Chemical Composition and Antibacterial Activity of Lippia multiflora Moldenke Essential Oil from Different Regions of Angola

The purpose of the study was to determine the chemical composition and antibacterial activity of Lippia multiflora Moldenke essential oils (EOs) collected in different regions of Angola. Antibacterial activity was evaluated using the agar wells technique and vapour phase test. Analysis of the oils by GC/MS identified thirty-five components representing 67.5 to 100% of the total oils. Monoterpene hydrocarbons were the most prevalent compounds, followed by oxygenated monoterpenes. The content of the compounds varied according to the samples. The main components were Limonene, Piperitenone, Neral, Citral, Elemol, p-cymene, Transtagetone, and Artemisia ketone. Only one of the eleven samples contained Verbenone as the majority compound. In the vapour phase test, a single oil was the most effective against all the pathogens studied. The principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) of components of the selected EOs and inhibition zone diameter values of agar wells technique allowed us to identify a variability between the plants from the two provinces, but also intraspecific variability between sub-groups within a population. Each group of essential oils constituted a chemotype responsible for their bacterial inhibition capacity. The results presented here suggest that Angolan Lippia multiflora Moldenke has antibacterial properties and could be a potential source of antimicrobial agents for the pharmaceutical and food industry.     

Synthesis,crystal structure,Hirshfeld surface analysis,and vibrational and DFT investigation of [C<Subscript>6</Subscript>H<Subscript>10</Subscript>(NH<Subscript>3</Subscript>)<Subscript>2</Subscript>]<Subscript>3</Subscript>CuBr<Subscript>4</Subscript>.3Br

Single crystal of a new organic–inorganic hybrid material [C₆H₁₀(NH₃)₂]₃CuBr₄.3Br was synthesized by the slow evaporation method at room temperature and characterized by X-ray diffraction, FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, UV–Vis, dielectric measurements, and Hirschfield surface analysis. The title compound crystallizes in trigonal system \( P\overline{3} \).The crystal packing is governed by the N-H…Br and non-classical C-H…Br hydrogen-bonding interactions between the 1, 2-diamoniumcyclohexane cations, the tetrahedral [CuBr₄]^3? anions, and the isolated ion Br^?. Theoretical calculations were performed using density functional theory (DFT) for studying the molecular structure, vibrational spectra, and optical properties of the investigated molecule in the ground state. The optimized geometrical parameters obtained by DFT calculations are in good agreement with single crystal XRD data. The optical properties were investigated by optical absorption and show two bands at 260 and 305 nm.     

Miscibility and Thermal Behaviour of Poly(styrene-co-itaconic acid)/Poly(butyl methacrylate-co-4-vinylpyridine) Mixtures. Accessibility and Self-Association Effects

Summary: The miscibility and thermal behaviour of binary mixtures of poly(styrene-co-itaconic acid) containing 11 or 27 mol % of itaconic acid (PSIA-11 or PSIA27) with poly(butyl methacrylate) (PBMA)or poly(butyl methacrylate-co-4-vinylpyridine) containing 10 or 26 mol% of 4-vinylpyridine (PBM4VP-10, PBM4V-P26) were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry, scanning electron microscopy, FTIR spectroscopy and thermogravimetry. The results showed that 11 mol % of itaconic acid and 10 mol % of 4-vinylpyridine respectively introduced within the polystyrene and poly(butyl methacrylate) matrices induced the miscibility of this pair of polymers due to specific interactions of hydrogen bonding type with partial pyridine protonation that occurred between the two copolymers as evidenced by FTIR from the appearance of two new bands at 1607 cm⁻¹ and 1640 cm⁻¹. Increasing itaconic acid content from 11 to 27 mol % led to a decrease of the intensity of the specific interactions within PSIA-27/PBM4VP blends and is attributed to both accessibility and self association effects as evidenced by DSC from the change of the shape of the Tg- composition curves and by FTIR spectroscopy. As shown from the thermogravimetric study, the presence of these specific interactions delayed the anhydride formation and improved the thermal stability of the blends.     

Phytochemical Investigation of New Algerian Lichen Species: Physcia Mediterranea Nimis

The present study provides new data concerning the chemical characterisation of Physcia mediterranea Nimis, a rare Mediterranean species belonging to the family Physciaceae. The phytochemical screening was carried out using GC-MS, HPLC-ESI-MS-MS, and NMR techniques. Hot extraction of n-hexane was carried out, followed by separation of the part insoluble in methanol: wax (WA-hex), from the part soluble in methanol (ME-hex). GC-MS analysis of the ME-hex part revealed the presence of methylbenzoic acids such as sparassol and atraric acid and a diterpene with a kaurene skeleton which has never been detected before in lichen species. Out of all the compounds identified by HPLC-ESI-MS-MS, sixteen compounds are common between WA-hex and ME-hex. Most are aliphatic fatty acids, phenolic compounds and depsides. The wax part is characterised by the presence of atranorin, a depside of high biological value. Proton 1H and carbon 13C NMR have confirmed its identification. Atranol, chloroatranol (depsides compound), Ffukinanolide (sesquiterpene lactones), leprolomin (diphenyl ether), muronic acid (triterpenes), and ursolic acid (triterpenes) have also been identified in ME-hex. The results suggested that Physcia mediterranea Nimis is a valuable source of bioactive compounds that could be useful for several applications as functional foods, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals.     

