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Sample records for benzoquinones

  1. Two new ortho benzoquinones from Uncaria rhynchophylla.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Qian; Chen, Lei; Hu, Le-Jian; Liu, Wen-Yuan; Feng, Feng; Qu, Wei

    2016-03-01

    The present study was designed to determine the chemical constituents of the stems and hooks of Uncaria rhynchophylla. The chemical constituents were isolated and purified from CH2Cl2 fraction by chromatography. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analyses. Their cytotoxicity was tested using MTT method. Two new ortho benzoquinones, 3-diethylamino-5-methoxy-1, 2-benzoquinone (1) and 3-ethylamino-5-methoxy-1, 2-benzoquinone (2), together with a known compound isorhynchophyllic acid (3) were isolated from U. rhynchophylla. These compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxicity against cancer cells A549, HepG2 and A2780. Compounds 1 and 2 were new ortho benzoquinones and showed weak antiproliferative activities on A549, HepG2 and A2780 cells. Compound 3 significantly inhibited the proliferation of A549, HepG2 and A2780 cells with IC50 values being 5.8, 12.8 and 11.8 µmol·L(-1), respectively. Copyright © 2016 China Pharmaceutical University. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Standard thermochemical characteristics of combustion and formation of 3,5-di-tert-butyl-o-benzoquinone and 3,6-di-tert-butyl-o-benzoquinone at T = 298.15 K

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pashanova, Kira I.; Abakumov, Gleb A.; Markin, Alexey V.; Piskunov, Alexander V.; Smirnova, Natalia N.

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • We report the results of thermochemical study for benzoquinone derivatives. • Optimal conditions for determination of combustion energy for benzoquinone were done. • The formation enthalpies for crystalline benzoquinone have been detected at T = 298.15 K. • The formation enthalpy of isomeric quinones were compared. - Abstract: Optimal conditions for investigations of thermodynamic properties have been determined experimentally by the method of combustion calorimetry for compounds of the o-benzoquinone series. In the present work, the energies of combustion in oxygen were measured at T = 298.15 K by static bomb combustion calorimetry for 3,5-di-tert-butyl-o-benzoquinone and 3,6-di-tert-butyl-o-benzoquinone. The experimental values have been used to calculate the standard (p° = 0.1 MPa) molar enthalpy of combustion Δ_cH"o_m and formation Δ_fH"o_m for the examined compounds in the crystalline phase.

  3. Reactivity measurement in estimation of benzoquinone and benzoquinone derivatives’ allergenicity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mbiya, Wilbes; Chipinda, Itai; Simoyi, Reuben H.; Siegel, Paul D.

    2016-01-01

    Benzoquinone (BQ) and benzoquinone derivatives (BQD) are used in the production of dyes and cosmetics. While BQ, an extreme skin sensitizer, is an electrophile known to covalently modify proteins via Michael Addition (MA) reaction whilst halogen substituted BQD undergo nucleophilic vinylic substitution (SNV) mechanism onto amine and thiol moieties on proteins, the allergenic effects of adding substituents on BQ have not been reported. The effects of inserting substituents on the BQ ring has not been studied in animal assays. However, mandated reduction/elimination of animals used in cosmetics testing in Europe has led to an increased need for alternatives for the prediction of skin sensitization potential. Electron withdrawing and electron donating substituents on BQ were assessed for effects on BQ reactivity toward nitrobenzene thiol (NBT). The NBT binding studies demonstrated that addition of EWG to BQ as exemplified by the chlorine substituted BQDs increased reactivity while addition of EDG as in the methyl substituted BQDs reduced reactivity. BQ and BQD skin allerginicity was evaluated in the murine local lymph node assay (LLNA). BQD with electron withdrawing groups had the highest chemical potency followed by unsubstituted BQ and the least potent were the BQD with electron donating groups. The BQD results demonstrate the impact of inductive effects on both BQ reactivity and allergenicity, and suggest the potential utility of chemical reactivity data for electrophilic allergen identification and potency ranking.

  4. Reactivity measurement in estimation of benzoquinone and benzoquinone derivatives’ allergenicity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mbiya, Wilbes; Chipinda, Itai; Simoyi, Reuben H.; Siegel, Paul D.

    2015-01-01

    Benzoquinone (BQ) and benzoquinone derivatives (BQD) are used in the production of dyes and cosmetics. While BQ, an extreme skin sensitizer, is an electrophile known to covalently modify proteins via Michael Addition (MA) reaction whilst halogen substituted BQD undergo nucleophilic vinylic substitution (SNV) mechanism onto amine and thiol moieties on proteins, the allergenic effects of adding substituents on BQ have not been reported. The effects of inserting substituents on the BQ ring has not been studied in animal assays. However, mandated reduction/elimination of animals used in cosmetics testing in Europe has led to an increased need for alternatives for the prediction of skin sensitization potential. Electron withdrawing and electron donating substituents on BQ were assessed for effects on BQ reactivity toward nitrobenzene thiol (NBT). The NBT binding studies demonstrated that addition of EWG to BQ as exemplified by the chlorine substituted BQDs increased reactivity while addition of EDG as in the methyl substituted BQDs reduced reactivity. BQ and BQD skin allerginicity was evaluated in the murine local lymph node assay (LLNA). BQD with electron withdrawing groups had the highest chemical potency followed by unsubstituted BQ and the least potent were the BQD with electron donating groups. The BQD results demonstrate the impact of inductive effects on both BQ reactivity and allergenicity, and suggest the potential utility of chemical reactivity data for electrophilic allergen identification and potency ranking. PMID:26612505

  5. On the {sup 1}H NMR spectra of 2-substituted benzoquinones

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tedeschi, E.; Rezende, D. B. [Universidade de Sao Paulo (USP), SP (Brazil). Inst. de Quimica; Arruda Campos, I.P. de, E-mail: ipdacamp@uol.com.br [Universidade Paulista, Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil). Inst. de Ciencias Exatas e Tecnologia. Programa de Pos-Graduacao em Engenharia de Producao

    2009-07-01

    The novel complete analysis of the {sup 1}H NMR spectra of six monosubstituted benzoquinones is reported herein, together with a brief but complete review of the scanty previously published data on benzoquinone and its monosubstituded derivatives. (author)

  6. Regioselectivity of conjugate additions to monoalkyl-1,4-benzoquinones

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    SNEZANA TRIFUNOVIC

    2002-09-01

    Full Text Available The regioselectivity of the reaction of conjugate addition of thiols, amines, methanol and hydrogen chloride with the monoalkyl-1,4-benzoquinones avarone and 2-tert-butyl-1,4-benzoquinone was investigated. It was shown that the regioselectivity of the reaction is influenced by the electrophilicity of position 5 in unprotonated 2-alkylquinones, the increased electrophilicity of position 6 in acidic medium, and by the acidity of the intermediate hydroquinones.

  7. Photoinduced electron transfer between benzyloxy dendrimer phthalocyanine and benzoquinone

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Tiantian; Ma, Dongdong; Pan, Sujuan; Wu, Shijun; Jiang, Yufeng; Zeng, Di; Yang, Hongqin; Peng, Yiru

    2016-10-01

    Photo-induced electron transfer (PET) is an important and fundamental process in natural photosynthesis. To mimic such interesting PET process, a suitable donor and acceptor couple were properly chosen. Dendrimer phthalocyanines and their derivatives have emerged as promising materials for artificial photosynthesis systems. In this paper, the electron transfer between the light harvest dendrimer phthalocyanine (donor) and the 1,4-benzoquinone (acceptor) was studied by UV/Vis and fluorescence spectroscopic methods. It was found that fluorescence of phthalocyanine was quenched by benzoquinone (BQ) via excited state electron transfer, from the phthalocyanine to the BQ upon excitation at 610 nm. The Stern-Volmer constant (KSV) of electron transfer was calculated. Our study suggests that this dendritic phthalocyanine is an effective new electron donor and transmission complex and could be used as a potential artificial photosynthesis system.

  8. The benzoquinone-mediated electrochemical microbial biosensor for water biotoxicity assay

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Jiuming; Yu, Yuan; Wang, Yuning; Qian, Jun; Zhi, Jinfang

    2013-01-01

    Graphical abstract: The mediator can participate in microorganism respiration, accept the electrons from respiratory chains, and therefore be reduced by microorganism. The re-oxidization currents of mediators on electrode can reflect the microbial activity, and when respiration is suppressed by toxicants, it can be detected by the resulting change of currents. Unlike other biotoxicity tests, which record the toxic effect after a fixed time for incubation of biocomponents and toxicants, this mediated whole cell biosensor can provide a real-time monitor of the microbial activity during the measurement. -- Abstract: A simple mediated microbial biosensor providing real-time monitoring of water quality and evaluation of biotoxicity was fabricated by entrapping Escherichia coli (E. coli) cells in gelatin on glassy carbon electrode with benzoquinone as the redox mediator. The biotoxicity assay was based on the respiratory activity of E. coli cells estimated by the oxidation current of microbially reduced benzoquinone. The neutrality and lipophilicity rendered benzoquinone better efficiency than ferricyanide in mediated microbial reactions. After the optimization of preparation conditions, the prepared microbial biosensors have measured several common toxicants with different concentrations. In addition, the biotoxicity of binary mixtures of heavy metals and wastewater were investigated. The fabricated biosensor exhibited good repeatability and stability in the biotoxicity measurements

  9. The oxidation of aniline with p-benzoquinone and its impact on the preparation of the conducting polymer, polyaniline

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Stejskal, Jaroslav; Bober, Patrycja; Trchová, Miroslava; Horský, Jiří; Pilař, Jan; Walterová, Zuzana

    2014-01-01

    Roč. 192, June (2014), s. 66-73 ISSN 0379-6779 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA13-00270S Institutional support: RVO:61389013 Keywords : aniline * p-benzoquinone * 2,5-dianilino-p-benzoquinone Subject RIV: CD - Macromolecular Chemistry Impact factor: 2.252, year: 2014

  10. Origin of attraction in p-benzoquinone complexes with benzene and p-hydroquinone.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsuzuki, Seiji; Uchimaru, Tadafumi; Ono, Taizo

    2017-08-30

    The origin of the attraction in charge-transfer complexes (a p-hydroquinone-p-benzoquinone complex and benzene complexes with benzoquinone, tetracyanoethylene and Br 2 ) was analyzed using distributed multipole analysis and symmetry-adapted perturbation theory. Both methods show that the dispersion interactions are the primary source of the attraction in these charge-transfer complexes followed by the electrostatic interactions. The natures of the intermolecular interactions in these complexes are close to the π/π interactions of neutral aromatic molecules. The electrostatic interactions play important roles in determining the magnitude of the attraction. The contribution of charge-transfer interactions to the attraction is not large compared with the dispersion interactions in these complexes.

  11. Theoretical study of the Diels-Alder reaction between o-benzoquinone and norbornadiene

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quijano-Quiñones, Ramiro F.; Quesadas-Rojas, M.; Cuevas, Gabriel; Mena-Rejón, Gonzalo J.

    2013-06-01

    The reaction between norbornadiene and o-benzoquinone is an important step in polyalicyclic rigid structures synthesis. It has been considered that this reaction is an example of Diels-Alder (DA) and hetero-Diels-Alder (HDA) cycloadditions with o-benzoquinone acting as diene (forming C-C bonds) and heterodiene (forming O-C bonds). We have performed a Density Functional Theory study of this reaction, employing B3LYP, mPW1PW91, and B1B95 functionals and 6-31G(d,p) and 6-31+G(d,p) Gaussian type basis sets. The results indicate that Diels-Alder is a feasible mechanism for both reactions, but should not be the main route to the formation of products with C-C bonds.

  12. Theoretical study of the Diels-Alder reaction between o-benzoquinone and norbornadiene

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Quijano-Quiñones, Ramiro F; Quesadas-Rojas, M; Mena-Rejón, Gonzalo J; Cuevas, Gabriel

    2013-01-01

    The reaction between norbornadiene and o-benzoquinone is an important step in polyalicyclic rigid structures synthesis. It has been considered that this reaction is an example of Diels-Alder (DA) and hetero-Diels-Alder (HDA) cycloadditions with o-benzoquinone acting as diene (forming C-C bonds) and heterodiene (forming O-C bonds). We have performed a Density Functional Theory study of this reaction, employing B3LYP, mPW1PW91, and B1B95 functionals and 6-31G(d,p) and 6-31+G(d,p) Gaussian type basis sets. The results indicate that Diels-Alder is a feasible mechanism for both reactions, but should not be the main route to the formation of products with C-C bonds.

  13. Efficient Diels-Alder reaction of 1,2-benzoquinones with arynes and its utility in one-pot reactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaicharla, Trinadh; Bhojgude, Sachin Suresh; Biju, Akkattu T

    2012-12-21

    A new protocol for the efficient Diels-Alder reaction of 1,2-benzoquinones with arynes is reported. The aryne generated by the fluoride-induced 1,2-elimination of 2-(trimethylsilyl)aryl triflates undergoes a facile Diels-Alder reaction with 1,2-benzoquinones, affording the dioxobenzobicyclooctadienes in moderate to excellent yields. In addition, this methodology has been applied to the one-pot synthesis of benzoquinoxalinobarrelene and naphthalene derivatives.

  14. [Synthesis and biological activity of 1,4-benzoquinone-guanylhydrazone-thiosemicarbazone analogs. 1. Substitution at the S atom].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schulze, W; Gutsche, W; Wohlrabe, K; Fleck, W; Tresselt, D

    1985-08-01

    The synthesis of S-substituted derivatives of 1,4-benzoquinone-guanylhydrazone-thiosemicarbazone is described. The obtained 1,4-benzoquinone-guanylhydrazone-S-alkyl (resp. aralkyl)-isothiosemicarbazones, in comparison with the unsubstituted standard compound, showed a significantly decreased biological activity against the murine leukemias L 1210 and P 388 as well as against the growth of several kinds of bacteria. Therefore the S-substitution seems not to be useful for reaching a maximum activity.

  15. Electronic structure and UV spectra of N-arylthio-1,4-benzoquinone imines

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pirozhenko, V.V.; Boldeskul, I.E.; Kolesnikov, V.T.; Vid, L.V.; Kuz'menko, L.O.

    1986-01-01

    The electronic structure of N-arylthio-1,4-benzoquinone imines (II) was studied by quantum-chemical methods (CNDO/2). It was shown that the special characteristics of the reactivity of the compounds in reaction with chlorine compared with sulfenylketimines R 2 C=N-S-Ar not containing a quinonoid ring may be due to the different nature of the lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals (LUMO). The UV spectra of compounds (II) were investigated. In the visible region the spectra of all the compounds contain strong absorption (R 1 = R 2 = R 3 = R 4 = R 5 = H, λ/sub m/ = 433 nm, epsilon/sub m/ = 2.12 x 10 4 liters/mole x cm), due to intramolecular charge transfer from the sulfur atom to the quinonoid fragment of the molecule. It was established that there is a linear relation between the energy of the transition and the σ + constants of the substituents in the aryl fragment. The assignment of the transitions was confirmed by calculations of the UV spectra of N-arylthio-1,4-benzoquinone imines by the PPP method. Comparison of the UV spectra of these compounds with the UV spectra of N-arylsulfonyl-1,4-benzoquinone imines makes it possible to conclude that the sulfur atom of the SO 2 group, unlike the divalent sulfur atom, is not capable of transmitting the electronic effects of the substituents from one part of the molecule to the other

  16. Artificial neural network - Genetic algorithm to optimize wheat germ fermentation condition: Application to the production of two anti-tumor benzoquinones.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Zi-Yi; Guo, Xiao-Na; Zhu, Ke-Xue; Peng, Wei; Zhou, Hui-Ming

    2017-07-15

    Methoxy-ρ-benzoquinone (MBQ) and 2, 6-dimethoxy-ρ-benzoquinone (DMBQ) are two potential anticancer compounds in fermented wheat germ. In present study, modeling and optimization of added macronutrients, microelements, vitamins for producing MBQ and DMBQ was investigated using artificial neural network (ANN) combined with genetic algorithm (GA). A configuration of 16-11-1 ANN model with Levenberg-Marquardt training algorithm was applied for modeling the complicated nonlinear interactions among 16 nutrients in fermentation process. Under the guidance of optimized scheme, the total contents of MBQ and DMBQ was improved by 117% compared with that in the control group. Further, by evaluating the relative importance of each nutrient in terms of the two benzoquinones' yield, macronutrients and microelements were found to have a greater influence than most of vitamins. It was also observed that a number of interactions between nutrients affected the yield of MBQ and DMBQ remarkably. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Thermal expansion and magnetic properties of benzoquinone-bridged dinuclear rare-earth complexes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moilanen, Jani O; Mansikkamäki, Akseli; Lahtinen, Manu; Guo, Fu-Sheng; Kalenius, Elina; Layfield, Richard A; Chibotaru, Liviu F

    2017-10-10

    The synthesis and structural characterization of two benzoquinone-bridged dinuclear rare-earth complexes [BQ(MCl 2 ·THF 3 ) 2 ] (BQ = 2,5-bisoxide-1,4-benzoquinone; M = Y (1), Dy (2)) are described. Of these reported metal complexes, the dysprosium analogue 2 is the first discrete bridged dinuclear lanthanide complex in which both metal centres reside in pentagonal bipyramidal environments. Interestingly, both complexes undergo significant thermal expansion upon heating from 120 K to 293 K as illustrated by single-crystal X-ray and powder diffraction experiments. AC magnetic susceptibility measurements reveal that 2 does not show the slow relation of magnetization in zero dc field. The absent of single-molecule behaviour in 2 arises from the rotation of the principal magnetic axis as compared to the pseudo-C 5 axis of the pentagonal bipyramidal environment as suggested by ab initio calculations. The cyclic voltammetry and chemical reduction experiments demonstrated that complexes 1 and 2 can be reduced to radical species containing [BQ 3 ˙ - ]. This study establishes efficient synthetic strategy to make bridged redox-active multinuclear lanthanide complexes with a pentagonal bipyramidal coordination environment that are potential precursors for single-molecule magnets.

  18. An Insoluble Benzoquinone-Based Organic Cathode for Use in Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Batteries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, Zhiqiang; Liu, Luojia; Zhao, Qing; Li, Fujun; Chen, Jun

    2017-10-02

    Application of organic electrode materials in rechargeable batteries has attracted great interest because such materials contain abundant carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen elements. However, organic electrodes are highly soluble in organic electrolytes. An organic electrode of 2,3,5,6-tetraphthalimido-1,4-benzoquinone (TPB) is reported in which rigid groups coordinate to a molecular benzoquinone skeleton. The material is insoluble in aprotic electrolyte, and demonstrates a high capacity retention of 91.4 % (204 mA h g -1 ) over 100 cycles at 0.2 C. The extended π-conjugation of the material contributes to enhancement of the electrochemical performance (155 mA h g -1 at 10 C). Moreover, density functional theory calculations suggest that favorable synergistic reactions between multiple carbonyl groups and lithium ions can enhance the initial lithium ion intercalation potential. The described approach may provide a novel entry to next-generation organic electrode materials with relevance to lithium-ion batteries. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  19. One-pot non-enzymatic formation of firefly luciferin in a neutral buffer from p-benzoquinone and cysteine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kanie, Shusei; Nishikawa, Toshio; Ojika, Makoto; Oba, Yuichi

    2016-04-21

    Firefly luciferin, the substrate for the bioluminescence reaction of luminous beetles, possesses a benzothiazole ring, which is rare in nature. Here, we demonstrate a novel one-pot reaction to give firefly luciferin in a neutral buffer from p-benzoquinone and cysteine without any synthetic reagents or enzymes. The formation of firefly luciferin was low in yield in various neutral buffers, whereas it was inhibited or completely prevented in acidic or basic buffers, in organic solvents, or under a nitrogen atmosphere. Labelling analysis of the firefly luciferin using stable isotopic cysteines showed that the benzothiazole ring was formed via the decarboxylation and carbon-sulfur bond rearrangement of cysteine. These findings imply that the biosynthesis of firefly luciferin can be developed/evolved from the non-enzymatic production of firefly luciferin using common primary biosynthetic units, p-benzoquinone and cysteine.

  20. Analysis of benzoquinone decomposition in solution plasma process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bratescu, M.A.; Saito, N.

    2016-01-01

    The decomposition of p-benzoquinone (p-BQ) in Solution Plasma Processing (SPP) was analyzed by Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Spectroscopy (CARS) by monitoring the change of the anti-Stokes signal intensity of the vibrational transitions of the molecule, during and after SPP. Just in the beginning of the SPP treatment, the CARS signal intensities of the ring vibrational molecular transitions increased under the influence of the electric field of plasma. The results show that plasma influences the p-BQ molecules in two ways: (i) plasma produces a polarization and an orientation of the molecules in the local electric field of plasma and (ii) the gas phase plasma supplies, in the liquid phase, hydrogen and hydroxyl radicals, which reduce or oxidize the molecules, respectively, generating different carboxylic acids. The decomposition of p-BQ after SPP was confirmed by UV-visible absorption spectroscopy and liquid chromatography

  1. Analysis of benzoquinone decomposition in solution plasma process

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bratescu, M. A.; Saito, N.

    2016-01-01

    The decomposition of p-benzoquinone (p-BQ) in Solution Plasma Processing (SPP) was analyzed by Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Spectroscopy (CARS) by monitoring the change of the anti-Stokes signal intensity of the vibrational transitions of the molecule, during and after SPP. Just in the beginning of the SPP treatment, the CARS signal intensities of the ring vibrational molecular transitions increased under the influence of the electric field of plasma. The results show that plasma influences the p-BQ molecules in two ways: (i) plasma produces a polarization and an orientation of the molecules in the local electric field of plasma and (ii) the gas phase plasma supplies, in the liquid phase, hydrogen and hydroxyl radicals, which reduce or oxidize the molecules, respectively, generating different carboxylic acids. The decomposition of p-BQ after SPP was confirmed by UV-visible absorption spectroscopy and liquid chromatography.

  2. Synthesis and Spectral Analysis of 3,4,5-trichloro-6-(dibenzo[d,f][1,3]diazepin-5-yl-[1,2]-benzoquinones

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohsen A. M. Gomaa

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Reaction of N1,N2-di-(4-methoxyphenyl- or N1,N2-di-(4-hydroxyphenyl -amidines (1a-d with 3,4,5,6-tetrachloro-1,2-benzoquinone (2 in ethyl acetate at room temperature led to formation of new 3,4,5-trichloro-6-(2-hydroxy-6-methyldibenzo[d,f][1,3]diazepin-5-yl[1,2]-benzoquinones (3a-d in addition to N-aryl-N'-(6,7,8,9-tetrachloro-4-hydroxydibenzo-[1,4]dioxin-2-ylacetamidines (4a,b. The rational of formation of products 3a-d and 4a,b was discussed and structures were confirmed on the basis of elemental analysis and spectral data.

  3. Dihydroxybenzene/benzoquinone-containing polymers: organic redox polymers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Moulay, S. [Universite de Blida, Lab. de Chimie-Physique Macromoleculaire, Institut de Chimie Industrielle (Algeria)

    2000-08-01

    Polymers containing hydroquinone, catechol or their corresponding benzoquinones are a special class of redox polymers. Three pathways of their syntheses are possible: condensation polymerization of suitable monomers, addition polymerization of vinyl monomers containing redox moiety, and chemical attachment of redox unit onto pre-made polymeric matrix. A range of functionalized matrices have been employed such as polyethers, polyesters, polycarbonates, polyurethanes, polyamides and others. Protection of their phenolic functionality has conducted to chemically interesting redox polymer precursors. The presence of a redox moiety coupled with the extant functionalization of the polymer matrix makes the materials very valuable, of wide properties and consequently of vast applicability. For instance, in the oil field, some polymers such as carboxy-methyl-cellulose (CMC) are often applied as to bring about a viscosity improvement and therefore to facilitate the oil drilling. In this regard, Patel evaluated sulfo-alkylated polymeric catechol, namely sulfo-methylated and sulfo-ethylated resins. Indeed, polymeric catechol chemically modified as such exhibited a marked ability to control the viscosity, the gel strength, as well as the filtrate loss of aqueous oil drilling fluids.

