In vivo transformations of artemisinic acid in Artemisia annua plants

Artemisinic acid labeled with both ¹³C and ²H at the 15-position has been fed to intact plants of Artemisia annua via the cut stem, and its in vivo transformations studied by 1D- and 2D-NMR spectroscopy. Seven labeled metabolites have been isolated, all of which are known as natural products from this species. The transformations of artemisinic acid—as observed both for a group of plants, which was kept alive by hydroponic administration of water and for a group, which was allowed to die by desiccation—closely paralleled those, which have been recently described for its 11,13-dihydro analog, dihydroartemisinic acid. It seems likely therefore that similar mechanisms, involving spontaneous autoxidation of the Δ^4,5 double bond in both artemisinic acid and dihydroartemisinic acid and subsequent rearrangements of the resultant allylic hydroperoxides, may be involved in the biological transformations, which are undergone by both compounds. All of the sesquiterpene metabolites, which were obtained from in vivo transformations of artemisinic acid retained their unsaturation at the 11,13-position, and there was no evidence for conversion into any 11,13-dihydro metabolite, including artemisinin, the antimalarial drug, which is produced by A. annua. This observation led to the proposal of a unified biosynthetic scheme, which accounts for the biogenesis of many of the amorphane and cadinane sesquiterpenes that have been isolated as natural products from A. annua. In this scheme, there is a bifurcation in the biosynthetic pathway starting from amorpha-4,11-diene leading to either artemisinic acid or dihydroartemisinic acid; these two committed precursors are then, respectively, the parents for the two large families of highly oxygenated 11,13-dehydro and 11,13-dihydro sesquiterpene metabolites, which are known from this species.     

Structural Analysis of Ti And Pb Citrate Using NMR and FT-Raman Signals and Quantum Mechanics Simulations

Titanium citrate and lead and titanium citrate were prepared by polymeric precursor method in aqueous solution. This citrate was analyzed by ¹H, ¹³C NMR and gHMBC–NMR (Hetero-nuclear multiple-bond correlation) to investigate the formation of the citrate complexs and influence of the Pb²⁺ ion in this complex. These complexs were characterized by interaction between Ti⁴⁺ ion and citric acid carboxyls. Quantum mechanic simulations in level ab initio were used to study the electronic structure and natural charges (NBO) to both the complexs. Such techniques indicated the formation of an octahedral complex with an arrangement similar to Ti atom in the crystalline structure of the PbTiO₃. A study using the technique FT-Raman made possible the confirmation of the interaction among the Ti⁴⁺ and Pb²⁺ ions with the citric acid carboxyls.     

Pulsed field gradient NMR on polybutylcyanoacrylate nanocapsules

The applicability of pulsed field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to nanocapsule systems is demonstrated on dispersed poly-n-butylcyanoacrylate nanocapsules as a model system. Spectroscopic data are presented that allow for the structural characterization of the inner cavities, the observation of Brownian motion of the capsules and the detection of rapid molecular exchange through the capsule walls. An analytical formula is proposed that yields equilibrium populations and average residence times of a given tracer molecule, thus leading to crucial information regarding the permeability of the capsule walls. Based on these analytical methods, two varieties of nanocapsules are compared that derive from two different preparation procedures. It is found that thinner capsule walls obtained under acidic conditions of the organic phase during interfacial polymerization lead to correspondingly higher exchange rates of benzene as a tracer molecule.     

Melt-polymerizable bisimido-bisphthalonitriles containing silicon,fluoro, and ether groups: Synthesis,characterization, and NMR study

Various melt-polymerizable bisimido-bisphthalonitrile polymer precursors were synthesized by the reaction of 4-aminophthalonitrile (4-APN) with bis(3,4-dicarboxyphenyl) dimethylsilane dianhydride (SIDA), 4,4′-hexafluoroisopropylidene diphthalic anhydride (6FDA), bis(3,4-dicarboxyphenyl)ether dianhydride (ODPA), and 3,3′, 4,4′-tetracarboxylichenzophen+ne dianhydride (BTDA) in an aprotic solvent. The synthesized monomers showed crystalline melting at 269 and 271°C. Elemental analysis, differential thermal analysis (DTA), infrared (IR), nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H-NMR) and mass spectral studies were carried out to characterize the synthesized monomers. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) of the synthesized monomers showed their thermal stability at 410–400°C. A detailed study and NMR investigation of the first step of condensation reaction was carried out and indicated the formation of a transient charge transfer complex. Thermal cyclization of the formed intermediate, however, gave the required monomers. A preliminary study demonstrated that melt-polymerization of the synthesized monomers gave thermallystable, tough polymers.     

Effect of Mobile Phase pH* on Chromatographic Behaviour in Chiral Ligand-Exchange Thin-Layer Chromatography (CLETLC) of Amino Acid Enantiomers

The enantiomers of some amino acids have been separated on commercial chiral TLC plates in reversed-phase mode. The effect of the pH* of the aqueous-organic mobile phase on the retention and mobility of the enantiomers and on selectivity was investigated. It was shown that for most of the amino acids investigated the highest enantioselectivity was obtained at pH* 3–4 or 6–7. The drift and disturbance of the baseline on the chromatograms were also much smaller at pH* 3–4 and 6–7.     

