Fluorometric quantification of total d-gluconate by a flow-injection system using an immobilized-enzyme reactor

A method for the quantification of total d-gluconate by flow-injection analysis was developed using an immobilized-enzyme reactor and fluorescence detection. d-Gluconate was quantified using co-immobilized gluconate kinase (GK) and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (PGDH) reactor. d-Gluconate was phosphorylated to 6-phospho-d-gluconate by GK in the presence of ATP, and then the 6-phospho-d-gluconate produced was oxidized by PGDH with NADP⁺. The NADPH produced by the GK-PGDH reactor was monitored fluorometrically at 455 nm (excitation at 340 nm). A linear relationship between the responses and concentrations of d-gluconate was obtained in the ranges of 1.0 × 10⁻⁶–1.6 × 10⁻⁴ M. The relative standard deviation for 10 successive injections was 0.57% at the 0.1 mM level. This analytical method was applied to the quantification of d-gluconate in honeys, vinegars and noble rot wines, and the results showed good agreement with those obtained using the conventional F-kit method.     

Study of isomorphism in fluorine-containing antimony(III) complexes

The mutual influence of the atoms on the composition of solid fluorine-containing antimony(iii) complexes formed in aqueous solutions in the (MF) _x −(M′F) _n−x −SbF₃ (M, M′=Na, K, Rb, Cs, and NH₄;n=1, 2;x=0 to 2), (KNO₂) _n −(KY) _n −SbF₃ (Y=F, Cl, SO₄;n=0.5, 1), and K₂SbF₅−K₂SbCl₅ systems was investigated by elemental, X-ray, and thermogravimetric analyses and by IR and^121,123Sb NQR spectroscopy. The isomorphism conditions for fluorine-containing antimony(iii) compounds resulting in the formation of complexes NaM′SbF₅·1.5H₂O (M′=K and Rb), K₂SbF₅·1.5H₂O, NaCs₃Sb₄F₁₆·H₂O, KsbF₃Cl, K₂SbF₂Cl₃ with constant compositions, continuous M _x M′_2−x SbF₅ (0<x<2) and limited M _x M′_1−x SbF₄ (0.25<x<0.75; M, M′=K, Rb, Cs, and NH₄) solid solutions or LiF+MSbF₄ (M=Na, K, Rb, and Cs), M₂SbF₅+Cs₂SbF₅ (M=Na and K) and MSbF₄+NaSbF₄ (M=Rb and NH₄) mechanical mixtures were determined. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 1, pp. 103–108, January, 1999.     

Electrophoretic extraction and analysis of DNA from chitosan or poly-l-lysine-coated alginate beads

Alginate beads containing entrapped DNA were produced using both external and internal calcium sources, and coated with chitosan or poly-l-lysine membranes. The beads were assayed with DNase nuclease to determine formulation conditions offering the highest level of DNA protection fromnucleic acid hydrolysis, simulating gastrointestinal exposure. A method was developed to extract and assay intracapsular DNA through a modified agarose electrophoresis system. Both external and internally gelled beads were permeable to DNase (M_w=31 kDa), indicated by the absence of DNA after nuclease exposure. At low levels of DNase exposure, coated high guluronic content alginate beads offered a higher level of DNA protection compared with coated beads with low guluronic alginate. No apparent correlation was found with chitosan membrane molecular weight and degree of deacetylation; however, increasing poly-l-lysine molecular weight appeared to increase DNase exclusion from beads. At elevated levels of DNase exposure, DNA hydrolysis was evident within all coated beads with the exception of those coated with the highest molecular weight poly-l-lysine (M_w=197.1 kDa), which provided almost total nuclease protection. Optimal combination then for DNA protection from nucleases is a high guluronic alginate core, coated with high molecular weight poly-l-lysine.     

Retention prediction of phenylthiohydantoin amino acid derivatives in reversed-phase liquid chromatography

Summary The concept of retention prediction for the separation of phenylthiohydatoin-amino acid derivatives in isocratic reversed-phase liquid chromatography is described. A novel retention-solubility parameter, R, is defined, for the retention prediction strategy and the performance of this R value is evaluated by comparing measured and predicted retention data. Excellent agreement between these values were observed. It is concluded that the R value has a very high potential in describing the retention of phenylthiohydantopinamino acid derivatives withdifferent types of separation systems consisting of C-18, C-8 and phenethyl bonded stationary phases and various mobile phases.     

Millettia ferruginea extract attenuates cisplatin-induced alterations in kidney functioning,DNA damage,oxidative stress,and renal tissue morphology

This study aimed to investigate the beneficial role of Millettia ferruginea extract (MF) in preventing cisplatin (Cisp) induced nephrotoxicity in rats. A total of 55 metabolites were identified using LC-MS analysis. The in vivo results indicated that MF pretreatment for 4 weeks (20 mg/kg b.w.) remarkably attenuated the altered renal biomarkers by decreasing the levels of plasma creatinine, urea, and uric acid when compared to the Cisp-group. The nephroprotective capacity of MF was further strengthened by histopathological observations, where Cisp + MF treated rats showed lower number of inflammatory cells and tubular degenerative changes than the Cisp-group. The harmful effects of cisplatin on renal oxidative stress indicators (MDA, SOD, CAT, and GPx), were restored by the treatment of MF. In addition, the reduction of inflammatory markers (IL-6 and TNF-α), associated with alleviating DNA fragmentation, highlighted the preventive effect of MF in kidney tissue. Additionally, MF components presented lower binding energies when docked into the active site of TNF-α and IL-6. The present findings concluded that M. ferruginea extract exhibited nephroprotective potential, which may be attributed to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Further work is recommended to confirm the current results, explore the involved mechanism of action, and determine the therapeutic doses and time.     

