Behavior of Humic Acid as a Micellar Phase in Micellar Electrokinetic Chromatography (MEKC)

The possibility of humic acids acting as micellar phase in micellar electrokinetic chromatography was evaluated. We investigated the separation of naphthalene in capillary electrophoresis using various samples of humic acids as micellar phase under different pH conditions, concentrations of humic acid, and temperature. The humic acid samples studied were from different origins including peat, vermicompost and a commercial sample acquired from Aldrich. Methanol was used as a marker for the electroosmotic flow. The results indicate that the formation of micelle depends on the number and nature of the hydrophobic association sites in an aqueous humic acid solution and on the origin and concentration of the humic acid at a defined pH. At lower pH values, the possibility of the humic acid molecule forming pseudomicelles increases due to a combination of neutralized and dissociated charged sites.     

Chiral recognition and separation of beta2-amino acids using non-covalently molecularly imprinted polymers

Non-covalently molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) for beta2-amino acids were prepared for the first time. N-(2-chlorobenzyloxycarbonyl)-(R)-beta2-homophenylalanine (N-2-ClZ-(R)-beta2-HPhe) was imprinted with methacrylic acid (MAA) and/or 4-vinylpyridine (4-VPy) as the functional monomers, with ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EDMA) as the cross-linker. The MIPs made with different ratios of MAA:4-VPy were studied in HPLC mode. The results show that MIPs made with 4-VPy yielded the best chiral separation factor (alpha= 1.86) for the template molecule. The importance for an efficient separation of pi-stacking interactions between the MIPs and the template molecule is demonstrated. Racemates of Z-alpha-amino acids and beta-amino acid analogues of the template were either not or poorly resolved by the MIPs, thus demonstrating the close three-dimensional complementarity of the MIPs' recognition sites with the template.     

Z/E PHOTOISOMERIZATION OF UROCANIC ACID*

The E ? Z photoisomerization of the title compound (UA) (a naturally occurring sunscreen) has been studied in aqueous solution. At a UA concentration of 6mM and using 313nm excitation, φ_E→z= 0.52, φ_Z→E= 0.47 and the photostationary state is 34% E. Under these conditions, loss of UA is minimal. Low energy triplet quenchers fail to impede the isomerization, but the reaction can be induced by several triplet sensitizers. The E_T for UA is estimated to be approximately 55 kcal/mol.     

Antioxidant activity of aryltetralone lignans and derivatives from Virola sebifera (Aubl.)

Aryltetralone lignans bearing methylenedioxy groups (1a-b; 2a-b) were isolated from seeds of Virola sebifera. Their antioxidant activities were evaluated by inhibition of lipid peroxidation as indicated by TBARS and chemiluminescence emission (CL) assays. The lignan 1c, 'having a 2'-hydroxy-4',5'-methylenedioxyphenyl group, was the most active compound with TBARS/CL Q 1/2 values of 0.89 and 0.10 microg/mL, respectively. The catechol derivatives 3 and 4, obtained by demethylenation of lignans 1a and 2a, were of similar activity to 1c, and all were much more effective as antioxidants than alpha-tocopherol.     

Thermal behavior of polyacrylonitrile polymers synthesized under different conditions and comonomer compositions

Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) polymers are used as precursors for carbon fiber production. This process requires an oxidative stabilization step, which can be studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). In this sense, thermal behavior of PAN based terpolymers by different polymerization processes, compositions and itaconic acid concentrations in the reaction media were investigated. The obtained results showed that the addition of itaconic acid and methyl acrylate as comonomers resulted a lower heat flow during the process comparing to the PAN homopolymer. It suggested that these comonomers aid the oxidative stabilization stage for all studied process. The redox system polymerization at 40°C resulted in a lower heat flow. Itaconic acid decreases slightly initial and peak temperatures of the terpolymer and heat flow until concentration of 3y. The cyclization temperature decreases when MAis incorporated into the terpolymer compared to the MMA terpolymer and increases when MAA is the acidic monomer. Among terpolymers the AN/MA/AA polymer showed the best thermal behavior for carbon fiber producing.     

