Extraction technology,component analysis,and in vitro antioxidant and antibacterial activities of total flavonoids and fatty acids from Tribulus terrestris L. fruits

The current study focused on the extraction technology, components analysis, in vitro antioxidant and antibacterial activities of total flavonoids and fatty acids from Tribulus terrestris L. fruits. The extraction process of total flavonoids and fatty acids was optimized by the response surface method, and the compositions were identified from the two extracts by HPLC–DAD–ESI–MS^? and GC–MS, respectively. In addition, the antioxidant and antibacterial activities were evaluated by assay of ABTS, DPPH radical scavenging activity, ferric reducing antioxidant power and minimal inhibitory concentration. The yields of total flavonoids and fatty acids were 0.46 and 9.76% under the optimized conditions. Moreover, nine and eight compositions were identified from the two extracts based on the related references, respectively. In addition, total flavonoids and fatty acids extracts both exhibited certain antioxidant and antibacterial activities. The present findings suggest that total flavonoids extracted from T. terrestris L. fruits comprised a more interesting candidate than fatty acids for the research and development of natural and healthy antioxidants and antibacterial agents for the pharmaceutical and food industries.     

可生物降解聚酯P(DHCA-co-LA)的合成与表征

由3,4-二羟基肉桂酸(DHCA)与D,L-乳酸(LA)经熔融缩聚法得到了新型可生物降解聚酯P(DHCA-co-LA),采用傅立叶变换红外(FTIR),核磁共振(1H-NMR)和凝胶渗透色谱(GPC)对该共聚物的组成与相对分子量进行表征,结果表明其结构明确.改变DHCA与LA单体的配比,得到的P(DHCA-co-LA)的分子量和分子量分布在同一数量级.通过差示扫描量热仪(DSC)、紫外(UV)和荧光光谱研究了共聚物的热性能、紫外与荧光性能,结果表明,P(DHCA-co-LA)有明显的玻璃化转变温度(Tg),随LA的投料比从0增加至50 mol%时,其Tg从132.26℃下降至99.12℃;当LA的投料比为20 mol%时,所得到的聚酯型共聚物溶液呈现最强的荧光强度;在紫外光照下,共聚物可进行环加成反应,但交联度总体较低;紫外光照65 min后,在荧光显微镜下观察到交联颗粒形态稳定、有较强的荧光.X-射线衍射(XRD)测定结果显示,由结晶性DHCA和LA共聚形成的P(DHCA-co-LA)为无定形聚合物,有利于生物降解.共聚物在土壤中的降解实验表明,其降解速度随体系中LA含量的增加而减缓.     

Effects of hyperbranched and linear architecture on properties of polymers composed of poly(ɛ-caprolactone) and hydroxycinnamic acid

Photoreactive and degradable polymers with linear and hyperbranched architectures which composed of poly(?-caprolactone) and hydroxycinnamic acid or its substituted derivatives were synthesized by thermal melt-polycondensation. The chemical structures of the polymers were confirmed by FTIR and ¹H NMR measurements. The polymers showed good photoreactivities and fluorescent properties, and the hyperbranched polymers showed higher photoreactive speed and weaker fluorescence properties. These polymers had excellent thermal stabilities due to the rigid conjugated structures and the π-π strcking interaction of the cinnamoyl group, especially for the hyperbranched polymer. Moreover, the hydrolysis experiments and the XRD results revealed that the hyperbranched and linear polymers are amorphous and crystalline, respectively, and the degradation rate of amorphous polymers are faster than crystalline samples.     