Self-association effects on phase behavior and thermal properties of poly(styrene-co-itaconic acid)/poly(butyl methacrylate-co-4-vinylpyridine) blends

Blends based on poly(styrene-co-itaconic acid) containing 11 or 27 mol % of itaconic acid (PSIA11, PSIA27) and poly(n-butyl methacrylate-co-4-vinylpyridine) containing 26 or 37 mol% of 4-vinylpyridine (PBM4VP26, PBM4VP37) were prepared. Their phase behavior and thermal properties were investigated by several techniques. Specific interactions that occurred between these copolymers were evidenced by FTIR from the appearance of characteristic new bands. The different T _g-composition behaviors of these systems evidenced by DSC and interpreted in terms of different types and strength of interactions that occurred within these blends, were analyzed by Kwei and “BCKV” (Brostow, Chiu, Kalogeras, Vassilikou-Dova) approaches. The positive deviation from the weight average of their constituent T _g’s, observed with the PSIA11/PBM4VP26 and PSIA11/PBM4VP37 systems, is due to the presence of strong specific interactions that occurred within this system while the practically similar S shaped curves obtained with PSIA27/PBM4VP26 and PSIA27/PBM4VP37 blends indicate that, due to self-association of carboxylic groups within PSIA27, a reduced number of efficient specific interactions occurred within these blends even though containing relatively higher amounts of interacting species. A thermogravimetric analysis confirmed improved thermal stability of these blends over the individual copolymers.     

Synthesis and biological evaluation of a novel 99mTc‐cyclopentadienyltricarbonyl technetium complex as a new potential brain perfusion imaging agent

A new cytectrene prototype of general formula RCpTc(CO)₃ (R = C₆H₅NHCO, Cp = cyclopentadienyl moiety) has been synthesized from N‐phenylferrocenecarboxamide 2 , characterized and evaluated as a potential brain perfusion imaging agent. An improved procedure has been developed to obtain both the ligand 2 , characterized by its solid‐state structure (orthorhombic, Pccn, a = 10.4443(2) Å, b = 26.1467(6) Å, c = 9.9977(3) Å), and the corresponding metallic Tc‐ and Re‐complexes in good yield. These latter complexes possessed similar HPLC retention times, thereby indicating identity of their molecular structures. The Tc‐complex ^99m Tc‐2 is lipophilic enough to cross the blood‐brain barrier. This complex exhibits good brain uptake (1.41% injected dose per gram tissue at 5 min) combined with a fairly good retention of radioactivity in brain (0.48% injected dose per gram tissue after 1 h). Then, the distribution of the activity at 5 min post‐injection in various rat brain regions showed a higher accumulation in the hippocampus area. The new ^99mTc‐cyclopentadienyltricarbonyl technetium complex reported here showed promising biological results, making it an interesting base for the development of a new generation of cytectrene as brain perfusion imaging agent. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Reduced Redlich–Kister functions and interaction studies of Dehpa + Petrofin binary mixtures at 298.15 K

In order to understand the effect of different types of interactions in liquid mixtures by applying the correlative reduced Redlich–Kister equation, excess molar volume, excess dielectric constant, deviation in refractive index, deviation in molar refraction and molar polarisation were calculated at the temperature 298.15 K and atmospheric pressure P = 101.325 kPa for the binary mixture Petrofin (1) + Dehpa (2). The experimentally determined data of density and refractive index which were published earlier were used for these calculations. The results were interpreted in terms of structural effects of the solvents.     

Olive Oil Traceability Studies Using Inorganic and Isotopic Signatures: A Review

The olive oil industry is subject to significant fraudulent practices that can lead to serious economic implications and even affect consumer health. Therefore, many analytical strategies have been developed for olive oil’s geographic authentication, including multi-elemental and isotopic analyses. In the first part of this review, the range of multi-elemental concentrations recorded in olive oil from the main olive oil-producing countries is discussed. The compiled data from the literature indicates that the concentrations of elements are in comparable ranges overall. They can be classified into three categories, with (1) Rb and Pb well below 1 µg kg⁻¹; (2) elements such as As, B, Mn, Ni, and Sr ranging on average between 10 and 100 µg kg⁻¹; and (3) elements including Cr, Fe, and Ca ranging between 100 to 10,000 µg kg⁻¹. Various sample preparations, detection techniques, and statistical data treatments were reviewed and discussed. Results obtained through the selected analytical approaches have demonstrated a strong correlation between the multi-elemental composition of the oil and that of the soil in which the plant grew. The review next focused on the limits of olive oil authentication using the multi-elemental composition method. Finally, different methods based on isotopic signatures were compiled and critically assessed. Stable isotopes of light elements have provided acceptable segregation of oils from different origins for years already. More recently, the determination of stable isotopes of strontium has proven to be a reliable tool in determining the geographical origin of food products. The ratio ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr is stable over time and directly related to soil geology; it merits further study and is likely to become part of the standard tool kit for olive oil origin determination, along with a combination of different isotopic approaches and multi-elemental composition.     

Elaboration,Structural, Vibrational,DSC Investigations and Hirshfeld Surface Analysis of New Organic–Inorganic Hybrid Compound: [H<Subscript>2</Subscript>mela]Cu<Subscript>2</Subscript>Br<Subscript>6</Subscript>

The present paper accounts for the synthesis, crystal structure, differential scanning calorimetry and vibrational spectroscopy of a new compound (1,3,5-triazinidium-2,4,6-triamine) hexabromidodicuprate (II) grown at room temperature by slow evaporation of aqueous solution. From X-ray diffraction data collected at room temperature, it is concluded that it crystallizes in the monoclinic system (P2₁/c space group). The anion and the cation are linked by N–H···Br hydrogen bonds. Furthermore, the room temperature IR and Raman spectra of the title compound were recorded and analyzed. The differential scanning calorimetric has also been investigated. Hirshfeld surfaces were used to confirm the existence of inter-molecular interactions in the compound.