Four Novel Phenanthrene Derivatives with α-Glucosidase Inhibitory Activity from Gastrochilus bellinus

Four new phenanthrene derivatives, gastrobellinols A-D (1–4), were isolated from the methanolic extract of Gastrochilus bellinus (Rchb.f.) Kuntze, along with eleven known phenolic compounds including agrostophyllin (5), agrostophyllidin (6), coniferyl aldehyde (7), 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde (8), agrostophyllone (9), gigantol (10), 4-(methoxylmethyl)phenol (11), syringaldehyde (12), 1-(4′-hydroxybenzyl)-imbricartin (13), 6-methoxycoelonin (14), and imbricatin (15). Their structures were determined by spectroscopic methods. Each isolate was evaluated for α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. Compounds 1, 2, 3, 7, 9, 13, and 15 showed higher activity than the drug acarbose. Gastrobellinol C (3) exhibited the strongest α-glucosidase inhibition with an IC₅₀ value of 45.92 μM. A kinetic study of 3 showed competitive inhibition on the α-glucosidase enzyme. This is the first report on the phytochemical constituents and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of G. bellinus.     

过渡态理论在化学体系中的2个应用实例*

在大学本科一二年级的物理化学教学中,化学动力学章节的学习涉及到对不同时间尺度的认识。本文利用过渡态理论得到的速率常数表达公式,以乙烷分子碳/碳单键旋转和水分子氢键交换的动力学过程为例,对这2个应用实例的动力学过程所发生的时间尺度做出估算。这些时间尺度的估算对于学生理解不同动力学过程的物理图像至关重要,同时也有助于加强学生对重要公式的理解并能够将这些公式在化学体系中灵活运用。     

无溶剂法大量制备高效红光碳点及其在白光器件中的应用

以邻苯二胺、 2,5-二氨基苯磺酸和三氯化铝为原料, 通过无溶剂法大量制备了高效的红色荧光碳点 (R-CDs). 制得的碳点尺寸大约为2.4 nm, 含有13%的氮元素, 主要由高度石墨化的碳核及覆盖在其表面的大量官能团构成. 在不同的波长光激发下, 碳点在乙醇溶液中表现出不依赖于激发的红光发射, 其荧光峰位于 704 nm, 最大量子产率达到22%. 由于R-CDs具有优异的光学性质, 利用其构筑了紫外光激发的碳基白色发光二极管, 其色坐标为(0.33, 0.33), 非常接近自然光. 该研究为高效红色荧光碳点的大量制备提供了一种新路径, 同时拓宽了其在白光器件中的应用.     

多种超分辨荧光成像技术比较和进展评述

所见即所得是生命科学研究的中心哲学,贯穿在不断认识单个分子、分子复合体、分子动态行为和整个分子网络的历程中。活的动态的分子才是有功能的,这决定了荧光显微成像在生命科学研究中成为不可替代的工具。但是当荧光成像聚焦到分子水平的时候,所见并不能给出想要得到的。这个障碍是由于受光学衍射极限的限制,荧光显微镜无法在衍射受限的空间内分辨出目标物。超分辨荧光成像技术突破衍射极限的限制,在纳米尺度至单分子水平可视化生物分子,以前所未有的时空分辨率研究活细胞结构和动态过程,已成为生命科学研究的有力工具,并逐渐应用到材料科学、催化反应过程和光刻等领域。超分辨成像技术原理不同,其具有的技术性能各异,限制了各自特定的技术特色和应用范围。目前主流的超分辨成像技术包括3种:结构光照明显微镜技术(structured illumination microscopy, SIM)、受激发射损耗显微技术(stimulated emission depletion, STED)和单分子定位成像技术(single molecule localization microscopy, SMLM)。这些显微镜采用不同的复杂技术,但是策略却是相同和简单的,即通过牺牲时间分辨率来提升衍射受限的空间内相邻两个发光点的空间分辨。该文通过对这3种技术的原理比较和在生物研究中的应用进展介绍,明确了不同超分辨成像技术的技术优势和适用的应用方向,以方便研究者在未来研究中做合理的选择。     

Effect of reactive and non-reactive counterion micelles upon the alkaline degradation of indomethacin

In the present paper, kinetics of alkaline degradation of well known drug, indomethacin (2-[1-(4-chlorobenzoyl)-5-methoxy-2-methylindol-3-yl]acetic acid), was studied in presence of excess [NaOH]. The rate of hydrolysis of substrate was independent of the [indomethacin] though it increased linearly with increasing the hydroxide ion concentration with a positive slope, suggesting the following rate law: k_obs = k₁[OH⁻]. Cationic surfactants having non-reactive ions (cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, CTAB and cetyltrimethylammonium sulfate (CTA)₂SO₄) first increased the rate constants at lower concentrations and then decreased it at higher concentrations while in case of the surfactant with reactive counterions (cetyltrimethylammonium hydroxide, CTAOH) the rate increases sharply at lower concentrations of surfactant until it reaches to a plateau in contrast to the appearance of maxima in case of CTAB and (CTA)₂SO₄. Anionic surfactant, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), inhibited the reaction rate at all concentrations used in the study. Pseudophase ion-exchange model was used for analyzing the effect of cationic micelles while the inhibition by SDS micelles was fitted using the Menger–Portnoy model. The effect of salts (NaCl, NaBr and (CH₃)₄NBr) was also seen on the hydrolysis of indomethacin and it was found that all salts inhibited the rate of reaction. The inhibition followed the trend NaCl < NaBr < (CH₃)₄NBr.     

