Poly(Methyl Methacrylate) as a matrix for immobilization of lipase

Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) was found to be suitable for the immobilization of lipase fromCandida rugosa. The best result based on hydrolytic activity was obtained by adsorption of the purified unbuffered enzyme solution onto PMMA beads without any modification of the beads. Prolonged exposure of the protein to the beads increased its adsorption but the expressed activity decreased after 1 h of exposure. The magnitude of the immobilized activity also varied with the size of the beads. Immobilization of the lipase shifted its optimal reaction temperature from 37 to 45°C. The immobilized enzyme is also more stable than the free enzyme in solution. The operational half-life of the immobilized lipase packed in a column and assayed in a closed system is 40 d.     

Versatile and facile synthesis of diverse semisynthetic tetracycline derivatives via Pd-catalyzed reactions

A diverse collection of tetracycline derivatives has been synthesized utilizing Heck, Suzuki, and other palladium-coupling reactions via tetracycline arenediazonium and iodoarene salts. Large numbers of tetracyclines are now possible via these reactions, including numerous upper periphery derivatives of doxycycline, minocycline, sancycline, and methacycline modified at positions C7, C9, and C6-C13 on the tetracycline naphthacene ring. Application of palladium-coupling reactions to the tetracyclines has yielded new tetracycline classes with differing structural attributes, greatly increasing the structural diversity of this family of antibiotics, one of the last of the early antibiotic families to be expanded by organic and medicinal chemistry.     

Multicomponent access to novel proline/cyclized cysteine tethered monastrol conjugates as potential anticancer agents

The versatility of multicomponent Biginelli’s reaction is exploited in the development of proline and cyclized cysteine tethered conjugates of monastrol, a kinesin Eg5 inhibitor. Ten new conjugates are synthesized focusing on structural replacement of the ester moiety (C-5 position) of the monastrol backbone with amino acid based amide moieties. On cytotoxic evaluation, conjugate 24 has shown promising in vitro cytotoxic activity against leukemia. Molecular docking studies revealed that the conjugates 19 and 24 exhibit better interaction at kinesin Eg5 receptor compared to monastrol. Moreover, computational calculations and predictions of important molecular properties suggest that these new amino acid based conjugates could be further improved to provide potential anticancer agents.     

The potential of serially coupled alkyl-bonded silica monolithic columns for high resolution separations of pharmaceutical compounds in biological fluids

Summary In this paper we investigate the potential of alkyl-bonded silica monolithic columns for the isolation and identification of drug-related components in biological fluids. Up to 6 columns have been connected in series to produce a chromatographic system with up to 40,000 plates. This high-resolution chromatography system has been coupled to both MS and NMR to enable efficient detection and characterisation of drug-related components in biological fluids. The use of six coupled columns has been shown to give enhanced resolution over a high quality silica particulate column packed with 3 μm material which exhibits the same back pressure. The effect of volume and mass load on the performance of monolithic columns for semi-preparative chromatography of biological fluids has also been investigated. In these studies it was possible to inject up to 100 mL of neat urine with no loss of chromatographic performance. Furthermore, upon re-testing, the columns showed similar chromatographic performance. Again several columns were serially connected, producing enhanced resolution in the semi-preparative mode.     

Studies in azide chemistry. Part 13 [1]. Intermolecular insertion of azide-derived polyfluorinated aryl- and heteroaryl-nitrenes into ring CH bonds of 1,3, 5-trimethyl- and 1,3,5-trimethoxy-benzene

Thermolysis of perfluoroazidobenzene, perfluoro-4- azidotoluene, perfluoro-4-azidopyridine, 4-azido-3- chlorotrifluoropyridine, and 4-azido-3, 5-dichlorodifluoropyridine (Ar_FN₃) in the presence of a large excess ($\text{ca}$. 10 molar) of 1,3,5-trimethyl- or 1,3,5-trimethoxy-benzene (ArH) gave the diarylamines expected from nitrene ‘insertions’ at nuclear CH bonds (Ar_FN₃ + ArH→Ar_FNHAr + N₂); product yields in the cases of the perfluorinated azides are the highest ever recorded for this type of reaction. By contrast, no recognisable products were obtained when either perfluoro-(2-azido-4-isopropylpyridine) or 2-azido- 4-chlorotrifluoropyridine were decomposed thermally in 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene.     