  4. Anodic oxidation of benzoquinone using diamond anode.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Panizza, Marco

    2014-01-01

    The anodic degradation of 1,4-benzoquinone (BQ), one of the most toxic xenobiotic, was investigated by electrochemical oxidation at boron-doped diamond anode. The electrolyses have been performed in a single-compartment flow cell in galvanostatic conditions. The influence of applied current (0.5-2 A), BQ concentration (1-2 g dm(-3)), temperature (20-45 °C) and flow rate (100-300 dm(3) h(-1)) has been studied. BQ decay kinetic, the evolution of its oxidation intermediates and the mineralization of the aqueous solutions were monitored during the electrolysis by high-performance liquid chromatograph (HPLC) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) measurements. The results obtained show that the use of diamond anode leads to total mineralization of BQ in any experimental conditions due to the production of oxidant hydroxyl radicals electrogenerated from water discharge. The decay kinetics of BQ removal follows a pseudo-first-order reaction, and the rate constant increases with rising current density. The COD removal rate was favoured by increasing of applied current, recirculating flow rate and it is almost unaffected by solution temperature.

  5. Photoinduced energy and electron transfer in rubrene-benzoquinone and rubrene-porphyrin systems

    KAUST Repository

    Khan, Jafar Iqbal

    2014-11-01

    Excited-state electron and energy transfer from singlet excited rubrene (Ru) to benzoquinone (BQ) and tetra-(4-aminophenyl) porphyrin (TAPP) were investigated by steady-state absorption and emission, time-resolved transient absorption, and femtosecond (fs)-nanosecond (ns) fluorescence spectroscopy. The low reduction potential of BQ provides the high probability of electron transfer from the excited Ru to BQ. Steady-state and time-resolved results confirm such an excited electron transfer scenario. On the other hand, strong spectral overlap between the emission of Ru and absorption of TAPP suggests that energy transfer is a possible deactivation pathway of the Ru excited state.

  6. Unique proline-benzoquinone pigment from the colored nectar of "bird's Coca cola tree" functions in bird attractions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, Shi-Hong; Liu, Yan; Hua, Juan; Niu, Xue-Mei; Jing, Shu-Xi; Zhao, Xu; Schneider, Bernd; Gershenzon, Jonathan; Li, Sheng-Hong

    2012-08-17

    The major pigment responsible for the dark brown nectar of the "bird's Coca cola tree", Leucosceptrum canum (Labiatae), was isolated and identified as a unique symmetric proline-quinone conjugate, 2,5-di-(N-(-)-prolyl)-para-benzoquinone (DPBQ). Behavioral experiments with both isolated and synthetic authentic samples indicated that DPBQ functions mainly as a color attractant to bird pollinators.

  7. A cytotoxic meroterpenoid benzoquinone from roots of Cordia globosa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alencar de Menezes, Jane Eire; Lemos, Telma Leda; Pessoa, Otília Deusdênia; Braz-Filho, Raimundo; Montenegro, Raquel C; Wilke, Diego Veras; Costa-Lotufo, Letícia V; Pessoa, Cláudia; de Moraes, Manoel Odorico; Silveira, Edilberto R

    2005-01-01

    (1a S*,1b S*,7a S*,8a S*)-4,5-Dimethoxy-1a,7a-dimethyl-1,1a,1b,2,7, 7a,8,8a-octahydrocyclopropa cyclopenta[1,2-b]naphthalene-3,6-dione (1), a new meroterpenoid benzoquinone, and microphyllaquinone (2), a known naphthoquinone, have been isolated from roots of Cordia globosa. Both structure determinations were performed by conventional spectroscopic methods, including inverse detection NMR techniques, and by comparison with data from the literature for related compounds. Compound 1 displayed considerable cytotoxic activity against several cancer cell lines with IC50 values in the range of 1.2 to 5.0 microg/mL. The cytotoxic activity seemed to be related to DNA synthesis inhibition, as revealed by the reduction of 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine incorporation, and apoptosis induction, as indicated by the acridine orange/ethidium bromide assay and morphological changes after 24 h of incubation on leukemic cells.

  8. STABILITY OF HEMOGLOBIN AND ALBUMIN ADDUCTS OF BENZENE OXIDE AND 1,4-BENZOQUINONE AFTER ADMINISTRATION OF BENZENE TO F344 RATS

    Science.gov (United States)

    The stability of cysteinyl adducts of benzene oxide (BO) and mono-S-substituted cysteinyl adducts of 1,4-benzoquinone (1,4-BQ) was investigated in both hemoglobin (Hb) and albumin (Alb) following administration of a single oral dose of 400 mg [U-14C/13C6]benzene/kg body weight ...

  9. Electron-Scavenging Chemistry of Benzoquinone on TiO2(110)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Henderson, Michael A.; Shen, Mingmin

    2017-04-03

    The chemistry of benzoquinone (BQ) on TiO2(110) was examined using temperature programmed desorption (TPD), electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). BQ adsorbs mostly molecularly on the clean surface, although EELS demonstrates that electrons from surface Ti3+ sites at oxygen vacancy sites (VO) are readily oxidized by the high electron scavenging ability of the molecule. In contrast, when the surface is covered with water, subsequently adsorbed BQ molecules that scavenge surface electrons also abstract H from surface OHbr groups to form hydroquinone (HQ), which desorbs at ~450 K. This work was supported by the US Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Division of Chemical Sciences, Geosciences & Biosciences. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is a multiprogram national laboratory operated for DOE by Battelle. The research was performed using the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL), a national scientific user facility sponsored by the Department of Energy's Office of Biological and Environmental Research and located at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

  10. Channelling phenomenon in the gamma irradiated Benzo-quinone and other compounds observed under the scanning electron microscope

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suleiman, Y.M.

    1984-01-01

    Scanning Electron Microscope (S.E.M.), has been used to examine the gamma irradiated pure crystals of Benzo-quinone and other compounds in the polycrystaline form. After gamma irradiation, shallow lines (channels) were observed on the crystal's surfaces when the crystal layers arrangements are parallel to the photons beam direction. Holes were also observed when those layers of the crystals are in the nonparallel case. The phenomenon has been studied and analysed in connected with the H-atom bonds disruption, and H-atoms migration through the crystal's layers. (author)

  11. Neopetrosiquinones A and B, sesquiterpene benzoquinones isolated from the deep-water sponge Neopetrosia cf. proxima.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Winder, Priscilla L; Baker, Heather L; Linley, Patricia; Guzmán, Esther A; Pomponi, Shirley A; Diaz, M Cristina; Reed, John K; Wright, Amy E

    2011-11-15

    Two new marine-derived sesquiterpene benzoquinones which we designate as neopetrosiquinones A (1) and B (2), have been isolated from a deep-water sponge of the family Petrosiidae. The structures were elucidated on the basis of their spectroscopic data. Compounds 1 and 2 inhibit the in vitro proliferation of the DLD-1 human colorectal adenocarcinoma cell line with IC(50) values of 3.7 and 9.8 μM, respectively, and the PANC-1 human pancreatic carcinoma cell line with IC(50) values of 6.1 and 13.8 μM, respectively. Neopetrosiquinone A (1) also inhibited the in vitro proliferation of the AsPC-1 human pancreatic carcinoma cell line with an IC(50) value of 6.1 μM. The compounds are structurally related to alisiaquinone A, cyclozonarone, and xestoquinone. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Electron transfer by excited benzoquinone anions: slow rates for two-electron transitions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zamadar, Matibur; Cook, Andrew R; Lewandowska-Andralojc, Anna; Holroyd, Richard; Jiang, Yan; Bikalis, Jin; Miller, John R

    2013-09-05

    Electron transfer (ET) rate constants from the lowest excited state of the radical anion of benzoquinone, BQ(-•)*, were measured in THF solution. Rate constants for bimolecular electron transfer reactions typically reach the diffusion-controlled limit when the free-energy change, ΔG°, reaches -0.3 eV. The rate constants for ET from BQ(-•)* are one-to-two decades smaller at this energy and do not reach the diffusion-controlled limit until -ΔG° is 1.5-2.0 eV. The rates are so slow probably because a second electron must also undergo a transition to make use of the energy of the excited state. Similarly, ET, from solvated electrons to neutral BQ to form the lowest excited state, is slow, while fast ET is observed at a higher excited state, which can be populated in a transition involving only one electron. A simple picture based on perturbation theory can roughly account for the control of electron transfer by the need for transition of a second electron. The picture also explains how extra driving force (-ΔG°) can restore fast rates of electron transfer.

  13. High-level Computational Study of the Site-, Facial- and Stereoselectivities for the Diels-Alder Reaction Between o-Benzoquinone and Norbornadiene

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ronald N. Warrener

    2000-12-01

    Full Text Available Ab initio and DFT quantum chemical calculations have been applied to a study of the Diels-Alder reaction of o-benzoquinone as diene and norbornadiene as dienophile. Transition states for the different reactions are located and activation energies estimated. The prefered exo-π-facial selectivity and exo,endo-stereoselectivity exhibited in this cycloaddition are readily predicted using RHF/3-21G or higher levels of calculations. Differences between experimentally observed results and calculations may be explained by the postulation of a second, nonconcerted biradical mechanism leading to formation of hetero Diels-Alder products.

  14. Revisiting the stability of endo/exo Diels-Alder adducts between cyclopentadiene and 1,4-benzoquinone

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tormena, Claudio F.; Lacerda Junior, Valdemar; Oliveira, Kleber T. de

    2010-01-01

    In this work it is presented a detailed theoretical analysis of the relative stability of endo/exo Diels-Alder adducts formed by the reaction between cyclopentadiene (1) and 1,4-benzoquinone (2). The intrinsic reaction coordinate (IRC) showed the existence of only one transition state for the reaction studied, for both endo 3 and exo 4 adducts. The energies of both adducts were obtained at high level of theory (CBS-Q) confirming that the endo adduct is more stable than exo, which is in the opposite way to the observed in reactions that usually follow Alder's rule. An electronic structure analysis was performed through NBO methodology, indicating that the attractive delocalization interaction predominates over the steric repulsive interaction in the endo adducts. In summary, for the studied cycloaddition reaction the endo adduct is the thermodynamic and kinetic product, which can be also confirmed by experimental data mentioned in this work. (author)

  15. Superoxide radicals mediate heptatoxicity induced by the heat shock protein 90 inhibitors benzoquinone ansamycins

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goldstein, S.

    2011-01-01

    Complete text of publication follows. Geldanamycin (GM). a benzoquinone ansamycin antibiotic, is a natural product inhibitor of the heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) with potent and broad anticancer properties. However, its progression to clinical trials was halted due to unacceptable levels of hepatotoxicity. Consequently, numerous less toxic analogs differing only in their 17-substituent have been synthesized including 17-AAG and the water soluble 17-DMAG (Alvespimycin), which have recently entered clinical trials. The different hepatotoxicity induced by GM and its analogs may reflect the redox active properties of the quinone moiety (Q) and possibly the extent of superoxide radical formation, which may stimulate cellular oxidative injury. Q ·- + Q 2 ↔ O 2 ·- + Q. Eq. 1 is established rapidly, and its actual position is governed by E 7 (Q/Q ·- ) and E 7 (O 2 /O 2 ·- ) and the relative concentrations of Q and O 2 . Using pulse radiolysis, E 7 (Q/Q ·- ) for 17-DMAG has been determined vs. O 2 , 1,4-naphthoquinone or menadione to be -194 ± 6 mV, which is somewhat lower than E 7 (O 2 /O 2 ·- ) = -180 mV (1 M O 2 ). Eq. 1 is well to the left in the case of 1,4-benzoquinone and substitution into the ring by electron-donating or -withdrawing groups reduces or increases, respectively, E 7 (Q/Q ·- ) in a predictable manner, e.g. linearly related to the Hammett sigma value of the substituents. Hence, E 7 (Q/Q ·- ) should follow the order GM 2 is more readily reduced to O 2 ·- by GM. It is demonstrated that O 2 ·- can be efficiently trapped by Tempol during the reduction of GM, 17-AAG and 17-DMAG by NADPH catalyzed by NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase, and that O 2 ·- formation rate, which reflects the rate of NADPH oxidation, follows the order 17-DMAG > GM > 17-AAG. In the absence of O 2 ·- scavengers, the rate of NADPH oxidation follows the order 17-DMAG > 17-AAG > GM. The order of the drug cytotoxicity toward rat primary hepatocytes, as determined by their

  16. Revisiting the stability of endo/exo Diels-Alder adducts between cyclopentadiene and 1,4-benzoquinone

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tormena, Claudio F. [Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), SP (Brazil). Inst. de Quimica. Dept. de Quimica Organica; Lacerda Junior, Valdemar [Universidade Federal do Espirito Santo (UFES), Vitoria, ES (Brazil). Centro de Ciencias Exatas. Dept. de Quimica; Oliveira, Kleber T. de [Universidade Federal do ABC (UFABC), Santo Andre, SP (Brazil). Centro de Ciencias Naturais e Humanas

    2010-07-01

    In this work it is presented a detailed theoretical analysis of the relative stability of endo/exo Diels-Alder adducts formed by the reaction between cyclopentadiene (1) and 1,4-benzoquinone (2). The intrinsic reaction coordinate (IRC) showed the existence of only one transition state for the reaction studied, for both endo 3 and exo 4 adducts. The energies of both adducts were obtained at high level of theory (CBS-Q) confirming that the endo adduct is more stable than exo, which is in the opposite way to the observed in reactions that usually follow Alder's rule. An electronic structure analysis was performed through NBO methodology, indicating that the attractive delocalization interaction predominates over the steric repulsive interaction in the endo adducts. In summary, for the studied cycloaddition reaction the endo adduct is the thermodynamic and kinetic product, which can be also confirmed by experimental data mentioned in this work. (author)

  17. Molecular complexes of L-phenylalanine with substituted 1,4-benzoquinones in aqueous medium: Spectral and theoretical investigations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ganesh, K.; El-Mossalamy, E. H.; Satheshkumar, A.; Balraj, C.; Elango, K. P.

    2013-12-01

    Various spectral techniques such as UV-Vis, FT-IR, and fluorescence have been employed to investigate the charge transfer interaction of L-phenylalanine (LPA) with substituted 1,4-benzoquinones (MQ1-4). Kinetic and thermodynamic properties of the complexes were determined in aqueous medium at physiological condition (pH = 7). The interaction of MQ1-4 with L-phenylalanine (LPA) was found to proceed through the formation of donor-acceptor complex, yielding a radical anion. The stoichiometry of the complexes was determined by Jobs continuous variation method and was found to be 1:1 in all the cases. Fluorescence quenching studies showed that the interaction between the donor and the acceptors is spontaneous. The results indicated that the progressive replacement of chlorine atom (-I effect) by methoxy group (+M effect) in the quinone decreased the electron acceptor property of the quinone. The order of the experimentally measured association constant of these complexes was well supported by DFT/B3LYP calculations.

  18. Benzoquinones and terphenyl compounds as phosphodiesterase-4B inhibitors from a fungus of the order Chaetothyriales (MSX 47445).

    Science.gov (United States)

    El-Elimat, Tamam; Figueroa, Mario; Raja, Huzefa A; Graf, Tyler N; Adcock, Audrey F; Kroll, David J; Day, Cynthia S; Wani, Mansukh C; Pearce, Cedric J; Oberlies, Nicholas H

    2013-03-22

    Three bioactive compounds were isolated from an organic extract of an ascomycete fungus of the order Chaetothyriales (MSX 47445) using bioactivity-directed fractionation as part of a search for anticancer leads from filamentous fungi. Of these, two were benzoquinones [betulinan A (1) and betulinan C (3)], and the third was a terphenyl compound, BTH-II0204-207:A (2). The structures were elucidated using a set of spectroscopic and spectrometric techniques; the structure of the new compound (3) was confirmed via single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Compounds 1-3 were evaluated for cytotoxicity against a human cancer cell panel, for antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans, and for phosphodiesterase (PDE4B2) inhibitory activities. The putative binding mode of 1-3 with PDE4B2 was examined using a validated docking protocol, and the binding and enzyme inhibitory activities were correlated.

  19. Prediction of the chemo- and regioselectivity of Diels-Alder reactions of o-benzoquinone derivatives with thiophenes by means of DFT-based reactivity indices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghomri, Amina; Mekelleche, Sidi Mohamed

    2014-03-01

    Global and local reactivity indices derived from density functional theory were used to elucidate the regio- and chemoselectivity of Diels-Alder reactions of masked o-benzoquinones with thiophenes acting as dienophiles. The polarity of the studied reactions is evaluated in terms of the difference of electrophilicity powers between the diene and dienophile partners. Preferential cyclisation modes of these cycloadditions are predicted using Domingo's polar model based on the local electrophilicity index, ωk, of the electrophile and the local nucleophilicity index, Nuk, of the nucleophile. The theoretical calculations, carried out at the B3LYP/6-311G(d,p) level of theory, are in good agreement with experimental findings.

  20. A simple spectrophotometric determination of diclofenac sodium in commercial dosage forms using 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone (DDQ)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Raza, A.; Ansari, T.M.; Niazi, S.B.; Bukhari, S.I.H.

    2005-01-01

    A rapid, simple and sensitive spectrophotometric method has been developed for the determination of diclofenac sodium in pure and tablet formulations. The method depends on the charge-transfer complexation between diclofenac sodium as n-electron donor with 2,3-dichloro-,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone (DDQ) in acetonitrile medium as pi-acceptor to give a colored complex which absorbs maximally at 545 nm. Beer's law has been obeyed in the concentration range of 13-275 micro gram ml/sup -1/ with molar absorptivity of 2.5 x 10/sup 3/L mole/sup -1/cm/sup -1/. The proposed method is precise, accurate and specific for routine quantitative analysis of the drug in bulk and dosage forms. (author)

  1. Pyrazolates advance cerium chemistry: a CeIII/CeIV redox equilibrium with benzoquinone.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Werner, Daniel; Deacon, Glen B; Junk, Peter C; Anwander, Reiner

    2017-05-16

    Two stable cerium(iv) 3,5-dialkylpyrazolate complexes are presented, namely dimeric [Ce(Me 2 pz) 4 ] 2 (Me 2 pz = 3,5-dimethylpyrazolate) and monomeric Ce(tBu 2 pz) 4 (tBu 2 pz = 3,5-di-tert-butylpyrazolate) along with their trivalent counterparts [Ce(Me 2 pz) 3 ] and [Ce(tBu 2 pz) 3 ] 2 . All complexes were obtained from protonolysis reactions employing the silylamide precursors Ce[N(SiHMe 2 ) 2 ] 4 and Ce[N(SiMe 3 ) 2 ] 3 . Treatment of homoleptic Ce IV and Ce III Me 2 pz complexes with 1,4-hydroquinone (H 2 hq) or 1,4-benzoquinone (bq), respectively, ultimately gave the same trimetallic Ce III species via a cerium redox equilibrium. The Ce III complex Ce 3 (Me 2 pz) 5 (pchd) 2 (L) (pchd = 1,4-bis(3,5-dimethylpyrazol-1-yl)cyclohex-2,5-diene-1,4-diolato; L = Me 2 pzH or (thf) 2 ) results from a di-1,4-pyrazolyl attack on pre-coordinated bq. The reduction of bq by [Ce(Me 2 pz) 3 (thf)] 2 , and re-oxidation by the resulting Ce IV species was supported by UV-vis spectroscopic investigations. Comparisons with the redox-innocent complexes [Ln(Me 2 pz) 3 (thf)] 2 (Ln = La and Pr) revealed far less selective reactions with bq, giving hexametallic and octametallic rare-earth metal side products containing 2-Me 2 pz substituted hq ligands.

  2. Kinetics and mechanism of oxidation of 1-hydroxymethyl-eta/sup 3/-allypalladium chloride by p-benzoquinone in aqueous solutions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Belov, A.P.; Kalabin, S.M.; Statsenko, O.N.

    1988-03-01

    /sup 1/H NMR spectroscopy was used to show that the primary product of the oxidation of the eta/sup 3/-allyl complex of palladium, (based on 1,3-butadiene-1-hydroxymethyl-eta/sup 3/-allylpalladium chloride), by the action of p-benzoquinone in acid aqueous solutions is 4-chloro-2-buten-1-o1. The reaction kinetics were studied colorimetrically. It was found that the rate of reaction is described by a kinetic equation of the second order (first with respect to each of the reagents). It was shown that the second order rate constant increases nonlinearly with increase in the concentration of the chloride ions and hydrogen ions, and tends to a constant value in the region of high concentrations of these ions. The values of the activation parameters and the isotopic kinetic effect were determined. The kinetic equation and the mechanism of the reaction studied were compared with those of the oxidation processes of unsubstituted eta/sup 3/-allyl complexes of palladium.

  3. Anti-p-benzoquinone antibody level as a prospective biomarker to identify smokers at risk for COPD

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Banerjee S

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Santanu Banerjee,1 Parthasarathi Bhattacharyya,2 Subhra Mitra,3 Somenath Kundu,4 Samiran Panda,5 Indu B Chatterjee1 1Department of Biotechnology and Dr B C Guha Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, University College of Science and Technology, University of Calcutta, 2Institute of Pulmocare and Research, 3Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Calcutta National Medical College, 4Department of Chest Medicine, Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research, 5National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases, Kolkata, India Background and objective: Identification of smokers having predisposition to COPD is important for early intervention to reduce the huge global burden of the disease. Using a guinea pig model, we have shown that p-benzoquinone (p-BQ derived from cigarette smoke (CS in the lung is a causative factor for CS-induced emphysema. p-BQ is also derived from CS in smokers and it elicits the production of anti-p-BQ antibody in humans. We therefore hypothesized that anti-p-BQ antibody might have a protective role against COPD and could be used as a predictive biomarker for COPD in smokers. The objective of this study was to compare the serum anti-p-BQ antibody level between smokers with and without COPD for the evaluation of the hypothesis. Methods: Serum anti-p-BQ antibody concentrations of current male smokers with (n=227 or without (n=308 COPD were measured by an indirect enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay (ELISA developed in our laboratory. COPD was diagnosed by spirometry according to Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD guidelines.Results and discussion: A significant difference was observed in the serum anti-p-BQ antibody level between smokers with and without COPD (Mann–Whitney U-test =4,632.5, P=0.000. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC curve analysis indicated that the ELISA had significant precision (area under the curve [AUC] =0.934, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.913–0

  4. p-Benzoquinone initiates non-invasive urothelial cancer through aberrant tyrosine phosphorylation of EGFR, MAP kinase activation and cell cycle deregulation: Prevention by vitamin C

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shinjini Ganguly

    Full Text Available According to WHO classification system, non-invasive urothelial carcinoma represents urothelial carcinoma in situ (CIS and dysplasia. Dysplastic urothelium often progresses to CIS that further advances to urothelial carcinoma (UC. The strongest risk factor for UC is cigarette smoking. However, the pathogenesis of cigarette smoke (CS-induced UC is poorly understood. Earlier we had shown that p-benzoquinone (p-BQ, a major toxic quinone derived from p-benzosemiquinone of CS in vivo, is a causative factor for various CS-induced diseases. Here, using a guinea pig model we showed that prolonged treatment with p-BQ led to non-invasive UC, specifically carcinoma in situ (CIS of the renal pelvis and dysplasia in the ureter and bladder. The mechanisms of carcinogenesis were p-BQ-induced oxidative damage and apoptosis that were later suppressed and followed by activation of epidermal growth factor receptor, aberrant phosphorylation of intracellular tyrosine residues, activation of MAP kinase pathway and persistent growth signaling. This was accompanied by deregulation of cell cycle as shown by marked decrease in the expression of p21waf1/cip1 and cyclin D1 proteins as well as hyperphosphorylation of pRb. UC has been characterised by histopathology and immunohistochemistry showing aberrant CK20, increased Ki-67, and marked p53 nuclear immunopositivity with uniformly negative labelling of CD44. Oral supplementation of vitamin C (30 mg/kg body weight/day prevented CIS of the renal pelvis and dysplasia in the ureter and bladder. Since majority of non-invasive UC progresses to invasive cancer with increased risk of mortality, our preclinical study might help to devise effective strategies for early intervention of the disease. Abbreviations: Bax, Bcl-2, CS, DNPH, GAPDH, IARC, p-BQ, p-BSQ, PAHs, PBS, ROS, SDS PAGE, TUNEL, WHO, UC, CIS, EGFR, MAPK, Keywords: p-Benzoquinone, Carcinoma in situ, Dysplasia, Aberrant EGFR activation, Cell cycle deregulation

  5. 1,4-benzoquinone-induced STAT-3 hypomethylation in AHH-1 cells: Role of oxidative stress

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jing Yang

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Benzene, a known occupational and environmental contaminant, is associated with increased risk of leukemia. The objectives of this study were to elucidate the regulatory mechanism of the hypomethylated STAT3 involved in benzene toxicity in vitro. As 1,4-benzoquinone (1,4-BQ is one of benzene’s major toxic metabolites, AHH-1 cells were treated by 1,4-BQ for 24 h with or without pretreatment of the antioxidant a-LA or the methyltransferase inhibitor, 5-aza-2′ deoxycytidine (5-aza. The cell viability was investigated using the 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT assay. ROS was determined via 2′,7′-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCFDA flow cytometric assays. The level of oxidative stress marker 8-OHdG was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Methylation-specific PCR was used to detect the methylation status of STAT3. Results indicated the significantly increasing expression of ROS and 8-OHdG which accompanied with STAT3 hypomethylation in 1,4-BQ-treated AHH-1 cells. α-LA suppressed the expression of both ROS and 8-OHdG, simultaneously reversed 1,4-BQ-induced STAT3 hypomethylation. However, although the methylation inhibitor, 5-aza reduced the expression level of ROS and 8-OHdG, but had no obvious inhibiting effect on STAT3 methylation level. Taken together, oxidative stress are involved 1,4-BQ-induced STAT3 methylation expression.

