Composition and major odorous compounds of the essential oil of Bifora radians,an aldehyde-producing weed

The composition of the essential oil of Bifora radians, an aldehyde-producing weed, has been investigated by capillary gas chromatography, coupled gas chromatography – mass spectrometry, on-line catalytic hydrogenation and coupled gas chromatography – infrared spectrometry. The nineteen compounds identified included eighteen aldehydes: seven alkanals (C6, C9, C10, C11, C12, C13, and C14), ten alkenals, including five (E)-2-alkenals (C12, C13, C14, C15, and C16), and one (E,E)-2,4-alkadienal (C13). Typical Bifora odors were attributed to three major (E)-2-alkenals, C12, C13, and C14.     

Consequence of boar edible tissue consumption on urinary profiles of nandrolone metabolites. II. Identification and quantification of 19-norsteroids responsible for 19-norandrosterone and 19-noretiocholanolone excretion in human urine

In previous work (Le Bizec et al., Rapid Commun. Mass Spectrom. 2000; 14: 1058), it was demonstrated that a boar meal intake could lead to possible false accusations of abuse of 17beta-nortestosterone in antidoping control. The aim of the present study was to identify and quantify endogenous 19-norsteroids in boar edible tissue at concentrations that can alter the steroid urinary profile in humans, and lead to excretion of 19-norandrosterone (19-NA) and 19-noretiocholanolone (19-NE). The samples were analysed in two laboratories. The methodologies used for extraction and detection (GC/MS(EI) and LC/MS/MS(APCI+)) are compared and discussed. 19-Norandrostenedione (NAED), 17beta- and 17alpha-nortestosterone (bNT, aNT), and 17beta- and 17alpha-testosterone (bT, aT) were quantified. The largest concentrations of NAED and bNT were observed in testicles (83 and 172 microg/kg), liver (17 and 63 microg/kg) and kidney (45 and 38 microg/kg). A correlation between the bNT and NAED content of a typical meal prepared with boar parts and the excreted concentrations of 19-NA and 19-NE in human urine was demonstrated.     

The toxic effect of aluminium in vines

The split-root technique was used to study the effect of varying the growth media on the elemental content of nutrient elements in the roots of grape vines. The varieties 2-1 (R99 x Jacquez) and Sauvignon blanc (Vitis vinifera) were grown in Hoagland water culture with and without added aluminium. The elemental concentrations of Mg, Al, Si, P. S, Cl, K and Ca in the dried roots were determined by PIXE. Roots grown in Al-rich media were deficient in Mg and Ca, but enriched in Al. There was a correlation between Al and Si but the uptake differed in the two varieties.     

Optimization and validation of an enzyme immunoassay for the insect growth regulator fenoxycarb

A competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed for the quantitative detection of the insect growth regulator fenoxycarb. Polyclonal rabbit antisera, raised against protein conjugates of four haptenic derivatives of fenoxycarb, were utilized in immobilized antigen-based, competitive immunoassays. With ELISA systems that were both hapten- and carrier-heterologous, most antiserum titers fell in the range of 1:1000-1:30,000. Assay conditions, including concentrations of antisera and coating antigens, were optimized. The effect of pH, organic solvents, and various blocking agents was also investigated. A hapten-homologous and two hapten-heterologous indirect ELISAs allowed fenoxycarb determination in the range of 0.1-85 ng ml⁻¹ with apparent IC₅₀ values of 1.2-2.8 ng ml⁻¹. Cross-reactivities with a number of compounds (e.g. pesticides of related structure, hapten synthesis intermediates, fenoxycarb metabolite, photodegradation products) were determined, and the assay proved highly selective for fenoxycarb. In particular, no significant interference was found with selected pyrethroid and juvenile hormone analog insecticides, phenoxyacetic acid herbicides, and photodegradation products of fenoxycarb. Using spiked water samples, assay performance was validated by SPME/GC-MS.     

Etudes cristallographique magnétique et par résonance Mössbauer de la variété de haute température du pyrophosphate NaFeP2O7

Single crystals of the high-temperature form of NaFeP₂O₇ have been grown by a flux technique. II-NaFeP₂O₇ crystallizes in the monoclinic $\text{P2}{}_1\text{c}$ space group with lattice parameters: a = 7.298(2) Å, b = 7.874(2) Å, c = 9.536(3) Å, β = 111.85(2)°. The structure refined from 1481 independent reflections leads to R = 0.044 and confirms the work previously published by M. Gabelica-Robert, M. Goreaud, P. Labbe, and B. Raveau (J. Solid State Chem.45, 389, 1982). Magnetic Mössbauer resonance studies have shown the existence of antiferromagnetic ordering with a weak ferromagnetic component below 30 K. The FeO bond is markedly ionic in character due to the highly polarizing power of phosphorus in tetrahedral site.     

