺·2Cl⁻, has been synthesized by reaction of N,N′‐bis(2‐hydroxyethyl)ethylenediamine with tert‐butyldimethylsilyl chloride. The zigzag backbone dication is located across an inversion centre and the two chloride anions are related by inversion symmetry. The ionic components form a supramolecular two‐dimensional network via N—H...Cl hydrogen bonding, which is responsible for the high melting point compared with the oily compound N,N′‐bis[2‐(tert‐butyldimethylsiloxy)ethyl]ethylenediamine.