  6. Spectroscopic investigation on the mechanism of formation of molecular complexes of albendazole and trimethoprim with 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ganesh, K.; Balraj, C.; Satheshkumar, A.; Elango, K. P.

    2012-06-01

    UV-vis, 1H NMR, FT-IR, mass and fluorescence spectral techniques were employed to investigate the mechanism of interaction of albendazole and trimethoprim with 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone (DDQ) and to characterize the reaction products. The interaction of DDQ with trimethoprim (TMP) and albenadazole (ALB) were found to proceed through the formation of donor-acceptor complex, containing DDQ radical anion and its conversion to the product. Fluorescence quenching studies indicated that the interaction between the donors and the acceptor are spontaneous and the interaction of TMP-DDQ (binding constant = 2.9 × 105) is found to be stronger than that the ALB-DDQ (binding constant = 3 × 103) system. Also, the binding constant increased with an increase in polarity of the medium indicating the involvement of radical anion as intermediate.

  7. Benzoquinone activates the ERK/MAPK signaling pathway via ROS production in HL-60 cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ruiz-Ramos, Ruben; Cebrian, Mariano E.; Garrido, Efrain

    2005-01-01

    Benzene (BZ) is a class I carcinogen and its oxidation to reactive intermediates is a prerequisite of hematoxicity and myelotoxicity. The generated metabolites include hydroquinone, which is further oxidized to the highly reactive 1,4-benzoquinone (BQ) in bone marrow. Therefore, we explored the mechanisms underlying BQ-induced HL-60 cell proliferation by studying the role of BQ-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the activation of the ERK-MAPK signaling pathway. BQ treatment (0.01-30 μM) showed that doses below 10 μM did not significantly reduce viability. ROS production after 3 μM BQ treatment increased threefold; however, catalase addition reduced ROS generation to basal levels. FACS analysis showed that BQ induced a fivefold increase in the proportion of cells in S-phase. We also observed a high proportion of Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) stained cells, indicating a higher DNA synthesis rate. BQ also produced rapid and prolonged phosphorylation of ERK1/2 proteins. Simultaneous treatment with catalase or PD98059, a potent MEK protein inhibitor, reduced cell recruitment into the S-phase and also abolished the ERK1/2 protein phosphorylation induced by BQ, suggesting that MEK/ERK is an important pathway involved in BQ-induced ROS mediated proliferation. The prolonged activation of ERK1/2 contributes to explain the increased S-phase cell recruitment and to understand the leukemogenic processes associated with exposure to benzene metabolites. Thus, the possible mechanism by which BQ induce HL-60 cells to enter the cell cycle and proliferate is linked to ROS production and its growth promoting effects by specific activation of regulating genes known to be activated by redox mechanisms

  8. Rapid and sensitive spectrofluorimetric determination of enrofloxacin, levofloxacin and ofloxacin with 2,3,5,6-tetrachloro- p-benzoquinone

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ulu, Sevgi Tatar

    2009-06-01

    A highly sensitive spectrofluorimetric method was developed for the first time, for the analysis of three fluoroquinolones (FQ) antibacterials, namely enrofloxacin (ENR), levofloxacin (LEV) and ofloxacin (OFL) in pharmaceutical preparations through charge transfer (CT) complex formation with 2,3,5,6-tetrachloro- p-benzoquinone (chloranil,CLA). At the optimum reaction conditions, the FQ-CLA complexes showed excitation maxima ranging from 359 to 363 nm and emission maxima ranging from 442 to 488 nm. Rectilinear calibration graphs were obtained in the concentration range of 50-1000, 50-1000 and 25-500 ng mL -1 for ENR, LEV and OFL, respectively. The detection limit was found to be 17 ng mL -1 for ENR, 17 ng mL -1 for LEV, 8 ng mL -1 for OFL, respectively. Excipients used as additive in commercial formulations did not interfere in the analysis. The method was validated according to the ICH guidelines with respect to specificity, linearity, accuracy, precision and robustness. The proposed method was successfully applied to the analysis of pharmaceutical preparations. The results obtained were in good agreement with those obtained using the official method; no significant difference in the accuracy and precision as revealed by the accepted values of t- and F-tests, respectively.

  9. Enhancement of Fenton oxidation for removing organic matter from hypersaline solution by accelerating ferric system with hydroxylamine hydrochloride and benzoquinone.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peng, Siwei; Zhang, Weijun; He, Jie; Yang, Xiaofang; Wang, Dongsheng; Zeng, Guisheng

    2016-03-01

    Fenton oxidation is generally inhibited in the presence of a high concentration of chloride ions. This study investigated the feasibility of using benzoquinone (BQ) and hydroxylamine hydrochloride (HA) as Fenton enhancers for the removal of glycerin from saline water under ambient temperature by accelerating the ferric system. It was found that organics removal was not obviously affected by chloride ions of low concentration (less than 0.1mol/L), while the mineralization rate was strongly inhibited in the presence of a large amount of chloride ions. In addition, ferric hydrolysis-precipitation was significantly alleviated in the presence of HA and BQ, and HA was more effective in reducing ferric ions into ferrous ions than HA, while the H2O2 decomposition rate was higher in the BQ-Fenton system. Electron spin resonance analysis revealed that OH production was reduced in high salinity conditions, while it was enhanced after the addition of HA and BQ (especially HA). This study provided a possible solution to control and alleviate the inhibitory effect of chloride ions on the Fenton process for organics removal. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  10. Border between natural product and drug: Comparison of the related benzoquinones idebenone and coenzyme Q10

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nuri Gueven

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Coenzyme Q10 is a ubiquitous component of cellular membranes and belongs to the class of benzoquinones that mainly differ with regards to the length and composition of their hydrophobic tail. The characteristic quinone group can accept electrons from various biological sources and is converted by a one electron transfer to the unstable semiquinone or by a two electron transfer to the more stable hydroquinone. This feature makes CoQ10 the bona fide cellular electron transfer molecule within the mitochondrial respiratory chain and also makes it a potent cellular antioxidant. These activities serve as justification for its popular use as food supplement. Another quinone with similarities to the naturally occurring CoQ10 is idebenone, which shares its quinone moiety with CoQ10, but at the same time differs from CoQ10 by the presence of a much shorter, less lipophilic tail. However, despite its similarity to CoQ10, idebenone cannot be isolated from any natural sources but instead was synthesized and selected as a pharmacologically active compound in the 1980s by Takeda Pharmaceuticals purely based on its pharmacological properties. Several recent clinical trials demonstrated some therapeutic efficacy of idebenone in different indications and as a consequence, many practitioners question if the freely available CoQ10 could not be used instead. Here, we describe the molecular and pharmacological features of both molecules that arise from their structural differences to answer the question if idebenone is merely a CoQ10 analogue as frequently perpetuated in the literature or a pharmaceutical drug with entirely different features.

  11. Tetrachloro-p-benzoquinone induces hepatic oxidative damage and inflammatory response, but not apoptosis in mouse: The prevention of curcumin

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xu, Demei; Hu, Lihua; Su, Chuanyang; Xia, Xiaomin; Zhang, Pu; Fu, Juanli; Wang, Wenchao; Xu, Duo; Du, Hong; Hu, Qiuling; Song, Erqun; Song, Yang, E-mail: songyangwenrong@hotmail.com

    2014-10-15

    This study investigated the protective effects of curcumin on tetrachloro-p-benzoquinone (TCBQ)-induced hepatotoxicity in mice. TCBQ-treatment causes significant liver injury (the elevation of serum AST and ALT activities, histopathological changes in liver section including centrilobular necrosis and inflammatory cells), oxidative stress (the elevation of TBAR level and the inhibition of SOD and catalase activities) and inflammation (up-regulation of iNOS, COX-2, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α and NF-κB). However, these changes were alleviated upon pretreatment with curcumin. Interestingly, TCBQ has no effect on caspase family genes or B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2)/Bcl-2 associated X (Bax) protein expressions, which implied that TCBQ-induced hepatotoxicity is independent of apoptosis. Moreover, curcumin was shown to induce phase II detoxifying/antioxidant enzymes HO-1 and NQO1 through the activation of nuclear factor erythroid-derived 2-like 2 (Nrf2). In summary, the protective mechanisms of curcumin against TCBQ-induced hepatoxicity may be related to the attenuation of oxidative stress, along with the inhibition of inflammatory response via the activation of Nrf2 signaling. - Highlights: • TCBQ-intoxication significantly increased AST and ALT activities. • TCBQ-intoxication induced oxidative stress in mice liver. • TCBQ-intoxication induced inflammatory response in mice liver. • TCBQ-intoxication induced hepatotoxicity is independent of apoptosis. • Curcumin relieved TCBQ-induced liver damage remarkably.

  12. Tetrachloro-p-benzoquinone induces hepatic oxidative damage and inflammatory response, but not apoptosis in mouse: The prevention of curcumin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xu, Demei; Hu, Lihua; Su, Chuanyang; Xia, Xiaomin; Zhang, Pu; Fu, Juanli; Wang, Wenchao; Xu, Duo; Du, Hong; Hu, Qiuling; Song, Erqun; Song, Yang

    2014-01-01

    This study investigated the protective effects of curcumin on tetrachloro-p-benzoquinone (TCBQ)-induced hepatotoxicity in mice. TCBQ-treatment causes significant liver injury (the elevation of serum AST and ALT activities, histopathological changes in liver section including centrilobular necrosis and inflammatory cells), oxidative stress (the elevation of TBAR level and the inhibition of SOD and catalase activities) and inflammation (up-regulation of iNOS, COX-2, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α and NF-κB). However, these changes were alleviated upon pretreatment with curcumin. Interestingly, TCBQ has no effect on caspase family genes or B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2)/Bcl-2 associated X (Bax) protein expressions, which implied that TCBQ-induced hepatotoxicity is independent of apoptosis. Moreover, curcumin was shown to induce phase II detoxifying/antioxidant enzymes HO-1 and NQO1 through the activation of nuclear factor erythroid-derived 2-like 2 (Nrf2). In summary, the protective mechanisms of curcumin against TCBQ-induced hepatoxicity may be related to the attenuation of oxidative stress, along with the inhibition of inflammatory response via the activation of Nrf2 signaling. - Highlights: • TCBQ-intoxication significantly increased AST and ALT activities. • TCBQ-intoxication induced oxidative stress in mice liver. • TCBQ-intoxication induced inflammatory response in mice liver. • TCBQ-intoxication induced hepatotoxicity is independent of apoptosis. • Curcumin relieved TCBQ-induced liver damage remarkably

  13. Structural characterization of molecular complexes formed by trimethoprim and cimitidine with 2,3,5,6-tetrachloro-1,4-benzoquinone

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balraj, C.; Ganesh, K.; Elango, K. P.

    2011-07-01

    Spectroscopic and spectrofluorimetric techniques have been employed to investigate the structure of the charge transfer (CT) complexes of Trimethoprim (TMP) and Cimitidine (CTD) drugs with 2,3,5,6-tetrachloro-1,4-benzoquinone ( p-chloranil, p-CHL). The stoichiometry of the complexes was found to be 1:2 for TMP- p-CHL system and 1:1 for CTD- p-CHL system. The thermodynamic results indicated that the formation of molecular complex between the donors and the acceptor is spontaneous and endothermic. The results of electronic spectral studies indicated that the formation constant for CTD- p-CHL system is found to be higher than that for TMP- p-CHL system. The observation is well supported by the results of fluorescence quenching studies and the association constants calculated for CTD- p-CHL system is 36.2 × 10 3 mol L -1 and that for TMP- p-CHL system is 2.6 × 10 3 mol L -1. The kinetic results, in both the cases, indicated that the interaction is first order each with respect to the concentration of the donor and the acceptor. The physico-chemical parameters viz. oscillator strength, dipole moment, ionization potential and dissociation energy of the complexes were also determined and discussed. Structural characterization of the complexes were done using FT-IR and 1H NMR spectral techniques and the results indicated that, in TMP, the free NH 2 group while in CTD the pyrazole N sbnd H moiety involves in complexation with the acceptor, p-CHL.

  14. Antinociceptive Effect of Tephrosia sinapou Extract in the Acetic Acid, Phenyl-p-benzoquinone, Formalin, and Complete Freund’s Adjuvant Models of Overt Pain-Like Behavior in Mice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Renata M. Martinez

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Tephrosia toxicaria, which is currently known as Tephrosia sinapou (Buc’hoz A. Chev. (Fabaceae, is a source of compounds such as flavonoids. T. sinapou has been used in Amazonian countries traditional medicine to alleviate pain and inflammation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the analgesic effects of T. sinapou ethyl acetate extract in overt pain-like behavior models in mice by using writhing response and flinching/licking tests. We demonstrated in this study that T. sinapou extract inhibited, in a dose (1–100 mg/kg dependent manner, acetic acid- and phenyl-p-benzoquinone- (PBQ- induced writhing response. Furthermore, it was active via intraperitoneal, subcutaneous, and peroral routes of administration. T. sinapou extract also inhibited formalin- and complete Freund’s adjuvant- (CFA- induced flinching/licking at 100 mg/kg dose. In conclusion, these findings demonstrate that T. sinapou ethyl acetate extract reduces inflammatory pain in the acetic acid, PBQ, formalin, and CFA models of overt pain-like behavior. Therefore, the potential of analgesic activity of T. sinapou indicates that it deserves further investigation.

  15. Chemical Ecology of Cave-Dwelling Millipedes: Defensive Secretions of the Typhloiulini (Diplopoda, Julida, Julidae).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Makarov, Slobodan E; Bodner, Michaela; Reineke, Doris; Vujisić, Ljubodrag V; Todosijević, Marina M; Antić, Dragan Ž; Vagalinski, Boyan; Lučić, Luka R; Mitić, Bojan M; Mitov, Plamen; Anđelković, Boban D; Lucić, Sofija Pavković; Vajs, Vlatka; Tomić, Vladimir T; Raspotnig, Günther

    2017-04-01

    Cave animals live under highly constant ecological conditions and in permanent darkness, and many evolutionary adaptations of cave-dwellers have been triggered by their specific environment. A similar "cave effect" leading to pronounced chemical interactions under such conditions may be assumed, but the chemoecology of troglobionts is mostly unknown. We investigated the defensive chemistry of a largely cave-dwelling julid group, the controversial tribe "Typhloiulini", and we included some cave-dwelling and some endogean representatives. While chemical defense in juliform diplopods is known to be highly uniform, and mainly based on methyl- and methoxy-substituted benzoquinones, the defensive secretions of typhloiulines contained ethyl-benzoquinones and related compounds. Interestingly, ethyl-benzoquinones were found in some, but not all cave-dwelling typhloiulines, and some non-cave dwellers also contained these compounds. On the other hand, ethyl-benzoquinones were not detected in troglobiont nor in endogean typhloiuline outgroups. In order to explain the taxonomic pattern of ethyl-benzoquinone occurrence, and to unravel whether a cave-effect triggered ethyl-benzoquinone evolution, we classed the "Typhloiulini" investigated here within a phylogenetic framework of julid taxa, and traced the evolutionary history of ethyl-benzoquinones in typhloiulines in relation to cave-dwelling. The results indicated a cave-independent evolution of ethyl-substituted benzoquinones, indicating the absence of a "cave effect" on the secretions of troglobiont Typhloiulini. Ethyl-benzoquinones probably evolved early in an epi- or endogean ancestor of a clade including several, but not all Typhloiulus (basically comprising a taxonomic entity known as "Typhloiulus sensu stricto") and Serboiulus. Ethyl-benzoquinones are proposed as novel and valuable chemical characters for julid systematics.

  16. Lineage-related cytotoxicity and clonogenic profile of 1,4-benzoquinone-exposed hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chow, Paik Wah [Biomedical Science Programme, School of Diagnostic & Applied Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Raja Abdul Muda Aziz, 50300 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan (Malaysia); Toxicology Laboratory, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz, 50300 Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Abdul Hamid, Zariyantey, E-mail: zyantey@ukm.edu.my [Biomedical Science Programme, School of Diagnostic & Applied Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Raja Abdul Muda Aziz, 50300 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan (Malaysia); Toxicology Laboratory, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz, 50300 Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Chan, Kok Meng [Environmental Health and Industrial Safety Programme, School of Diagnostic & Applied Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Raja Abdul Muda Aziz, 50300 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan (Malaysia); Toxicology Laboratory, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz, 50300 Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Inayat-Hussain, Salmaan Hussain [Environmental Health and Industrial Safety Programme, School of Diagnostic & Applied Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Raja Abdul Muda Aziz, 50300 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan (Malaysia); Rajab, Nor Fadilah [Biomedical Science Programme, School of Diagnostic & Applied Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Raja Abdul Muda Aziz, 50300 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan (Malaysia); Toxicology Laboratory, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz, 50300 Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)

    2015-04-01

    Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) are sensitive targets for benzene-induced hematotoxicity and leukemogenesis. The impact of benzene exposure on the complex microenvironment of HSCs and HPCs remains elusive. This study aims to investigate the mechanism linking benzene exposure to targeting HSCs and HPCs using phenotypic and clonogenic analyses. Mouse bone marrow (BM) cells were exposed ex vivo to the benzene metabolite, 1,4-benzoquinone (1,4-BQ), for 24 h. Expression of cellular surface antigens for HSC (Sca-1), myeloid (Gr-1, CD11b), and lymphoid (CD45, CD3e) populations were confirmed by flow cytometry. The clonogenicity of cells was studied using the colony-forming unit (CFU) assay for multilineage (CFU-GM and CFU-GEMM) and single-lineage (CFU-E, BFU-E, CFU-G, and CFU-M) progenitors. 1,4-BQ demonstrated concentration-dependent cytotoxicity in mouse BM cells. The percentage of apoptotic cells increased (p < 0.05) following 1,4-BQ exposure. Exposure to 1,4-BQ showed no significant effect on CD3e{sup +} cells but reduced the total counts of Sca-1{sup +}, CD11b{sup +}, Gr-1{sup +}, and CD45{sup +} cells at 7 and 12 μM (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the CFU assay showed reduced (p < 0.05) clonogenicity in 1,4-BQ-treated cells. 1,4-BQ induced CFU-dependent cytotoxicity by significantly inhibiting colony growth for CFU-E, BFU-E, CFU-G, and CFU-M starting at a low concentration of exposure (5 μM); whereas for the CFU-GM and CFU-GEMM, the inhibition of colony growth was remarkable only at 7 and 12 μM of 1,4-BQ, respectively. Taken together, 1,4-BQ caused lineage-related cytotoxicity in mouse HPCs, demonstrating greater toxicity in single-lineage progenitors than in those of multi-lineage. - Highlights: • We examine 1,4-BQ toxicity targeting mouse hematopoietic cell lineages. • 1,4-BQ induces concentration-dependent cytotoxicity in bone marrow (BM) cells. • 1,4-BQ shows lineage-related toxicity on hematopoietic stem and

  17. Lineage-related cytotoxicity and clonogenic profile of 1,4-benzoquinone-exposed hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chow, Paik Wah; Abdul Hamid, Zariyantey; Chan, Kok Meng; Inayat-Hussain, Salmaan Hussain; Rajab, Nor Fadilah

    2015-01-01

    Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) are sensitive targets for benzene-induced hematotoxicity and leukemogenesis. The impact of benzene exposure on the complex microenvironment of HSCs and HPCs remains elusive. This study aims to investigate the mechanism linking benzene exposure to targeting HSCs and HPCs using phenotypic and clonogenic analyses. Mouse bone marrow (BM) cells were exposed ex vivo to the benzene metabolite, 1,4-benzoquinone (1,4-BQ), for 24 h. Expression of cellular surface antigens for HSC (Sca-1), myeloid (Gr-1, CD11b), and lymphoid (CD45, CD3e) populations were confirmed by flow cytometry. The clonogenicity of cells was studied using the colony-forming unit (CFU) assay for multilineage (CFU-GM and CFU-GEMM) and single-lineage (CFU-E, BFU-E, CFU-G, and CFU-M) progenitors. 1,4-BQ demonstrated concentration-dependent cytotoxicity in mouse BM cells. The percentage of apoptotic cells increased (p < 0.05) following 1,4-BQ exposure. Exposure to 1,4-BQ showed no significant effect on CD3e + cells but reduced the total counts of Sca-1 + , CD11b + , Gr-1 + , and CD45 + cells at 7 and 12 μM (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the CFU assay showed reduced (p < 0.05) clonogenicity in 1,4-BQ-treated cells. 1,4-BQ induced CFU-dependent cytotoxicity by significantly inhibiting colony growth for CFU-E, BFU-E, CFU-G, and CFU-M starting at a low concentration of exposure (5 μM); whereas for the CFU-GM and CFU-GEMM, the inhibition of colony growth was remarkable only at 7 and 12 μM of 1,4-BQ, respectively. Taken together, 1,4-BQ caused lineage-related cytotoxicity in mouse HPCs, demonstrating greater toxicity in single-lineage progenitors than in those of multi-lineage. - Highlights: • We examine 1,4-BQ toxicity targeting mouse hematopoietic cell lineages. • 1,4-BQ induces concentration-dependent cytotoxicity in bone marrow (BM) cells. • 1,4-BQ shows lineage-related toxicity on hematopoietic stem and progenitors. • 1,4-BQ

  18. A Reinvestigation of the Dimer of para-Benzoquinone with Pyrimidine with MP2, CCSD(T) and DFT using Functionals including those Designed to Describe Dispersion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marianski, Mateusz; Oliva, Antoni

    2012-01-01

    We reevaluate the interaction of pyridine and p-benzoquinone using functionals designed to treat dispersion. We compare the relative energies of four different structures: stacked, T-shaped (identified for the first time) and two planar H-bonded geometries using these functionals (B97-D, ωB97x-D, M05, M05-2X, M06, M06L, M06-2X), other functionals (PBE1PBE, B3LYP, X3LYP), MP2 and CCSD(T) using basis sets as large as cc-pVTZ. The functionals designed to treat dispersion behave erratically as the predictions of the most stable structure vary considerably. MP2 predicts the experimentally observed structure (H-bonded) to be the least stable, while single point CCSD(T) at the MP2 optimized geometry correctly predicts the observed structure to be most stable. We have confirmed the assignment of the experimental structure using new calculations of the vibrational frequency shifts previously used to identify the structure. The MP2/cc-pVTZ vibrational calculations are in excellent agreement with the observations. All methods used to calculate the energies provide vibrational shifts that agree with the observed structure even though most do not predict this structure to be most stable. The implications for evaluating possible π-stacking in biologically important systems are discussed. PMID:22765283

  19. A reinvestigation of the dimer of para-benzoquinone and pyrimidine with MP2, CCSD(T), and DFT using functionals including those designed to describe dispersion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marianski, Mateusz; Oliva, Antoni; Dannenberg, J J

    2012-08-02

    We reevaluate the interaction of pyridine and p-benzoquinone using functionals designed to treat dispersion. We compare the relative energies of four different structures: stacked, T-shaped (identified for the first time), and two planar H-bonded geometries using these functionals (B97-D, ωB97x-D, M05, M05-2X, M06, M06L, and M06-2X), other functionals (PBE1PBE, B3LYP, X3LYP), MP2, and CCSD(T) using basis sets as large as cc-pVTZ. The functionals designed to treat dispersion behave erratically as the predictions of the most stable structure vary considerably. MP2 predicts the experimentally observed structure (H-bonded) to be the least stable, while single-point CCSD(T) at the MP2 optimized geometry correctly predicts the observed structure to be the most stable. We have confirmed the assignment of the experimental structure using new calculations of the vibrational frequency shifts previously used to identify the structure. The MP2/cc-pVTZ vibrational calculations are in excellent agreement with the observations. All methods used to calculate the energies provide vibrational shifts that agree with the observed structure even though most do not predict this structure to be most stable. The implications for evaluating possible π-stacking in biologically important systems are discussed.

