Formulation of Nanoencapsulated Catechin with Chitosan as Encapsulation Material

Gambier is one of Indonesian superior estate crop. Among several chemical compounds in gambier, catechin from polyphenols group has the greatest benefit for health. However, catechin has a limitedness of stability that causes a low bioavailability property. One way to maintain and improve the stability of catechin is the application of nanotechnology. The objective of this study is to obtain the best formulation in producing a solution of catechin nanoparticles with particle droplet size <300 nm as an antioxidant material. Observations were conducted to the formulations of the concentration of the solution of chitosan (0.2 and 0.4%), sodium tripolyphosphate (Na-TPP) (0.1 and 0.2%), catechin extract (0.3, 0.4, 0.5 and 0.6%) and the ratio of chitosan solution with catechin solution in Na-TPP (5: 1 and 7: 1) in order to determine one that yields the best solution. Observations were carried on the stability and characteristics of catechin nanoparticle solution including particle size, particle surface topography and internal structure. Catechin nanoparticles with best particle size was found in formula with 0.2% chitosan solution, 0.4% catechin solution, 0.1% Na-TPP solution and ratio of chitosan solution with withcatechin in Na-TPP solution 7: 1, that is 137.6 nm. Physically, the best formulation of catechin nanoparticleshas good particle surface topography, internal particle structure and emulsion stability.     

Crystal structures of heptakis(2,3,6-tri-O-methyl)-β-cyclodextrin complexes with (R)- and (S)-Flurbiprofen

Hepatakis(2,3,6-tri-O-methyl)--cyclodextrin (TM--CDx) forms crystalline complexes with (R)-Flubiprofen (R-FP), C₆₃H₁₁₂O₃₅C₁₅H₁₃O₂F·H₂O, and (S)-Flurbiprofen (S-FP), C₆₃H₁₁₂O₃₅C₁₅H₁₃O₂F. The crystal structures were determined by X-ray analysis. Crystals of both compounds are orthorhombic and the space group isP2₁2₁2₁ with cell dimensions:a=15.092(2),b=21.714(3), andc=28.269(4) Å for theR-FP complex, anda=15.271(2),b=21.451(3) andc=27.895(3) Å for theS-FP complex. The macrocyclic ring of TM--CDx is markedly distorted because of the inability to form intramolecular hydrogen bonds and the steric hindrance involving methyl groups. In both complexes, the phenyl group is inserted into the host cavity from the O(2), O(3) side, which is wider than the O(6) side. The biphenyl moiety ofR-FP is fixed in theR-configuration within the host cavity. The phenyl group ofS-FP is disordered, andR-andS-configurations are statistically distributed with equal probability. TM--CDx molecules are stacked along theb axis to form a column structure. The TM--CDx molecule is laterally shifted with respect to the column axis, and a half of the guest molecule protrudes outside from the crevis of the column. The carboxyl group ofR-FP forms a hydrogen bond with water located outside the host cavity, while the carboxyl group ofS-FP is hydrogen-bonded to an oxygen atom of an adjacent TM--CDx. Supplementary Data relating to this article are deposited with the British Library as Supplementary Publication No. SUP 82064 (24 pages).     

New approach to unravel the structure–property relationship of methylcellulose

In the present paper we suggest a new concept to overcome some of the so far unsolved problems of the structure–property relationship of methylcellulose, the most important nonionic cellulose ether industrially produced in large scale. Not only from the viewpoint of scientific understanding, but also from that of the peculiar and application-determining behavior, the aggregation in aqueous solution and phase separation on heating are the most important questions. As a part of the concept, we had prepared amphiphilic block co-oligomers of tri-O-methylated and unmodified cello-oligosaccharides as structural models of typical sequences in methylcellulose chains. Now static and dynamic light scattering measurements and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were carried out using solutions of the oligomers in water. Ellipsoidal particles with dimensions of about 50 nm for the semi-major axis and of circa 25 nm for the semi-minor one could be detected. These findings agree with the radii of gyration and the hydrodynamic radii, determined by static and dynamic light scattering. The data preliminary obtained demonstrate the strong aggregation tendency of block-like methylated cello-oligosaccharides.     

