Fungicidal properties of meso-arylglycosylporphyrins: influence of sugar substituents on photoinduced damage in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

A series of neutral meso-arylglycosylporphyrins has been tested in order to evaluate their potency as antifungal agents against the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Photodynamic activity of these molecules results in intracellular damage as evidenced by the loss of clonogenicity and DNA fragmentation. The ability of these photosensitizers to permeate yeast cells is determined by microspectrofluorimetry and is correlated with their antifungal potency. Amphiphilic porphyrin derivatives are shown to exhibit the more pronounced photoactivity.     

Die gewichtsanalytische Bestimmung des Zuckers

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Detection of 20‐hydroxyecdysone in calf urine by comparative liquid chromatography/high‐resolution mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry measurements: application to the control of the potential misuse of ecdysteroids in cattle

Ecdysteroids, which are steroid hormones in invertebrates, but which are also present in plants, could potentially be used as anabolic agents in food‐producing animals. The control of ecdysteroid misuse in cattle relies on the development of an efficient method for their detection in biological matrices at trace levels (µg L⁻¹). In order to propose an analytical procedure dedicated to the identification of excreted 20‐hydroxyecdysone (20E) in urine and faecal samples of breeding animals, a comparative study of the spectrometric behaviour of these compounds was carried out both by LC/(ESI‐)/HRMSⁿ (hybrid linear ion trap – orbital trap) and by LC/(ESI+)/MS/MS (triple quadrupole). This study revealed the formation of a large number of product ions both in positive and negative ion mode, corresponding to losses of water molecules and specific cleavages on the side chain. The sample preparation consisted of sequential purification on two solid‐phase extraction cartridges (SPE octadecylsilyl and SPE silica). The detection limits were around 0.5 µg L⁻¹ in the selected reaction monitoring (SRM) mode and recoveries above 60% were obtained. The method was successfully applied to the analysis of real samples collected from calves treated with 60 mg 20E over 4 days. Analysis of the samples allowed the investigation of the kinetics of elimination of 20E in calf urine and determination of the time‐frame for the control of potential abuse. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Physicochemical Investigation of Engineered Nanosuspensions Containing Model Drug,Lansoprazole

Lansoprazole is a proton-pump inhibitor used in treatment of gastric ulcers, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and Zollinger–Ellison syndrome. The objective of the study was physicochemical investigation and comparative characterization of nanosuspensions of lansoprazole by complexing with β-cyclodextrin and β-cyclodextrin-based nanosponges to enhance its solubility and stability. Inclusion complexes of lansoprazole with β-cyclodextrin and nanosponges were prepared by physical method and polymer condensation method, respectively. Particle size, zeta potential, encapsulation efficiency, in vitro release, FTIR, and Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC) studies were used as characterization parameters. The average particle size of lansoprazole nanoparticles was found to be in the range of 178.7 ± 6.39 nm to 204.9 ± 2.91 nm. The high zeta potential values were attained to ensure a high-energy barrier and favor a good stability of nanosuspensions. In vitro release study showed the controlled release of lansoprazole, which was more satisfactory than individual drug. FTIR spectroscopy showed that there was interaction of cyclodextrin and its nanosponges with drug. DSC study revealed that drug was involved in complexion with cyclodextrin and nanosponges. Solubility and stability of lansoprazole were remarkably improved by inclusion complexation. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that engineered nanosuspension of lansoprazole is a promising carrier for nanoparticulate drug delivery in gastric ulcer.     

Development of a metabonomic approach based on LC-ESI-HRMS measurements for profiling of metabolic changes induced by recombinant equine growth hormone in horse urine

Despite the worldwide existing regulation banning the use of the recombinant equine growth hormone (reGH) as growth promoter, it is suspected to be used in horseracing to improve performances. Various analytical methods previously developed to screen for its misuse have encountered some limitations in terms of detection timeframes, in particular during the first days following reGH administration. A novel strategy involving the characterization of global metabolomic fingerprints in urine samples of non-treated and reGH-treated horses by liquid chromatography–electrospray–high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-HRMS) is described and assessed in this paper in order to develop a new screening tool for growth hormone abuse in horseracing. The strategy involves a limited sample preparation of the urine samples and the use of appropriate software for data processing and analysis. As preliminary work, reproducibility of both sample preparation and mass spectrometry (MS) measurements was evaluated in order to demonstrate the reliability of the method. Application of the developed protocol on two horses demonstrated the suitability of the developed strategy and preliminary results showed significant modifications of the metabolome after treatment with reGH.       

Multi-residue method for the determination of thyreostats in urine samples using liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry after derivatisation with 3-iodobenzylbromide

Thyreostats are banned compounds in Europe since 1981 (directive 81/602/EC) because of their carcinogenic and teratogenic properties. The control of their illegal use in breeding animals is amongst the most difficult because of their low molecular weight, high polarity and the existence of tautomeric forms. The analytical procedure described in this paper involves, after a derivatisation step with 3-iodobenzylbromide, the detection and identification at low level (microg/L) by LC-ESI(-)-MS/MS of eight thyreostats in various biological matrices (urine, muscle, liver, thyroid, animal feed, faeces and hair). The urine method has been validated according to the EU criteria (2002/657/EC decision): CCalpha and CCbeta were found in the range (0.1-5.2 microg/L) and (2.6-23.2 microg/L), respectively. The performances fulfil the requirements of the EU regarding the provisional minimum required performance limit (MRPL) fixed at 100 microg/L in urine.