Pharmacokinetics,hepatic disposition,and heart tissue distribution of 14 compounds in rat after oral administration of Qi-Li-Qiang-Xin capsule via ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry

In the present study, a specific and sensitive approach using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry was developed and validated for the quantitative analysis of 14 constituents in rat plasma, liver, and heart. The method was fully validated and successfully applied to pharmacokinetic, hepatic disposition, and heart tissue distribution studies of 14 compounds after the oral administration of Qi-Li-Qiang-Xin capsule. Ginsenoside Rb1, alisol A, astragaloside IV, and periplocymarin were found to be highly exposed in rat plasma, while toxic components such as hypaconitine, mesaconitine, and periplocin had low circulation levels in vivo. Moreover, sinapine thiocyanate, neoline, formononetin, calycosin, and alisol A exhibited significant liver first-pass effects. Notably, high levels of alisol A, periplocymarin, benzoylmesaconine, and benzoylhypaconine were observed in the heart. Based on high exposure and appropriate pharmacokinetic features in the systemic plasma and heart, astragaloside IV, ginsenoside Rb1, periplocymarin, benzoylmesaconine, benzoylhypaconine, and alisol A can be considered as the main potentially effective components. Ultimately, the results provide relevant information for discovery of effective substances, as well as further anti-heart failure action mechanism investigations of Qi-Li-Qiang-Xin capsule.     

Solid-phase extraction techniques based on nanomaterials for mycotoxin analysis: An overview for food and agricultural products

Mycotoxin contamination is a globally concerned problem for food and agricultural products since it may directly or indirectly induce severe threats to human health. Sensitive and selective screening is an efficient strategy to prevent or reduce human and animal exposure to mycotoxins. However, enormous challenges exist in the determination of mycotoxins, arising from complex sample matrices, trace-level analytes, and the co-occurrence of diverse mycotoxins. Appropriate sample preparation is essential to isolate, purify, and enrich mycotoxins from complicated matrices, thus decreasing sample matrix effects and lowering detection limits. With the cross-disciplinary development, new solid-phase extraction strategies have been exploited and integrated with nanotechnology to meet the challenges of mycotoxin analysis. This review summarizes the advance and progress of solid-phase extraction techniques as the methodological solutions for mycotoxin analysis. Emphases are paid on nanomaterials fabricated as trapping media of solid-phase extraction techniques, including carbonaceous nanoparticles, metal/metal oxide-based nanoparticles, and nanoporous materials. Advantages and limitations are discussed, along with the potential prospects.     

金属铁络合物光催化二氧化碳还原

二氧化碳(CO₂)光催化还原技术因兼具解决能源和全球变暖问题的潜力而受到关注。金属铁络合物作为分子型催化剂,具有价格低廉、量子效率高、结构可调控和选择性好等优势,表现出优异的CO₂光催化还原性能,成为CO₂光催化还原领域的研究热点。本文综述了近年来基于金属铁络合物光催化二氧化碳还原研究进展。介绍了铁金属络合物(如:铁卟啉、铁多吡啶、五齿铁配合物)CO₂均相光催化还原体系,总结了体系的构成以及作用机理等,着重关注了体系的催化效率和产物的选择性。此外,综述了以半导体纳米材料/量子点作为光敏剂,金属铁络合物作为催化剂的非均相催化体系的研究进展。最后,对该领域未来的研究方向和所面临的挑战做出展望。     

新型多孔材料用作色谱手性固定相

手性固定相是色谱法分离分析手性化合物的关键。近年来,随着材料科学的迅速发展,越来越多的新型手性材料被作为色谱固定相用于手性分离分析。本文综述了近5年来液相色谱、气相色谱和毛细管电色谱领域的新型手性固定相的研究进展,重点总结了基于手性多孔材料的新型手性固定相研究,最后对手性固定相的研究进行了总结与展望。     

致癌性卤代醌类消毒副产物造成 DNA 损伤的分子机理研究

卤代醌是一类卤代芳烃类环境污染物的致癌中间体,也是在饮用水中新发现的氯化消毒副产物。我们最近发现卤代醌和 H₂O₂ 或有机氢过氧化物体系可以不依赖过渡金属离子,而产生高活性的羟基/烷氧自由基和醌氧/醌碳自由基。目前尚不清楚这些卤代醌类致癌物和氢过氧化物共存能否诱导 DNA 产生氧化损伤和修饰,以及其潜在的分子机制是什么。我们的研究发现 DNA 在四氯-1,4-苯醌/H₂O₂体系中可被氧化产生 8-氧脱氧鸟苷、DNA 链断裂和三种甲基氧化产物,这些反应不依赖过渡金属离子,且由于卤代醌与 DNA 的嵌入作用而导致其氧化作用增强。其他卤代醌也观察到了类似的现象,而且通常比经典的 Fenton 体系更有效。我们进一步将研究从纯化的 DNA 扩展到了活细胞的基因组 DNA。同时还发现卤代醌和有机氢过氧化物(如叔丁基过氧化氢或在正常生理条件下产生的 13S-过氧羟基-9Z,11E-十八碳二烯酸(13-HPODE))共存时,可通过独特的醌氧自由基介导机制诱导 DNA 氧化生成致突变性更强的咪唑啉酮类产物 dIz。这些发现为解释普遍存在的卤代醌类致癌中间体和消毒副产物的潜在基因毒性、致突变性和致癌性提供了新思路。     