Syntheses and lipophilicity measurement of N/N-terminus-1,1-dihydroperfluoroalkylated α-amino acids and small peptides

(1,1-Dihydroperfluoroalkyl)phenyliodonium N,N-bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imides (4, n = 0-2) were synthesized and used to transfer the corresponding 1,1-dihydroperfluoroalkyl groups to the α-amino group of (l)tyrosine. The obtained N^α-2,2,2-trifluoroethylated (l)tyrosine (6, n = 0) was further used as the N-terminus in the solid phase peptide synthesis of leucine enkephalin analogue. The lipophilicity of the N^α-1,1-dihydroperfluoroalkylated (l)tyrosines (6, n = 0-2) and N-terminus-2,2,2-trifluoroethylated leucine enkephalin analogue (7), as well as the corresponding parent compounds, was measured.     

超高效液相色谱-串联质谱法同时测定中药制剂中松香酸、11-羰基-β-乙酰乳香酸及苏丹红Ⅰ~Ⅳ的含量

建立了快速检测中药制剂中松香酸、11-羰基-β-乙酰乳香酸、苏丹红Ⅰ~Ⅳ的超高效液相色谱-串联质谱方法。样品以甲醇为提取溶剂,经Zorbax SB-C18色谱柱分离,以乙腈-0.1%甲酸水溶液为流动相梯度洗脱,流速为0.3 m L/min;采用电喷雾离子源(ESI),正离子多反应监测(MRM)扫描方式检测;基质匹配标准曲线法定量。结果表明,6种化合物分别在3.0~100μg/L(苏丹红Ⅰ,Ⅱ)及30~1 000μg/L(松香酸、11-羰基-β-乙酰乳香酸及苏丹红Ⅲ,Ⅳ)范围内线性关系良好,相关系数均大于0.99,方法检出限为0.7~8.6μg·kg-1,定量下限为2.2~25.1μg·kg-1。低、中、高3个加标水平下各化合物的平均回收率为76.5%~94.9%,相对标准偏差(RSD)为2.3%~9.9%。采用酸化提取液的方法解决了苏丹红Ⅲ和Ⅳ的光学异构现象带来的计算误差。通过对目标化合物碎片离子的研究以及质谱裂解规律的总结,为其定性鉴别和定量分析提供了参考。该方法操作简便、准确、快速、灵敏,适合掺假中药制剂中松香酸及苏丹红含量的检测。     

Development of a systems analysis approach for resolving the structure of biodegrading soil systems

An experimental and mathematical method is developed for the microbial systems analysis of polyaromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)-degrading mixed cultures in PAH-contaminated “town gas” soil systems. Frequency response is the primary experimental and data analysis tool used to probe the structure of these complicated systems. The objective is to provide a fundamental protocol for evaluating the performance of specific mixed microbial cultures on specific soil systems by elucidating the salient system variables and their interactions. Two well-described reactor systems, a constant volume stirred tank reactor (CSTR) and a plug flow differential volume reactor, are used in order to remove performance effects that are related to reactor type as opposed to system structure. These two reactor systems are well-defined systems that can be described mathematically and represent the two extremes of one potentially important system variable, macroscopic mass transfer. The experimental and mathematical structure of the protocol is described, experimental data is presented, and data analysis is demonstrated for the stripping, sorption, and biodegradation of napththalene.     

Increased oxygen transfer in a yeast fermentation using a microbubble dispersion

A microbubble dispersion (MBD) was used to supply oxygen for aerobic fermentations in a standard 2 L stirred tank fermenter. The microbubble dispersion was formed using only surfactants produced naturally. Growth rates ofSaccharomyces cerevisiae cultures were found to be equal or greater with MBD sparging than with gas sparging. The oxygen transfer coefficent with MBD sparging was found to be 190/h and independent of impeller speed from 100–580 rpm. The oxygen transfer coefficient with air sparging rose from 55 to 132/h over the same range of impeller speeds. Power requirements for the fermenter systems were estimated.     

Enzymatic synthesis of neopentylpolyol esters in organic media

Utilization of lipases for synthesis of esters of hydrophilic polyols has been investigated. The choice of a suitable solvent is crucial in this type of reaction. An interesting case is fatty acid esters from neopentylpolyols, such as trimethylolpropane, which are of great interest as high temperature lubricants. Enzymatic synthesis of trimethylolpropane tricaprylate was studied as an alternative to chemical manufacturing. Triester production occurred only if the water produced by esterification was continuously removed from the medium. In these condition, kinetics of appearance and transformation of mono-, di- and triesters were determined in order to define optimal conditions.