Appraisal of the Antioxidant Activity,Polyphenolic Content,and Characterization of Selected Himalayan Herbs: Anti-Proliferative Potential in HepG2 Cells

Natural antioxidants derived from plants have played a vital role in preventing a wide range of human chronic conditions and provide novel bioactive leads for investigators in pharmacotherapy discovery. This work was designed to examine the ethnopharmacological role of Urtica dioica (UD), Capsella bursa-pastoris (CBP), and Inula racemosa (IR). The total phenolic and flavonoid contents (TPC and TFC) were illustrated through colorimetric assays, while the antioxidant activity was investigated through DPPH and ABTS assays. The evaluation of phytochemicals by FT-IR of UD and CBP revealed high contents of aliphatic amines, while IR showed a major peak for ketones. The antioxidant activity, TPC and TFC were highest in the ethanol extract of UD, followed by CBP, and IR showed the lowest activity. All of the extracts revealed significant antioxidant capacities along a dosage gradient. Through a HPLC analysis at a wavelength of 280 nm, UD leaves demonstrated an intense peak of quercetin, and the peak for rutin was less intense. CBP (whole plant), instead, demonstrated a major yield of rutin, and a peak for quercetin was not observed in CBP. IR (rhizomes) showed both quercetin and rutin. All of the extracts were significantly cytotoxic to HepG2 cells after 48 h with the trend IR > UD > CBP. The outcomes of this study may be effective in the selection of specific plants as realistic sources of the bioactive components that might be useful in the nutraceutical progression and other biomedical efficacies.     

Peptide‐poly(tert‐butyl methacrylate) conjugate into composite micelles in organic solvents versus peptide‐poly(methacrylic acid) conjugate into spherical and worm‐like micelles in water: Synthesis and self‐assembly

Peptide–polymer conjugates are versatile class of biomaterials composed of a peptide block covalently linked with a synthetic polymer block. This report demonstrates the synthesis of peptide‐poly(tert‐butyl methacrylate) (Peptide‐P^tBMA) conjugates of varying molecular weights via a “grafting from” atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) technique using as‐synthesized peptide‐based initiator in toluene. Peptide‐P^tBMA conjugate is soluble in many organic solvents and undergoes self‐assembly into micro/nanospheres in DMF/THF as observed from both FESEM and DLS results. The conjugate micro/nanospheres are nothing but the composite micelles formed by the secondary aggregation of primary micelles generated initially in these organic solvents. The hydrolysis of tert‐butyl groups of Peptide‐P^tBMA conjugate leads to the formation of peptide‐poly(methacrylic acid) (Peptide‐PMA) conjugate. The circular dichroism (CD) analysis exhibits the presence of β‐sheet conformation of peptide moiety in synthesized conjugates. The formed Peptide‐PMA conjugate is soluble in water and owing to its amphiphilic character, the conjugate molecules self‐assemble into spherical micelles as well as worm‐like micelles upon increasing the concentration of conjugate in water. However, the sodium salt of Peptide‐PMA conjugates (Peptide‐PMAS) self‐assembles into only spherical swollen micelles in water at higher (pH ～10). The critical aggregation concentrations (CACs) of both Peptide‐PMA and Peptide‐PMAS micelles are measured by fluorescence spectroscopy. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016 , 54, 3019–3031     

Influence of Carbon Black on Conductivity and Structure of Polyethylene Oxide Based Polymer Electrolyte Film

The potential applications of carbon black are expected to grow as science and technology improve offering up new possibilities for innovation throughout disciplines included in the field of energy storage. The present work shows the influence of carbon black to improve the ionic conductivity of the polymer electrolyte. The synthesis of polyethylene oxide: ammonium iodide based polymer electrolyte incorporated with carbon black varying from 0.01 to 0.06 wt% with respect to PEO: NH4I system by solution casting method. Different characterizations like polarized optical microscopy (POM), impedance spectroscopy, and ionic transference number (t_ion) are studied in detail. The maximum ionic conductivity is achieved at 0.05 wt% carbon black shows 1.20 × 10⁻⁵ S cm⁻¹ at ambient temperature. In accordance with POM data, the amorphous region has increased whereas the crystalline region has shrunk which further indicated the increase in ionic conductivity . The value of (t_ion) is calculated to be 0.97 which shows the system is ionic in nature. PEO based polymer electrolyte doped carbon black can be used for the fabrication of energy storage devices.     