Analysis of the structure of very large bacterial aggregates by small-angle multiple light scattering and confocal image analysis

This work aims at developing a more accurate measurement of the physical parameters of fractal dimension and the size distribution of large fractal aggregates by small-angle light scattering. The theory of multiple scattering has been of particular interest in the case of fractal aggregates for which Rayleigh theory is no longer valid. The introduction of multiple scattering theory into the interpretation of scattering by large bacterial aggregates has been used to calculate the fractal dimension and size distribution. The fractal dimension is calculated from the form factor F(q) at large scattering angles. At large angles the fractal dimension can also be computed by considering only the influence of the very local environment on the optical contrast around a subunit. The fractal dimensions of E. coli strains flocculated with two different cationic polymers have been computed by two techniques: static light scattering and confocal image analysis. The fractal dimensions calculated with both techniques at different flocculation times are very similar: between 1.90 and 2.19. The comparison between two completely independent techniques confirms the theoretical approach of multiple scattering of large flocs using the Mie theory. Size distributions have been calculated from light-scattering data taking into account the linear independence of the structure factor S(q) relative to each size class and using the fractal dimension measured from F(q) in the large-angle range or from confocal image analysis. The results are very different from calculations made using hard-sphere particle models. The size distribution is displaced toward the larger sizes when multiple scattering is considered. Using this new approach to the analysis of very large fractal aggregates by static light multiple scattering, the fractal dimension and size distribution can be calculated using two independent parts of the scattering curve.     

Influence of an 8-trifluoroacetyl group on flavanol couplings

The effect of an electron attracting substituent in the Lewis acid catalyzed oligomerization of flavanols was investigated. The results showed that the presence of a COCF₃, at the 8 position of a (+)-catechin unit strongly influenced the attack of the 6 free nucleophile flavanol position by the electrophile generated from a 4-O-alkyloxy protected catechin unit. This was observed either with TiCl₄ or TMSOTf as Lewis acids in which the carbon-carbon bond formation was inhibited and the corresponding dimer was detected in small amount. On the contrary, the formation of a carbon-oxygen bond was observed and the corresponding C-4→O→C-3 ether linked procyanidin dimer was isolated in a good yield. In order to avoid the participation of the C-3 hydroxyl group in the dimerization reaction, the two flavanol units were forced into C-4→C-8 coupling by use of an internal link. The structural elucidation of the isolated compounds was achieved through MS and NMR spectroscopy.     

Etude de la cristallinite de derives n-octadecyliques de l'alcool polyvinylique obtenus par greffage chimique

Differential scanning calorimetry has been used to study the heats of fusion and melting transitions of n-octadecyl derivatives of polyvinyl alcohol. These derivatives were obtained by grafting paraffinic chains on polyvinyl alcohol, at various proportions. The melting transitions are independent of the degree of substitution; the heats of fusion are proportional to the fraction of crystallizable units. Using Flory's equilibrium crystallization theory, it is possible to interpret these results assuming, as demonstrated previously, that the chemical grafting is sequential with two unreacted hydroxyl groups between two adjacent paraffinic side-chains.     

On-line strong cation exchange micro-HPLC-ESI-MS/MS for protein identification and process optimization

We have developed an on-line strong cation exchange (SCX)-ESI-MS/MS platform for the rapid identification of proteins contained in mixtures. This platform consists of a SCX precolumn followed by a nanoflow SCX column on-line with an electrospray ion trap mass spectrometer. We also used this platform to study the dynamics of peptide separation/extraction by SCX, in particular to understand the parameters affecting the performance of SCX in multidimensional chromatography. For example, we have demonstrated that the buffer typically used for tryptic digestion of protein mixtures can have a detrimental effect on the chromatographic behaviour of peptides during SCX separations, thereby affecting certain peptide quantitation approaches that rely on reproducible peptide fractionation. We have also demonstrated that band broadening results when a step (discontinuous) gradient approach is used to displace peptides from the SCX precolumn, reducing the separation power of SCX in multidimensional chromatography. In contrast, excellent chromatographic peak shapes are observed when a defined (continuous) gradient is used. Finally, using a tryptic digest of a protein extract derived from human K562 cells, we observed that larger molecular weight peptides are identified using this on-line SCX approach compared to the more conventional reverse phase (RP) LC/MS approach. Both methods used in tandem complement each other and can lead to a greater number of peptide identifications from a given sample.     

Wild ginseng grows in Myanmar

Ginseng, the underground parts of plants of Panax species, has been used in oriental traditional medicine for centuries. Unfortunately, because of extensive exploitation over thousands of years, the natural source of these species has been almost exhausted. Recently, we have found a wild ginseng growing in Myanmar. Here, by a combination of chemical composition study and gene sequence analysis, we unambiguously demonstrate that the wild ginseng is actually P. zingiberensis, commonly known as ginger ginseng. This ginseng was an indigenous to the southwestern China. However, now it is seriously threatened to brink of extinction and is put on the highest level of protection in China. Therefore, an appropriate protection measure is highly recommended to preserve this valuable resource, since this Myanmar ginseng might turn out to be the last P. zingiberensis, which could ever be seen in the planet.