Thapsigargin,constitution of a sesquiterpene lactone histamine liberator from thapsia garganica

The major skin irritating constituent of the root of Thapsia garganica L. has been shown to be a hexaoxygenated-C₆-guaianolide esterificated with four carboxylic acids.     

Comparison of chromatographic ion-exchange resins. III. Strong cation-exchange resins

A comparative study was performed on strong cation-exchangers to investigate the pH dependence, efficiency, binding strength, particle size distribution, static and dynamic capacity, and SEM pictures of chromatographic resins. The resins tested included: SP Sepharose XL, Poros 50 HS, Toyopearl SP 550c, SP Sepharose BB, Source 30S, TSKGel SP-5PW-HR20, and Toyopearl SP 650c. Testing was performed with four different proteins: anti-FVII Mab (IgG), aprotinin, lysozyme, and myoglobin. Dependence of pH on retention was generally very low for proteins with high pI. An unexpected binding at pH 7.5 of anti-FVII Mab with pI < 7.5 was observed on several resins. Efficiency results show the expected trend of higher dependence of the plate height with increasing flow rate of soft resins compared to resins for medium and high-pressure operation. Determination of particle size distribution by two independent methods, Coulter counting and SEM, was in very good agreement. The mono-dispersed nature of Source 30S was confirmed. Binding to cation-exchange resins as a function of ionic strength varies depending on the specific protein. Generally, binding and elution at high salt concentration may be performed with Toyopearl SP 550c and Poros 50 HS, while binding and elution at low salt concentration may be performed with Toyopearl SP 650c. A very high binding capacity was obtained with SP Sepharose XL. Comparison of static capacity and dynamic capacity at 10% break-through shows in general approximately 50-80% utilisation of the total available capacity during chromatographic operation. A general good agreement was obtained between this study and data obtained by others. The results of this study may be used for selection of resins for testing in process development. The validity of experiments and results with model proteins were tested using human insulin precursor in pure state and in real feed-stock on Toyopearl SP 550c, SP Sepharose BB, and Toyopearl SP 650c. Results showed good agreement with experiments with model proteins.     

Identification of the species formed in the Fe/MgO system: A Raman and Mössbauer study

A set of samples of Fe/MgO, in the concentration range between 1.5 and 9 wt% of Fe, was prepared by the impregnation method and then calcined at 1073 K. All of them were characterized by XRD and Raman and Mössbauer spectroscopies. The data obtained show that the solids are made up of MgFeO₄ nanoclusters and Fe³⁺ ions dispersed in the MgO matrix. The size of the clusters and the amounts of each phase were calculated using the XRD and Mössbauer data.     

The complete 51V MAS NMR spectrum of surface vanadia nanoparticles on anatase (TiO2): vanadia surface structure of a DeNOx catalyst

The first observations of the complete manifold of spinning sidebands (ssbs) including both the central and satellite transitions in (51)V MAS NMR spectra of surface vanadia nanoparticles on titania in DeNO(x) catalysts are presented. (51)V quadrupole coupling and chemical shift anisotropy parameters for the dominating vanadia structure are determined from (51)V MAS NMR spectra recorded at 9.4 and 14.1 T. Based on correlations previously established between (51)V NMR parameters and crystal structure data for inorganic vanadates, the NMR data are consistent with vanadium in a distorted octahedral oxygen coordination environment for the so-called strongly bonded vanadia species on the surface. The investigation includes two vanadia-titania model catalysts and six industrial-type DeNO(x) catalysts.     

An online nano‐LC‐ESI‐FTICR‐MS method for comprehensive characterization of endogenous fragments from amyloid β and amyloid precursor protein in human and cat cerebrospinal fluid

