Determination of sulfite in Oriental herbal medicines

Sulfite was detected in 7 varieties of Oriental herbal medicines (Pueraria radix, Zingiberis rhizoma, Platycodon radix, Adenophora radix, Pinellia tuber, Astragalus radix, and Paeonia radix) on the Korean market. Sulfiting of commercial Oriental herbal medicines by fumigation with burning bituminous coal was simulated, and the accumulation of sulfite was investigated by using fresh Platycodon radix roots obtained from a growing field. The sulfite level reached a plateau in 9 h, and the maximum sulfite level found by the Monier-Williams (MW) method (AOAC 990.28) was 1020 ppm. The sulfite content in the simulated Platycodon radix sample determined by alkali extraction followed by ion-exclusion chromatography with electrochemical detection (AOAC 990.31) was approximately 17% lower on average than the MW results. Free-sulfite levels determined by acid extraction and ion-exclusion chromatography with electrochemical detection were between 19 and 49% of the MW results. The advantages of different methods for sulfite determination and the significance of the results are discussed.     

Filler-elastomer interactions: influence of silane coupling agent on crosslink density and thermal stability of silica/rubber composites

In this work, the crosslink density and thermal stability of the silica/rubber composites treated by silane coupling agents, i.e., gamma-aminopropyl triethoxysilane (APS), gamma-chloropropyl trimethoxysilane (CPS), and gamma-methacryloxypropyl trimethoxysilane (MPS), were investigated. The chemical structures of modified silicas were studied in term of solid-state 29Si NMR spectroscopy. The crosslink density of the composites was determined by swelling measurement. The development of organic functional groups on silica surfaces treated by coupling agents led to an increase in the crosslink density of the composites, resulting in increasing final thermal stability of the composites. The composites treated by MPS showed the superior crosslink density and thermal stability in these systems. The results could be explained by the fact that the organic functional groups of silica surfaces by silane surface treatments led to an increase of the adhesion at interfaces between silicas and the rubber matrix.     

Dynamics of a triphenylene discotic molecule,HAT6, in the columnar and isotropic liquid phases

Discotic molecules have planar, disklike polyaromatic cores that can self-assemble into "molecular wires". Highly anisotropic charge transfer along the wires arises when there is sufficient intermolecular overlap of the pi-orbitals of the molecular cores. Discotic materials can be applied in molecular electronics, field-effect transistors, and-recently with record quantum efficiencies-photovoltaics (Schmidt-Mende, L.; Fechtenk?tter, A.; Müllen, K.; Moons, E.; Frien, R. H.; MacKenzie, J. D. Science 2001, 293, 1119). A combination of quasielastic neutron scattering (QENS) measurements with molecular dynamics simulations on the discotic molecule hexakis(n-hexyloxy)triphenylene (HAT6) shows that the dynamics of the cores and tails of discotic molecules are strongly correlated. Core and tail dynamics are not separated, the system being characterized by overall in-plane motion, on a time scale of 0.2 ps, and softer out-of-plane motions at 7 ps. Because charge transfer between the molecules is on similar time scales, these motions are relevant for the conducting properties of the materials. Both types of motion are dominated by van der Waals interactions. Small-amplitude in-plane motions in which the disks move over each other are almost entirely determined by tail/tail interactions, these also playing an important role in the out-of-plane motion. The QENS measurements reveal that these motions are little changed by passing from the columnar phase to the isotropic liquid phase, just above the clearing temperature. The model of four HAT6 molecules in a column reproduces the measured QENS spectrum of the liquid phase, suggesting that correlations persist within the liquid phase over about this number of disks.     

The synthesis and the molecular structure of hexakis(carbonyl)hexafluoroantimonato(V)tungsten(II) undecafluorodiantimonate(V), [W(CO)6(FSbF5)][Sb2F11

The reaction of tungsten hexacarbonyl, W(CO)6, with antimony(V) fluoride, SbF5, in the conjugate Br?nsted-Lewis superacid HF-SbF5 at 40 degrees C produces quantitatively the salt [W(CO)6(FSbF5)][Sb2F11] as the main product. The observed 2e- oxidation without any loss of CO is unprecedented. The cation [W(CO)6(FSbF5)]+ is seven coordinated with a distorted C2v capped trigonal prismatic structure. [W(CO)6(FSbF5)][Sb2F11] crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P21 (No. 4). a = 8.2051(12) A, b = 16.511(3) A, c = 8.1432(2) A, beta = 111.5967(6) degrees, V = 1025.8(2) A3, Z = 2. Number of reflections measured = 9112, unique 4410. Residuals on F, I > 3 sigma (I): R (Rw) = 0.023 (0.023). In the [W(CO)6(FSbF5)]+ cation the FSbF5 group is very tightly coordinated to tungsten with the bridging fluorine nearly equidistant from W and Sb. The details of the molecular structure are compared to those to polymeric [[Mo(CO)4]2(cis-mu-F2SbF4)3]x[Sb2F11]x reported by us very recently.     