  20. Electrochemical Behaviour of Tinidazole at 1,4-Benzoquinone Modified Carbon Paste Electrode and Its Direct Determination in Pharmaceutical Tablets and Urine by Differential Pulse Voltammetry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yosef Nikodimos

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available A simple and highly sensitive electrochemical method based on a 1,4-benzoquinone modified carbon paste electrode (1,4-BQMCPE was described for the determination of tinidazole (TDZ. In Britton Robinson buffer solution, TDZ yields well-defined irreversible reduction peak at −0.344 V on a 1,4-BQMCPE. Compared with that on a bare CPE, the reduction peak of TDZ increased significantly on the modified CPE and the effects of different parameters on the voltammetric responses were also investigated. Differential pulse voltammetric method was proposed and optimized for TDZ determination and its reductive peak current response at 1,4-BQMCPE was found to show linear dependence on the concentration of TDZ in the range of 1.0 × 10−6 to 5.0 × 10−4 M with a linear regression equation, correlation coefficient, limit of detection (LOD, and limit of quantification (LOQ of IPC (μA = 0.19958 + 0.02657C (μM, 0.99486, 1.10 × 10−7 M, and 3.77 × 10−7, respectively. Excellent recovery results for spiked TDZ in pharmaceutical tablet samples ranging within 97.44–97.51% and in urine ranging within 95.37–96.91% were observed. The selectivity of the method for TDZ was further studied in the presence of selected potential interferents and confirmed the potential applicability of the developed method for the determination of TDZ.

  1. The Amelioration of N-Acetyl-p-Benzoquinone Imine Toxicity by Ginsenoside Rg3: The Role of Nrf2-Mediated Detoxification and Mrp1/Mrp3 Transports

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sang Il Gum

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Previously, we found that Korean red ginseng suppressed acetaminophen (APAP-induced hepatotoxicity via alteration of its metabolic profile involving GSTA2 induction and that ginsenoside Rg3 was a major component of this gene induction. In the present study, therefore, we assessed the protective effect of Rg3 against N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine (NAPQI, a toxic metabolic intermediate of APAP. Excess NAPQI resulted in GSH depletion with increases in the ALT and AST activities in H4IIE cells. Rg3 pretreatment reversed GSH depletion by NAPQI. Rg3 resulted in increased mRNA levels of the catalytic and modulatory subunit of glutamate cysteine ligase (GCL, the rate-limiting steps in GSH synthesis and subsequently increased GSH content. Rg3 increased levels of nuclear Nrf2, an essential transcriptional factor of these genes. The knockdown or knockout of the Nrf2 gene abrogated the inductions of mRNA and protein by Rg3. Abolishment of the reversal of GSH depletion by Rg3 against NAPQI was observed in Nrf2-deficient cells. Rg3 induced multidrug resistance-associated protein (Mrp 1 and Mrp3 mRNA levels, but not in Nrf2-deficient cells. Taken together, these results demonstrate that Rg3 is efficacious in protecting hepatocytes against NAPQI insult, due to GSH repletion and coordinated gene regulations of GSH synthesis and Mrp family genes by Nrf2.

  2. Melatonin charge transfer complex with 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone: Molecular structure, DFT studies, thermal analyses, evaluation of biological activity and utility for determination of melatonin in pure and dosage forms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohamed, Gehad G.; Hamed, Maher M.; Zaki, Nadia G.; Abdou, Mohamed M.; Mohamed, Marwa El-Badry; Abdallah, Abanoub Mosaad

    2017-07-01

    A simple, accurate and fast spectrophotometric method for the quantitative determination of melatonin (ML) drug in its pure and pharmaceutical forms was developed based on the formation of its charge transfer complex with 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone (DDQ) as an electron acceptor. The different conditions for this method were optimized accurately. The Lambert-Beer's law was found to be valid over the concentration range of 4-100 μg mL- 1 ML. The solid form of the CT complex was structurally characterized by means of different spectral methods. Density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) calculations were carried out. The different quantum chemical parameters of the CT complex were calculated. Thermal properties of the CT complex and its kinetic thermodynamic parameters were studied, as well as its antimicrobial and antifungal activities were investigated. Molecular docking studies were performed to predict the binding modes of the CT complex components towards E. coli bacterial RNA and the receptor of breast cancer mutant oxidoreductase.

  3. Biochemical studies on the effect of curcumin and embelin during N ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    STORAGESEVER

    2009-09-15

    Sep 15, 2009 ... tics is the isolation and evaluation of chemicals of natural origin. The importance of natural products for drug discovery has been impressive. Embelin (2, 5 dihydroxy 3-undecyl 1, 4, benzoquinone) is a benzoquinone derivative from Embelia ribes Burm. (Family: Myrsinaceae). Embelin is reported to be an.

  4. An investigation of the olive phenols activity as a natural medicine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Faik Gökalp

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available The natural antioxidants of olive oil have phenolic structure and their activities are related to the formation of stable derivatives. In this study, the single components of the phenolic fraction of olive oil (1,4-hydroquinone, Semiquinone and 1,4-benzoquinone have been studied as theoretical by using DFT (Density functional Theory. The behaviors of phenolic compounds of olive against to the alkyl peroxy radicals were investigated. Our data show that 1,4-benzoquinone is the best electron transfer agent in primary metabolic processes to human life. The frontier orbital gap, namely HOMO (highest occupied molecular orbital–LUMO (lowest unoccupied molecular orbital gap is the smallest for 1,4-benzoquinone. Hence, it is more stable than the others in blood. The natural phenolic compound's mechanism of many plants can be explained by using DFT method without consuming time and money. In this study, we have indicated the behaviors of natural antioxidants of olive oil's single components phenolic structure in blood phase. Keywords: 1,4-Hydroquinone, Semiquinone, 1,4-Benzoquinone, Blood, DFT

  5. Application of soft- and hard-modelling approaches to resolution of kinetics of electron donor-acceptor complex formation of 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone with imipramine in different solutions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hasani, Masoumeh; Shariati-Rad, Masoud; Abdollahi, Hamid

    2009-01-01

    Kinetics of electron donor-acceptor (EDA) complex formation of imipramine and 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone (DDQ) was investigated spectrophotometrically in acetonitrile, 1,2-dichloroethane, and chloroform solutions using soft- and hard-modelling approaches. From the results of exploratory analysis of kinetic data and the spectral changes by soft-modelling approaches, evolving factor analysis (EFA) and orthogonal projection approach (OPA), a consecutive two-steps reaction with two intermediates was proposed for the process in acetonitrile and 1,2-dichloroethane media and one with a single intermediate in chloroform solution. Secondly, by applying, multivariate nonlinear least squares hard-modelling approach on the collected experimental kinetic data matrix, the nonlinear parameters (rate constants) as well as the linear parameters (spectral profiles) were obtained by fitting the collected experimental kinetic data matrix to the proposed model. Small values of standard deviation in the resulting parameters and sum of squares of the residuals (ssq) obtained showed the proper selection of the model. Furthermore, the values of lack of fit and percent of explained variance confirmed the correct identified models. Identification of the model with the aid of soft-modelling approaches followed by application of the hard-modelling approaches decreases significantly the rotational ambiguity associated with the obtained concentration and spectral profiles. Variations in the kinetic constants were in complete agreement with the model proposed and the solvent polarities

  6. Application of soft- and hard-modelling approaches to resolution of kinetics of electron donor-acceptor complex formation of 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone with imipramine in different solutions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hasani, Masoumeh [Faculty of Chemistry, Bu-Ali Sina University, Mahdieh, Hamedan, 65174 (Iran, Islamic Republic of)], E-mail: hasani@basu.ac.ir; Shariati-Rad, Masoud [Faculty of Chemistry, Bu-Ali Sina University, Mahdieh, Hamedan, 65174 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Abdollahi, Hamid [Department of Chemistry, Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences, Zanjan (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2009-03-23

    Kinetics of electron donor-acceptor (EDA) complex formation of imipramine and 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone (DDQ) was investigated spectrophotometrically in acetonitrile, 1,2-dichloroethane, and chloroform solutions using soft- and hard-modelling approaches. From the results of exploratory analysis of kinetic data and the spectral changes by soft-modelling approaches, evolving factor analysis (EFA) and orthogonal projection approach (OPA), a consecutive two-steps reaction with two intermediates was proposed for the process in acetonitrile and 1,2-dichloroethane media and one with a single intermediate in chloroform solution. Secondly, by applying, multivariate nonlinear least squares hard-modelling approach on the collected experimental kinetic data matrix, the nonlinear parameters (rate constants) as well as the linear parameters (spectral profiles) were obtained by fitting the collected experimental kinetic data matrix to the proposed model. Small values of standard deviation in the resulting parameters and sum of squares of the residuals (ssq) obtained showed the proper selection of the model. Furthermore, the values of lack of fit and percent of explained variance confirmed the correct identified models. Identification of the model with the aid of soft-modelling approaches followed by application of the hard-modelling approaches decreases significantly the rotational ambiguity associated with the obtained concentration and spectral profiles. Variations in the kinetic constants were in complete agreement with the model proposed and the solvent polarities.

  7. Males of Hylamorpha elegans burmeister (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) are attracted to odors released from conspecific females.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quiroz, Andrés; Palma, Ruben; Etcheverría, Paulina; Navarro, Vicente; Rebolledo, Ramón

    2007-04-01

    The behavioral responses of Hylamorpha elegans L. (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae, Rutelinae) to the semiochemicals released from conspecific individual adults were studied, with particular attention paid to female attraction of males. Odors released from virgin females significantly attracted male conspecifics in both the field and laboratory olfactometer and wind tunnel bioassays. However, females did not attract other females, and males attracted no one. The response of male H. elegans to (1) compounds (1,4-hydroquinone and 1,4-benzoquinone) released only by unmated females; (2) the essential oil of the secondary host (Nothofagus obliqua); and (3) the blend of 1,4-hydroquinone and 1,4-benzoquinone with N. obliqua essential oil was studied. The blend of 1,4-benzoquinone mixed with essential oil at the trial concentration was attractive with males. The same response was found with 1,4-hydroquinone alone. The essential oil did not have the expected attractant effect on conspecific males. These results suggest that, when combined with essential oil, 1,4-benzoquinone may function in the sexual behavior of males and females. These findings are discussed in terms of the ecological role of this putative sexual pheromone and its potential use in a strategy of control of this pest.

  8. Simple synthesis of multi-halogen pyrazino [1,2-a]indole-1,8(2H,5aH)-dione

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yang, Rui Xia; Zhao, Yu Cheng; Kong, Ling Bin; Yan, Sheng Jiao; Lin, Jun [Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry for Natural Resource (Yunnan University), Ministry Education, School of Chemical Science and Technology, Yunnan University, Kunming (China)

    2016-10-15

    A concise and efficient one-pot synthesis of multi-halogen pyrazino[1,2-a]indole-1,8(2H,5aH)-dione (MHPID) derivatives by the reaction of an enamino ester with multi-halogen benzoquinone derivatives is described. MHPIDs 3a–3d were obtained with good yields (78–83%) by refluxing enamino esters 1a and 1b and tetrahalogen-1,4-benzoquinones 2a and 2b for 24 h without the use of catalysts. Compounds 3e–3p were also obtained with excellent yields (69–92%) via the reaction of the phenyl-substituted enamino esters 1c–1h with tetrahalogen-1,4-benzoquinones 2a and 2b in CH3CN catalyzed by Cs2CO3. These two protocols are efficient and effective for the synthesis of MHPIDs.

  9. In-source formation of N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine (NAPQI), the putatively toxic acetaminophen (paracetamol) metabolite, after derivatization with pentafluorobenzyl bromide and GC-ECNICI-MS analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsikas, Dimitrios; Trettin, Arne; Zörner, Alexander A; Gutzki, Frank-Mathias

    2011-05-15

    Pentafluorobenzyl (PFB) bromide (PFB-Br) is a versatile derivatization reagent for numerous classes of compounds. Under electron-capture negative-ion chemical ionization (ECNICI) conditions PFB derivatives of acidic compounds readily and abundantly ionize to produce intense anions due to [M-PFB](-). In the present article we investigated the PFB-Br derivatization of unlabelled acetaminophen (N-acetyl-p-aminophenol, NAPAP-d(0); paracetamol; MW 151) and tetradeuterated acetaminophen (NAPAP-d(4); MW 155) in anhydrous acetonitrile and their GC-ECNICI-MS behavior using methane as the buffer gas. In addition to the expected anions [M-PFB](-) at m/z 150 from NAPAP-d(0) and m/z 154 from NAPAP-d(4), we observed highly reproducibly almost equally intense anions at m/z 149 and m/z 153, respectively. Selected ion monitoring of these ions is suitable for specific and sensitive quantification of acetaminophen in human plasma and urine. Detailed investigations suggest in-source formation of N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine (NAPQI; MW 149), the putatively toxic acetaminophen metabolite, from the PFB ether derivative of NAPAP. GC-ECNICI-MS of non-derivatized NAPAP did not produce NAPQI. The peak area ratio of m/z 149 to m/z 150 and of m/z 153 to m/z 154 decreased with increasing ion-source temperature in the range 100-250°C. Most likely, NAPQI formed in the ion-source captures secondary electrons to become negatively charged (i.e., [NAPQI](-)) and thus detectable. Formation of NAPQI was not observed under electron ionization (EI) conditions, i.e., by GC-EI-MS, from derivatized and non-derivatized NAPAP. NAPQI was not detectable in flow injection analysis LC-MS of native NAPAP in positive electrospray ionization (ESI) mode, whereas in negative ESI mode low extent NAPQI formation was observed (<5%). Our results suggest that oxidation of drug derivatives in the ion-sources of mass spectrometers may form intermediates that are produced from activated drugs in enzyme-catalyzed reactions

  10. Inhibitory effect of benzene metabolites on nuclear DNA synthesis in bone marrow cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, E.W.; Johnson, J.T.; Garner, C.D.

    1989-01-01

    Effects of endogenously produced and exogenously added benzene metabolites on the nuclear DNA synthetic activity were investigated using a culture system of mouse bone marrow cells. Effects of the metabolites were evaluated by a 30-min incorporation of [ 3 H]thymidine into DNA following a 30-min interaction with the cells in McCoy's 5a medium with 10% fetal calf serum. Phenol and muconic acid did not inhibit nuclear DNA synthesis. However, catechol, 1,2,4-benzenetriol, hydroquinone, and p-benzoquinone were able to inhibit 52, 64, 79, and 98% of the nuclear DNA synthetic activity, respectively, at 24 μM. In a cell-free DNA synthetic system, catechol and hydroquinone did not inhibit the incorporation of [ 3 H]thymidine triphosphate into DNA up to 24 μM but 1,2,4-benzenetriol and p-benzoquinone did. The effect of the latter two benzene metabolites was completely blocked in the presence of 1,4-dithiothreitol (1 mM) in the cell-free assay system. Furthermore, when DNA polymerase α, which requires a sulfhydryl (SH) group as an active site, was replaced by DNA polymerase 1, which does not require an SH group for its catalytic activity, p-benzoquinone and 1,2,4-benzenetriol were unable to inhibit DNA synthesis. Thus, the data imply the p-benzoquinone and 1,2,4-benzenetriol inhibited DNA polymerase α, consequently resulting in inhibition of DNA synthesis in both cellular and cell-free DNA synthetic systems. The present study identifies catechol, hydroquinone, p-benzoquinone, and 1,2,4-benzenetriol as toxic benzene metabolites in bone marrow cells and also suggests that their inhibitory action on DNA synthesis is mediated by mechanism(s) other than that involving DNA damage as a primary cause

  11. Electrogenerated chemiluminescence quenching of Ru(bpy){sub 3} {sup 2+} (bpy=2,2 Prime -bipyridine) in the presence of acetaminophen, salicylic acid and their metabolites

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Haslag, Catherine S. [Department of Chemistry, Missouri State University, Springfield, Missouri 65897 (United States); Richter, Mark M., E-mail: MarkRichter@missouristate.edu [Department of Chemistry, Missouri State University, Springfield, Missouri 65897 (United States)

    2012-03-15

    Quenching of Ru(bpy) {sub 3}{sup 2+} (bpy=2,2 Prime -bipyridine) coreactant electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) has been observed in the presence of acetaminophen, salicylic acid and related complexes. However, no quenching is observed with the acetylsalicylic acid. In most instances, quenching is observed with 100-fold excess of quencher (compared to ECL luminophore) with complete quenching observed between 10,000 and 100,000 fold excess. Fluorescence and UV-vis experiments coupled with bulk electrolysis support the formation of benzoquinone products upon electrochemical oxidation. The mechanism of quenching may involve the interaction of the electrochemically generated benzoquinone species with (i) the {sup Low-Asterisk }Ru(bpy){sub 3}{sup 2+} excited state or (ii) highly energetic coreactant radicals. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Triangle Efficient quenching of the electrogenerated chemiluminescence is observed. Black-Right-Pointing-Triangle Acetaminophen, salicylic acid and related compounds can be detected. Black-Right-Pointing-Triangle The mechanism of quenching involves benzoquinones formed upon electrolysis.

  12. Larvicidal benzoquinone from Embelia schimperi

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C.P. Kiprono

    2004-06-01

    Full Text Available Chromatographic analysis of air-dried berries of Embelia schimperi led to the isolation of methyl vilangin (1, which was characterized on the basis of physical and spectroscopic data. The compound was found to be lethal against 2nd instar larvae of Aedes aegypti (yellow fever vector by first stopping the process of metamorphosis from the 2nd instar stage to the other stages and finally causing mortality to the larvae.

  13. Recyclable surfaces for amine conjugation chemistry via redox reaction

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Choi, Inseong; Yeo, Woon Seok [Dept. of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Bio/Molecular Informatics Center, Konkuk University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Bae, Se Won [Green Materials and Process Group, Research Institute of Sustainable Manufacturing System, Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, Cheonan (Korea, Republic of)

    2017-02-15

    In this study, we extended this strategy to present a switchable surface that allows surface functionalization and removal of functional groups repeatedly. The substrate presenting a benzoquinone acid group is first used to immobilize with an amine-containing (bio)molecule using well-known conjugation chemistry. The benzoquinone group is then converted to the corresponding hydroquinone by treating with a reducing agent. We have described a strategy for the dynamic control of surface properties with recyclability via a simple reduction/ oxidation reaction. A stimuli-responsive quinone derivative was harnessed for the repeated immobilization and release of (bio)molecules, and thus, for the repeated dynamic change of the surface properties according to the characteristics of the immobilized (bio)molecules.

  14. LARVICIDAL BENZOQUINONE FROM EMBELIA SCHIMPERI C.P. ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    a

    C.P. Kiprono1*, J.O. Midiwo2, P.K. Kipkemboi1 and Santino Ladogana3. 1Department of Chemistry, Moi University, P.O. Box 1125, Eldoret, Kenya. 2Department of Chemistry, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 30197, Nairobi, Kenya. 3Department of Chemistry and Physics, Southeastern Louisiana University, Hammond, LA,.

  15. Polyaniline: Aniline oxidation with strong and weak oxidants under various acidity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bláha, Michal, E-mail: blaha@imc.cas.cz [Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, 162 06 Prague 6 (Czech Republic); Trchová, Miroslava; Bober, Patrycja; Morávková, Zuzana [Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, 162 06 Prague 6 (Czech Republic); Prokeš, Jan [Charles University, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, 180 00 Prague 8 (Czech Republic); Stejskal, Jaroslav [Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, 162 06 Prague 6 (Czech Republic)

    2017-06-15

    Aniline was oxidized with three strong inorganic oxidants (ammonium peroxydisulfate, cerium(IV) sulfate, potassium dichromate), two weak inorganic oxidants (iron(III) chloride, silver nitrate), and one organic oxidant (p-benzoquinone) in aqueous solutions of methanesulfonic acid (MSA) of various concentration. Whereas oxidation of aniline with ammonium peroxydisulfate yielded high-molecular-weight conducting polyaniline (PANI) in the whole acidity range, the oxidation with cerium(IV) sulfate led also to a single product close to PANI with considerably lower molecular weight and lower conductivity. Potassium dichromate gave PANI only at high concentration of MSA. The use of iron(III) chloride yielded composite mixtures of PANI and low-molecular-weight aniline oligomers. The oxidation of aniline with silver nitrate led to composites of silver and an organic part, which was constituted either by aniline oligomers or conducting polyaniline or both. p-Benzoquinone as oxidant produced mainly aniline oligomers with poor conductivity and 2,5-dianilino-p-benzoquinone-like structure detected in FTIR and Raman spectra when oxidation proceeded with weak oxidants. A general model of oxidation with strong and weak oxidants was formulated. - Highlights: • Comparison of aniline oxidation with oxidants of different redox potential. • UV–vis, FTIR and Raman spectroscopies combined with size-exclusion chromatography. • The contents of polymer and oligomers were analyzed and discussed. • General model of aniline oxidation with strong and weak oxidants was formulated.

