A sensitive and efficient method for trace analysis of some phenolic compounds using simultaneous derivatization and air‐assisted liquid–liquid microextraction from human urine and plasma samples followed by gas chromatography–nitrogen phosphorous detection

In present study, a simultaneous derivatization and air‐assisted liquid–liquid microextraction method combined with gas chromatography–nitrogen phosphorous detection has been developed for the determination of some phenolic compounds in biological samples. The analytes are derivatized and extracted simultaneously by a fast reaction with 1‐flouro‐2,4‐dinitrobenzene under mild conditions. Under optimal conditions low limits of detection in the range of 0.05–0.34 ng mL^?1 are achievable. The obtained extraction recoveries are between 84 and 97% and the relative standard deviations are less than 7.2% for intraday (n = 6) and interday (n = 4) precisions. The proposed method was demonstrated to be a simple and efficient method for the analysis of phenols in biological samples. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Antioxidant activities and bioactive compounds of five Jalopeno peppers (Capsicum annuum) cultivars

The present study was designed to evaluate the contents of different antioxidants compounds and their antioxidant activities in Jalopeno peppers (Capsicum annuum) cultivars (El Dorido, Grande, Tula, Sayula and El Rey) extracts. Free radical scavenging activity of Grande was recorded as high as 87% followed by El Dorido (83%). Results of reducing power (Fe³⁺ to Fe²⁺) showed that Grande (0.85%) and El Dorido (0.81%) fruit extract absorbance value were close to synthetic antioxidant BHT (0. 97%) obtained at100 μg/mL. The results showed that total phenolic content of El Dorido and Grande were significantly higher compared to other Jalapeno pepper. Results indicated strong and positive correlation between antioxidant activity and carotenoids content (r = 0.75), vitamin C (r = 0.78) and total capsaicinoids (r = 0.84), respectively. The results of the antioxidant activity assays showed that the El Dorido and Grande had strongest antioxidant activity compared to other peppers cultivars in this study.     

Corn stover fractions and bioenergy

Information is presented on structure, composition, and response to enzymes of corn stover related to barriers for bioconversion to ethanol. Aromatic compounds occurred in most tissue cell walls. Ferulic acid esterase treatment before cellulase treatment significantly improved dry weight loss and release of phenolic acids and sugars in most fractions over cellulase alone. Leaf fractions were considerably higher in dry weight loss and released sugars with esterase treatment, but stem pith cells gave up the most phenolic acids. Results help identify plant fractions more appropriate for coproducts and bioconversion and those more suitable as residues for soil erosion control.     

Optimization of the process variables for the synthesis of cardanol-based novolac-type phenolic resin using response surface methodology

Models capable of predicting the maximum extent of conversion (p) of cardanol-based novolac-type phenolic resin, have been developed using response surface methodology to determine the optimum reaction conditions. Three-dimensional response surface and their contour plot were drawn. The maximum extent of conversion (98.93%) was predicted when the cardanol was condensed with formaldehyde (molar ratio 1:0.652) at 119.84 °C for a time period of 3 h with the catalyst (e.g., citric acid) concentration of 1.988% of total volume of cardanol and formaldehyde. The pH of the reaction mixture was maintained at 3.0. These predicted values for optimum process conditions were in good agreement with experimental data.     

Thermal latency of novel chelating borate catalysts as latent catalysts for epoxy–phenolic resins

Novel quaternary ammonium bis(2‐oxybenzoyloxy)borate salts ( 1a – 1c ) or quaternary ammonium bis(1,2‐benzenedioxy)borate salts ( 2a and 2b ) with tetra‐n‐butylammonium (TBA⁺), tetra‐n‐octylammonium (TOA⁺), or bis(triphenylphosphoranylidene)ammonium (PNP⁺) cations were synthesized as latent catalysts of epoxy/phenol–novolac resins by the complexation between boric acid and salicylic acid or catechol, followed by neutralization with quaternary ammonium hydroxide. Polyaddition reactions of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) and 4,4′‐bisphenol F (44BPF) or bisphenol F (BPF‐D) with the ammonium borates were investigated as model reactions of epoxy/phenol–novolac resin systems with respect to the thermal latency and storage stability of the catalyst. The polyaddition of DGEBA/44BPF with 1a – 1c in diglyme at 150 °C for 6 h proceeded up to 85–96% conversions and gave polymers with number‐average molecular weights of 4180–10,500, whereas the polyaddition at 80 °C for 6 h gave less than 8% conversions. However, the polyaddition with 2a containing TBA⁺ cation proceeded to only a 32% conversion at 150 °C for 6 h in diglyme and to a 64% conversion even at 180 °C for 6 h in triglyme and only gave low molecular weight oligomers, and no reaction proceeded in the polyaddition at 80 °C. However, polyaddition with 2b containing PNP⁺ cation proceeded up to a 96% conversion at 150 °C for 6 h in diglyme and gave a higher molecular weight polymer with a number‐average molecular weight of 8050, whereas the polyaddition at 80 °C for 6 h gave only a 5% conversion. The catalytic activity of ammonium borates 1a – 1c and 2a and 2b depended on the borate anion structure: 1a and 1c with bis(2‐oxybenzoyloxy)borate anion revealed higher activity than 2a and 2b with bis(1,2‐benzenedioxy)borate anion, respectively. In comparison with tetra‐n‐butylammonium bromide (TBAB) as a conventional ammonium salt or tetra‐n‐butylammonium tetrakis(benzoyloxy)borate (TBA‐TBB), 1a – 1c and 2b revealed better thermal latency. The catalytic activity of ammonium borates also depended on the bulkiness of the ammonium cation, and the order of activity was 1c (PNP⁺) > 1b (TOA⁺) ≧ 1a (TBA⁺) and 2b (PNP⁺) > 2a (TBA⁺). The storage stability of DGEBA/BPF‐D with the ammonium borate catalysts 1a – 1c and 2a and 2b in bulk at 40 °C was much better than that with TBAB and TBA‐TBB. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 2702–2716, 2002     