Computational probe of cavitation events in protein systems

Previous all-atom simulations have identified several classes of proteins where hydrophobic de-wetting (cavitation) is at play. Here we develop and validate a computationally fast method that predicts in which protein systems water spontaneously cavitates. We implement a cubic lattice model, which incorporates the protein shape from crystallographic data and the protein-water interactions from thermodynamic data. Combining it with the previously developed coarse-grained model for water, we determine the extent of occupancy of water at protein-protein interfaces and in protein-ligand cavities. The model captures essential findings from all-atom molecular dynamics studies on the same systems by distinguishing protein cavities that dry from those that remain wet. We also interpret the origin of the cavitation inside the melittin tetramer on simple thermodynamic grounds, and show that part of the mellitin surface is sufficiently hydrophobic to trigger cavitation. Using Glauber/Kawasaki dynamics we obtain the time-scales for de-wetting events that are in agreement with those from all-atom simulations. The method can serve as an intermediate step between the necessary initial screening that identifies proteins with abundance of hydrophobic patches using bioinformatics tools (L. Hua, X. H. Huang, P. Liu, R. H. Zhou and B. J. Berne, J. Phys. Chem. B, 2007, 111, 9069), and computationally extensive studies that need to incorporate molecular details (e.g. single mutation studies of amino acid residues).     

Length-Scale Dependence of Hydration Free Energy: Effect of Solute Charge

Size and curvature are important determinants of particle wettability, in addition to surface chemistry and texture. Hydration free energy of a nonpolar solute scales with volume for small solutes and with surface area for larger ones. If the solute acquires a surface charge, the scaling regimes can be affected, with size-dependence of the charge playing a critical role. For isolated particles grown at fixed surface charge density, the Born approximation gives scaling of hydration free energy with volume. We consider a distinctly different but practically important scenario, where the charged solute and surrounding counterions are dissolved together. For this process, our molecular simulations demonstrate the electrostatic contribution to the solvation free energy, calculated per unit area of the solute, to be virtually independent of solute size. We explain this behavior in terms of counterion shielding effect on the curvature-dependent solute energy in the dehydrated state, an effect closely balanced by the influence of dielectric screening in water. As a result, for moderate surface charge densities of the solute, the net electrostatic contribution is dominated by counterion solvation, and scales with solute surface area independently of the ionic strength in the solution.     

LIMIT CYCLE FLUTTER CHARACTERISTICS RELATED TO CONTROL SURFACE OF LARGE AIRCRAFT1)

操纵面间隙会引起结构非线性,容易诱发极限环颤振。根据设计需要,考虑操纵面中心间隙的影响,采用最小状态拟合技术对频域非定常 气动力进行有理函数拟合,采用分段函数描述间隙引起的非线性刚度,研究操纵面在间隙作用下的极限环颤振响应的行为特点。结果表明,由于 中心间隙的影响,系统会在低于线性颤振速度时就产生极限环振荡,同时,振荡幅值随飞行速度或中心间隙的增大而增大。     

势能模型对石墨烯导热性质分子动力学模拟的影响

针对常用的Tersoff势、Rebo势和Airebo势,系统性地分析势能模型对分子动力学模拟计算石墨烯色散关系、声子态密度、群速度和热导率的影响. 结果表明：Rebo势和Airebo势描述的声子色散关系接近实验值,Airebo势对应的声子态密度与第一性原理计算的结果较为符合,Rebo势和Airebo势计算的Γ点处声子群速度高于Tersoff势. 采用Airebo势得到石墨烯热导率约为1 150 W·（m·K）^-1,与实验值相近. 综合各种影响,相比于Tersoff势和Rebo势,Airebo势能模型更适合计算石墨烯的导热性质.     

Synthesis and Properties of Degradable Copolymers Composed of Poly(ε‐caprolactone) and 3,4‐Dihydroxycinnamic Acid

Photoreactive and degradable hyperbranched (HB) copolymers with various 3,4‐dihydroxycinnamic acid (DHCA) compositions, poly(ε‐caprolactone)‐co‐poly(3,4‐dihydroxycinnamic acid) (PCL‐co‐PDHCA), were obtained by thermal melt‐polycondensation of PCL and DHCA. The HB structures and the branching degree (BD) of the PCL‐co‐PDHCA copolymers were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR). The melting points (T_m) of the PCL‐co‐PDHCA copolymers changed depending on the PCL and DHCA composition by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements. Wide angle X‐ray diffraction (WXRD) analysis showed semi‐crystalline of the PCL and PCL‐co‐PDHCA polymers. The PCL‐co‐PDHCA copolymers showed good photoreactivities and fluorescent properties. Crosslinking of the cinnamoyl groups in the copolymers caused by UV irradiation affected the thermal stability and wettability slightly. Moreover, the hydrolysis experiments revealed that copolymers are facile degradable.