  16. PSII as an in vivo molecular catalyst for the production of energy rich hydroquinones - A new approach in renewable energy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Das, Sai; Maiti, Soumen K

    2018-03-01

    One of the pertinent issues in the field of energy science today is the quest for an abundant source of hydrogen or hydrogen equivalents. In this study, phenyl-p-benzoquinone (pPBQ) has been used to generate a molecular store of hydrogen equivalents (phenyl-p-hydroquinone; pPBQH 2 ) from thein vivo splitting of water by photosystem II of the marine cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus BDU 70542. Using this technique, 10.8 μmol of pPBQH 2 per mg chlorophyll a can be extracted per minute, an efficiency that is orders of magnitude higher when compared to the techniques present in the current literature. Moreover, the photo-reduction process was stable when tested over longer periods of time. Addition of phenyl-p-benzoquinone on an intermittent basis resulted in the precipitation of phenyl-p-hydroquinone, obviating the need for costly downstream processing units for product recovery. Phenyl-p-hydroquinone so obtained is a molecular store of free energy preserved through the light driven photolysis of water and can be used as a cheap and a renewable source of hydrogen equivalents by employing transition metal catalysts or fuel cells with the concomitant regeneration of phenyl-p-benzoquinone. The cyclic nature of this technique makes it an ideal candidate to be utilized in mankind's transition from fossil fuels to solar fuels. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Nitrogen-rich higher-molecular soil organic compounds patterned by lignin degradation products: Considerations on the nature of soil organic nitrogen

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liebner, Falk; Bertoli, Luca; Pour, Georg; Klinger, Karl; Ragab, Tamer; Rosenau, Thomas

    2016-04-01

    The pathways leading to accumulation of covalently bonded nitrogen in higher-molecular soil organic matter (SOM) are still a controversial issue in soil science and geochemistry. Similarly, structural elucidation of the variety of the types of nitrogenous moieties present in SOM is still in its infancy even though recent NMR studies suggest amide-type nitrogen to form the majority of organically bonded nitrogen which is, however, frequently not in accordance with the results of wet-chemical analyses. Following the modified polyphenol theory of Flaig and Kononova but fully aware of the imperfection of a semi-abiotic simulation approach, this work communicates the results of a study that investigated some potential nitrogen accumulation pathways occurring in the re-condensation branch of the theory following the reactions between well-known low-molecular lignin and carbohydrate degradation products with nitrogenous nucleophiles occurring in soils under aerobic conditions. Different low-molecular degradation products of lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose, such as hydroquinone, methoxyhydroquinone, p-benzoquinone, 2,5-dihydroxy-[1,4]benzoquinone, glucose, xylose, and the respective polysaccharides, i.e. cellulose, xylan as well as various types of lignin were subjected to a joint treatment with oxygen and low-molecular N-nucleophiles, such as ammonia, amines, and amino acids in aqueous conditions, partly using respective 15N labeled compounds for further 15N CPMAS NMR studies. Product mixtures derived from mono- and polysaccharides have been comprehensively fractionated and analyzed by GC/MS after derivatization. Some of ammoxidized polyphenols and quinones have been analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Some products, such as those obtained from ammoxidation of methoxy hydroquinone using 15N labeled ammonia were fractionated following the IHSS protocol. Individual humin (H), humic acid (HA), and fulvic acid (FA) fractions were subjected to elemental analyses

  18. Biosynthesis of firefly luciferin in adult lantern: decarboxylation of L-cysteine is a key step for benzothiazole ring formation in firefly luciferin synthesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oba, Yuichi; Yoshida, Naoki; Kanie, Shusei; Ojika, Makoto; Inouye, Satoshi

    2013-01-01

    Bioluminescence in fireflies and click beetles is produced by a luciferase-luciferin reaction. The luminescence property and protein structure of firefly luciferase have been investigated, and its cDNA has been used for various assay systems. The chemical structure of firefly luciferin was identified as the D-form in 1963 and studies on the biosynthesis of firefly luciferin began early in the 1970's. Incorporation experiments using (14)C-labeled compounds were performed, and cysteine and benzoquinone/hydroquinone were proposed to be biosynthetic component for firefly luciferin. However, there have been no clear conclusions regarding the biosynthetic components of firefly luciferin over 30 years. Incorporation studies were performed by injecting stable isotope-labeled compounds, including L-[U-(13)C3]-cysteine, L-[1-(13)C]-cysteine, L-[3-(13)C]-cysteine, 1,4-[D6]-hydroquinone, and p-[2,3,5,6-D]-benzoquinone, into the adult lantern of the living Japanese firefly Luciola lateralis. After extracting firefly luciferin from the lantern, the incorporation of stable isotope-labeled compounds into firefly luciferin was identified by LC/ESI-TOF-MS. The positions of the stable isotope atoms in firefly luciferin were determined by the mass fragmentation of firefly luciferin. We demonstrated for the first time that D- and L-firefly luciferins are biosynthesized in the lantern of the adult firefly from two L-cysteine molecules with p-benzoquinone/1,4-hydroquinone, accompanied by the decarboxylation of L-cysteine.

  19. Quenching of bacteriochlorophyll fluorescence in chlorosomes from Chloroflexus aurantiacus by exogenous quinones

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tokita, S; Frigaard, N-U; Hirota, M

    2000-01-01

    The quenching of bacteriochlorophyll (BChl) c fluorescence in chlorosomes isolated from Chloroflexus aurantiacus was examined by the addition of various benzoquinones, naphthoquinones (NQ), and anthraquinones (AQ). Many quinones showed strong quenching in the micromolar or submicromolar range. Th...

  20. Evaluation of in vivo and in vitro biological activities of different extracts of Cuscuta arvensis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koca, Ufuk; Küpeli-Akkol, Esra; Sekeroglu, Nazim

    2011-10-01

    In the present study, the potential effects of extracts from the whole plant of Cuscuta arvensis were studied in mice using the carrageenan-induced hind paw edema model for antiinflammatory activity and the p-benzoquinone-induced writhing reflex for the assessment of antinociceptive activity. In order to obtain the extracts, the whole plant of C. arvensis was extracted with different solvents such as n-hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, methanol and distilled water. Antioxidant activity was evaluated by the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay. The methanolic and water extracts inhibited the carrageenan-induced paw edema and p-benzoquinone-induced writhing reflex, whereas the other extracts showed only mild inhibitory antinociceptive and antiinflammatory activities in these in vivo models. Additionally, the methanol and ethyl acetate extracts had higher scavenging ability then the non polar extracts.

  1. Integrated Photoelectrochemical Solar Energy Conversion and Organic Redox Flow Battery Devices

    KAUST Repository

    Li, Wenjie; Fu, Hui-chun; Li, Linsen; Cabá n-Acevedo, Miguel; He, Jr-Hau; Jin, Song

    2016-01-01

    photoelectrochemical solar energy conversion and electrochemical storage device is developed by integrating regenerative silicon solar cells and 9,10-anthraquinone-2,7-disulfonic acid (AQDS)/1,2-benzoquinone-3,5-disulfonic acid (BQDS) RFBs. The device can be directly

  2. Chemical nuclear polarization effects in photoreactions of 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane with carbonyl-containing compounds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Porkhun, V. I.; Rakhimov, A. I.

    2012-11-01

    Elementary acts of the photoreaction of diamine with 2,6-diphenyl- p-benzoquinone are determined from the effects of chemical nuclear polarization effects. Hydrogen atom transfer is shown to occur in two stages with the participation of a radical ion pair.

  3. Visible Spectrophotometric and Thermodynamic Studies of Diclofenac

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ... Complexation with 2, 3. Dichloro-5, 6-dicyano, 1, 4-benzoquinone ... Results: A 1:1 complex that absorbed maximally at 506 nm and a Beer's plot with a regression coefficient of ..... fluvoxamine and 1,2-naphthoquinone-4-sulphonate: Kinetic ...

  4. Electrochemistry of potentially bioreductive alkylating quinones : Part 1. Electrochemical properties of relatively simple quinones, as model compounds of mitomycin- and aziridinylquinone-type antitumour agents

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Driebergen, R.J.; den Hartigh, J.; Holthuis, J.J.M.; Hulshoff, A.; van Oort, W.J.; Postma kelder, S.J.; Verboom, Willem; Reinhoudt, David; Bos, M.; van der Linden, W.E.

    1990-01-01

    The influence of methyl-, hydroxy and amino substituents on the electrochemical behaviour of simple 1,4-naphtho-and 1,4-benzoquinones, model compounds of many quinoid antitumour agents, in aqueous media was studied. Significant changes in electrochemical behaviour were observed, potentially the

  5. Charge-Transfer Reaction of Cediranib with 2,3-Dichloro- 3,5 ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    5, 6- dicyano -1, 4 - benzoquinone (DDQ) and employment of the reaction as a basis for the development of a ... association constant of the complex was 0.5 × 103 L mol−1 in 2-propanol. ..... some substituted naphthoquinones. Bull Chem Soc.

  6. Redox cycling of potential antitumor aziridinylquinones

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lusthof, Klaas J.; de Mol, Nicolaas J.; Richter, Wilma; Janssen, Lambert H.M.; Butler, John; Hoey, Brigid M.; Verboom, Willem; Reinhoudt, David

    1992-01-01

    The formation of reactive oxygen intermediates (ROI) during redox cycling of newly synthetized potential antitumor 2,5-bis (1-aziridinyl)-1,4-benzoquinone (BABQ) derivatives has been studied by assaying the production of ROI (superoxide, hydroxyl radical, and hydrogen peroxide) by xanthine oxidase

  7. An electrochemical ELISA-like immunosensor for miRNAs detection based on screen-printed gold electrodes modified with reduced graphene oxide and carbon nanotubes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tran, H V; Piro, B; Reisberg, S; Huy Nguyen, L; Dung Nguyen, T; Duc, H T; Pham, M C

    2014-12-15

    We design an electrochemical immunosensor for miRNA detection, based on screen-printed gold electrodes modified with reduced graphene oxide and carbon nanotubes. An original immunological approach is followed, using antibodies directed to DNA.RNA hybrids. An electrochemical ELISA-like amplification strategy was set up using a secondary antibody conjugated to horseradish peroxidase (HRP). Hydroquinone is oxidized into benzoquinone by the HRP/H2O2 catalytic system. In turn, benzoquinone is electroreduced into hydroquinone at the electrode. The catalytic reduction current is related to HRP amount immobilized on the surface, which itself is related to miRNA.DNA surface density on the electrode. This architecture, compared to classical optical detection, lowers the detection limit down to 10 fM. Two miRNAs were studied: miR-141 (a prostate biomarker) and miR-29b-1 (a lung cancer biomarker). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Glutathione-mediated detoxification of halobenzoquinone drinking water disinfection byproducts in T24 cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Jinhua; Wang, Wei; Zhang, Hongquan; Le, X Chris; Li, Xing-Fang

    2014-10-01

    Halobenzoquinones (HBQs) are a new class of drinking water disinfection byproducts (DBPs) and are capable of producing reactive oxygen species and causing oxidative damage to proteins and DNA in T24 human bladder carcinoma cells. However, the exact mechanism of the cytotoxicity of HBQs is unknown. Here, we investigated the role of glutathione (GSH) and GSH-related enzymes including glutathione S-transferase (GST) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) in defense against HBQ-induced cytotoxicity in T24 cells. The HBQs are 2,6-dichloro-1,4-benzoquinone (DCBQ), 2,6-dichloro-3-methyl-1,4-benzoquinone (DCMBQ), 2,3,6-trichloro-1,4-benzoquinone (TriCBQ), and 2,6-dibromobenzoquinone (DBBQ). We found that depletion of cellular GSH could sensitize cells to HBQs and extracellular GSH supplementation could attenuate HBQ-induced cytotoxicity. HBQs caused significant cellular GSH depletion and increased cellular GST activities in a concentration-dependent manner. Our mass spectrometry study confirms that HBQs can conjugate with GSH, explaining in part the mechanism of GSH depletion by HBQs. The effects of HBQs on GPx activity are compound dependent; DCMBQ and DBBQ decrease cellular GPx activities, whereas DCBQ and TriCBQ have no significant effects. Pearson correlation analysis shows that the cellular GSH level is inversely correlated with ROS production and cellular GST activity in HBQ-treated cells. These results support a GSH and GSH-related enzyme-mediated detoxification mechanism of HBQs in T24 cells. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Toxicology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  9. Theoretical and experimental insights into the ·OH-mediated mineralization mechanism of flutriafol

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, Siqi; Zhou, Xiezhen; Han, Weiqing; Li, Jiansheng; Sun, Xiuyun; Shen, Jinyou; Wang, Lianjun

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • A complete ·OH-mediated degradation pathway of flutriafol is proposed. • Computational approach is effective to reveal the favorable transformation process. • The electrochemical experiments well verify the theoretical results. - Abstract: Flutriafol is one of the widely used triazole fungicides in global pesticides market, and its degradation mechanisms are important to develop powerful technologies to remove it. Insight into the kinetics and mechanisms of ·OH-mediated mineralization of flutriafol have been obtained using quantum chemical calculation and electrochemical experiment methods. The complete ·OH-mediated degradation pathway of flutriafol was proposed by density functional theory (DFT) simulation and the potential energy surface was mapped out for possible reactions. On the basis of DFT calculations, the optimal ·OH-mediated mineralization mechanism of flutriafol was revealed, and a series of intermediates were observed accumulated in the degradation process, most significance among which were (2-fluorophenyl) (4-fluorophenyl)-Methanone, phenol, dihydroxybenzenes, benzoquinones, muconic acids, maleic acids, oxalic acids and formic acid. To give deeper insight into the ·OH-mediated reaction mechanism, the electrostatic potential (ESP) and average local ionization energy (ALIE) analysis were conducted for o-benzoquinone and p-benzoquinone. The proposed mechanism was further validated by electrochemical experiments at TiO_2-NTs/SnO_2-Sb/PbO_2 anode. The main intermediates were identified and quantified by experimental method, indicating that the proposed ·OH-mediated degradation mechanism derived from DFT calculations was feasible. These detailed findings could be instrumental for a comprehensive understanding of the ·OH-mediated mineralization mechanism of flutriafol and the similar contaminants.

  10. Oxidative Modification of Tryptophan-Containing Peptides

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Petersen, Jonas; Christensen, Pia Katrine; Nielsen, Mathias T

    2018-01-01

    We herein present a broadly useful method for the chemoselective modification of a wide range of tryptophan-containing peptides. Exposing a tryptophan-containing peptide to 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone (DDQ) resulted in a selective cyclodehydration between the peptide backbone...

  11. Palladium-Catalyzed Anti-Markovnikov Oxidation of Allylic Amides to Protected beta-Amino Aldehydes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dong, Jiajia; Harvey, Emma C.; Fananas-Mastral, Martin; Browne, Wesley R.; Feringa, Bernard

    2014-01-01

    A general method for the preparation of N-protected beta-amino aldehydes from allylic amines or linear allylic alcohols is described. Here the Pd(II)-catalyzed oxidation of N-protected allylic amines with benzoquinone is achieved in tBuOH under ambient conditions with excellent selectivity toward

  12. A theoretical study on the metabolic activation of paracetamol by cytochrome P-450 : indications for a uniform oxidation mechanism

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Koymans, L.; Lenthe, J.H.; Van de Straat, R; Donné-Op den Kelder, G M; Vermeulen, N P

    1989-01-01

    The cytochrome P-450 mediated activation of paracetamol (PAR) to the reactive electrophilic intermediate N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine (NAPQI) has been studied by use of SV 6-31G ab initio energy calculations and spin distributions. A simplified model for cytochrome P-450 has been used by

  13. Download this PDF file

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2,3-dihydroxy substitution is precluded with this information since the peak would not be a sharp singlet as long range ... benzoquinone substitution pattern is identical with that of embelin is obtained from two pieces of spectroscopic evidence. .... the University of Nairobi is acknowledged for financial support. REFERENCES.

  14. Electrochemical Oxidation of Phenol using a Flow-through Micro ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The electrochemical oxidation of phenol to benzoquinone followed by the reduction to hydroquinone and catechol was demonstrated by constructing a three-dimensional porous micro-flow cell from lead dioxideand lead. The electrodes were made by using the principles of curing and formation of lead oxide material that ...

  15. Flash photolysis ESR study of photosystem II signal II/sub vf/, the physiological donor to P-680/sup +/

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Warden, J T [Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst., Troy, NY; Blankenship, R E; Sauer, K

    1976-01-01

    In flash-illuminated, oxygen-evolving spinach chloroplasts and green algae, a free radical transient has been observed with spectral parameters similar to those of Signal II (g approx. = 2.0045, ..delta..H/sub pp/ approx. = 19 G). However, in contrast with ESR Signal II, the transient radical does not readily saturate even at microwave power levels of 200 mW. This species is formed most efficiently with ''red'' illumination (lambda < 680 nm) and occurs stoichiometrically in a 1:1 ratio with P-700/sup +/. The Photosystem II transient is formed in less than 100 ..mu..s and decays via first-order kinetics with a halftime of 400-900 ..mu..s. Additionally, the t/sub /sup 1///sub 2// for radical decay is temperature independent between 20 and 4/sup 0/C; however, below 4/sup 0/C the transient signal exhibits Arrhenius behavior with an activation energy of approx. 10 kcal . mol/sup -1/. Inhibition of electron transport through Photosystem II by o-phenanthroline, 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea or reduced 2,5-dibromo-3-methyl-6-isopropyl-p-benzoquinone suppresses the formation of the light-induced transient. At low concentrations (0.2 mM), 2,5-dibromo-3-methyl-6-isopropyl-p-benzoquinone partially inhibits the free radical formation, however, the decay kinetics are unaltered. High concentrations of 2,5-dibromo-3-methyl-6-isopropyl-p-benzoquinone (1-5 mM) restore both the transient signal and electron flow through Photosystem II. These findings suggest that this ''quinoidal'' type ESR transient functions as the physiological donor to the oxidized reaction center chlorophyll, P-680/sup +/.

  16. Cleavage and synthesis function of high and low redox potential laccases towards 4-morpholinoaniline and aminated as well as chlorinated phenols.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hahn, Veronika; Mikolasch, Annett; Schauer, Frieder

    2014-02-01

    Laccases are able to mediate both cleavage and synthesis processes. The basis for this dual reaction capability lies in the property of the enzyme laccase to oxidize phenolic, and to some extent non-phenolic substances, to reactive radicals which can undergo on the one hand separations of small substitutents or large molecule parts from the parent compound and on the other hand coupling reactions with other radicals or molecules which are not themselves oxidizable by laccase. The cleavage of the non-phenolic compound 4-morpholinoaniline as well as the deamination of 4-aminophenol and the dechlorination of 4-chlorophenol resulted in the formation of 1,4-hydroquinone which is immediately oxidized by laccase to 1,4-benzoquinone. The formation of the 1,4-hydroquinone/1,4-benzoquinone is the rate limiting step for the synthesis of the heteromolecular dimers and trimers composed of 1,4-benzoquinone and one or two molecules of morpholine. In addition to the synthesis of new compounds from the cleavage products, 4-morpholinoaniline polymerized probably via azo groups and C-N bonds to a homomolecular dimer and trimer. Similarities and differences in cleavage and synthesis reactions catalyzed by the low redox potential laccase of Myceliophthora thermophila (0.46 V) and the high redox potential laccase of Pycnoporus cinnabarinus (0.79 V) were determined. In addition, the dependency of the cleavage and synthesis efficiencies on the (a) structure and redox potential of the laccase, (b) structure and redox potential of the substrate, (c) pH value of the buffer used, (d) incubation temperature, (e) solvent concentration, and (f) laccase activity is discussed in general.

  17. An NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) enzyme responsive nanocarrier based on mesoporous silica nanoparticles for tumor targeted drug delivery in vitro and in vivo

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gayam, Srivardhan Reddy; Venkatesan, Parthiban; Sung, Yi-Ming; Sung, Shuo-Yuan; Hu, Shang-Hsiu; Hsu, Hsin-Yun; Wu, Shu-Pao

    2016-06-01

    The synthesis and characterization of an NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) enzyme responsive nanocarrier based on mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNPs) for on-command delivery applications has been described in this paper. Gatekeeping of MSNPs is achieved by the integration of mechanically interlocked rotaxane nanovalves on the surface of MSNPs. The rotaxane nanovalve system is composed of a linear stalk anchoring on the surface of MSNPs, an α-cyclodextrin ring that encircles it and locks the payload ``cargo'' molecules in the mesopores, and a benzoquinone stopper incorporated at the end of the stalk. The gate opening and controlled release of the cargo are triggered by cleavage of the benzoquinone stopper using an endogenous NQO1 enzyme. In addition to having efficient drug loading and controlled release mechanisms, this smart biocompatible carrier system showed obvious uptake and consequent release of the drug in tumor cells, could selectively induce the tumor cell death and enhance the capability of inhibition of tumor growth in vivo. The controlled drug delivery system demonstrated its use as a potential theranostic material.The synthesis and characterization of an NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) enzyme responsive nanocarrier based on mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNPs) for on-command delivery applications has been described in this paper. Gatekeeping of MSNPs is achieved by the integration of mechanically interlocked rotaxane nanovalves on the surface of MSNPs. The rotaxane nanovalve system is composed of a linear stalk anchoring on the surface of MSNPs, an α-cyclodextrin ring that encircles it and locks the payload ``cargo'' molecules in the mesopores, and a benzoquinone stopper incorporated at the end of the stalk. The gate opening and controlled release of the cargo are triggered by cleavage of the benzoquinone stopper using an endogenous NQO1 enzyme. In addition to having efficient drug loading and controlled release mechanisms, this

  18. Estimating reaction rate constants from a two-step reaction: a comparison between two-way and three-way methods

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bijlsma, S.; Smilde, A. K.

    2000-01-01

    In this paper, two different spectral datasets are used in order to estimate reaction rate constants using different algorithms. Dataset 1 consists of short-wavelength near-infrared (SW NIR) spectra taken in time of the two-step epoxidation of 2,5-di-tert-butyl-1,4-benzoquinone using tert-butyl

  19. An improved route to 19-substituted geldanamycins as novel Hsp90 inhibitors ? potential therapeutics in cancer and neurodegeneration? ?Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c3cc43457e Click here for additional data file. Click here for additional data file.

    OpenAIRE

    Kitson, Russell R. A.; Moody, Christopher J.

    2013-01-01

    19-Substituted geldanamycin derivatives are efficient Hsp90 inhibitors, without the toxicity associated with the other benzoquinone ansamycins, thus giving them potential for use as molecular therapeutics in cancer and neurodegeneration. Here a new method of synthesising these important compounds is reported, eliminating the need for toxic metals and metalloids.

  20. Untitled

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    the contents heated on a water-bath for 30 minutes when a brown solid slowly separated out. This was filtered, dried and crystallized from ethyl acetate when it came out ... in aqueous sodium carbonate and hydroxide giving lemon yellow solutions and with para-benzoquinone solution in alcohol it slowly developed a deep.

  1. Glutarimide alkaloids and a terpenoid benzoquinone from Cordia globifera.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parks, Joshua; Gyeltshen, Thinley; Prachyawarakorn, Vilailak; Mahidol, Chulabhorn; Ruchirawat, Somsak; Kittakoop, Prasat

    2010-05-28

    Three new compounds, a meroterpene (2) having a cyclopropane moiety named globiferane and glutarimide alkaloids named cordiarimides A (3) and B (4), were isolated from the roots of Cordia globifera. Compounds 2-4 exhibited weak cytotoxic activity. Cordiarimide B (4) exhibited radical scavenging activity, as it inhibited superoxide anion radical formation in the xanthine/xanthine oxidase (XXO) assay, and also suppressed superoxide anion generation in differentiated HL-60 human promyelocytic leukemia cells when induced by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA). This is the first report on the presence of glutarimide alkaloids in the genus Cordia.

  2. Halobenzoquinone-mediated assembly of amino acid modified Mn-doped ZnS quantum dots for halobenzoquinones detection in drinking water.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiao, Zhe; Zhang, Pengfei; Chen, Hongwei; Li, Jingwen; Zhong, Zhengquan; Fan, Hongbo; Cheng, Faliang

    2018-10-05

    Halobenzoquinones (HBQs) were reported as disinfection byproducts (DBPs) which had potential risk of bladder cancer. In this paper, a highly selective analytical method for HBQs was developed by HBQs-mediated assembly of amino acid modified Mn-doped ZnS/Quantum Dots (Mn: ZnS QDs). In the presence HBQs, a charge-transfer complex (CTC) was formed between aromatic rings of HBQs and the primary amino groups on the surface of the QDs. The formation of CTC led to the aggregation of QDs, as a result fluorescence decreasing occurred. The decrease was correlated with the concentration of HBQs. Then a fluorescence sensor array for discrimination of three kinds of HBQs including 2,6-Dichloro-1,4-benzoquinone (DCBQ), 2,6-Dibromo-1,4-benzoquinone (DBBQ) and 2,3,6-trichloro-1,4-benzoquinone (TCBQ) was developed. Four kinds of amino acids including cysteine, threonine, tyrosine and tryptophan were embellished on the Mn: ZnS QDs. The different extents of aggregation led to different fluorescence decreasing effect, thus distinct fluorescence patterns were created. It showed that three kinds of HBQs could be discriminated successfully by fluorescence sensor array at a range of concentrations through principal component analysis (PCA). The unknown samples were predicted by with a stepwise linear discriminant analysis (SLDA) using Mahalanobis distance as a selection criterion with accuracy of 100%. Remarkably, the practicability of the proposed sensor array was further validated by identification of three kinds of HBQs at different concentrations in real drinking water samples. Compared to LC/MS/MS, this fluorescent sensor array-based method was proved to be more convenient since the nanoparticles can be prepared flexibly according to the property of the target. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. 1H chemically induced dynamic nuclear polarization in the photodecomposition of uranyl carboxylates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rykov, S.V.; Khudyakov, I.V.; Skakovsky, E.D.; Burrows, H.D.; Formosinho, S.J.; Miguel, M. da G.M.

