Chemical Profiles and Pharmacological Properties with in Silico Studies on Elatostema papillosum Wedd

The current study attempted, for the first time, to qualitatively and quantitatively determine the phytochemical components of Elatostema papillosum methanol extract and their biological activities. The present study represents an effort to correlate our previously reported biological activities with a computational study, including molecular docking, and ADME/T (absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion/toxicity) analyses, to identify the phytochemicals that are potentially responsible for the antioxidant, antidepressant, anxiolytic, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory activities of this plant. In the gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy analysis, a total of 24 compounds were identified, seven of which were documented as being bioactive based on their binding affinities. These seven were subjected to molecular docking studies that were correlated with the pharmacological outcomes. Additionally, the ADME/T properties of these compounds were evaluated to determine their drug-like properties and toxicity levels. The seven selected, isolated compounds displayed favorable binding affinities to potassium channels, human serotonin receptor, cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1), COX-2, nuclear factor (NF)-κB, and human peroxiredoxin 5 receptor proteins. Phytol acetate, and terpene compounds identified in E. papillosum displayed strong predictive binding affinities towards the human serotonin receptor. Furthermore, 3-trifluoroacetoxypentadecane showed a significant binding affinity for the KcsA potassium channel. Eicosanal showed the highest predicted binding affinity towards the human peroxiredoxin 5 receptor. All of these findings support the observed in vivo antidepressant and anxiolytic effects and the in vitro antioxidant effects observed for this extract. The identified compounds from E. papillosum showed the lowest binding affinities towards COX-1, COX-2, and NF-κB receptors, which indicated the inconsequential impacts of this extract against the activities of these three proteins. Overall, E. papillosum appears to be bioactive and could represent a potential source for the development of alternative medicines; however, further analytical experiments remain necessary.     

The non-isotropic character of electric and dielectric properties of ammonium zinc chloride crystal

The dielectric constant, ε, and the d.c. conductivity, σ, were measured along the a-, b- and c-axes of (NH₄)₂ZnCl₄ (AZC) crystal in the 300-450 K temperature range. Crystals of AZC grown from aqueous solutions containing excess of ZnCl₂ were used. The value of the dielectric permittivity of AZC is extremely small compared to other ferroelectric crystals. Pronounced broad or step-like peaks at the phase transition temperatures were detected along the a- and b-axes, while ε along the c-axis is temperature independent up to the end of the measuring range. Reciprocal of the dielectric permittivity in the range of the commensurate to incommensurate phase transition obeys a relation similar to the Curie-Weiss law that is valid for second order ferroelectric/paraelectric phase transitions. The constants of the proposed relationship applied to the cooling run are given. The J-E characteristics along the three crystallographic axes were measured in the normal, incommensurate, commensurate and antiferroelectric phases. Hence, the type of conduction mechanism has been estimated. Parameters of Poole-Frenkel and Richardson-Schottky types of conduction mechanism have been determined. The effect of applied electric field on the conductivity measurement was also tested. Conductivity anomalies with different character were observed at the phase transition temperatures. The lnσ−1000/T dependence revealed thermal activation energy of conduction along the a-, b- and c-axes with different values in different phases of AZC.     

Radiation pasteurised oil palm empty fruit bunch fermented with Pleurotus sajor-caju as feed supplement to ruminants

In solid state fermentation, Pleurotus sajor-caju has been found to be able to degrade at least 30% oil palm empty Fruit Bunch (EFB) fibre leaving 70 % useful materials. Conditions under which fermentation carried out were investigated. It was found that, in the temperature range between 25– 28 °C, relative ph between 6–8, moisture between 60–70 % and medium composition of CaCO₃: rice bran 2 %: 5 % were the optimum conditions. The results showed in fermented products that, there were substantial reduction in cellulosic component such as Crude Fiber (CF, 18 %); Acid Detergent Fibre (ADF, 45 %), Neutral Detergent Fibre (NDF, 61 %) and Acid Detergent Lignin (ADL, 14 %). However, Crude Protein (CP, 10%) increased resulted from single cell protein enrichment of mycelial microbial mass. The mass reductions of substrate in fermentation process corresponds to the CO₂ released during fermentation. Hence, attributable to the decreased in content of CF, ADF, NDF, and ADL. The digestibility study has also been carried out to determine the useful level of this product to ruminant. Aflatoxin content was detected low in both the initial substrates and products. Based on nutritional value and low content of aflatoxin, the product is useful as a source of roughage to ruminant.     

