Biodegradable Cellulose Block Copolymers

Biodegradable polymers can be prepared by the incorporation of cellulose oligomeric blocks into the polymer backbone. Block copolymers prepared by reacting equimolar amounts of depolymerized cellulose triacetate (CTA) with MDI or TDI and block terpolymers prepared by reacting the CTA oligomer with poly (propylene glycol) capped with MDI or TDI were deacetylated and incubated with cellulysin at pH 5 and 50 °C. The intrinsic viscosity of each copolymer decreased substantially even after 10 hr incubation time. There was negligible acid hydrolysis. Cellulose showed a smaller decrease at the same incubation time-probably due to its lower accessibility. Methods for incorporating cellulose oligomeric blocks and other biodegradable blocks into different types of polymers are discussed.     

Site‐specific reversible immobilization and purification of His‐tagged protein on poly(2‐acetamidoacrylic acid) hydrogel beads

Ni²⁺‐complexed poly(2‐acetamidoacrylic acid) (PAAA) hydrogel beads were developed for the site‐specific reversible immobilization and purification of the histidine‐tagged green fluorescent protein (His‐tagged GFP). PAAA hydrogel beads were prepared by photopolymerization, and significantly improved mechanical properties of PAAA hydrogel beads were observed in comparison with PAAA hydrogel from our previous study. Confocal laser scanning microscopy was used to determine the binding of His‐tagged GFP to the hydrogel beads in three‐dimensional space. Photoluminescence spectroscopy revealed 89% of binding efficiency of His‐tagged GFP to the Ni²⁺‐PAAA hydrogel beads, 51% of yielding recovery. The maximum binding capacity of His‐tagged GFP was estimated to be 0.45 µg/mg of Ni²⁺‐PAAA hydrogel beads. The recombinant His‐tagged GFP from the soluble fraction of E. coli BL21(DE3) cell lysates was purified with Ni²⁺‐PAAA hydrogel beads. The major advantage of the Ni²⁺‐PAAA hydrogel beads system was simple preparation procedures of producing the matrix, because PAAA hydrogel beads had relatively enhanced mechanical strength than soft hydrogels. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Controlled Activity Polymers. IV. Copolymers of 2-(1-Naphthylacetyl)Ethyl Acrylate With Hydrophilic Comonomers: Synthesis and Characterization

2-(1-Naphthylacetyl)ethyl acrylate (NAEA) was synthesized by esterification of 1-naphthylacetic acid (NAA) and 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate (HEA) and then polymerized to obtain the polymer-bound auxin NAA. The resulting polymer is potentially useful as a plant growth regulator through hydrolytic release of NAA. Copolymers of NAEA with hydrophilic comonomers were prepared by solution polymerization. The copolymer compositions were determined from elemental analysis, ¹³C-NMR, and UV spectroscopy. The copolymer microstructure was predicted from the reactivity ratios in order to investigate the influence on the behavior of controlled release. These model structures will be utilized for assessment of structure/hydrolysis relationships in a subsequent paper.     

Cytotoxic 5‐Hydroxyindole Alkaloids from the Marine Sponge Scalarispongia sp.

Three new 5‐hydroxyindole alkaloids ( 1 , 2 , 3 ) along with seven known analogs ( 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ) were isolated from a Dokdo marine sponge Scalarispongia sp. The elucidation of the structures of the new compounds by spectroscopic analyses indicated that these compounds were an indole glyoxylate ( 1 ), a mono‐indole analog of hyrtinadine A ( 2 ), and a symmetrical bis‐indole with pyridine linker ( 3 ). The comparison of IC₅₀ values for obtained compounds against a human leukemia cell line revealed that the bis‐indole structure is a requirement for cytotoxicity.     

Microwave‐Assisted Solid‐Phase Synthesis of a 1,2‐Disubstituted Benzimidazole Library by Using a Phosphonium Linker

An efficient and rapid microwave‐assisted solid‐phase method for the synthesis of 5‐methyl‐1,2‐disubstituted benzimidazoles derivatives has been developed. The phosphonium linker, obtained by reaction between polymer‐supported triphenylphosphine and 4‐fluoro‐3‐nitrobenzyl iodide, underwent aromatic substitution with primary amines, followed by one‐pot reaction with aldehydes in the presence of SnCl₂·2H₂O, yielded the benzimidazole system under microwave irradiation. The final products were released from the resin with NaOH under microwave irradiation and were obtained in high purity and good overall yield.     

High‐energy collision‐induced dissociation of [M+Na]+ ions desorbed by fast atom bombardment of ceramides isolated from the starfish Distolasterias nipon

Ten ceramides and four cerebrosides were extracted from the starfish Distolasterias nipon by solvent extraction, silica gel column chromatography and reversed‐phase high‐performance liquid chromatography. Structural identification was conducted using tandem mass spectrometry of monosodiated ions desorbed by fast atom bombardment. The complete structures of four cerebrosides were determined by a previously reported method. The high‐energy collision‐induced dissociation (CID) spectral characteristics of ceramides with various structures depend on the number and positions of double bonds on both the N‐acyl and sphingoid chains, the presence of a hydroxyl group or a double bond at the C‐4 position of the sphingoid chain and the presence of an α‐hydroxy group on the N‐acyl chain. The high‐energy CID of the monosodiated ion, [M+Na]⁺, of each ceramide molecular species generated abundant ions, providing information on the composition of the fatty acyl chains and sphingoid long‐chain bases. Each homologous ion series along the fatty acyl group and aliphatic chain of the sphingoid base was used for locating the double‐bond positions of both chains and hydroxyl groups on the sphingoid base chain. The double‐bond positions were also confirmed by the m/z values of abundant allylic even‐ and odd‐electron ions, and the intensity ratio of the T ion peak relative to the O ion peak. This technique could determine the complete structures of ceramides and cerebrosides in an extract mixture and has great potential for determining other sphingolipids isolated from various biological sources. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Separation of five oligostilbenes from Vitis amurensis by flow‐rate gradient high‐performance counter‐current chromatography

A rapid and efficient high‐performance counter‐current chromatography (HPCCC) method was developed to separate five oligostilbenes from the roots of Vitis amurensis. An n‐hexane/ethyl acetate/methanol/water system (4:8:4:10, v/v/v/v) was selected as an optimal two‐phase solvent system of which the upper phase was used as the stationary phase and the lower phase was used as the mobile one. Partition coefficient values for the target compounds under these optimized conditions were 0.28 ( 1 , ampleosin A), 7.12 ( 2 , (+)‐g‐viniferin), 2.26 ( 3 , vitisin A), 5.38 ( 4 , wilsonol C), and 11.23 ( 5 , vitisin B). Flow‐rate gradient HPCCC (4 mL/min in 0–70 min, 8 mL/min in 70–250 min) was applied to isolate the target compounds in as high purity as possible within the shortest possible run time. Under these conditions, ampelopsin A (12.1 mg), (+)‐g‐viniferin (10.4 mg), vitisin A (2.8 mg), wilsonol C (3.2 mg), and vitisin B (37 mg) were isolated with >95% purity from 150 mg of enriched oligostilbene extract. Although the K_D of the last eluted compound, vitisin B (K_D = 11.23), was relatively large, it was eluted in 115–145 min using the two‐phase solvent system. This study shows that HPCCC is an efficient tool for the isolation and purification of natural products.