Preparation and Electrochemical Performance of Three-Dimensional Vertically Aligned Graphene by Unidirectional Freezing Method

Three-dimensional vertically aligned graphene (3DVAG) was prepared by a unidirectional freezing method, and its electrochemical performances were evaluated as electrode materials for zinc−ion hybrid supercapacitors (ZHSCs). The prepared 3DVAG has a vertically ordered channel structure with a diameter of about 20−30 μm and a length stretching about hundreds of microns. Compared with the random structure of reduced graphene oxide (3DrGO), the vertical structure of 3DVAG in a three−electrode system showed higher specific capacitance, faster ion diffusion, and better rate performance. The specific capacitance of 3DVAG reached 66.6 F·g⁻¹ and the rate performance reached 92.2%. The constructed 3DVAG zinc−ion hybrid supercapacitor also showed excellent electrochemical performance. It showed good capacitance retention up to 94.6% after 3000 cycles at the current density of 2 A·g⁻¹.     

Discovery of Novel Pleuromutilin Derivatives as Potent Antibacterial Agents for the Treatment of MRSA Infection

A series of novel pleuromutilin derivatives containing nitrogen groups on the side chain of C14 were synthesized under mild conditions. Most of the synthesized derivatives displayed potent antibacterial activities. Compound 9 was found to be the most active antibacterial derivative against MRSA (MIC = 0.06 μg/mL). Furthermore, the result of time-kill curves showed that compound 9 had a certain inhibitory effect against MRSA in vitro. Moreover, according to a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) study, compound 9 (K_D = 1.77 × 10⁻⁸ M) showed stronger affinity to the 50S ribosome than tiamulin (K_D = 2.50 × 10⁻⁸ M). The antibacterial activity of compound 9 was further evaluated in an MRSA-infected murine thigh model. Compared to the negative control group, tiamulin reduced MRSA load (~0.7 log₁₀ CFU/mL), and compound 9 performed a treatment effect (~1.3 log₁₀ CFU/mL). In addition, compound 9 was evaluated in CYP450 inhibition assay and showed only moderate in vitro CYP3A4 inhibition (IC₅₀ = 2.92 μg/mL).     

Antiproliferation- and Apoptosis-Inducible Effects of a Novel Nitrated [6,6,6]Tricycle Derivative (SK2) on Oral Cancer Cells

The benzo-fused dioxabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane core is the central framework in several natural products. Using this core, we had developed a novel nitrated [6,6,6]tricycle-derived compound containing an n-butyloxy group, namely, SK2. The anticancer potential of SK2 was not assessed. This study aimed to determine the antiproliferative function and investigated possible mechanisms of SK2 acting on oral cancer cells. SK2 preferentially killed oral cancer cells but caused no harmful effect on non-malignant oral cells. After the SK2 exposure of oral cancer cells, cells in the sub-G1 phase accumulated. This apoptosis-like outcome of SK2 treatment was validated to be apoptosis via observing an increasing annexin V population. Mechanistically, apoptosis signalers such as pancaspase, caspases 8, caspase 9, and caspase 3 were activated by SK2 in oral cancer cells. SK2 induced oxidative-stress-associated changes. Furthermore, SK2 caused DNA damage (γH2AX and 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine). In conclusion, a novel nitrated [6,6,6]tricycle-derived compound, SK2, exhibits a preferential antiproliferative effect on oral cancer cells, accompanied by apoptosis, oxidative stress, and DNA damage.     

Indole-Based Tubulin Inhibitors: Binding Modes and SARs Investigations

Tubulin inhibitors can interfere with normal cell mitosis and inhibit cell proliferation through interfering with the normal structure and function of microtubules, forming spindle filaments. Indole, as a privileged pharmacological skeleton, has been widely used in anti-cancer inhibitors. A variety of alkaloids containing an indole core obtained from natural sources have been proven to inhibit tubulin polymerization, and an ever-increasing number of synthetic indole-based tubulin inhibitors have been reported. Among these, several kinds of indole-based derivatives, such as TMP analogues, aroylindoles, arylthioindoles, fused indole, carbazoles, azacarbolines, alkaloid nortopsentin analogues and bis-indole derivatives, have shown good inhibition activities towards tubulin polymerization. The binding modes and SARs investigations of synthetic indole derivatives, along with a brief mechanism on their anti-tubulin activity, are presented in this review.     

Modified Burgers-Reimschuessel model for moisture-sensitive polymers

Viscoelastic properties of moisture-sensitive polymers can be significantly affected by moisture in the ambient environment, resulting in drastic changes in the properties as the absorbed moisture content increases. In this article, a simple yet important modification to the Reimschuessel model is introduced by considering both plasticization and anti-plasticization induced by water molecules. The proposed model is validated against the results of four different polymers obtained by Onogi et al., which demonstrates its capability of describing the available data. This model can be used to estimate the performance and service life of products produced using moisture-sensitive polymers. It also reveals that small amounts of diffused moisture might have a stiffening effect on the mechanical properties of hydrophilic polymers.