Batch versus Flow Photochemistry: A Revealing Comparison of Yield and Productivity

The use of flow photochemistry and its apparent superiority over batch has been reported by a number of groups in recent years. To rigorously determine whether flow does indeed have an advantage over batch, a broad range of synthetic photochemical transformations were optimized in both reactor modes and their yields and productivities compared. Surprisingly, yields were essentially identical in all comparative cases. Even more revealing was the observation that the productivity of flow reactors varied very little to that of their batch counterparts when the key reaction parameters were matched. Those with a single layer of fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) had an average productivity 20 % lower than that of batch, whereas three‐layer reactors were 20 % more productive. Finally, the utility of flow chemistry was demonstrated in the scale‐up of the ring‐opening reaction of a potentially explosive [1.1.1] propellane with butane‐2,3‐dione.     

Artificial Accelerators of the Molecular Chaperone Hsp90 Facilitate Rate‐Limiting Conformational Transitions

The molecular chaperone Hsp90 undergoes an ATP‐driven cycle of conformational changes in which large structural rearrangements precede ATP hydrolysis. Well‐established small‐molecule inhibitors of Hsp90 compete with ATP‐binding. We wondered whether compounds exist that can accelerate the conformational cycle. In a FRET‐based screen reporting on conformational rearrangements in Hsp90 we identified compounds. We elucidated their mode of action and showed that they can overcome the intrinsic inhibition in Hsp90 which prevents these rearrangements. The mode of action is similar to that of the co‐chaperone Aha1 which accelerates the Hsp90 ATPase. However, while the two identified compounds influence conformational changes, they target different aspects of the structural transitions. Also, the binding site determined by NMR spectroscopy is distinct. This study demonstrates that small molecules are capable of triggering specific rate‐limiting transitions in Hsp90 by mechanisms similar to those in protein cofactors.     

Pseudilins: Halogenated,Allosteric Inhibitors of the Non‐Mevalonate Pathway Enzyme IspD

The enzymes of the non‐mevalonate pathway for isoprenoid biosynthesis have been identified as attractive targets with novel modes of action for the development of herbicides for crop protection and agents against infectious diseases. This pathway is present in many pathogenic organisms and plants, but absent in mammals. By using high‐throughput screening, we identified highly halogenated marine natural products, the pseudilins, to be inhibitors of the third enzyme, IspD, in the pathway. Their activity against the IspD enzymes from Arabidopsis thaliana and Plasmodium vivax was determined in photometric and NMR‐based assays. Cocrystal structures revealed that pseudilins bind to an allosteric pocket by using both divalent metal ion coordination and halogen bonding. The allosteric mode of action for preventing cosubstrate (CTP) binding at the active site was elucidated. Pseudilins show herbicidal activity in plant assays and antiplasmodial activity in cell‐based assays.     

二氧化锰纳米管模拟氧化酶的性能、抑制剂及其对Pb2+的测定

采用简便的水热法,获得了具有氧化酶催化特性的二氧化锰纳米管,研究了其对氧气(O2)氧化3,3',5,5'-四甲基联苯二胺(TMB)发生显色反应的催化性能,重点考察了常见金属离子对其活性的抑制作用。结果表明,能与MnO2表面发生特异性吸附络合作用的Pb2+的抑制作用最为显著。基于该抑制作用,建立了针对铅离子的高灵敏、快速检测新方法。结果显示,铅的线性范围为1.0×10-7~1.0×10-3 mol/L,检出限为3.0×10-8 mol/L。     

A Biomimetic Nanoparticle to “Lure and Kill” Phospholipase A2

Inhibition of phospholipase A2 (PLA2) has long been considered for treating various diseases associated with an elevated PLA2 activity. However, safe and effective PLA2 inhibitors remain unavailable. Herein, we report a biomimetic nanoparticle design that enables a “lure and kill” mechanism designed for PLA2 inhibition (denoted “L&K-NP”). The L&K-NPs are made of polymeric cores wrapped with modified red blood cell membrane with two inserted key components: melittin and oleyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (OOPC). Melittin acts as a PLA2 attractant that works together with the membrane lipids to “lure” in-coming PLA2 for attack. Meanwhile, OOPC acts as inhibitor that “kills” PLA2 upon enzymatic attack. Both compounds are integrated into the L&K-NP structure, which voids toxicity associated with free molecules. In the study, L&K-NPs effectively inhibit PLA2-induced hemolysis. In mice administered with a lethal dose of venomous PLA2, L&K-NPs also inhibit hemolysis and confer a significant survival benefit. Furthermore, L&K-NPs show no obvious toxicity in mice. and the design provides a platform technology for a safe and effective anti-PLA2 approach.