Psiguamers A–C,three cytotoxic meroterpenoids bearing a methylated benzoylphloroglucinol framework from Psidium guajava and total synthesis of 1 and 2

Three sesquiterpene-based meroterpenoids psiguamers A–C (1–3) with new skeletons were isolated from Psidium guajava leaves. Compounds (±)-1 and (±)-2 were two pairs of humulene-derived meroterpenoids bearing a rare methylated benzoylphloroglucinol unit, while 3 was an unprecedented adduct of bicyclogermacrene and methylated benzoylphloroglucinol. Their structures were determined based on comprehensive analyses of spectroscopic data, calculated electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra, total synthesis, and X-ray crystallographic data. The biomimetic synthesis of (±)-1 and (±)-2 was achieved. Compound (+)-1 exhibited cytotoxic activities against five human tumor cell lines (HCT-116, HepG2, BGC-823, A549, and U251), with IC₅₀ values of 2.94, 9.01, 6.45, 5.42, and 5.33 μmol/L, respectively.     

茶多酚中总儿茶素的近红外光谱分析

采用近红外光谱分析技术对茶多酚中儿茶素进行了光谱分析,结果表明该技术能够解析出儿茶素中各主要基团在近红外波段的吸收特性,并且结合定标过程定量快速检测总儿茶素在茶多酚中的含量,分析结果在很大的样品浓度范围内给出了很高的精度,SEC=2．15％,相关系数(r)为0．9947。     

Deployment of response surface methodology to optimise recovery of grape (Vitis vinifera) stem polyphenols

A 2³-full factorial design and response surface methodology were deployed to assess some basic factors (time, % ethanol and pH) affecting profoundly the extractability of polyphenolic phytochemicals from grape (Vitis vinifera) stems. In an effort to obtain a thorough insight into the applicability of the models established, stem extracts from three different varieties were tested, by determining several indices of the polyphenolic composition, such as total polyphenol (TP), total flavanol (TFl), total flavone (TFn) and proanthocyanidin (PC) concentration. It was shown that the models generated can adequately predict the recovery levels for each polyphenol group, but the optimal conditions predicted for TP, TFl, TFn and PC recovery varied significantly. Notable differences were also seen among the different varieties. Correlation of the polyphenol indices with the antiradical activity and reducing power of the extracts indicated that the PC fraction might exert strong effects, while the influence of other groups was not apparent. Examination of the optimally obtained extracts using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry revealed that the most prominent compounds were caftaric acid, flavanols and derivatives thereof, as well as dehydroflavonols and flavonols.     

Liquid chromatographic/electrospray ionization mass spectrometric studies of proanthocyanidins in foods

The proanthocyanidins in three foods (pinto beans, plums and cinnamon) were studied with electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometry (MS) in the negative mode following separation by normal-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The MS/MS analysis demonstrated that the major ions derived from heterocyclic ring fission and retro-Diels-Alder reaction of flavan-3-ol provided information about the hydroxylation pattern and type of interflavan bond. The connection sequence of the oligomers was identified through diagnostic ions derived from quinone methide (QM) cleavage of the interflavan bond. Novel heterogeneous B-type proanthocyanidins containing (epi)afzelechin as subunits were identified in pinto beans. Proanthocyanidins with interestingly different A-type linkages were identified in plums and cinnamon. In efforts aimed at extending the identification capacity of ESI-MS to polymers, we found that the polymeric procyanidins fragmented readily instead of forming multiply charged ions in the negative ESI mode. Fragmentation patterns were proposed based on our data obtained by ESI-MS/MS and ESI time-of-flight MS.     