Synthesis and comparative solution properties of single‐, twin‐, and triple‐tailed associating ionic polymers based on diallylammonium salts

The cycloterpolymerizations of single‐, twin‐, and triple‐tailed hydrophobes with hydrophilic monomer N,N‐diallyl‐N‐carboethoxymethylammonium chloride and sulfur dioxide afforded a series of cationic polyelectrolytes (CPEs) in excellent yields. These CPEs, upon the acidic hydrolysis of the pendent ester groups, gave the corresponding pH‐responsive cationic acid salts, which, upon a treatment with sodium hydroxide, were converted to polybetaines (PBs), anionic polyelectrolytes (APEs), and PB/APE polymers containing various proportions of zwitterionic (PB) and anionic fractions (APE) in the polymer chain. At a shear rate of 0.36 s⁻¹ at 30 °C, salt‐free water solutions of the CPEs (2 g/dL) containing 8, 4, and 2.67 mol % of the single‐, twin‐, and triple‐tailed hydrophobes (all having 8 mol % octyloxy tails) had apparent viscosity values of 70, 2800, and 396,000 cps, respectively. The PB/APE polymer with a ratio of 33:67 for the zwitterionic and anionic fractions in the polymer chain gave the highest viscosity value. The superior viscosity behavior of the polymers containing the triple‐tailed hydrophobe was attributed to the blocky nature of the comonomer. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 5480–5494, 2006     

Numerical comparison of methods for solving second-order ordinary initial value problems

In this paper, we apply Adomian decomposition method (shortly, ADM) to develop a fast and accurate algorithm of a special second-order ordinary initial value problems. The ADM does not require discretization and consequently of massive computations. This paper is particularly concerned with the ADM and the results obtained are compared with previously known results using the Quintic C²-spline integration methods. The numerical results demonstrate that the ADM is relatively accurate and easily implemented.     

Parity violation in the 17/2−–17/2+ doublet in93Tc

The parity-violating mixing of the 17/2^– and 17/2⁺ levels in⁹³Tc nuclei, polarized by the tilted multifoil interaction, was measured by the observation of the forward-backward-ray asymmetry. The nuclear polarization, induced by the tilted multifoils, was measured directly for the neighboring^88,90Zr isomers. The forward to backward asymmetry was determined to be A=(2.5±2.1) 10^–3 which implies a parity violating matrix element ¦H _PV )¦=(4.0±3.7)meV.     

Reactions of copper acetylides. Structure of (π-C5H5)Ru(PPh3)2 (CCPh)CuCl,and new syntheses of transition metal cluster compounds

In contrast to a related iron—copper compound, the complex (π-C₅H₅)Ru(PPh₃)₂(C₂Ph)CuCl is shown to be monomeric, and contains linear dicoordinate copper(I); the reactions of this and similar complexes with metal carbonyls are sources of new mixed-metal clusters, such as (π-C₅H₅)Fe₂ Ru(C₂Ph)(CO)₆ (PPh₃).     

Solid-phase extraction and HPLC determination of 4-vinyl guaiacol and its precursor, ferulic acid, in orange juice.

This study is undertaken to develop a simplified, rapid method to determine both immediate and potential off odors due to 4-vinyl guaiacol and its odorless precursor, ferulic acid, from a single sample preparation and chromatographic analysis. Orange juice sample preparation consists of a simple, C18 solid phase extraction. Utilizing a 5-microns, 25-cm, C18 column, both compounds can be separated within 40 min using a one-step, linear gradient beginning with an aqueous 12% tetrahydrofuran (THF)-5% acetonitrile mixture and ending with 35% aqueous THF. Hesperidin and nariutin have been identified as the compounds that interfered with the ultraviolet (UV) determination of sinapic and caffeic acids. Fluorescence detection with wavelength programming offers optimal sensitivity and selectivity. Recoveries of 4-vinyl guaiacol and ferulic acid range from 90 to 103%. Detection limits are 1 ppm and 5 ppm for ferulic acid and 4-vinyl guaiacol, respectively. Other hydroxycinnamic acids such as coumaric, sinapic, and caffeic acids may also be determined from the same chromatogram.     

Spectrophotometric study of vanadium(V)-phenylfluorone complex

Spectrophotometric studies of the reaction between vanadium(V) ions and phenylfluorone are presented and used for spectrophotometric determination of vanadium(V). The absorbance at 520 nm obeys Beer's law in the range of 2–15 μg vanadium/10 ml at pH 4. The relative standard deviation is 2% and the molar absorptivity based on vanadium is 2.1 × 10⁴ liters/mol cm. The composition of the complex in solution is of the 1:1 type with stability constant values to 2.5 × 10⁴. Analysis of the solid complex shows that its formula agrees with the formula (C₁₉ H₁₁ O₅)VO₂ · 5H₂O.     

On the Synthesis of 3-Acetyl-1-aryl-1,4,5,6-tetrahydro-1 H-1,2,4-triazepin-7-ones by Reaction of Nitrilimines with 3-Aminopropanoic Acid

Nitrilimines were prepared from N-arylhydrazono chlorides and reacted with -alanine yielding the corresponding amidrazones, which were treated with 1,1-carbonyldiimidazole in THF affording the hitherto unknown 3-acetyl-1-aryl-1,4,5,6-tetrahydro-1,2,4-triazepin-7-ones.