Th,U and trace elements determination in Egyiptian Lake sediments by INAA and laser fluorimetry

A study was undertaken to determine element concentrations in Aswan High Dam Lake sediments. Sediment samples were collected from 40 to 500 km upstream of the dam to follow the sedimentation process and the distribution of Th, U and the trace elements in the lake. INAA was applied for the determination of Sm, Ce, Lu, Th, Cr, Yb, Au, Hf, Ba, Nd, Cs, Tb, Sc, Rb, Fe, Zn, Co, Eu, and Sb, while Laser Fluorimetry was applied for U determination. The accuracy and the reproducibility of the techniques were tested with IAEA standard materials (SL, Soil-7). The U values ranged from 4 ppm to 18 ppm, Th values were between 2 and 10 ppm, and showed a very good correlation with the rare earth elements and Fe. The distribution of most of the elements in the lake follows the same trend as the distribution of the clays in the sediments. Ba showed a negative correlation with most of the elements under investigation.Paper presented at the 3th International Conf. on Nuclear and Radiochemistry (NRC-3), Vienna, 1992.     

Anti-angiogenic activity of Morinda citrifolia extracts and its chemical constituents

Morinda citrifolia L. has been used for the treatment of a wide variety of diseases, including cancer. This study was undertaken to evaluate the anti-angiogenic effect of M. citrifolia fruits and leaves. Anti-angiogenic activity was evaluated in?vivo using the chick chorioallantoic membrane assay. Bioactivity-guided fractionation and isolation were performed to identify the active constituent, and high-performance liquid chromatography analysis was then used to quantify the amount of this active constituent in the active extracts and fraction. The methanol extracts of fruits and leaves of M. citrifolia and the subsequent chloroform fraction of the fruit methanolic extract were found to have potential anti-angiogenic activity and were more potent compared to suramin. Scopoletin was identified as one of the chemical constituents that may be partly responsible for the anti-angiogenic activity of M. citrifolia fruits. The present findings further support the use of M. citrifolia in cancer or other pathological conditions related to angiogenesis.     

Synthesis and biological evaluation of thiophene derivatives as acetylcholinesterase inhibitors

A series of new thiophene derivatives has been synthesized using the Gewald protocol. The acetylcholinesterase inhibition activity was assayed according to Ellman's method using donepezil as reference. Some of the compounds were found to be more potent inhibitors than the reference. 2-(2-(4-(4-Methoxyphenyl)piperazin-1-yl)acetamido)-4,5,6,7-tetrahydrobenzo[b]thiophene-3-carboxamide (IIId) showed 60% inhibition, compared to only 40% inhibition by donepezil.     

Design and Synthesis of Imidazole and Triazole Pyrazoles as Mycobacterium Tuberculosis CYP121A1 Inhibitors

The emergence of untreatable drug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a major public health problem worldwide, and the identification of new efficient treatments is urgently needed. Mycobacterium tuberculosis cytochrome P450 CYP121A1 is a promising drug target for the treatment of tuberculosis owing to its essential role in mycobacterial growth. Using a rational approach, which includes molecular modelling studies, three series of azole pyrazole derivatives were designed through two synthetic pathways. The synthesized compounds were biologically evaluated for their inhibitory activity towards M. tuberculosis and their protein binding affinity (K_D). Series 3 biarylpyrazole imidazole derivatives were the most effective with the isobutyl ( 10 f ) and tert-butyl ( 10 g ) compounds displaying optimal activity (MIC 1.562 μg/mL, K_D 0.22 μM ( 10 f ) and 4.81 μM ( 10 g )). The spectroscopic data showed that all the synthesised compounds produced a type II red shift of the heme Soret band indicating either direct binding to heme iron or (where less extensive Soret shifts are observed) putative indirect binding via an interstitial water molecule. Evaluation of biological and physicochemical properties identified the following as requirements for activity: LogP >4, H-bond acceptors/H-bond donors 4/0, number of rotatable bonds 5–6, molecular volume >340 ų, topological polar surface area <40 Ų.     

Simultaneous spectrophotometric and liquid chromatographic determination of dextromethorphan hydrobromide,phenylephrine hydrochloride,and carbinoxamine maleate in pharmaceutical preparations

Simultaneous determination of dextromethorphan hydrobromide (DEX), phenylephrine hydrochloride (PHEN), and carbinoxamine maleate (CAR) in pharmaceutical preparations was performed by using liquid chromatograpy (LC) and spectrophotometry. In LC, the separation was achieved on a C18 column and the optimal mobile phase for satisfactory separation in a gradient elution program was found to be acetonitrile-sodium perchlorate solution (5: 95, v/v) initially, then a linear gradient up to 60% acetonitrile in 8 min. In spectrophotometric method, a chemometric technique, principal component regression (PCR), was used. In the method, the absorbance data matrix corresponding to the concentration data matrix was obtained by the measurement of absorbances in their zero order spectra by Δλ = 1 nm in the 210–300 nm range. Then, the calibration was obtained by using this data matrix for the prediction of unknown concentrations of DEX, PHEN, and CAR in their ternary mixture. The methods proposed were validated and successfully applied to a pharmaceutical preparation, capsule, and the results were compared.