Simultaneous multi-species determination of trimethyllead,monomethylmercury and three butyltin compounds by species-specific isotope dilution GC–ICP–MS in biological samples

An accurate and sensitive multi-species species-specific isotope dilution GC–ICP–MS method was developed for the simultaneous determination of trimethyllead (Me₃Pb⁺), monomethylmercury (MeHg⁺) and the three butyltin species Bu₃Sn⁺, Bu₂Sn²⁺, and BuSn³⁺ in biological samples. The method was validated by three biological reference materials (CRM 477, mussel tissue certified for butyltins; CRM 463, tuna fish certified for MeHg⁺; DORM 2, dogfish muscle certified for MeHg⁺). Under certain conditions, and with minor modifications of the sample pretreatment procedure, this method could also be transferred to environmental samples such as sediments, as demonstrated by analyzing sediment reference material BCR 646 (freshwater sediment, certified for butyltins). The detection limits of the multi-species GC–ICP–IDMS method for biological samples were 1.4 ng g⁻¹ for MeHg⁺, 0.06 ng g⁻¹ for Me₃Pb⁺, 0.3 ng g⁻¹ for BuSn³⁺ and Bu₃Sn⁺, and 1.2 ng g⁻¹ for Bu₂Sn²⁺. Because of the high relevance of these heavy metal alkyl species to the quality assurance of seafood, the method was also applied to corresponding samples purchased from a supermarket. The methylated lead fraction in these samples, correlated to total lead, varied over a broad range (from 0.01% to 7.6%). On the other hand, the MeHg⁺ fraction was much higher, normally in the range of 80–100%. Considering that we may expect tighter legislative limitations on MeHg⁺ levels in seafood in the future, we found the highest methylmercury contents (up to 10.6 μg g⁻¹) in two shark samples, an animal which is at the end of the marine food chain, whereas MeHg⁺ contents of less than 0.2 μg g⁻¹ were found in most other seafood samples; these results correlate with the idea that MeHg⁺ is usually of biological origin in the marine environment. The concentration of butyltins and the fraction of the total tin content that is from butyltins strongly depend on possible contamination, due to the exclusively anthropogenic character of these compounds. A broad variation in the butylated tin fraction (in the range of <0.3–49%) was therefore observed in different seafood samples. Corresponding isotope-labeled spike compounds (except for trimethyllead) are commercially available for all of these compounds, and since these can be used in the multi-species species-specific GC-ICP-IDMS method developed here, this technique shows great potential for routine analysis in the future.     

Antioxidant activity optimization and GC-MS profile of aqueous extracts of Vernonanthura patens (Kunth) H. Rob. leaves

Abstract

The temperature and extraction time of aqueous extracts of Vernonanthura patens (Kunth) H. Rob. (AEVP) leaves obtained by decoction were optimized for maximum recovery of DPPH radical scavenging activity, ABTS⁺ inhibition activity, total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoids content (TFC) using response surface methodology (RSM). A central composite design (CCD) of 13 experimental runs was applied and second order polynomial models were used to describe the responses of the assessed extraction parameters. The optimized conditions: 79.79?°C and 126.23?minutes were found using the composite desirability function. The scavenging activity of assessed extracts could be correlated mostly to the presence of malic acid, succinic acid, α-ketoglutaric acid, citric acid, m-hydroxybenzoic acid, caffeic acid, inositol, and β-amyrin detected by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). These results have not been reported and support the potential application of AEVP as natural source of antioxidants.     

The natural product content of the selected Cabernet Franc wine samples originating from Serbia: a case study of phenolics

This work aimed to evaluate the content of selected phenolic natural products in the wine samples made of three new Serbian Cabernet Franc clones (Nos. 02, 010 and 012, respectively) and mother vine (used as the relevant standard) during the period 2008–2012. Compared with all other wine samples, the Cabernet Franc wine of the clone No. 010 was found to have the highest total content of polyphenolics (1.85 ± 0.02 g/L) and anthocyanins (178.55 ± 3.75 mg/L). In addition, its Folin–Ciocalteu index (36.86 ± 0.12) stood out among the examined samples. Finally, the same wine was enriched with ellagic and gallic acids (3.44 ± 0.29 and 27.46 ± 0.21 mg/L, respectively), catechin (135.16 ± 6.47 mg/L) and epicatechin (51.33 ± 2.33 mg/L), the natural products known to exert significant lipid-lowering effects. Taken all together, the clone No. 010 developed in Serbia may offer new Cabernet Franc wine with geographical indication.