Racemic 2‐isopropyl‐3‐(2‐nitrobenzyl)‐1,3‐thiazolidin‐4‐one crystallizes in the space group P212121 with Z′ = 2: two different interpenetrating three‐dimensional frameworks formed by C—H...O hydrogen bonds

rac‐2‐Isopropyl‐3‐(2‐nitrobenzyl)‐1,3‐thiadiazolin‐4‐one, C₁₃H₁₆N₂O₃S, is a rare example of a racemate crystallizing in the space group P2₁2₁2₁, with one molecule each of S and R configurations, whose conformations are almost mirror images, within the asymmetric unit. The molecules of S configuration are linked by two C—H...O hydrogen bonds into a three‐dimensional framework, and the molecules of R configuration are linked by two further C—H...O hydrogen bonds into a different type of three‐dimensional framework; the two frameworks are linked by a fifth C—H...O hydrogen bond.     

Mapping the binding site topology of amyloid protein aggregates using multivalent ligands

A key process in the development of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer''s and Parkinson''s diseases is the aggregation of proteins to produce fibrillary aggregates with a cross β-sheet structure, amyloid. The development of reagents that can bind these aggregates with high affinity and selectivity has potential for early disease diagnosis. By linking two benzothiazole aniline (BTA) head groups with different length polyethylene glycol (PEG) spacers, fluorescent probes that bind amyloid fibrils with low nanomolar affinity have been obtained. Dissociation constants measured for interaction with Aβ, α-synuclein and tau fibrils show that the length of the linker determines binding affinity and selectivity. These compounds were successfully used to image α-synuclein aggregates in vitro and in the post-mortem brain tissue of patients with Parkinson''s disease. The results demonstrate that multivalent ligands offer a powerful approach to obtain high affinity, selective reagents to bind the fibrillary aggregates that form in neurodegenerative disease.

Multivalent ligands offer a powerful approach to obtain high affinity reagents to bind the aggregates that form in neurodegenerative disease. Selectivity for different proteins was achieved by using different linkers to connect the head groups.     

Ion chromatographic analysis of cyanate in gold processing samples containing large concentrations of copper(I) and other metallocyanide complexes

An ion chromatographic (IC) method was developed for the determination of cyanate in gold cyanidation samples containing large concentrations of metallo-cyanide complexes. The analysis was performed on a Waters HC IC-Pak A anion-exchange column with an anthranilic acid eluent, with detection achieved using indirect UV at 355 nm. Two procedures were developed for removal of the metallo-cyanide complexes prior to the IC analysis. The first was a manual off-line method which used solid-phase extraction cartridges containing a strong anion-exchange resin to trap the complexes and to then enable determination of cyanate without interference. In the second approach, an automated on-line method was developed which used an anion-exchange guard column to trap the complexes and a column switching valve to allow backflushing of the cyanate from the guard column. This enabled the total analysis to be performed in a time of 10–14 min, depending on the sample composition. Finally, a comparison of results obtained by the standard Kjeldahl nitrogen method for cyanate and the IC method revealed an interference in the Kjeldahl method for samples containing large concentrations of Cu(I)-cyanide complexes.     

Influence of trace elements supplementation on the production of recombinant frutalin by Pichia pastoris KM71H in fed-batch process

Frutalin, a galactose-specific lectin used to detect specific tumour markers, is a protein with low expression level in breadfruit. In the present study, fed-batch fermentation in a stirred tank bioreactor was used as a strategy to enhance protein production by a recombinant Pichia pastoris KM71H. By using this process, the production of recombinant frutalin was 4-fold higher than the value obtained in shaker flasks batch assays. Supplementation of the fermentation medium with trace elements (Pichia trace minerals, PTM) was also evaluated in order to stimulate production of the recombinant protein. The addition of PTM to the minimum medium afforded a recombinant protein production of 13.4 mg L^?1, which was 2.5-fold higher than that achieved from the culture medium without PTM supplementation. These results are significant as the development of strategies to improve the production of recombinant frutalin may broaden its application in cancer diagnosis.