Determination of degree of conversion as a function of depth of a photo-initiated dental restoration composite—III application to commercial Prodigy Condensable™

In this third work, we evaluated the degree of conversion (DC) versus depth of dental filling composite named Prodigy Condensable™ using infrared spectroscopy. Confirming previous results, there was a gradual reduction of DC with increasing depth but the composite exhibited extreme values of DC, an upper value (45.9%) on the surface and a lower one (6.1%) at a depth of 5 mm. The composite presented the worst performance among materials studied. The composite formulation was 80% of inorganic fillers and BisfenolA/dimethacrylate (BisGMA) (18%)/triethyleneglycoldimethacrylate (TEGDMA) (2.0%) as monomers. As stated before, type/ratio/viscosity of monomers and type, amount, size and size distribution of fillers all together had an important role in the cure reaction contributing to the final performance of the composite.     

HPLC isolation and NMR structure elucidation of the most prominent octabromo isomer in technical octabromo diphenyl ether

The major octabromo isomer of technical octabromo diphenyl ether mixture (technical octaBDE) DE-79 was isolated by RP-HPLC. Three serially coupled columns (each 250 mm long) enabled a good separation of the target compound from other congeners using 100% ACN as eluent. Approximately 100 microg of the target compound was isolated with a purity of >90% and investigated by MS for confirmation of the degree of bromination. 1H-NMR and 2-D 1H-13C correlation NMR spectra unequivocally clarified that the octaBDE in question is 2,2',3,3',4,4',6,6'-octabromodiphenyl ether (BDE 197). Based on annual production rates of technical BDE products (1999/2001), approximately 380 tons of BDE 197 were annually produced which, on the long term, may enter the environment. Compared with other individual BDE congeners, BDE 197 has the seventh highest application rate. Reductive debromination of BDE 197 can lead to four hepta-, 15 hexa-, 23 penta-, and 28 tetra-BDE isomers, respectively. This variety includes all known major BDEs of environmental concern (BDE 47, 85, 99, 100, 153, 154, and 183). The identification of BDE 197 in technical octaBDE DE-79 strongly suggests that research on the environmental fate of BDEs should include this key-BDE congener.     

1H NMR Study of Hindered Internal Rotation of Tetramethylthiuram Disulfide in Binary Dimethyl Sulfoxide‐Chloroform Mixtures

Hindered internal rotation about the C‐N single bonds joining the thiuram disulfide was studied by ¹H NMR complete line‐shaped analysis in different dimethyl sulfoxide‐chloroform (DMSO‐CDCl₃) mixtures. From the temperature dependence of methyls proton spectra, activation parameters (E_a, ΔH^≠, ΔS^≠, and ΔG^≠) were obtained. The Arrhenius plots showed a distinct isokinetic temperature at about 35 °C at which the exchange rate is more or less independent of the solvent composition. The resulting ΔH^≠ against TΔS^≠ plot showed a firmly good linear correlation, indicating the existence of an enthalpy‐entropy composition in an exchange process.     

Equations for calculation of the pH of buffer solutions containing sodium or potassium dihydrogen phosphate, sodium hydrogen phosphate, and sodium chloride at 25°C

Published thermodynamic data measured in aqueous mixtures of sodium or potassium dihydrogen phosphate with hydrogen phosphate and chloride at 25°C were used to test recently developed methods for calculation of the pH of phosphate buffer solutions. Equations for ionic activity coefficients are used in these methods. It is shown that all data used in the tests up to an ionic strength of about 0.5 mol-kg^-1 can be accurately predicted by the two methods recommended. In one of these methods, equations of the Hückel type are used for ionic activity coefficients and in the other equations of the Pitzer type. Several sets of phosphate buffer solutions are recommended,e.g., for calibrations of glass electrode cells. In the recommended sets, the pH of the buffer solutions can be calculated either by the Hückel or Pitzer method, and the pH predictions of these methods agree in most cases within 0.005 at least up to ionic strengths of about 0.2 mol-kg^-1. The pH values of the two primary pH standards endorsed by IUPAC based on aqueous mixtures of KH₂PO₄ and Na₂HPO₄,i.e., pH values of 6.865 and 7.413, can also be accurately predicted by the equations recommended in this study.     

1H and 13C assignments of two new triterpenes from Cladocolea grahami

The structure elucidation and 1H and 13C assignments of the new triterpenes 3beta-palmitoxy-7beta-hydroxyolean-12-ene (1) and its hydrolysis product 3beta,7beta-dihydroxyolean-12-ene (2) and 3beta-sn-glyceroyl-(1'-palmitoxy)urs-12-ene (3), isolated from the aerial parts of Cladocolea grahami (Loranthaceae), are reported.