Red/Near‐Infrared Emissive Metalloporphyrin‐Based Nanodots for Magnetic Resonance Imaging‐Guided Photodynamic Therapy In Vivo

Near‐infrared emissive (NIR) porphyrin‐implanted carbon nanodots (PCNDs or MPCNDs) are prepared by selectively carbonization of free base or metal complexes [M = Zn(II) or Mn(III)] of tetra‐(meso‐aminophenyl)porphyrin in the presence of citric acid. The as‐prepared nanodots exhibit spontaneously NIR emission, small size, good aqueous dispersibility, and favorable biocompatibility characteristic of both porphyrins and pristine carbon nanodots. The subcellular localization experiment of nanodots indicates a lysosome‐targeting feature. And the in vitro photodynamic therapy (PDT) results on HeLa cells indicate the nanodots alone have no adverse effect on tumor cells, but display remarkable photodynamic efficacy upon irradiation. Moreover, MnPCNDs containing paramagnetic Mn(III) ions, which possesses good biocompatibility, NIR luminescence, and magnetic resonance imaging and efficient singlet oxygen production, are further studied in magnetic resonance imaging‐guided photodynamic therapy in vivo.     

Preparation of Fe3O4@5,10‐dihydropyrido[2,3‐b]quinoxaline‐7,8‐diol copper complex: A capable nanocatalyst for the green synthesis of 1‐substituted 1H‐tetrazoles

Fe₃O₄ magnetic nanoparticles functionalized with 5,10‐dihydropyrido[2,3‐b]quinoxaline‐7,8‐diol were synthesized as was their complex with copper as a novel nanomagnetic iron oxide catalyst via a simple and green method, and characterized using various techniques. The capability of the catalyst was evaluated in the one‐pot three‐component synthesis of different tetrazoles, which showed very good results. Mild reaction conditions, good reusability and simple magnetic work‐up make this methodology interesting for the efficient synthesis of tetrazoles.     

Silver nanoparticles immobilized onto poly(4‐vinylpyridine)‐functionalized magnetic nanoparticles: A robust magnetically recyclable catalyst for oxidant‐free alcohol dehydrogenation

A heterogeneous and recyclable catalyst with a high loading of silver nanoparticles was synthesized via the silver nanoparticles being supported onto the surface of magnetic nanoparticles coated with poly(4‐vinylpyridine). The synthesized catalyst was used in the dehydrogenation of alcohols to corresponding carbonyl compounds. A broad diversity of alcohols was converted into their corresponding carbonyl compounds in excellent yields. The catalyst was easily recovered by applying an external magnetic field and reused for seven reaction cycles without considerable loss of activity. The catalyst was fully characterized using various techniques.     

New insights into water‐soluble and water‐coordinated copper 15‐metallacrown‐5 gadolinium complexes designed for high‐field magnetic resonance imaging applications

The development of contrast agents specifically designed for high‐field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is required because the relaxation efficiency of classic Gd(III) contrast agents significantly decreases with increasing magnetic field strengths. With an idea of exploring the unique structure of lanthanide (Ln) 15‐MC‐5 metallacrowns, we developed a series of water‐soluble Gd(III) aqua‐complexes, bearing aminohydroxamate (glycine, α‐alanine, α‐phenylalanine and α‐tyrosine) ligands, with increasing number of water molecules directly coordinated to the Gd(III) ion: Gd(H₂O)₄[15‐MC_Cu(II)Glyha‐5](Cl)₃ ( 1 (Gd)), Gd(H₂O)₄[15‐MC_Cu(II)Alaha‐5](Cl)₃ ( 2 (Gd)), Gd(H₂O)₃[15‐MC_{Cu(II)Phalaha}‐5](Cl)₃ ( 3 (Gd)) and Gd(H₂O)₃[15‐MC_Cu(II)Tyrha‐5](Cl)₃ ( 4 (Gd)). In these systems, the Ln(III) central ion is coordinated by five oxygen donor atoms of the ligands and three or four inner‐sphere water molecules. The X‐ray crystal structure of metallacrown Ln(H₂O)_3,4[15‐MC_Cu(II)Rha‐5]³⁺ agrees with density functional theory predictions. The calculations demonstrate that the exchange of coordinated water molecules can proceed easily, resulting in increased relaxivity parameters. The longitudinal relaxivities (r₁) of 1 (Gd)– 4 (Gd) in water at ultrahigh magnetic field of 9.4 T were determined to be 11.5, 14.8, 13.9 and 12.2 mM^?1 s^?1, respectively. The ability to increase the number of Ln(III) inner‐sphere water molecules up to four, the planar metallacrown structure and the rich hydration shell due to strong hydrogen bonds between the [15‐MC‐5] moiety and bulk water molecules provide new opportunities for potential MRI applications.     