微生物法分析天然抗氧化剂性能

建立了微生物抑菌活性纸片试验法，对葛根黄酮、诃子提取物、丹皮酚、竹叶黄酮等4种天然抗氧化剂的抗氧化性能进行了研究。竹叶黄酮、诃子、葛根具有较强的抗单线态氧能力，而丹皮酚抗单线态氧的能力较差。在不同的氧化还原微环境下，天然抗氧化剂可能表现出抗氧化能力，亦可能表现出促氧化能力，二者有着不同的反应机理。微生物抑菌活性纸片法可作为研究较复杂生物环境中抗氧化剂性能的一种简便方法。     

The new ether derivative of phenylpropanoid and bioactivity was investigated from the leaves of Piper betle L.

Abstract

A new ether derivative of phenylpropanoid compound, γ-(γ′-isohydroxychavicol)-chavicol octanyl ether (K1) along with one known phenylpropanoid named allyl-pyrocatechol or hydroxychavicol (2) were isolated from Piper betle var. kali collected from Tumluk district, West Bengal India. We first report the presence of compound K1 in the genus Piper. Their structures were established on the basis of various spectroscopic analyses. Compounds K1 and 2 showed excellent antioxidant DPPH free radical scavenging activity with IC₅₀ values of 4.61 and 4.12?µg/mL compared to ascorbic acid as a standard antioxidant drug with IC₅₀ value of 3.42?µg/mL, respectively. Evaluation of in vitro cytotoxic activities of compounds K1 and 2 showed significant effects against human oral cancer cell lines (AW13516 and AW8507), human hepatoma cell lines (HEPG2 and PLC-PRF-5) and a human pancreatic cell line (MIA-PA-CA-2), compared to Doxorubicin^® as a standard cytotoxic drug with GI₅₀ values of <10 and 18.18?µg/mL.     

A mild, highly selective and remarkably easy procedure for deprotection of aromatic acetates using ammonium acetate as a neutral catalyst in aqueous medium

Ammonium acetate was found to catalyze efficiently the selective deprotection of aromatic acetates in the presence of various sensitive functionalities in aqueous methanol under neutral conditions at room temperature to yield the corresponding phenols in excellent yields. The method has been utilized for deprotection of acetates of several naturally occurring bioactive phenolic compounds and for preparation of venkatasin, a natural coumarino-lignan, from the anticancer compound cleomiscosin A.     

Electrochemical Oxidation of Quercetin

The mechanism of electrochemical oxidation of quercetin on a glassy carbon electrode has been studied using cyclic, differential pulse and square‐wave voltammetry at different pH. It proceeds in a cascade mechanism, related with the two catechol hydroxyl groups and the other three hydroxyl groups which all present electroactivity, and the oxidation is pH dependent. Quercetin also adsorbs strongly on the electrode surface; and the final oxidation product is not electroactive and blocks the electrode surface. The oxidation of the catechol 3′,4′‐dihydroxyl electron‐donating groups, occurs first, at very low positive potentials, and is a two electron two proton reversible reaction. The hydroxyl group oxidized next was shown to undergo an irreversible oxidation reaction, and this hydroxyl group can form a intermolecular hydrogen bond with the neighboring oxygen. The other two hydroxyl groups also have an electron donating effect and their oxidation is reversible.     

Three New Anthraquinones from Polygonum cillinerve

Three new anthraquinones, emodin-8-β-D-（2＂-O-coumarate）glucoside 1, emodin-8-β-D-（6＇-O-acetyl）glucoside 2 and physicon-8-β-D-（6＇-O-acetyl）glucoside 3, were isolated from the roots of Polygonum cillinerve and their structures were established by spectroscopic methods. The biological activity indicated that compound 1 had the scavenging activity on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl （DPPH） radicals （the IC50 = 8.5 μmol/L）, and compound 1-3 showed no activities against HL-60 and BCJC-823 cells by MTT method in vitro.