Biocompatibility properties of composite scaffolds based on 1,4-butanediamine modified poly(lactide-co-glycolide) and nanobioceramics

Three-dimensional biodegradable porous scaffolds play an important role in tissue engineering. The degradable scaffold material, based on 1,4-butanediamine-modified poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (BMPLGA), nano-bioactive glass (NBAG), and nano-β-tricalciumphosphate (β-TCP), was prepared by a solution-casting/salt-leaching method. The biological properties were studied by using cell cytotoxicity, von Kossa staining, alkaline phosphatase activity, hemolytic test, acute toxicity, and genetic toxicity test. The MTT results indicated that the BMPLGA/NBAG-β-TCP materials did not show any cytotoxicity. The result of von Kossa staining showed that the introduction of the NBAG and β-TCP promoted fibroblastic differentiation and improved the mineral deposition of the BMPLGA matrix. In addition, the presence of NBAG and β-TCP in the composite further enhanced the ALP activity in comparison with the sole BMPLGA material. The hemolytic potential showed that the nanocomposite scaffolds were non-hemolytic. The BMPLGA/NBAG-β-TCP scaffolds showed no acute systemic toxicity or mutagenic action. Therefore, the results indicated the BMPLGA/NBAG-β-TCP nanocomposite scaffold could be considered as a potential bone tissue engineering implant.     

Isolation and antiproliferative activity of triterpenoids and fatty acids from the leaves and stem of Turraea vogelii Hook. f. ex benth

Chloroform extract from the leaves of Turraea vogelii Hook f. ex Benth demonstrated cytotoxic activity against a chronic myelogenous leukemia cell, K-562 with IC₅₀ of 14.27 μg/mL, while chloroform, ethyl acetate and methanol extracts from the stem of the plant inhibited K-562 cells growth with IC₅₀ of 19.50, 24.10 and 85.40 μg/mL respectively. Bioactive chloroform extract of Turraea vogelii leaves affords two triterpenoids: oleana-12,15,20-trien-3β-ol (1), and oleana-11,13-dien-3β,16α,28-triol (2), with six fatty esters, ethyl hexaeicos-5-enoate (3), 3-hydroxy-1,2,3-propanetriyltris(tetadecanoate) (4), 1,2,3-propanetriyl(7Z,7′Z,7′′Z)tris(-7-hexadecenoate) (5), 1,2,3-propanetriyl(5Z,5′Z,5′′Z)tris(-5-hexadecenoate) (6), 1,2,3-propanetriyltris(octadecanoate) (7), and 2β-hydroxymethyl tetraeicosanoate (8). Tetradecane (9), four fatty acids: hexadecanoic acid (10), tetradecanoic acid (11), (Z)-9-eicosenoic acid (12), and ethyl tetradec-7-enoate (13) were isolated from chloroform extract of Turraea vogelii stem. 1,2,3-propanetriyltris(heptadecanoate) (14), (Z)-9-octadecenoic acid (15) and (Z)-7-tetradecenoic acid (16) were isolated from ethyl acetate extract while (Z)-5-pentadecenoic acid (17) was obtained from methanol extract of the plant stem. Compounds 1, 2, 5, 6, 11, 12, 15, 16 and 17 exhibited pronounced antiproliferative activity against K-562 cell lines.     

Flavone glucosides from Artemisia juncea

A new flavone glucoside, 4′,5-dihydroxy-3′,5′,6-trimethoxyflavone-7-O-β-D-glucoside was obtained from aerial parts of Artemisia juncea, together with the known flavone eupatilin (5,7-dihydroxy-3′,4′,6-trimethoxyflavone). The compounds were comprehensively analytically characterized by IR, UV, NMR and HR-MS, and their chemical structures ascertained. The EtOAc fraction of A. juncea showed the strongest DPPH radical scavenging ability as well as reducing power (in CUPRAC and FRAP assays) and phosphomolybdenum activity. This fraction also exhibited the strongest inhibitory effects on tyrosinase. Additionally, the best antidiabetic effects were observed for eupatilin and the CHCl₃ fraction.     

Isoquinoline alkaloids from Asimina triloba

A new aporphine glycoside, (-)-anolobine-9-O-β-D-glucopyranoside was isolated from the twigs of pawpaw (Asimina triloba) along with 7 known alkaloids including five aporphine alkaloids (anolobine, nornuciferine, norushinsunine, liriodenine, and lysicamine), a proaporhine alkaloid (stepharine), and a tetrahydrobenzylisoquinoline alkaloid (coclaurine). Among these compounds, nornuciferine, lysicamine, stepharine, and coclaurine are reported for the first time from this plant. The structure of the new compound was elucidated by spectroscopic methods, including 1?D, 2?D NMR, and HRESI-MS. The absolute configuration of compounds 1, 2, 7 and 8 was determined by CD experiment.     