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance-Based Blood Metabolic Profiles of Rats Exposed to Short-Term Caloric Restriction

Caloric restriction increases the life-span of a number of organisms. The relationship between the increase in life-span and the extent of caloric restriction, however, varies among species. The underlying mechanisms are yet unknown, but appear to be related to changes in metabolism. In order to investigate the metabolic response of caloric restriction of rats, here is presented the first nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy-based study of how blood metabolite profiles are influenced by graded levels of caloric restriction. The study involved three groups of obese rats exposed to 0, 20, and 40 percent caloric restriction for five days. Blood serum from each individual was analyzed by ¹H NMR and the resulting spectra were subjected to multivariate analysis by unsupervised principal component analysis and supervised orthogonal-partial least square discriminant analysis. The analyses revealed that a response to caloric restriction was present at 20 percent caloric restriction. The metabolites that distinguished the profiles at 20 percent restriction deviated from those at 40 percent restriction. The changes induced by caloric restriction were most clearly observed as an increased level of 3-hydroxybutyrate, and decreased levels of lipids and pyruvate. The metabolic responses of rats exposed to caloric restriction are in good agreement with a switch in metabolism from anabolic pathways towards fatty acid catabolism and gluconeogenesis, which is consistent with previous observations for mice.     

Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectrometry-Based Metabolic Characterization of Panax Notoginseng Roots

The radix of Panax notoginseng is an important herbal resource for clinics, commercial markets, and the health industry worldwide. The quality of P. notoginseng roots is known to be associated with its cultivation age. This study used ¹H-nuclear-magnetic-resonance-spectrometry-based metabolic profiling to characterize P. notoginseng roots. Twenty metabolites—including four ginsenosides—contributed to the composition of P. notoginseng according to age. A partial least-squares regression model using a combined data set from two solvent systems was the best predictor of cultivation age. Finally, receiver-operating-characteristic analysis was used to screen potential markers of P. notoginseng root age. These results may be applied to the development of medicinal and nutraceutical products using P. notoginseng roots.     

Development and validation of a high‐performance liquid chromatography method for determination of lisinopril in human plasma by magnetic solid‐phase extraction and pre‐column derivatization

A sensitive, reliable and simple HPLC method was developed for the determination of lisinopril in human plasma. The method consists of extraction and clean‐up steps based on magnetic solid‐phase extraction and pre‐column derivatization with a fluorescent reagent. The mobile phase consisted of a mixture of methanol–sodium dihydrogen phosphate (pH 3.0; 0.005 m ; 75:25, v/v). The flow rate was set at 0.7 mL/min. Fluorescence detection was performed at 470nm excitation and 530nm emission wavelengths. Total chromatography run time was 5 min. The average extraction recovery of lisinopril and fluvoxamine (internal standard) was ≥82.8%. The limits of detection and quantification were determined as 1 and 3 ng/mL respectively. The method exhibited a linear calibration line over the concentration range of 3–1000 ng/mL with coefficient of determination (r²) of ≥0.98. The within‐run and between‐run precisions were satisfactory with values of CV of 1.8–12.8% (accuracy from 99.2 to 94.7%) and 2.4–13.7% (accuracy from 99.5 to 92.2%), respectively. These developments led to considerable improvement in method sensitivity and reliability. The method was validated according to the US Food and Drug Administration guidelines. Therefore, it can be considered as a suitable method for determination of lisinopril in plasma samples.     

Mobility of small molecules in membrane materials based on copolyimide P84

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