    1991-01-01

    Chemically induced dynamic nuclear polarization ( 1 H CIDNP) has been observed during photolysis of uranyl salts of pivalic, propionic, and acetic acids in D 2 O solution, [ 2 H 6 ]acetone, [ 2 H 4 ]methanol, or in some other solvent. The multiplet polarization of isobutene and isobutane protons has been found under photolysis of deoxygenated pivalate solution. The polarized compounds are formed in the triplet pairs of tert-butyl free radicals. 1 H Emission of the tert-butylperoxyl group and emission of 1 H from isobutene have been recorded under photolysis of air-saturated pivalate solutions. The CIDNP of butane protons stays as a multiplet. Such changes in the presence of air/oxygen have arisen apparently because of the formation of tert-butylperoxyl free radical and its reaction with tert-butyl radical products, i.e. hydroperoxide (peroxide) and isobutene. Isobutene probably forms a complex with molecular oxygen which has a very short proton relaxation time. During the photolysis of uranyl pivalate in the presence of p-benzoquinone (5 x 10 -2 -0.1 mol dm -3 ) we have not observed any CIDNP, whereas under p-benzoquinone concentrations of 10 -3 -10 -2 mol dm -3 the CIDNP from both hydroquinone and p-benzoquinone has been followed. Photolysis of uranyl propionate has led to CIDNP from butane protons. An emission from methyl group protons of a compound with an ethylperoxyl fragment in the presence of air/oxygen has been observed. The same polarization picture has arisen under interaction of photoexcited uranyl with propionic acid. During the photolysis of uranyl acetate at relatively low concentrations (10 -2 mol dm -3 ) a CIDNP very similar to that registered for uranyl propionate was recorded. The ethyl fragment is probably obtained in reactions for two methyl radicals formed from acetate with the parent uranyl acetate, namely hydrogen-atom abstraction and addition reactions. (author)

  4. Iptycenes with an acridinone motif developed through [4+2] cycloaddition of tethered naphthalene and iminoquinone via a radical reaction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raju, Selvam; Annamalai, Pratheepkumar; Chen, Pei-Ling; Liu, Yi-Hung; Chuang, Shih-Ching

    2017-06-06

    A new class of iptycenes was developed by combining 2-(naphthalen-1-yl)anilines and p-benzoquinones through copper(ii)-mediated radical cyclisation. This unusual cyclisation reaction resulted in the robust and efficient syntheses of iptycenes with an acridinone motif. These iptycenes can be further transformed into planar acridinone heterocyclics through the Diels-Alder reaction.

  5. Regioselective Wacker Oxidation of Internal Alkenes: Rapid Access to Functionalized Ketones Facilitated by Cross-Metathesis

    KAUST Repository

    Morandi, Bill

    2013-07-26

    Wacka wacka: The title reaction makes use of a wide range of directing groups (DG) to enable the highly regioselective oxidation of alkenes, and occurs predictably at the distal position. Both E and Z alkenes afford valuable functionalized ketones and cross-metathesis was shown to facilitate the preparation of the starting materials. BQ=benzoquinone.

  6. Regioselective Wacker Oxidation of Internal Alkenes: Rapid Access to Functionalized Ketones Facilitated by Cross-Metathesis

    KAUST Repository

    Morandi, Bill; Wickens, Zachary K.; Grubbs, Robert H.

    2013-01-01

    Wacka wacka: The title reaction makes use of a wide range of directing groups (DG) to enable the highly regioselective oxidation of alkenes, and occurs predictably at the distal position. Both E and Z alkenes afford valuable functionalized ketones and cross-metathesis was shown to facilitate the preparation of the starting materials. BQ=benzoquinone.

  7. The inhibition mechanisms of quinones and phenols present in wood for the vinyl polymerization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nobashi, Kenzo; Yokota, Tokuo

    1977-01-01

    The inhibitory effects and mechanisms of the quinones and phenols present in wood for the vinyl polymerization initiated with γ-rays and other initiation systems were investigated. The results obtained are summarized as follows; (1) Although phenolic compounds like isotaxiresinol inhibit the γ-ray initiated polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) under the presence of air, they have no inhibitory effects in vacuo. On the other hand, o-benzoquinone and mansonones show strong inhibitory or retarding effects in vacuo. These facts indicate that oxygen may be important for the phenols to inhibit the vinyl polymerization. (2) It is shown qualitatively that there is a relationship between the strength of inhibitory action of quinones and their normal redox potentials. (3) PMMA produced under the presence of o-benzoquinone is found to include the fraction having extremely large chain length based on gel permeation chromatogram. (4) Based on the reaction products of orthoquinones and azobisisobutyronitrile, which was assumed as a model of polymer radicals, the inhibition reaction with polymer chain radical is concluded to take place upon the oxygen atoms of the quinones. (auth.)

  8. In Situ Infrared Spectroscopy of Oligoaniline Intermediates Created under Alkaline Conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Šeděnková, Ivana; Stejskal, Jaroslav; Trchová, Miroslava

    2014-12-26

    The progress of the oxidation of aniline with ammonium peroxydisulfate in an alkaline aqueous medium has been monitored in situ by attenuated total reflection (ATR) Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The growth of the microspheres and of the film at the ATR crystal surface, as well as the changes proceeding in the surrounding aqueous medium, are reflected in the spectra. The evolution of the spectra and the changes in the molecular structure occurring during aniline oxidation in alkaline medium are discussed with the help of differential spectra. Several processes connected with the various stages of aniline oxidation were distinguished. The progress of hydrolysis of the aniline in water and further an oxidation of aminophenol to benzoquinone imines in the presence of peroxydisulfate in alkaline medium have been detected in the spectra in real time. The precipitated solid oxidation product was analyzed by mass spectrometry. It is composed of oligomers, mainly trimers to octamers, of various molecular structures incorporating in addition to aniline constitutional units also p-benzoquinone or p-benzoquinoneimine moieties.

  9. A novel turn-on fluorescent strategy for sensing ascorbic acid using graphene quantum dots as fluorescent probe.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Hua; Na, Weidan; Liu, Ziping; Chen, Xueqian; Su, Xingguang

    2017-06-15

    In this paper, a facile and rapid fluorescence turn-on assay for fluorescent detection of ascorbic acid (AA) was developed by using the orange emission graphene quantum dots (GQDs). In the presence of horse radish peroxidase (HRP) and hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), catechol can be oxidized by hydroxyl radicals and converted to o-benzoquinone, which can significantly quench the fluorescence of GQDs. However, when AA present in the system, it can consume part of H 2 O 2 and hydroxyl radicals to inhibit the generation of o-benzoquinone, resulting in fluorescence recovery. Under the optimized experimental conditions, the fluorescence intensity was linearly correlated with the concentration of H 2 O 2 in the range of 3.33-500µM with a detection limit of 1.2µM. The linear detection for AA was in the range from 1.11 to 300µM with a detection limit of 0.32µM. The proposed method was applied to the determination of AA in human serum samples with satisfactory results. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  10. Efficient and Highly Aldehyde Selective Wacker Oxidation

    KAUST Repository

    Teo, Peili; Wickens, Zachary K.; Dong, Guangbin; Grubbs, Robert H.

    2012-01-01

    A method for efficient and aldehyde-selective Wacker oxidation of aryl-substituted olefins using PdCl 2(MeCN) 2, 1,4-benzoquinone, and t-BuOH in air is described. Up to a 96% yield of aldehyde can be obtained, and up to 99% selectivity can be achieved with styrene-related substrates. © 2012 American Chemical Society.

  11. Efficient and Highly Aldehyde Selective Wacker Oxidation

    KAUST Repository

    Teo, Peili

    2012-07-06

    A method for efficient and aldehyde-selective Wacker oxidation of aryl-substituted olefins using PdCl 2(MeCN) 2, 1,4-benzoquinone, and t-BuOH in air is described. Up to a 96% yield of aldehyde can be obtained, and up to 99% selectivity can be achieved with styrene-related substrates. © 2012 American Chemical Society.

  12. Differential stress-induced regulation of two quinone reductases in the brown rot Basidiomycete Gloeophyllum trabeum

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roni Cohen; Melissa R. Suzuki; Kenneth E. Hammel

    2004-01-01

    Quinone reductases (QRDs) have two important functions in the basidiomycete Gloeophyllum trabeum, which causes brown rot of wood. First, a QRD is required to generate biodegradative hydroxyl radicals via redox cycling between two G. trabeum extracellular metabolites, 2,5-dimethoxyhydroquinone (2,5-DMHQ) and 2,5-dimethoxy-1,4-benzoquinone (2,5- DMBQ). Second, because 2,...

  13. Synthesis and characterization of fluorinated polyaminoquinones and fluorinated polyimides

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vaccaro, Eleonora

    Phenolic and quinonoid compounds are widely studied in biological sciences because of their ability to chelate heavy metals like iron and copper and recently have found new applications in synthetic macromolecules. Amino- p-benzoquinone polymers, poly[(2,5-hexamethylenediamino)-1,4-benzoquinone] and poly {[2,5-(2,2'-bistrifluoromethyl)-4,4' -biphenylenediamino]1,4-benzoquinone}, were synthesized and evaluated as adhesion promoters for steel/epoxy joints. An improvement in the torsional shear strength of these joints was observed when these polymers were used as adhesion promoters. The durability of the adhesive bond was also improved after boiling water treatment, relative to untreated and silane treated joints. The improvement in adhesion could be attributed to the formation of a chelate between the polyaminoquinone (PAQ) and the iron surface and a chemical reaction between the PAQ and the epoxy resin. A low molecular weight model compound, bis[2,5-(4-methylanilido)]-1,4-benzoquinone was also used to study coupling between the epoxy adhesive and the steel surface. Electron spin resonance (ESR), atomic absorption spectroscopy and infrared spectroscopy were used to document the epoxy-coupling agent reaction and the chelate formation. Polyimides have acquired importance in the last twenty years as the most promising macromolecules for high technology applications in new materials. Their good thermo-oxidative stability is well known, as well as their high glass transition temperature. Polyimides are versatile polymers, which can be utilized for a wide range of applications: i.e., as matrices for high performance advanced composite materials, as thin films in electronic applications, as structural adhesives and sealants and as membranes for gas separation. A novel anhydride, 1,1,1-trifluoromethyl-1-pentafluorophenylethylidene-2,2-diphthalic anhydride, 8FDA, was synthesized. Five diamines were used in the synthesis of polyimides, namely p-phenylene diamine, 3

  14. Vesicle-based rechargeable batteries

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stanish, I.; Singh, A. [Center for Bio/Molecular Science and Engineering, Naval Research Laboratory, 4555 Overlook Ave., S.W., Washington, DC 20375 (United States); Lowy, D.A. [Nova Research, Inc., 1900 Elkin St., Alexandria, VA 22308 (United States); Hung, C.W. [Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 (United States)

    2005-05-02

    Vesicle-based rechargeable batteries can be fabricated by mounting polymerized vesicles filled with ferrocyanide or ferricyanide to a conductive surface. The potential can be adjusted by changing the concentration ratio of hydroquinone and benzoquinone bound to the vesicle membranes. These batteries show promise as a means of supplying portable power for future autonomous nanosystems. (Abstract Copyright [2005], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

  15. Oxidative cycloaddition of hydroxamic acids with dienes or guaiacols mediated by iodine(III) reagents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shimizu, Hisato; Yoshimura, Akira; Noguchi, Keiichi; Nemykin, Victor N; Zhdankin, Viktor V; Saito, Akio

    2018-01-01

    [Bis(trifluoroacetoxy)iodo]benzene (BTI) and (diacetoxyiodo)benzene (DIB) efficiently promote the formation of acylnitroso species from hydroxamic acids in the presence of various dienes to give the corresponding hetero-Diels-Alder (HDA) adducts in moderate to high yields. The present method could be applied to the HDA reactions of acylnitroso species with o -benzoquinones generated by the oxidative dearomatization of guaiacols.

  16. Quinones from Heliotropium ovalifolium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guntern, A; Ioset, J R; Queiroz, E F; Foggin, C M; Hostettmann, K

    2001-10-01

    Two new benzoquinones, heliotropinones A and B, have been isolated from the aerial parts of Heliotropium ovalifolium. Their structures were elucidated by spectrometric methods including high resolution electrospray ionization (ESI-HR), EI mass spectrometry, 1H, 13C and 2D NMR experiments. The two quinones demonstrated antifungal activities against Cladosporium cucumerinum and Candida albicans as well as antibacterial activity against Bacillus subtilis.

  17. Stereoelectronic properties of aggregated chlorophyll systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Christoffersen, R. E.; Maggiora, G. M.

    1979-09-01

    During the first nine months of the current contract, significant progress has occurred in several areas. All SCF CI studies of the singlet and triplet states of the neutral molecules Et-Chl a, Et-Pheo a, Et-BChl a, and Et-BPheo a, and the doublet states of the ..pi..-cation radicals Et-Chl a/sup +/. and Et-BChl a/sup +/. have now been completed. In addition, SCF CI calculations on BPheo a/sup -/. indicate that ..pi..-anion radicals can also be studied using the present approach. Similar work on a number of other ..pi..-cation and ..pi..-anion radicals is currently underway. Preliminary SCF CI studies have also been completed for benzoquinone and dihydroquinone, and studies on benzoquinone/sup -/. should be completed by the end of this year. The development and characterization of an empirical potential function is nearly complete, and data from selected systems is summarized. Implementation of a more efficient, quadratically convergent energy minimization procedure is also being carried out. This procedure should make it possible to study the geometry and properties of dimeric chlorophyll systems as well as various ligand-chlorophyll systems. Developmental work is continuing on the direct calculation of optical rotatory strengths.

  18. Flavonoids Promote Haustoria Formation in the Root Parasite Triphysaria versicolor1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Albrecht, Huguette; Yoder, John I.; Phillips, Donald A.

    1999-01-01

    Parasitic plants in the Scrophulariaceae develop infective root structures called haustoria in response to chemical signals released from host-plant roots. This study used a simple in vitro assay to characterize natural and synthetic molecules that induce haustoria in the facultative parasite Triphysaria versicolor. Several phenolic acids, flavonoids, and the quinone 2,6-dimethoxy-p-benzoquinone induced haustoria in T. versicolor root tips within hours after treatment. The concentration at which different molecules were active varied widely, the most active being 2,6-dimethoxy-p-benzoquinone and the anthocyanidin peonidin. Maize (Zea mays) seeds are rich sources of molecules that induce T. versicolor haustoria in vitro, and chromatographic analyses indicated that the active molecules present in maize-seed rinses include anthocyanins, other flavonoids, and simple phenolics. The presence of different classes of inducing molecules in seed rinses was substantiated by the observation that maize kernels deficient in chalcone synthase, a key enzyme in flavonoid biosynthesis, released haustoria-inducing molecules, although at reduced levels compared with wild-type kernels. We discuss these results in light of existing models for host perception in the related parasitic plant Striga. PMID:9952454

  19. Photoproduction of hydrogen peroxide in aqueous solution from model compounds for chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clark, Catherine D; de Bruyn, Warren; Jones, Joshua G

    2014-02-15

    To explore whether quinone moieties are important in chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) photochemistry in natural waters, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) production and associated optical property changes were measured in aqueous solutions irradiated with a Xenon lamp for CDOM model compounds (dihydroquinone, benzoquinone, anthraquinone, napthoquinone, ubiquinone, humic acid HA, fulvic acid FA). All compounds produced H2O2 with concentrations ranging from 15 to 500 μM. Production rates were higher for HA vs. FA (1.32 vs. 0.176 mM h(-1)); values ranged from 6.99 to 0.137 mM h(-1) for quinones. Apparent quantum yields (Θ app; measure of photochemical production efficiency) were higher for HA vs. FA (0.113 vs. 0.016) and ranged from 0.0018 to 0.083 for quinones. Dihydroquinone, the reduced form of benzoquinone, had a higher production rate and efficiency than its oxidized form. Post-irradiation, quinone compounds had absorption spectra similar to HA and FA and 3D-excitation-emission matrix fluorescence spectra (EEMs) with fluorescent peaks in regions associated with CDOM. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Enabling rechargeable non-aqueous Mg-O2 battery operations with dual redox mediators.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dong, Qi; Yao, Xiahui; Luo, Jingru; Zhang, Xizi; Hwang, Hajin; Wang, Dunwei

    2016-12-11

    Dual redox mediators (RMs) were introduced for Mg-O 2 batteries. 1,4-Benzoquinone (BQ) facilitates the discharge with an overpotential reduction of 0.3 V. 5,10,15,20-Tetraphenyl-21H,23H-porphine cobalt(ii) (Co(ii)TPP) facilitates the recharge with an overpotential decrease of up to 0.3 V. Importantly, the two redox mediators are compatible in the same DMSO-based electrolyte.

  1. Problem Definition Studies on Potential Environmental Pollutants. 4. Physical, Chemical, Toxicological, and Biological Properties of Benzene; Toluene; Xylenes; and para-Chlorophenyl Methyl Sulfide, Sulfoxide, and Sulfone

    Science.gov (United States)

    1976-06-01

    microorganisms. The presence of nitro, amino or sulfonic acid groups or halogens on the ring will almost always render benzene and related compounds...benzoquinone --- muconic acid Their later experiments with tea and grape leaf homogenates support this * conclusion. 12 2 Tkhelidze 1 2 3 showed that grape ...of such chemicals as phenol, aniline, cumene, adipic acid , diphenyl, and ethyl- * benzene, each of which is a starting material for other products

  2. Adsorption and dehydrogenation of tetrahydroxybenzene on Cu(111)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bebensee, Fabian; Svane, K.; Bombis, Christian

    2013-01-01

    Adsorption of tetrahydroxybenzene (THB) on Cu(111) and Au(111) surfaces is studied using a combination of STM, XPS, and DFT. THB is deposited intact, but on Cu(111) it undergoes gradual dehydrogenation of the hydroxyl groups as a function of substrate temperature, yielding a pure dihydroxy......-benzoquinone phase at 370 K. Subtle changes to the adsorption structure upon dehydrogenation are explained from differences in molecule–surface bonding....

  3. Synthesis of Hydroxynaphtharines; Sintesis de naftazarinas hidroxiladas

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Farina, F.; Fernandez, E.; Gimeno, V.; Valderrama, J.A. [Instituto de Quimica Organica General, CSIC, Madrid (Spain)

    1995-12-01

    A variety of naththazarines type 4 and 8 were prepared through Diels-Alder reactions of substituted 1,4-benzoquinones with 1,3-dienes. Thiele-Winter reaction of 5 afforded 6 which by chromic oxidation yielded naththazarines 7 and/or naphthoquinones 9. Hydroxynaphthazarines of type 8 were synthesized from 5 through 2,3-epoxides of the type 14. The structural study of the products, by H-NMR, showed the typical tautomerism of the naphthazarine system. 23 refs.

  4. Hematologic and Selected Hepatic Changes Produced by Substituted p-Bensoquinones in the Rat.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1980-07-01

    DIVISION OF NUTRITION TECHNOLOGY *DIVISION OF CUTANEOUS HAZARDS I LEECE D IBAI7 TA EMENl AU I __ b rouleISO, Ca. JULYV 1980 CD, LA. 9=3TIRMAN ARMY...jaundice, anemia, hemoglobinuria, and cachexia (8). In previous studies, we found that benzoquinone tox- icity in rats resulted in respiratory depression...randomly housed in stainless steel wire-bottomed cages, one to a cage, and fed a stock diet (Rodent Laboratory Chow #5001, Ralston Purina Co., St. Louis

  5. Screening for cystic fibrosis via a magnetic and microfluidic immunoassay format with electrochemical detection using a copper nanoparticle-modified gold electrode

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Benuzzi, Maria Luz Scala; Pereira, Sirley V.; Raba, Julio; Messina, Germán A.

    2016-01-01

    This article describes a microfluidic electrochemical immunoassay that features two strategies, viz. (a), the incorporation of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) into the central microfluidic channel and acting as a bioaffinity support for the immobilization of the antibody against the immunoreactive trypsin (anti-IRT), and (b), the electrodeposition of copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) on a gold electrode. IRT, a marker for cystic fibrosis, is extracted from blood samples onto a disk using ultrasonication, eluted, and then injected into the detection system where it is captured by anti-IRT-loaded nanoparticles (anti-IRT-Ab-MNPs). Bound IRT is electrochemically quantified after addition of HRP-labeled anti-IRT-Ab which, in the presence of H 2 O 2 , catalyzes the oxidation of catechol to form o-benzoquinone which is detected at a working potential of −1 50 mV (vs. Ag/AgCl). The electrochemical response to benzoquinone is proportional to the concentration of IRT in the range from 0 to 580 ng⋅mL −1 . The coefficients of variation are <5 % for within-day assays, and <6.4 % for between-day assays. The method was compared to a commercial ELISA for IRT where is showed a correlation coefficient of close to 1. In our perception, this approach represents an attractive alternative to existing methods for screening newborns for cystic fibrosis. (author)

  6. Appraisal of the harmful effect of dusts from the tropical woods mansonia and makore in laboratory animal experiments

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fibiger, W.

    1980-01-01

    Mice, rats and rabbits were exposed to the dusts or treated with the extractives to determine general toxicity, mucosal irritation and allergy. Pathological changes in various tissues confirmed each type of activity as found in clinical studies. Results suggest that general toxicity is due to cardiat glucosides in mansonia (Mansonia altissima) and to saponin in makore (Tieghemella heckelii), irritation to saponin in makore, and allergy to benzoquinone in mansonia; the causes of irritation by and allergy to the other species remain uncertain.

  7. Fate of 15N-labelled urea as affected by organic amendments and oils applied to rice

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Singh, G.R.; Singh, T.A.

    1987-01-01

    The present study was undertaken to explore the possibility of using 2 organic compounds (p-benzoquinone and catechol), 2 oils (neem oil (Azadirachta indica A. Juss) and linseed oil (Linum usitatissimum Linn.) oil) and 3 polyphenolic plant residues, viz. catechu (Acacia catechu (L.f.) Willd.), babul acacia (Acacia nilotica (Linn.) Willd. ex Del. sub.indica (Benth.) Brenan, syn. A. arabica (Lamk.) Willd.) and yellow myrobalan (Terminalia chebula Retz.) when applied with 15 N-tagged urea to observe their effectiveness in decreasing N losses. (author). 8 refs

  8. Foamable compositions and formations treatment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Clampitt, R.L.

    1981-11-17

    Thermally stable foamable gelled compositions are disclosed suitable for postprimary oil recovery e.g., steam- or gas-foamed systems comprising water, a surfactant, a polymeric viscosifier, an aldehyde component, and at least one phenolic component such as resorcinol, catechol, and the like, as well as selected oxidized phenolic materials such as 1,4-benzoquinone of natural or synthetic origin and natural and modified tannins. The gel compositions can additionally contain gel stabilizers such as sulfomethylated quebracho (Smq) and chemical buffering agents such as sodium bicarbonate.