Synthesis and Applications of Functionalized Magnetic Nanomaterials in Enantioseparation

Efficient enantioselective separation is a challenging task due to the identical physical and chemical properties of enantiomers. Functionalized magnetic nanomaterials modified with chiral ligands on their surface possess both magnetic property and chiral recognition ability, and have demonstrated great potential in chiral discrimination. This review summarizes the applications of magnetic nanomaterials modified with various chiral selectors (e.g., β-cyclodextrins, polymers, proteins, amino acids and cellulose) in enantioselective separation. After proper preparation and modification, these functionalized magnetic nanomaterials are effective for enantioseparation. Therefore, enantioseparations based on functionalized magnetic nanomaterials are convenient, economical and effective.     

Organic base-promoted efficient dehydrogenative/decarboxylative aromatization of tetrahydro-β-carbolines into β-carbolines under air

Organic base DBN has been identified as an efficient reagent for promoting the dehydrogenative/decarboxylative aromatization of tetrahydro-β-carbolines under air atmosphere, to access the corresponding β-carbolines in moderate to good yields. The utility of this protocol for the gram-scale synthesis of β-carboline alkaloids eudistomin U (7) and harmane (10) has also been demonstrated.     

Dynamic relaying properties of a β-turn peptide in long-range electron transfer

The relay stations play a significant role in long-range charge hopping transfer in proteins. Although studies have clarified that many more protein structural motifs can function as relays in charge hopping transfers by acting as intermediate charge carriers, the relaying properties are still poorly understood. In this work, taking a β-turn oligopeptide as an example, we report a dynamic character of a relay with tunable relaying properties using the density functional theory calculations. Our main finding is that a β-turn peptide can serve as an effective electron relay in facilitating long-range electron migration and its relay properties is vibration-tunable. The vibration-induced structural transient distortions remarkably affect the lowest occupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energy, vertical electron affinity and electron-binding mode of the β-turn oligopeptide and the singly occupied molecular orbital (SOMO) energy of the corresponding electron adduct and thus the relaying properties. Different vibration modes lead to different structural distortions and thus have different effects on the relaying properties and ability of the β-turn peptide. For the relaying properties, there approximately is a linear negative correlation of electron affinity with the LUMO energy of the β-turn or the SOMO energy of its electron adduct. Besides, such relaying properties also vary in the vibration evolution process, and the electron-binding modes may be tunable. As an important addition to the known static charge relaying properties occurring in various protein structural motifs, this work reports the dynamic electron-relaying characteristics of a β-turn oligopeptide with variable relaying properties governed by molecular vibrations which can be applied to different proteins in mediating long-range charge transfers. Clearly, this work reveals molecular vibration effects on the electron relaying properties of protein structural motifs and provides new insights into the dynamics of long-range charge transfers in proteins. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Morphology and degradation of biodegradable poly(L-lactide-co-β-malic acid)

Poly(L -lactide-co-β-malic acid) was obtained after the hydrogenolysis of the copolymer of L -lactide (L-LA) and β-benzyl malate (MA). ¹H-NMR demonstrated that the composition of the copolymer was identical to the feeding dose. Thermal property study revealed the morphology of the copolymer could be changed from semi-crystalline to amorphous with increasing hydrophilic β-malic acid content. The copolymers with 8 and 13 mol% β-malic acid content possessed enough mechanical property for fabricating cell scaffold. Degradation result demonstrated that most of the hydrophilic β-malic acid units broke down from the copolymer within 1 week and the ester bond between L -lactide and β-malic acid hydrolyzed prior to the inner ester bond of poly(L -lactide) (PLLA). Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Transition-metal,organic solvent and base free α-hydroxylation of β-keto esters and β-keto amides with peroxides in water

Without employing any transition metal, organic solvent and base, a facile, economical and environmentally friendly strategy has been developed for the α-hydroxylation of β-keto esters and β-keto amides with peroxides via radical cross-coupling reaction in water under open-air conditions. This protocol allows a convenient access to various α-hydroxy-β-keto esters and α-hydroxy-β-keto amides with up to 92% yield (34 examples). Moreover, the reaction was successfully scaled up to gram quantity and mechanistic studies showed the radical pathway was involved in this hydroxylation.     

Optimisation of the chlorthalidone chiral separation by capillary electrochromatography using an achiral stationary phase and cyclodextrin in the mobile phase

The separation of chlorthalidone enantiomers in capillary electrochromatography on an achiral stationary phase when adding a chiral selector, hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin, to the mobile phase, was optimised. The goal was to investigate the feasibility of modelling retention times and resolution when during the optimisation procedure regular replacement of columns is required due to their fragility. Therefore, it is essential that the packing procedure delivers reproducible columns. The optimisation of an existing chlorthalidone separation was chosen as case study. The influence of two factors, chiral selector concentration and organic modifier content, on the responses was modelled. The experiments performed prior to modelling were defined by a central composite design. Results on different columns, obtained under identical experimental conditions, were found comparable and thus modelling was possible in situations where several columns were required to complete a design. A second-order polynomial model was built for both responses. Optimal separations were also predicted using Derringer’s desirability functions. The optimum was found at 33 mM cyclodextrin and 16% (v/v) acetonitrile on two types of columns (with different packing times) leading to a strong reduction in analysis time for an equally good separation compared to the initial conditions. Measured and predicted responses were found comparable, indicating that acceptable models were obtained.