Calorimetric studies on the thermal decomposition of tri n-butyl phosphate-nitric acid systems

Thermal decomposition of neat TBP, acid-solvates (TBP·1.1HNO₃, TBP·2.4HNO₃) (prepared by equilibrating neat TBP with 8 and 15.6?M nitric acid) with and without the presence of additives such as uranyl nitrate, sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite, mixtures of neat TBP and nitric acid of different acidities, 1.1?M TBP solutions in diluents such as n-dodecane (n-DD), n-octane and isooctane has been studied using an adiabatic calorimeter. Enthalpy change and the activation energy for the decomposition reaction derived from the calorimetric data wherever possible are reported in this article. Neat TBP was found to be stable up to 255?°C, whereas the acid-solvates TBP·1.1HNO₃ and TBP·2.4HNO₃ decomposed at 120 and 111?°C, respectively, with a decomposition enthalpy of ?495.8?±?10.9 and ?1115.5?±?8.2?kJ?mol^?1 of TBP. Activation energy and pre exponential factor derived from the calorimetric data for the decomposition of these acid-solvates were found be 108.8?±?3.7, 103.5?±?1.4?kJ?mol^?1 of TBP and 6.1?×?10¹⁰ and 5.6?×?10⁹?S^?1, respectively. The thermochemical parameters such as, the onset temperature, enthalpy of decomposition, activation energy and the pre-exponential factor were found to strongly depend on acid-solvate stoichiometry. Heat capacity (C _p ), of neat TBP and the acid-solvates (TBP·1.1HNO₃ and TBP·2.4HNO₃) were measured at constant pressure using heat flux type differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) in the temperature range 32?C67?°C. The values obtained at 32?°C for neat TBP, acid-solvates TBP·1.1HNO₃ and TBP·2.4HNO₃ are 1.8, 1.76 and 1.63?J?g^?1?K^?1, respectively. C _p of neat TBP, 1.82?J?g^?1?K^?1, was also measured at 27?°C using ??hot disk?? method and was found to agree well with the values obtained by DSC method.     

Synthesis and Structure of Unprecedented Samarium Complex with Bulky Bis‐iminopyrrolyl Ligand via Intramolecular C=N Bond Activation

An unprecedentate samarium complex of the molecular composition [{κ³‐{(Ph₂CH)N=CH}₂C₄H₂N)}{κ³‐{(Ph₂CHN=CH)(Ph₂CHNCH)C₄H₂N}Sm}₂] ( 2 ), which was isolated by the reaction of a potassium salt of 2,5‐bis{N‐(diphenylmethyl)‐iminomethyl}pyrrolyl ligand [K(THF)₂{(Ph₂CH)N=CH}₂C₄H₂N)] ( 1 ) with anhydrous samarium diiodide in THF at 60 °C through the in situ reduction of imine bond is presented. The homoleptic samarium complex [[κ³‐{(Ph₂CH)–N=CH}₂C₄H₂N)]₃Sm] ( 3 ) can also be obtained from the reaction of compound 1 with anhydrous samarium triiodide (SmI₃) in THF at 60 °C. The molecular structures of complexes 2 and 3 were established by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction analysis. The molecular structure of complex 2 reveals the formation of a C–C bond in the 2,5‐bis{N‐(diphenylmethyl)iminomethyl}pyrrole ligand moiety (Ph₂Py^–). However, complex 3 is a homoleptic samarium complex of three bis‐iminopyrrolyl ligands. In complex 2 , the samarium ion adopts an octahedral arrangement, whereas in complex 3 , a distorted three face‐centered trigonal prismatic mode of nine coordination is observed around the metal ion.     