Amyloid precursor protein (APP) is the precursor protein to amyloid β (Aβ), the main constituent of senile plaques in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Endogenous Aβ peptides reflect the APP processing, and greater knowledge of different APP degradation pathways is important to understand the mechanism underlying AD pathology. When one analyzes longer Aβ peptides by low‐energy collision‐induced dissociation tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS), mainly long b‐fragments are observed, limiting the possibility to determine variations such as amino acid variants or post‐translational modifications (PTMs) within the N‐terminal half of the peptide. However, by using electron capture dissociation (ECD), we obtained a more comprehensive sequence coverage for several APP/Aβ peptide species, thus enabling a deeper characterization of possible variants and PTMs. Abnormal APP/Aβ processing has also been described in the lysosomal storage disease Niemann–Pick type C and the major large animal used for studying this disease is cat. By ECD MS/MS, a substitution of Asp7 → Glu in cat Aβ was identified. Further, sialylated core 1 like O‐glycans at Tyr10, recently discovered in human Aβ (a previously unknown glycosylation type), were identified also in cat cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). It is therefore likely that this unusual type of glycosylation is common for (at least) species belonging to the magnorder Boreoeutheria. We here describe a detailed characterization of endogenous APP/Aβ peptide species in CSF by using an online top‐down MS‐based method. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Component reconstruction in the primary space of spectra and concentrations. Alternating regression and related direct methods

A set of methods that extract the spectral components in a chromatographic run is considered. The methods do not need libraries of previously known spectra or retention times. The methods have been developed for two-dimensional spectra but they can also be used for chromatographic analyses with a single-channel detector. The methods are direct; they do not use principal components as the starting point. Alternating regression (AR) remains in the primary space of spectra and concentrations during the calculations. Random numbers are used as the starting spectra. Regression is used to solve first for the concentrations, then for the spectra. The method uses two kinds of constraints: all spectra and concentrations are forced to be positive; and all concentration profiles are forced to a unimodal shape with a single local maximum. It is assumed that all observations are a linear sum of components. Compact alternating regression (CAR) is a new variant of the basic AR. The idea is to replace multiplication of a large matrix by two multiplications of smaller matrices. This typically speeds up the iterations by a factor of ten. AR and CAR have been successfully used with combined techniques such as gas chromatography—mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography with UV—visible detection. The reliability of the solution is checked by repeatedly injecting noise and performing the analysis several times. This produces estimates of confidence intervals. AR and CAR have recently been extended to handle single-dimensional signals. Examples are single-channel detectors such as the flame ionization detector in gas or liquid chromatography with a fixed-wavelength UV detector. A batch of samples is used as the observation matrix. As a result, one obtains both the concentrations and the elution shapes of individual chromatographic peaks.     

High performance ion exchange chromatography of human plasma lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase

Highly purified monomeric human plasma lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT), completely free of apolipoprotein D, has been chromatographed on a MonoQ HR 5/5 anion exchanger. LCAT eluted as symmetrical peaks after 12.8 min and 14.8 min at pH 5.0 and pH 6.0, respectively, using a linear NaCl gradient. The corresponding concentrations of NaCl effecting desorption of LCAT from the anion exchanger were 125 mM and 175 mM. At both pH values human serum albumin eluted earlier and was well separated from the enzyme. Rechromatography of LCAT in the eluates from these experiments at acid pH, on high performance gel filtration, demonstrated absence of aggregation. The nonspecific adsorption during anion exchange chromatography at pH 5.0 and pH 6.0 was negligible, as demonstrated by a linear relationship between injected amounts of LCAT and recorded peak areas for a 2-20 micrograms protein range. Zone immunoelectrophoresis assay indicated unaltered immunoreactivity of the eluted LCAT.     

Polypropylene/organoclay nanocomposites compatibilized with hydroxyl‐functional polypropylenes

The properties of polypropylene composites can be tailored through the use of nanoclay fillers. The effectiveness of a metallocene‐catalyzed hydroxyl‐functional polypropylene in the compatibilization of polypropylene layered nanosilicate composites was studied, and the results were compared with those for a commercial maleic anhydride functionalized polypropylene. Polypropylene/organoclay nanocomposites were prepared by melt blending, and two polypropylene/compatibilizer/organoclay ratios, 90/5/5 and 70/20/10, were characterized. The organomodification of the clay was carried out with octadecylamine and N‐methylundecenylamine. The structure of the layered silicate was studied by transmission electron microscopy, wide‐angle X‐ray scattering, and small‐angle X‐ray scattering. The fracture surfaces of the composites and thus the efficiency of the compatibilizers to penetrate the galleries of the organoclays were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, and the melt viscosity was studied by stress‐controlled rotational rheometry. The nanostructure was observed with both alkyl amines used for intercalation. The fillers facilitated the processability of all the composites, consisting of equal amounts of compatibilizer and organoclay filler and, in some of the composites, containing twice as much compatibilizer as organoclay filler. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 1892–1903, 2005