Ion-Bearing Propellers: Alkali Metal Complexes of Tris(2-alkoxyphenyl)amine Ionophores

NMR spectroscopic studies reveal that binding of Na(+) by tris(2-methoxyphenyl)amine (3) brings two of these tripod ethers together about the metal ion; the related double-tripod-ether ionophore 1,2-bis[2-(bis(2-methoxyphenyl)amino)phenoxy]ethane (4), in which two triarylamines are covalently attached, binds LiI, LiBPh(4), NaI, NaBPh(4), and KB(4-ClPh)(4). Dynamic NMR puts lower limits on binding free energies of 4 for Na(+) (71.8 kJ mol(-)(1)) and K(+) (66.8 kJ mol(-)(1)) ions. X-ray studies of 3(2).NaBPh(4), 4.NaBPh(4), 4.NaB(4-ClPh)(4), and 4.KB(4-ClPh)(4).CH(3)NO(2) show eight-coordinate M(+) ions bound between crystallographically independent, homochiral triarylamine tripod ethers in structures reminiscent of alkali metal [2.2.2] cryptates. Complexes crystallize as follows: 3(2).NaBPh(4), monoclinic, P2(1)/c, Z = 4, a = 10.701(3) ?, b = 37.593(3) ?, c = 13.774(2) ?, and beta = 98.24(2) degrees; 4.NaBPh(4), triclinic, P&onemacr;, Z = 2, a = 12.157(1) ?, b = 14.811(1) ?, c = 15.860(2) ?, alpha = 105.400(8) degrees, beta = 91.594(9) degrees, and gamma = 95.354(8) degrees; 4.NaB(4-ClPh)(4), monoclinic, P2(1)/n, Z = 4, a = 13.652(5) ?, b = 18.75(1) ?, c = 22.805(5) ?, and beta = 92.21(5) degrees; 4.KB(4-ClPh)(4).CH(3)NO(2), monoclinic, Pn, Z = 2, a = 13.663(4) ?, b = 12.228(3) ?, c = 18.712(8) ?, and beta = 91.45(3) degrees. They show variable N-M-N angles; 3(2).NaBPh(4) is surprisingly bent ( angleN-Na-N = 154.5 degrees ), while the 4.M(+) complexes are normal: nearly linear for Na(+) ( angleN-Na-N = 178.6, 178.1 degrees ) and again bent with the larger K(+) ( angleN-K-N = 164.5 degrees ). Finally, free 4 is structurally similar to 3; it crystallizes in the triclinic space group P&onemacr;, with Z = 2, a = 8.068(1) ?, b = 14.599(2) ?, c = 16.475(3) ?, alpha = 115.43(1) degrees, beta = 92.51(1) degrees, and gamma = 90.40(1) degrees.     

Ultraviolet radiation, vitamin D and risk of prostate cancer and other diseases

Most common diseases appear to result from complex, poorly understood interactions between genetic and environmental factors. Relatively few factors have been unequivocally linked with disease risk or outcome. Evidence from various studies using different experimental approaches has been interpreted as showing that, apart from its harmful effects on the pathogenesis of the common skin cancers, ultraviolet radiation (UVR) may exert a beneficial effect on development of various internal cancers and other pathologies. This concept is supported by parallel studies showing that hypovitaminosis D is linked with increased risk of various diseases including insulin resistance and multiple sclerosis. These findings suggest that, first, host factors such as skin pigmentation that affect UVR-induced synthesis of vitamin D and, second, polymorphism in genes that mediate the effectiveness of vitamin D action are susceptibility candidates for a variety of diseases. Collectively, these data suggest the hypothesis that, via effects on vitamin D synthesis, UVR exposure has beneficial effects on susceptibility and outcome to a variety of complex diseases. We describe evidence from studies in various diseases, but mainly from prostate cancer patients, that supports this hypothesis, but we emphasize that, although supportive data are available, the concept is unproven. Indeed, other explanations are possible. However, given the potentially important public health implications of the hypothesis and the potential for the development of novel therapeutic modalities, we believe the concept is worthy of further investigation.     

Synthesis and Characterization of a New Quasi-One-Dimensional Copper(II) Phosphate, Ba(2)Cu(PO(4))(2)

Crystals of Ba(2)Cu(PO(4))(2) have been grown in a low-temperature eutectic flux of 32% KCl and 68% CuCl (mp = 140 degrees C). The X-ray single-crystal structure analysis shows that this barium copper(II) phosphate crystallizes in a monoclinic lattice with a = 12.160(4) ?, b = 5.133(4) ?, c = 6.885(4) ?, beta = 105.42(4) degrees, and V = 414.3(4) ?(3); C2/m (No. 12); Z = 2. The structure has been refined by the least-squares method to a final solution with R = 0.020, R(w) = 0.026, and GOF = 1.05. The framework of the title compound consists of [Cu(PO(4))(2)](infinity) linear chains with Ba(2+) cations residing between these parallel chains. The chains are composed of an array of Cu(2+) cations that are doubly bridged by PO(4) anions. Each pair of bridging PO(4) tetrahedra are in a staggered configuration above and below the CuO(4) square plane, resulting in a linear chain with a long Cu---Cu separation distance, 5.13 ? ( identical withb). This quasi-one-dimensional framework is unusual among the Cu(2+)-based phosphates. Magnetic susceptibility data shows Curie-Weiss paramagnetic behavior in the range of ca. 190-300 K and a possible antiferro-to-ferromagnetic transition at approximately 8 K. In this paper, the synthesis, structure, and properties of the title compound are presented. A structural comparison to a closely related vanadyl (VO)(2+) phosphate, Ba(2)(VO)(PO(4))(2).H(2)O, as well as Na(2)CuP(2)O(7) will be discussed.