Graft copolymers via combination of cationic polymerization and atom transfer radical polymerization and their phase separation into spherical/worm-like nanostructures

Poly(p-chloromethyl styrene)-graft-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PCMS-g-PMMA) and poly(p-chloromethyl styrene)-graft-poly(benzyl methacrylate) (PCMS-g-PBzMA) graft copolymers with asymmetric branches are synthesized via the combination of cationic polymerization and atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The process involves first, the preparation of poly(p-chloromethyl styrene) (PCMS-CH₂Cl) macroinitiator without any cross-linking or side reactions through pendant benzyl chloride (?CH₂Cl) functionality by cationic polymerization using a simple FeCl₃-based initiating system at 25 °C. The as-synthesized PCMS-CH₂Cl, without any transformation, is then used as the macroinitiator to graft PMMA and PBzMA branches by ATRP to produce PCMS-g-PMMA and PCMS-g-PBzMA graft copolymers of varying compositions with controlled molecular weight and moderately narrow polydispersities (M _w/M _n?≤?1.32). The resulting PCMS₂₁ -g-PMMA₂₃₂ graft copolymer in thin film form phase separates into spherical morphology with an average diameter of 170?±?72 nm. Whereas the PCMS₂₁ -g-PBzMA₁₅₆ graft copolymer gives worm-like nanostructures with an average length of 94 nm and width of 31 nm due to phase separation as visualized through atomic force microscopy. On the other hand, the phase-separated morphology is not very well-defined for other graft copolymers (PCMS₁₁₃ -g-PMMA₂₂₇ and PCMS₁₁₃ -g-PBzMA₁₅₄) thin films containing longer PCMS chains. This approach represents a rapid and convenient route to prepare unique spherical/worm-like polymer nanostructures. Figure

Well-defined poly(p-chloromethyl styrene)-graft-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PCMS-g-PMMA) and poly(p-chloromethyl styrene)-graft-poly(benzyl methacrylate) (PCMS-g-PBzMA) graft copolymers with asymmetric branches are synthesized by the combination of living cationic polymerization and atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The resulting PCMS₂₁ -g-PMMA₂₃₂ and PCMS₂₁ -g-PBzMA₁₅₆ graft copolymers phase separate into nanostructured spherical and worm-like morphologies, respectively, in thin film form. The phase-separated morphology is not very well-defined for graft copolymers (PCMS₁₁₃ -g-PMMA₂₂₇ and PCMS₁₁₃ -g-PBzMA₁₅₄) thin films containing longer PCMS chains.     

Synthesis,characterization, and solution behavior of well-defined double hydrophilic linear amphiphilic poly (N-isopropylacrylamide)-b-poly (ε-caprolactone)-b-poly (N-isopropylacrylamide) triblock copolymers

Well-defined linear dihydrophilic amphiphilic ABA-type triblock copolymers of ε-caprolactone (CL) and N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) have successfully been synthesized with a high yield by combining the ring opening polymerization (ROP) and xanthate-mediated reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization methods. The resulted block copolymer shows the formation of micelles in water as supported by light scattering. The critical micelle concentration (cmc) value of the micelle increases with the increase in the chain length of the poly (N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) block. Cloud point of the block copolymers decreases with the decrease in the PNIPAAm chain length. The TGA analysis shows a one-step degradation and a lower thermal stability of the triblock copolymer than the PNIPAAm. The DSC analysis of the triblock copolymer shows the lowering of glass transition temperature (T _g), and melting temperature (T _m) peaks possibly due to the partial miscibility of the poly (ε-caprolactone) (PCL) block with the amorphous PNIPAAm block through the interaction of ester groups of PCL with the amide groups of PNIPAAm. The XRD pattern of the triblock copolymer shows a broad peak due to the suppression of the crystallization of PCL block owing to the mixing of PNIPAAm block with the PCL block.