  9. Synthesis of mesomeric betaine compounds with imidazolium-enolate structure

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nina Gonsior

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available The synthesis of a heterocyclic mesomeric betaine by quaternization reaction of 1-butylimidazole and tetrabromo-1,4-benzoquinone is presented. The structure was verified by means of X-ray single-crystal analysis, NMR and IR spectroscopy. Inclusion complexes of the heterocyclic mesomeric betaine with randomly methylated (1.8 β-cyclodextrin were investigated by UV–vis spectroscopy. Furthermore, the reaction conditions were applied to poly(vinylimidazole and 1,4-bis(1H-imidazol-1-ylbutane to obtain functionalized polymer networks and condensate polymers, respectively.

  10. Photoionization of oxidized coenzyme Q in microemulsion: laser flash photolysis study in biomembrane-like system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Kun; Wang, Mei; Wang, Jin; Zhu, Rongrong; Sun, Dongmei; Sun, Xiaoyu; Wang, Shi-Long

    2013-01-01

    Photoexcitation to generate triplet state has been proved to be the main photoreaction in homogeneous system for many benzoquinone derivatives, including oxidized coenzyme Q (CoQ) and its analogs. In the present study, microemulsion of CoQ, a heterogeneous system, is employed to mimic the distribution of CoQ in biomembrane. The photochemistry of CoQ(10) in microemulsion and cyclohexane is investigated and compared using laser flash photolysis and results show that CoQ(10) undergoes photoionization via a monophotonic process to generate radical cation of CoQ(10) in microemulsion and photoexcitation to generate excited triplet state in cyclohexane. Meanwhile, photoreactions of duroquinone (DQ) and CoQ(0) in microemulsion are also investigated to analyze the influence of molecular structure on the photochemistry of benzoquinone derivatives in microemulsion. Results suggest that photoexcitation, which is followed by excited state-involved hydrogen-abstraction reaction, is the main photoreaction for DQ and CoQ(0) in microemulsion. However, photoexcited CoQ(0) also leads to the formation of hydrated electrons. The isoprenoid side chain-involved high resonance stabilization is proposed to explain the difference in photoreactions of CoQ(0) and CoQ(10) in microemulsion. Considering that microemulsion is close to biomembrane system, its photoionization in microemulsion may be helpful to understand the real photochemistry of biological quinones in biomembrane system. © 2012 Tongji University. Photochemistry and Photobiology © 2012 The American Society of Photobiology.

  11. Egg Production Constrains Chemical Defenses in a Neotropical Arachnid.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Taís M Nazareth

    Full Text Available Female investment in large eggs increases the demand for fatty acids, which are allocated for yolk production. Since the biosynthetic pathway leading to fatty acids uses the same precursors used in the formation of polyketides, allocation trade-offs are expected to emerge. Therefore, egg production should constrain the investment in chemical defenses based on polyketides, such as benzoquinones. We tested this hypothesis using the harvestman Acutiosoma longipes, which produces large eggs and releases benzoquinones as chemical defense. We predicted that the amount of secretion released by ovigerous females (OFs would be smaller than that of non-ovigerous females (NOF. We also conducted a series of bioassays in the field and in the laboratory to test whether egg production renders OFs more vulnerable to predation. OFs produce less secretion than NOFs, which is congruent with the hypothesis that egg production constrains the investment in chemical defenses. Results of the bioassays show that the secretion released by OFs is less effective in deterring potential predators (ants and spiders than the secretion released by NOFs. In conclusion, females allocate resources to chemical defenses in a way that preserves a primary biological function related to reproduction. However, the trade-off between egg and secretion production makes OFs vulnerable to predators. We suggest that egg production is a critical moment in the life of harvestman females, representing perhaps the highest cost of reproduction in the group.

  12. Quinones: reactions with hemoglobin, effects within erythrocytes and potential for antimalarial development

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Denny, B.J.

    1986-01-01

    The focus of this research was to characterize the interactions of some simple quinone like compounds with purified hemoglobin and to study the effects of these compounds within erythrocytes. It is proposed that these sorts of agents can have an antimalarial effect. The simplest compounds chosen for study were benzoquinone, methylquinone (toluquinone) and hydroquinone. When 14 C-quinone was reacted with purified hemoglobin (Hb) there was rapid binding of the first two moles of substrate per Hb molecule. An unusual property of the modified Hb's is that in the presence of a redox sensitive agent such as cytochrome c they are capable of generating superoxide anions. Within erythrocytes, quinone and toluquinone which differ only by a single methyl group have completely different effects. Toluquinone causes the cells to hemolyse and the effect was enhanced when the erythrocyte superoxide dismutase was inhibited; the effect was diminished when scavengers of activated oxygen such as histidine, mannitol and vital E were present. Benzoquinone on the other hand did not cause the cells to hemolyse and instead appeared to protect the cells from certain hemolytic stresses. Growth of malaria parasites in erythrocytes has been shown to be inhibited by activated forms of oxygen, also some quinone like agents in the past have been shown to inhibit the parasite's metabolism. An initial experiment with erythrocytes infected with malaria parasites showed that quinone and toluquinone could both inhibit the growth rate of parasites

  13. Photoproduction of hydrogen peroxide in aqueous solution from model compounds for chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Clark, Catherine D.; Bruyn, Warren de; Jones, Joshua G.

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • CDOM produces hydrogen peroxide in sunlit surface waters. • Quinone moieties have been proposed as the photo-active chromophore in CDOM. • Hydrogen peroxide is produced in irradiated aqueous quinone solutions. • Concentrations and production rates are comparable to humic and fulvic acids. • Optical properties post-irradiation were similar to CDOM. - Abstract: To explore whether quinone moieties are important in chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) photochemistry in natural waters, hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) production and associated optical property changes were measured in aqueous solutions irradiated with a Xenon lamp for CDOM model compounds (dihydroquinone, benzoquinone, anthraquinone, napthoquinone, ubiquinone, humic acid HA, fulvic acid FA). All compounds produced H 2 O 2 with concentrations ranging from 15 to 500 μM. Production rates were higher for HA vs. FA (1.32 vs. 0.176 mM h −1 ); values ranged from 6.99 to 0.137 mM h −1 for quinones. Apparent quantum yields (Θ app ; measure of photochemical production efficiency) were higher for HA vs. FA (0.113 vs. 0.016) and ranged from 0.0018 to 0.083 for quinones. Dihydroquinone, the reduced form of benzoquinone, had a higher production rate and efficiency than its oxidized form. Post-irradiation, quinone compounds had absorption spectra similar to HA and FA and 3D-excitation–emission matrix fluorescence spectra (EEMs) with fluorescent peaks in regions associated with CDOM

  14. Gelled composition procedures for hydraulic degradation of a subterrestrial formation and for displacing petroleum in such a formation by use of the composition. Gelert sammensetning, fremgangsmaate til hydraulisk oppbrytning av en underjordisk formasjon ved bruk av sammensetningen og fremgangsmaate til fortrengning av olje inne i en underjordisk formasjon ved bruk av sammensetningen

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Swanson, B L

    1984-09-17

    This is a claim for a gelled compositions suitable as fracture fluids and water diversion agents comprising water, a polymeric viscosifier an aldehyde component, and at least one phenolic component such as resorcinol, catechol, and the like, as well as selected oxidized phenolic materials such as 1,4-benzoquinone of natural or synthetic origin and natural and modified tannins. The gelled compositions can additionally contain gel stabilizers and chemical buffering agents. Claim: Gelled composition suitable as fracture fluids and water diversion agents consisting essentially of: (A) Water, (B) A water-thickening amount of a water-dispersible polymer selected from the group consisting of cellulose ethers, polyacrylamides, and bipolysaccharides or heteropolysaccharides produced by the action of bacteria of the genus xanthomonas upon carbohydrate, (C) A small, but effective amount in the range of 0.02 to 2 weight percent, of at least one aldehyde component selected from the group consisting of aliphatic monoaldhydes having from one to about 10 carbon atoms per molecule, glyoxal, glutaraldehyde, and terepththaldehyde, and (D) A small, but effective amount in the range of 0.005 to 2 weight percent of at least one phenolic compound selected from the group consisting of phenol, catechol, resorcinol, phloroglucinol, pyrogallol, 4,4'-diphenyl, 1,3 dihydroxynapthalene, 1,4-benzoquinone, hydroquinone, quinhydrone, and quebracho which amounts of aldehyde (C) and phenolic compound (D) are sufficient to cause gelation of an aqueous dispersion of polymer (B) and formsaid gelled composition. 5 drawings, 11 tables.

  15. Multiple Bistability in Quinonoid-Bridged Diiron(II) Complexes: Influence of Bridge Symmetry on Bistable Properties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van der Meer, Margarethe; Rechkemmer, Yvonne; Breitgoff, Frauke D; Marx, Raphael; Neugebauer, Petr; Frank, Uta; van Slageren, Joris; Sarkar, Biprajit

    2016-11-21

    Quinonoid bridges are well-suited for generating dinuclear assemblies that might display various bistable properties. In this contribution we present two diiron(II) complexes where the iron(II) centers are either bridged by the doubly deprotonated form of a symmetrically substituted quinonoid bridge, 2,5-bis[4-(isopropyl)anilino]-1,4-benzoquinone (H 2 L2') with a [O,N,O,N] donor set, or with the doubly deprotonated form of an unsymmetrically substituted quinonoid bridge, 2-[4-(isopropyl)anilino]-5-hydroxy-1,4-benzoquinone (H 2 L5') with a [O,O,O,N] donor set. Both complexes display temperature-induced spin crossover (SCO). The nature of the SCO is strongly dependent on the bridging ligand, with only the complex with the [O,O,O,N] donor set displaying a prominent hysteresis loop of about 55 K. Importantly, only the latter complex also shows a pronounced light-induced spin state change. Furthermore, both complexes can be oxidized to the mixed-valent iron(II)-iron(III) form, and the nature of the bridge determines the Robin and Day classification of these forms. Both complexes have been probed by a battery of electrochemical, spectroscopic, and magnetic methods, and this combined approach is used to shed light on the electronic structures of the complexes and on bistability. The results presented here thus show the potential of using the relatively new class of unsymmetrically substituted bridging quinonoid ligands for generating intriguing bistable properties and for performing site-specific magnetic switching.

  16. Application of Carbohydrate-Templated Asymmetric Diels-Alder Reaction to the Syntheses of ent-Penicillones A and B.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weng, Chia-Hao; Hsu, Day-Shin; Liao, Chun-Chen

    2016-11-18

    Total syntheses of ent-penicillones A (ent-1) and B (ent-2) from 3,5-dimethylcatechol (3) were accomplished in 10 and 9 synthetic steps, respectively. A carbohydrate-templated asymmetric intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction of a masked o-benzoquinone (MOB) 9 and an aqueous acid-catalyzed intramolecular aldol reaction are the key synthetic steps. In addition, the absolute configurations of the bicyclo[2.2.2]oct-5-en-2-one core obtained from the per-O-benzylated α-d-glucopyranosyl as a carbohydrate template in the intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction of MOBs were revised.

  17. Diels-Alder reactions in confined spaces: the influence of catalyst structure and the nature of active sites for the retro-Diels-Alder reaction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cantín, Ángel; Gomez, M Victoria; de la Hoz, Antonio

    2016-01-01

    Diels-Alder cycloaddition between cyclopentadiene and p -benzoquinone has been studied in the confined space of a pure silica zeolite Beta and the impact on reaction rate due to the concentration effect within the pore and diffusion limitations are discussed. Introduction of Lewis or Brønsted acid sites on the walls of the zeolite strongly increases the reaction rate. However, contrary to what occurs with mesoporous molecular sieves (MCM-41), Beta zeolite does not catalyse the retro-Diels-Alder reaction, resulting in a highly selective catalyst for the cycloaddition reaction.

  18. Nitrile-assisted oxidation over oxidative-annulation: Pd-catalyzed α,β-dehydrogenation of α-cinnamyl β-keto nitriles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nallagonda, Rajender; Reddy, Reddy Rajasekhar; Ghorai, Prasanta

    2017-09-13

    A palladium-catalyzed oxidation reaction is disclosed where the nitrile functionality on the substrate simply changes the course of the reaction. Our previous finding showed that using the Pd(ii)-catalyst in the presence of benzoquinone as an oxidant, 2-cinnamyl-1,3-dicarbonyls provides functionalized furans via oxidative cyclization. When a nitrile group is replaced with one of the carbonyl functionalities of the same substrate, the oxidative cyclization was completely suppressed; instead, the oxidation at the α,β-position occurred to provide α,β,γ,δ-diene containing β-keto nitriles.

  19. Construction of a photochemical reactor combining a CCD spectrophotometer and a LED radiation source.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gombár, Melinda; Józsa, Éva; Braun, Mihály; Ősz, Katalin

    2012-10-01

    An inexpensive photoreactor using LED light sources and a fibre-optic CCD spectrophotometer as a detector was built by designing a special cell holder for standard 1.000 cm cuvettes. The use of this device was demonstrated by studying the aqueous photochemical reaction of 2,5-dichloro-1,4-benzoquinone. The developed method combines the highly quantitative data collection of CCD spectrophotometers with the possibility of illuminating the sample independently of the detecting light beam, which is a substantial improvement of the method using diode array spectrophotometers as photoreactors.

  20. Millipedes as food for humans

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Enghoff, Henrik; Manno, Nicola; Tchibozo, Sévérin

    2014-01-01

    The first record of millipedes (Diplopoda) being regularly used for food by humans (the Bobo people of Burkina Faso) is given, including information on how the millipedes are prepared. The species in question are Tymbodesmus falcatus (Karsch, 1881) and Sphenodesmus sheribongensis (Schiøtz, 1966...... for the spread of millipedes as an everyday food source. On the other hand, the possibility that benzoquinones may act as insect-repellents, as known from studies on nonhuman primates, and that sublethal cyanide ingestionmay enhance human innate resistance tomalaria, suggests promising ethnomedical perspectives...

  1. [Nature of the electron-excited state in redox reactions of pigments. I. Photooxidation of chlorophyll a by n-benzoquine].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andreeva, N E; Barashkov, B I; Zakharova, G V; Shubin, V V; Chibisov, A K

    1977-01-01

    A method for studying the nature of electronic excited state under photooxidation is proposed. It is shown by an example of the oxidation of chlorophyll a with p-benzoquinone that the formation of cation-radicals of pigments proceeds only through the triplet state. On the basis of experimental data the values of the rate constants of formation of chlorophyll cation-radicals through the singlet-excited state (K2(1)--10(7) M-1 s-1) and triplet state (Kr=10(9) M-1 s-1) of the pigment are evaluated.

  2. Monitoring of BHT-quinone and BHT-CHO in the gas of capsules of Asclepias physocarpa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Bing-Ji; Peng, Hua; Liu, Ji-Kai

    2006-01-01

    Three volatile components, namely benzoic acid ethyl ester (1), 2,6-di-tert-butyl-p-benzoquinone (BHT-quinone) (2), and 3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxybenzaldehyde (BHT-CHO) (3), were detected from the gas in the capsules of Asclepias physocarpa by means of GC/MS analysis. BHT-quinone and BHT-CHO as organic pollutants are the degradation products of the antioxidant 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-methylphenol (BHT). Ground water, lake water and/or rain water are a source of BHT metabolites in the plant Asclepias physocarpa.

  3. A review on chemistry of a powerful organic electron acceptor 7, 7, 8, 8, tetracynoquinodimethane (TCNQ)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Yadunath

    2018-05-01

    Organic semiconductors have so far found extensive practical applications similar to inorganic semiconductors. Interest in these compounds has been stimulated by the synthesis of several powerful electron acceptors, such as tetracynoethylene (TCNE), 7, 7, 8, 8, tetracynoquinodimethane (TCNQ) and cyno-p-benzoquinone. In this connection TCNQ is of particular interest, due to presence of four powerful electron accepting groups in its molecule. Nucleophillic addition reactions, which are rarely encountered among unsaturated compounds, as well as addition reactions proceeding via a one electron transfer stage are characteristic of this substance.

  4. Electrochemical Preparation of Polyaniline Nanowires with the Used Electrolyte Solution Treated with the Extraction Process and Their Electrochemical Performance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ying Wu

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Electrochemical polymerization of aniline is one of the most promising methods to prepare polyaniline (PANI materials. However, during this process, the electrolyte solution must be replaced after electropolymerization of a certain time because of the generation and the accumulation of the by-products, which have significant effects on the morphology, purity and properties of PANI products. Treatment and recycling of the used electrolyte solution are worthwhile to study to reduce the high treatment cost of the used electrolyte solution containing aniline and its polymerization by-products. Here, the composition of the used electrolyte solution was separated and determined by high performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection (HPLC-DAD in the range of ultraviolet and visible (UV-Vis light. The analysis results revealed that the used electrolyte solution consisted of aniline, p-hydroquinone (HQ, p-benzoquinone (BQ, co-oligomers of aniline and p-benzoquinone (CAB and acid. Then, n-octanol and 2-octanone were selected as extracts to remove HQ, BQ and CAB from the used electrolyte solution. Following that, the recycled electrolyte solution was prepared by adjusting the concentration of aniline and acid of the aqueous phase, and the electrochemical polymerization process was conducted. Finally, the obtained PANI was characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM and electrochemical methods. The experimental results clearly demonstrate that the morphology and specific capacitance of PANI produced from the recycled electrolyte solution can be recovered completely. This research paves the way for reusing the used electrolyte solution for aniline electrochemical polymerization.

  5. Electrochemical Preparation of Polyaniline Nanowires with the Used Electrolyte Solution Treated with the Extraction Process and Their Electrochemical Performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Ying; Wang, Jixiao; Ou, Bin; Zhao, Song; Wang, Zhi; Wang, Shichang

    2018-02-12

    Electrochemical polymerization of aniline is one of the most promising methods to prepare polyaniline (PANI) materials. However, during this process, the electrolyte solution must be replaced after electropolymerization of a certain time because of the generation and the accumulation of the by-products, which have significant effects on the morphology, purity and properties of PANI products. Treatment and recycling of the used electrolyte solution are worthwhile to study to reduce the high treatment cost of the used electrolyte solution containing aniline and its polymerization by-products. Here, the composition of the used electrolyte solution was separated and determined by high performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection (HPLC-DAD) in the range of ultraviolet and visible (UV-Vis) light. The analysis results revealed that the used electrolyte solution consisted of aniline, p-hydroquinone (HQ), p-benzoquinone (BQ), co-oligomers of aniline and p-benzoquinone (CAB) and acid. Then, n-octanol and 2-octanone were selected as extracts to remove HQ, BQ and CAB from the used electrolyte solution. Following that, the recycled electrolyte solution was prepared by adjusting the concentration of aniline and acid of the aqueous phase, and the electrochemical polymerization process was conducted. Finally, the obtained PANI was characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and electrochemical methods. The experimental results clearly demonstrate that the morphology and specific capacitance of PANI produced from the recycled electrolyte solution can be recovered completely. This research paves the way for reusing the used electrolyte solution for aniline electrochemical polymerization.

  6. Biomimetic transformation and biological activities of Globiferin, a terpenoid benzoquinone from Cordia globifera.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dettrakul, Suppamit; Surerum, Sanya; Rajviroongit, Shuleewan; Kittakoop, Prasat

    2009-05-22

    A new 10-membered ring meroterpene (1), named globiferin, was isolated from root extracts of Cordia globifera. Biomimetic transformations of 1 and its derivatives, either by acid cyclization or by Cope rearrangement, provided information relating to the biogenesis of cordiachromes A-C. Globiferin (1) underwent Cope rearrangement upon refluxing in xylene and DMSO-d(6) to yield cordiachrome C (3) and cordiaquinol C (4), respectively. Heating in DMSO-d(6) resulted in an unexpected reduction of a quinone moiety. Globiferin diacetate (1b) cyclized under acidic conditions to give compounds 10 and 11, respective derivatives of natural cordiachromes B (2) and A (12). The present study indicates that globiferin (1) is a genuine intermediate for the biosynthesis of cordiachromes in Cordia species. Compounds 1 and 3 exhibited significant antimycobacterial activity, with MIC values of 6.2 and 1.5 mug/mL, respectively. Antimalarial, antifungal, and cytotoxic activities of 1 and its derivatives were also evaluated.

  7. The UV-light and X-irradiation induced conversion of p-phenoxyphenol in aqueous solution at 250C

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ehrl, A.

    1975-01-01

    UV-photolysis and X-radiolysis of p-phenoxyphenol was expected to yield products analogous to those of thyronine, after aromatic structures being equivalent. When exposed to UV-light, p-phenoxyphenol was found being selectively converted into phenylhydroquinone in consequence of intramolecular rearrangement. The reaction heat was estimated applying bond energies to the conversion and comparing the result with differences in the combustion heat of homologous compounds. After X-irradiation, phenylhydroquinone however was not present. Formation of the irradiation products phenol, hydroquinone, p-benzoquinone and pyrocatechol presumed breakage of substrate molecules in consequence of intermolecular interaction with transient water radiolysis species. (orig.) [de

  8. Behaviour of the activity of cellulase irradiated under various conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kumakura, M.; Kaetsu, I.

    1988-01-01

    The activity of cellulase irradiated at various conditions has been studied. The activity of cellulase irradiated at low temperature (-78 0 C) increased by heating at 40 0 C, but that of cellulase irradiated at high temperature above 0 0 C decreased. The activity of cellulase irradiated in the dry state at room temperature increased with irradiation dose. The effect of adding biological substances such as amino acids, enzymes, and agar on the irradiation of cellulase was studied. It was shown that EDTA and p-benzoquinone have a protective ability against radiation-induced inactivation of the enzyme. (author)

  9. Behaviour of the activity of cellulase irradiated under various conditions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kumakura, M; Kaetsu, I

    1988-04-18

    The activity of cellulase irradiated at various conditions has been studied. The activity of cellulase irradiated at low temperature (-78 /sup 0/C) increased by heating at 40 /sup 0/C, but that of cellulase irradiated at high temperature above 0 /sup 0/C decreased. The activity of cellulase irradiated in the dry state at room temperature increased with irradiation dose. The effect of adding biological substances such as amino acids, enzymes, and agar on the irradiation of cellulase was studied. It was shown that EDTA and p-benzoquinone have a protective ability against radiation-induced inactivation of the enzyme.

  10. Ruthenium phosphine complexes as catalysts for alternating co-polymerization of ethylene and CO

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gusev, O.V.; Kal'sin, A.M.; Peganov, T.A.; Petrovskij, P.V.; Belov, G.P.; Novikova, E.V.

    2000-01-01

    Ruthenium (2) complexes, [Ru(dppe) 2 (OTs) 2 ] and [Ru(PhP(CH 2 CH 2 CH 2 PPh 2 ) 2 )(OTs) 2 ], where dppe (diphenylphosphino)ethane; OTs = tosylate, were synthesized with the yield of 67 and 76%, respectively, and characterized by 31 P NMR. The properties of the above complexes as catalysts of alternating co-polymerization of ethylene and carbon monoxide were studied. A considerable increase in catalytic activity of the complexes was established in the presence of trifluoroacetic acid and 1,4-benzoquinone. These compounds are the first example of ruthenium complexes that catalyse co-polymerization of ethylene and CO [ru

  11. Chemopreventive effects of embelin and curcumin against N-nitrosodiethylamine/phenobarbital-induced hepatocarcinogenesis in Wistar rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sreepriya, M; Bali, Geetha

    2005-09-01

    The effects of embelin (50 mg/kg/day), a benzoquinone derivative of Embelia ribes, and the effects of curcumin (100 mg/kg/day), the active principle of Curcuma longa, against N-nitrosodiethylamine (DENA)-initiated and phenobarbital (PB)-promoted hepatocarcinogenesis were studied in Wistar rats. They were able to prevent the induction of hepatic hyper plastic nodules, body weight loss, increase in the levels of hepatic diagnostic markers, and hypoproteinemia induced by DENA/PB treatment. Hence, results of our study suggest the possible chemopreventive effects of embelin (EMB) and curcumin (CUR) against DENA/PB-induced hepatocarcinogenesis in Wistar rats.

