Compositions for health products obtained by treatment of tomato with beta-cyclodextrin

The aim of this work was to produce lycopene-containing powders from tomato products by a solvent-free method making use of β-cyclodextrin (βCD). Powders were prepared by spray-drying a tomato concentrate (TC), one of the most bioavailable form of lycopene, after mechanical treatment with βCD in different weight ratios. The obtained product was centrifuged to eliminate partly food matrix and characterized for the amount of lycopene hydrodispersed/hydrosolubilized in the aqueous fraction. The chemical antioxidant activity of sera was evaluated too. Powders obtained by spray-drying sera exhibited good flow properties, a lycopene content between 0.4 and 1.09 mg/g and excellent water dispersability. The process developed, which makes use of βCD for the treatment of tomato products, turns to be of great interest to obtain a bulk material for nutraceuticals displaying superior biovailability of lycopene.     

Utilisation of 1,3-dialkylimidazolium-2-carboxylates as CO2-carriers in the presence of Na and K: application in the synthesis of carboxylates, monomethylcarbonate anions and halogen-free ionic liquids

1,3-Dialkylimidazolium-2-carboxylate compounds have recently been fully characterised. Here we describe the utilisation of 1,3-dimethyl (1a) and 1-butyl-3-methyl-imidazolium-2-carboxylate (1b) in a carboxylation reaction with transfer of the CO₂ moiety to benzoylacetone and methanol for the synthesis, in high yield, of benzoylacetate and monoalkylcarbonate anions, respectively. Conversely, when compounds 1a and b are reacted with carbonylic substrates lacking C-H active bonds, a product resulting from nucleophilic attack of the 1,3-dialkylimidazol-2-ylidene species on the carbonyl moiety is obtained. The reported reactions can find applications in organic synthesis and in the synthesis of halogen-free ionic liquids.     

Mechanism of Formation of Peroxocarbonates RhOOC(O)O(Cl)(P)(3) and Their Reactivity as Oxygen Transfer Agents Mimicking Monooxygenases. The First Evidence of CO(2) Insertion into the O-O Bond of Rh(eta(2)-O(2)) Complexes

Extended labeling experiments have shown that formation of rhodium peroxocarbonate from CO(2) and [RhCl(eta(2)-O(2))(P)(3)] (P is PEt(2)Ph or PEtPh(2)) proceeds through O-O bond cleavage and CO(2) insertion. O-transfer to ancillary phosphine ligand to give R(3)P=O selectively (>85%) involves the Rh-linked O atom of the peroxo group of RhCl(CO(4))(P)(3).     

Recent Clinical and Preclinical Studies of Hydroxychloroquine on RNA Viruses and Chronic Diseases: A Systematic Review

The rapid spread of the new Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has actually become the newest challenge for the healthcare system since, to date, there is not an effective treatment. Among all drugs tested, Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) has attracted significant attention. This systematic review aims to analyze preclinical and clinical studies on HCQ potential use in viral infection and chronic diseases. A systematic search of Scopus and PubMed databases was performed to identify clinical and preclinical studies on this argument; 2463 papers were identified and 133 studies were included. Regarding HCQ activity against COVID-19, it was noticed that despite the first data were promising, the latest outcomes highlighted the ineffectiveness of HCQ in the treatment of viral infection. Several trials have seen that HCQ administration did not improve severe illness and did not prevent the infection outbreak after virus exposure. By contrast, HCQ arises as a first-line treatment in managing autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus erythematosus, and Sjögren syndrome. It also improves glucose and lipid homeostasis and reveals significant antibacterial activity.     

Charmed-meson decay constants in three-flavor lattice QCD

We present the first lattice QCD calculation with realistic sea quark content of the D+-meson decay constant f(D+). We use the MILC Collaboration's publicly available ensembles of lattice gauge fields, which have a quark sea with two flavors (up and down) much lighter than a third (strange). We obtain f(D+)=201+/-3+/-17 MeV, where the errors are statistical and a combination of systematic errors. We also obtain f(Ds)=249+/-3+/-16 MeV for the Ds meson.     

A new experimental method for determining local airloads on rotor blades in forward flight

This paper presents a new approach for determining local airloads on helicopter rotor blade sections in forward flight. The method is based on the momentum equation in which all the terms are expressed by means of the velocity field measured by a laser Doppler velocimeter. The relative magnitude of the different terms involved in the momentum and Bernoulli equations is estimated and the results are encouraging.     

Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors: X-ray crystallographic studies for the binding of N-substituted benzenesulfonamides to human isoform II

N-substituted benzenesulfonamides, incorporating the N-amino-, N-hydroxy- and N-methoxy-moieties at the sulfonamide zinc binding group, have been investigated as CAIs by means of inhibition and structural studies, unraveling interesting aspects related to their inhibition mechanism.     

The unexpected reactivity of Zeise's anion in strong basic medium discloses new substitution patterns at the platinum centre

Zeise's anion in strongly basic hydroxylated solvents undergoes unprecedented nucleophilic addition of OR- (R = H, Me, Et) to the eta2-ethene giving trans-[PtCl2(eta1-C2H4OR)(OR)]2- which readily reacts with bidentate nitrogen donors N-N to give Cl- and OR- substitution and formation of [PtCl(CH2CH2OR)(N-N)]. Protonolysis of this stable organometallic species offers a versatile route to cationic [PtCl(eta2-C2H4)(N-N)]+ complexes.