  12. Synthesis of (3R)-3-(4-fluorophenylsulfonamido)-1,2,3,4-tetra-hydro-9-[4-3H] carbazolepropanoic acid

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pleiss, Ulrich; Radtke, Martin; Schmitt, Peter

    1990-01-01

    (3R)-3-(4-Fluorophenylsulfonamido)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-9-[4- 3 H]carbazolepropanoic acid ( [ 3 H]BAY u 3405) (5) was synthesized by catalytic reduction of (3R)-3-(4-fluorophenylsulfonamido)-4-oxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-9-carbazolepropanoic acid (4) with tritium. The precursor (4) was prepared by esterification and following oxidation of BAY u 3405 with 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-p-benzoquinone. 3 H NMR analysis of the final product showed the formation of [4α- 3 H]BAY us 3405 and [4β- 3 H]BAY u 3405 in a ratio of 1:1. (author)

  13. Mediator-assisted photocurrent extraction from the thylakoids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yu, Yue; Zuo, Fulin; Li, Chen-Zhong

    2014-01-01

    Photocurrent extracted from the thylakoids has been studied as a function of electron mediator concentration. Phenazine methosulfate is used to facilitate the charge transfer from the thylakoid's charge transport chain to the outside medium. The photocurrent has been shown to originate from the photosynthesis on the thylakoid membranes. Comparing with a previous study using para-Benzoquinone as the mediator, a similar peak effect in the photocurrent as a function of concentration is observed, but the magnitude of the current is nearly a thousand times greater. A semi-quantitative analysis is presented to explain the data found in those systems

  14. Liquid Quinones for Solvent-Free Redox Flow Batteries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shimizu, Akihiro; Takenaka, Keisuke; Handa, Naoyuki; Nokami, Toshiki; Itoh, Toshiyuki; Yoshida, Jun-Ichi

    2017-11-01

    Liquid benzoquinone and naphthoquinone having diethylene glycol monomethyl ether groups are designed and synthesized as redox active materials that dissolve supporting electrolytes. The Li-ion batteries based on the liquid quinones using LiBF 4 /PC show good performance in terms of voltage, capacity, energy efficiency, and cyclability in both static and flow modes. A battery is constructed without using intentionally added organic solvent, and its high energy density (264 W h L -1 ) demonstrates the potential of solvent-free organic redox flow batteries using liquid active materials. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  15. Delivery of phytochemical thymoquinone using molecular micelle modified poly(D, L lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ganea, Gabriela M; Warner, Isiah M [Department of Chemistry, Louisiana State University, 434 Choppin Hall, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 (United States); Fakayode, Sayo O [Department of Chemistry, Anderson Center Modular Unit 244-B, Winston-Salem State University, Winston Salem, NC 27110 (United States); Losso, Jack N [Food Science Department, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, 111 Food Science Building, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 (United States); Van Nostrum, Cornelus F [Department of Pharmaceutics, Utrecht Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (UIPS), Utrecht University, Sorbonnelaan 16, 3508 TB Utrecht (Netherlands); Sabliov, Cristina M, E-mail: iwarner@lsu.edu [Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, 141 E B Doran Building, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 (United States)

    2010-07-16

    Continuous efforts have been made in the development of potent benzoquinone-based anticancer drugs aiming for improved water solubility and reduced adverse reactions. Thymoquinone is a liposoluble benzoquinone-based phytochemical that has been shown to have remarkable antioxidant and anticancer activities. In the study reported here, thymoquinone-loaded PLGA nanoparticles were synthesized and evaluated for physico-chemical, antioxidant and anticancer properties. The nanoparticles were synthesized by an emulsion solvent evaporation method using anionic molecular micelles as emulsifiers. The system was optimized for maximum entrapment efficiency using a Box-Behnken experimental design. Optimum conditions were found for 100 mg PLGA, 15 mg TQ and 0.5% w/v poly(sodium N-undecylenyl-glycinate) (poly-SUG). In addition, other structurally related molecular micelles such as poly(sodium N-heptenyl-glycinate) (poly-SHG), poly(sodium N-undecylenyl-leucinate) (poly-SUL), and poly(sodium N-undecylenyl-valinate) (poly-SUV) were also examined as emulsifiers. All investigated molecular micelles provided excellent emulsifier properties, leading to maximum optimized TQ entrapment efficiency, and monodispersed particle sizes below 200 nm. The release of TQ from molecular micelle modified nanoparticles was investigated by dialysis and reached lower levels than the free drug. The antioxidant activity of TQ-loaded nanoparticles, indicated by IC50 (mg ml{sup -1} TQ for 50% 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity), was highest for poly-SUV emulsified nanoparticles (0.030 {+-} 0.002 mg ml{sup -1}) as compared to free TQ. In addition, it was observed that TQ-loaded nanoparticles emulsified with poly-SUV were more effective than free TQ against MDA-MB-231 cancer cell growth inhibition, presenting a cell viability of 16.0 {+-} 5.6% after 96 h.

  16. Spectroscopic evidence for intermediate species formed during aniline polymerization and polyaniline degradation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Planes, G A; Rodríguez, J L; Miras, M C; García, G; Pastor, E; Barbero, C A

    2010-09-21

    Spectroscopic methods are used to investigate the formation of low molecular mass intermediates during aniline (ANI) oxidation and polyaniline (PANI) degradation. Studying ANI anodic oxidation by in situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIRS) it is possible to obtain, for the first time, spectroscopic evidence for ANI dimers produced by head-to-tail (4-aminodiphenylamine, 4ADA) and tail-to-tail (benzidine, BZ) coupling of ANI cation radicals. The 4ADA dimer is adsorbed on the electrode surface during polymerization, as proved by cyclic voltammetry of thin PANI films and its infrared spectrum. This method also allows, with the help of computational simulations, to assign characteristic vibration frequencies for the different oxidation states of PANI. The presence of 4ADA retained inside thin polymer layers is established too. On the other hand, FTIRS demonstrates that the electrochemically promoted degradation of PANI renders p-benzoquinone as its main product. This compound, retained inside the film, is apparent in the cyclic voltammogram in the same potential region previously observed for 4ADA dimer. Therefore, applying in situ FTIRS is possible to distinguish between different chemical species (4ADA or p-benzoquinone) which give rise to voltammetric peaks in the same potential region. Indophenol and CO(2) are also detected by FTIRS during ANI oxidation and polymer degradation. The formation of CO(2) during degradation is confirmed by differential electrochemical mass spectroscopy. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first evidence of the oxidation of a conducting polymer to CO(2) by electrochemical means. The relevance of the production of different intermediate species towards PANI fabrication and applications is discussed.

  17. Biosensor based on a glassy carbon electrode modified with tyrosinase immobilized on multiwalled carbon nanotubes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ren, J.; Kang, T.F.; Xue, R.; Ge, C.N.; Cheng, S.Y.

    2011-01-01

    We describe a biosensor for phenolic compounds that is based on a glassy carbon electrode modified with tyrosinase immobilized on multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs). The MWNTs possess excellent inherent electrical conductivity which enhances the electron transfer rate and results in good electrochemical catalytic activity towards the reduction of benzoquinone produced by enzymatic reaction. The biosensor was characterized by cyclic voltammetry, and the experimental conditions were optimized. The cathodic current is linearly related to the concentration of the phenols between 0.4 μM and 10 μM, and the detection limit is 0.2 μM. The method was applied to the determination of phenol in water samples (author)

  18. Myrsinoic A acid and its derivative: in vitro inhibitors of photosynthesis; Acido myrsinoico A e derivado: inibidores da fotossintese in vitro

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Burger, Marcela Carmen de M.; Oliveira, Gracielle S. de; Menezes, Antonio Carlos S [Universidade Estadual de Goias, Anapolis, GO (Brazil). Unidade Universitaria de Ciencias Exatas e Tecnologicas; Vieira, Paulo Cezar; Silva, Maria Fatima das G.F. da [Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos (UFSCar), SP (Brazil). Dept. de Quimica; Veiga, Thiago A.M., E-mail: tveiga@unifesp.br [Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo (UNIFESP), SP (Brazil). Inst. de Ciencias Ambientais, Quimicas e Farmaceuticas. Dept. de Ciencias Exatas e da Terra

    2012-07-01

    Myrsinoic A acid, isolated from Myrsine cuneifolia and its hydrogenated derivative had their effect on photosynthesis tested. The compounds inhibited the electron flow (basal, phosphorylating and uncoupled) from water to methyl viologen; therefore, they act as Hill reaction inhibitors in spinach thylakoids. They inhibited partial reactions of PSII electron flow from water to 2,5-dichloro-1,4-benzoquinone, from water to sodium silicomolybdate, and partially electron flow from diphenylcarbazide to 2,6-dichloroindophenol. Their inhibition sites were at the donor and acceptor sides of PSII, between P{sub 680} and Q{sub A}. Chlorophyll {alpha} fluorescence measurements confirmed the behavior of the compounds (pool of quinones). (author)

  19. Myrsinoic A acid and its derivative: in vitro inhibitors of photosynthesis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Burger, Marcela Carmen de M.; Oliveira, Gracielle S. de; Menezes, Antonio Carlos S.; Vieira, Paulo Cezar; Silva, Maria Fatima das G.F. da; Veiga, Thiago A.M.

    2012-01-01

    Myrsinoic A acid, isolated from Myrsine cuneifolia and its hydrogenated derivative had their effect on photosynthesis tested. The compounds inhibited the electron flow (basal, phosphorylating and uncoupled) from water to methyl viologen; therefore, they act as Hill reaction inhibitors in spinach thylakoids. They inhibited partial reactions of PSII electron flow from water to 2,5-dichloro-1,4-benzoquinone, from water to sodium silicomolybdate, and partially electron flow from diphenylcarbazide to 2,6-dichloroindophenol. Their inhibition sites were at the donor and acceptor sides of PSII, between P 680 and Q A . Chlorophyll α fluorescence measurements confirmed the behavior of the compounds (pool of quinones). (author)

  20. Chemical modification of b-lactoglobulin by quinones

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    DUSAN SLADIC

    2003-05-01

    Full Text Available The avarone/avarol quinone/hydroquinone couple, as well as their derivatives show considerable antitumor activity. In this work, covalent modifications of b-lactoglobulin, isolated from cow milk, by avarone, its model compound 2-tert-butyl-1,4-benzoquinone, and several of their alkylthio derivatives were studied. The techniques applied for assaying the modifications were: UV/VIS spectrophotometry, SDS PAGE and isoelectrofocusing. The results of the SDS PAGE suggest that polymerisation of the protein occurs. The shift of the pI of the protein upon modification toward lower values indicates that lysine amino groups are the principal site of the reaction of b-lactoglobulin with the quinones.

  1. Density functional theory study on the formation of reactive benzoquinone imines by hydrogen abstraction

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Leth, Rasmus; Rydberg, Patrik; Jørgensen, Flemming Steen

    2015-01-01

    Many drug compounds are oxidized by cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes to form reactive metabolites. This study presents density functional theory calculations of the CYP-mediated metabolism of acetaminophen and a series of related compounds that can form reactive metabolites by hydrogen abstraction....... The substitution pattern affects the activation barrier for hydrogen abstraction by up to 30 kJ/mol. A correlation (R(2) = 0.72) between the transition-state energies and the corresponding substrate radical energies has been established. Using this correlation is significantly less time-demanding than using...... the porphyrin model to determine the activation energies. We have used this correlation on monosubstituted phenols to rationalize the effect of the various substituents in the drug compounds. In addition to facilitating a chemical interpretation, the approach is sufficiently fast and reliable to be used...

  2. A comparative study on the activity of TiO2 in pulsed plasma under different discharge conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lijuan, DUAN; Nan, JIANG; Na, LU; Kefeng, SHANG; Jie, LI; Yan, WU

    2018-05-01

    In the present study, a combination of pulsed discharge plasma and TiO2 (plasma/TiO2) has been developed in order to study the activity of TiO2 by varying the discharge conditions of pulsed voltage, discharge mode, air flow rate and solution conductivity. Phenol was used as the chemical probe to characterize the activity of TiO2 in a pulsed discharge system. The experimental results showed that the phenol removal efficiency could be improved by about 10% by increasing the applied voltage. The phenol removal efficiency for three discharge modes in the plasma-discharge-alone system was found to be highest in the spark mode, followed by the spark–streamer mode and finally the streamer mode. In the plasma/TiO2 system, the highest catalytic effect of TiO2 was observed in the spark–streamer discharge mode, which may be attributed to the favorable chemical and physical effects from the spark–streamer discharge mode, such as ultraviolet light, O3, H2O2, pyrolysis, shockwaves and high-energy electrons. Meanwhile, the optimal flow rate and conductivity were 0.05 m3 l‑1 and 10 μS cm‑1, respectively. The main phenolic intermediates were hydroquinone, catechol, and p-benzoquinone during the discharge treatment process. A different phenol degradation pathway was observed in the plasma/TiO2 system as compared to plasma alone. Analysis of the reaction intermediates demonstrated that p-benzoquinone reduction was selectively catalyzed on the TiO2 surface. The effective decomposition of phenol constant (D e) increased from 74.11% to 79.16% when TiO2 was added, indicating that higher phenol mineralization was achieved in the plasma/TiO2 system.

  3. In Vitro Cytotoxicity and Adaptive Stress Responses to Selected Haloacetic Acid and Halobenzoquinone Water Disinfection Byproducts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Procházka, Erik; Escher, Beate I; Plewa, Michael J; Leusch, Frederic D L

    2015-10-19

    The process of disinfecting drinking water inadvertently leads to the formation of numerous disinfection byproducts (DBPs). Some of these are mutagenic, genotoxic, teratogenic, and cytotoxic, as well as potentially carcinogenic both in vivo and in vitro. We investigated the in vitro biological activity of five DBPs: three monohaloacetic acids (monoHAAs) [chloroacetic acid (CAA), bromoacetic acid (BAA), and iodoacetic acid (IAA)] and two novel halobenzoquinones (HBQs) [2,6-dichloro-p-benzoquinone (DCBQ) and 2,6-dibromo-p-benzoquinone]. We focused particularly on cytotoxicity and induction of two adaptive stress response pathways: the oxidative stress responsive Nrf2/ARE and DNA-damage responsive p53 pathways. All five DBPs were cytotoxic to the Caco-2 cell line after a 4 h exposure, and all DBPs induced both of the adaptive stress response pathways, Nrf2/ARE and p53, in the micromolar range, as measured by two β-lactamase-based reporter gene assays. The decreasing order of potency for all three endpoints for the five DBPs was IAA ∼ BAA > DCBQ ∼ DBBQ > CAA. Induction of oxidative stress was previously proposed to be the molecular initiating event (MIE) for both classes of DBPs. However, comparing the levels of activation of the two pathways uncovered that the Nrf2/ARE pathway was the more sensitive endpoint for HAAs, whereas the p53 pathway was more sensitive in the case of HBQs. Therefore, the DNA damage-responsive p53 pathway may be an important piece of information to fill in a gap in the adverse outcome pathway framework for the assessment of HBQs. Finally, we cautiously compared the potential risk of the two novel HBQs using a benchmarking approach to that of the well-studied CAA, which suggested that their relative risk may be lower than that of BAA and IAA.

  4. Antimicrobial activities of some Thai traditional medical longevity formulations from plants and antibacterial compounds from Ficus foveolata.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meerungrueang, W; Panichayupakaranant, P

    2014-09-01

    Medicinal plants involved in traditional Thai longevity formulations are potential sources of antimicrobial compounds. To evaluate the antimicrobial activities of some extracts from medicinal plants used in traditional Thai longevity formulations against some oral pathogens, including Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus mitis, Streptococcus mutans, and Candida albicans. An extract that possessed the strongest antimicrobial activity was fractionated to isolate and identify the active compounds. Methanol and ethyl acetate extracts of 25 medicinal plants used as Thai longevity formulations were evaluated for their antimicrobial activity using disc diffusion (5 mg/disc) and broth microdilution (1.2-2500 µg/mL) methods. The ethyl acetate extract of Ficus foveolata Wall. (Moraceae) stems that exhibited the strongest antibacterial activity was fractionated to isolate the active compounds by an antibacterial assay-guided isolation process. The ethyl acetate extract of F. foveolata showed the strongest antibacterial activity with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values of 19.5-39.0 and 39.0-156.2 µg/mL, respectively. On the basis of an antibacterial assay-guided isolation, seven antibacterial compounds, including 2,6-dimethoxy-1,4-benzoquinone (1), syringaldehyde (2), sinapaldehyde (3), coniferaldehyde (4), 3β-hydroxystigmast-5-en-7-one (5), umbelliferone (6), and scopoletin (7), were purified. Among these isolated compounds, 2,6-dimethoxy-1,4-benzoquinone (1) exhibited the strongest antibacterial activities against S. pyogenes, S. mitis, and S. mutans with MIC values of 7.8, 7.8, and 15.6 µg/mL, and MBC values of 7.8, 7.8, and 31.2 µg/mL, respectively. In addition, this is the first report of these antibacterial compounds in the stems of F. foveolata.

  5. Comparison of calculated and experimental isotope edited FTIR difference spectra for purple bacterial photosynthetic reaction centers with different quinones incorporated into the QA binding site.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nan eZhao

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available Previously we have shown that ONIOM type (QM/MM calculations can be used to simulate isotope edited FTIR difference spectra for neutral ubiquinone in the QA binding site in Rhodobacter sphaeroides photosynthetic reaction centers. Here we considerably extend upon this previous work by calculating isotope edited FTIR difference spectra for reaction centers with a variety of unlabeled and 18O labeled foreign quinones incorporated into the QA binding site. Isotope edited spectra were calculated for reaction centers with 2,3-dimethoxy-5,6-dimethyl-1,4-benzoquinone (MQ0, 2,3,5,6-tetramethyl-1,4-benzoquinone (duroquinone, DQ, and 2,3-dimethyl-l,4-naphthoquinone (DMNQ incorporated, and compared to corresponding experimental spectra. The calculated and experimental spectra agree well, further demonstrating the utility and applicability of our ONIOM approach for calculating the vibrational properties of pigments in protein binding sites.The normal modes that contribute to the bands in the calculated spectra, their composition, frequency and intensity, and how these quantities are modified upon 18O labeling, are presented. This computed information leads to a new and more detailed understanding/interpretation of the experimental FTIR difference spectra. Hydrogen bonding to the carbonyl groups of the incorporated quinones is shown to be relatively weak. It is also shown that there is some asymmetry in hydrogen bonding, accounting for 10-13 cm-1 separation in the frequencies of the carbonyl vibrational modes of the incorporated quinones. The extent of asymmetry H-bonding could only be established by considering the spectra for various types of quinones incorporated into the QA binding site. The quinones listed above are tail-less. Spectra were also calculated for reaction centers with corresponding tail containing quinones incorporated, and it is found that replacement of the quinone methyl group by a phytyl or prenyl chain does not alter ONIOM calculated s

  6. Oxidative cleavage of a phenolic diarylpropane lignin model dimer by manganese peroxidase from Phanerochaete chrysosporium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wariishi, Hiroyuki; Valli, K.; Gold, M.H.

    1989-01-01

    In the presence of Mn II and H 2 O 2 , homogeneous manganese peroxidase oxidized 1-(3,5-dimethoxy-4-hydroxyphenyl)-2-(4-methoxyphenyl)-1,3-dihydroxypropane (I) to yield 1-(3,5-dimethoxy-4-hydroxyphenyl)-2-(4-methoxyphenyl)-1-oxo-3-hydroxypropane (II), 2,6-dimethoxy-1,4-benzoquinone (III), 2,6-dimethoxy-1,4-dihydroxybenzene (IV), 1-(4-methoxyphenyl)-1-oxo-2-hydroxyethane (V), 1-(4-methoxyphenyl)-1,2-dihydroxyethane (VI), syringaldehyde (VIII), and 2-(4-methoxyphenyl)-3-hydroxypropanal (IX). Chemically prepared manganese(III) malonate catalyzed the same reactions. Oxidation of I in H 2 18 O under argon resulted in >80% incorporation of 18 O into the phenylglycol VI, the hydroquinone IV, and the quinone III. Oxidation of I in H 2 18 O under aerobic conditions resulted in 40% incorporation of 18 O into VI but no 18 O incorporation into V. Finally, oxidation of I under 18 O 2 resulted in 89% and 28% incorporation of 18 O into V and VI, respectively. These results are explained by mechanisms involving the one-electron oxidation of the substrate I by enzyme-generated Mn III to produce a phenoxy radical intermediate I'. Subsequent C α -C β bond cleavage of the radical intermediate yields syringaldehyde (VIII) and a C 6 -C 2 benzylic radical. Syringaldehyde is oxidized by Mn III in several steps to a cyclohexadiene cation intermediate I double-prime, which is attacked by water to yield the benzoquinone III. The C 6 -C 2 radical is scavenged by O 2 to form a peroxy radical that decomposes to V and VI. In these reactions, Mn III generated by manganese peroxidase catalyzes both formation of the substrate phenoxy radical and oxidation of carbon-centered radical intermediates, to yield reactive cations

  7. Changes of turbidity during the phenol oxidation by photo-Fenton treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Villota, Natalia; Camarero, Luis M; Lomas, Jose M; Perez, Jonatan

    2014-11-01

    Turbidity presented by phenol solutions oxidized with Fenton reagent shows the tendency of a first order intermediate kinetics. Thus, turbidity can be considered a representative parameter of the presence of intermediate oxidation species, which are generated along the decomposition of toxic and reluctant contaminants, such as phenol. Moreover, that parameter presents a linear dependence with the catalyst dosage, but is also determined by the initial contaminant load. When analyzing the oxidation mechanism of phenol, it is found that the maximum turbidity occurs when the treatment is carried out at oxidant to phenol molar ratios R = 4.0. These oxidation conditions correspond to the presence of a reaction mixture mainly composed of dihydroxylated rings, precursors of the muconic acid formation. The oxidation via "para" comprises the formation reactions of charge transfer complexes (quinhydrone), between the para-dihydroxylated intermediates (hydroquinone) and the para-substituted quinones (p-benzoquinone), which are quite unstable and reactive species, quickly decomposed into hydroxyhydroquinones. Working with oxidant ratios up to R = 6.0, the maximum observed value of turbidity in the oxidized solutions is kept almost constant. It is found that, in these conditions, the pyrogallol formation is maximal, what is generated through the degradation of ortho-species (catechol and ortho-benzoquinone) and meta-substituted (resorcinol). Operating with ratios over R = 6.0, these intermediates are decomposed into biodegradable acids, generating lower turbidity in the solution. Then, the residual turbidity is a function of the molar ratio of the ferrous ions vs. moles of oxidant utilized in the essays, that lets to estimate the stoichiometric dosage of catalyst as 20 mg/L at pH = 3.0, whereas operating in stoichiometric conditions, R = 14.0, the residual turbidity of water results almost null.

  8. The mechanism study of efficient degradation of hydrophobic nonylphenol in solution by a chemical-free technology of sonophotolysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xu, L.J.; Chu, W., E-mail: cewchu@polyu.edu.hk; Lee, Po-Heng; Wang, Jian

    2016-05-05

    Highlights: • pH influenced NP sonophotolysis by changing its existing form and light absorption. • NO{sub 3}{sup −} accelerated NP sonophotolysis while HCO{sub 3}{sup −} showed insignificant influence. • Both ortho- and meta-hydroxy-NP species can exist together thermodynamically. • Only the ortho-4-nonyl-benzoquinone is dominant thermodynamically. • The mechanism of ortho-hydroxy-NP formation was the addition of HO· and H· - Abstract: Nonylphenol is a hydrophobic endocrine disrupting compound, which can inhibit the growth of sewage bacteria in biological processes. This study investigated the degradation of 4-n-nonylphenol (NP) in water by a chemical-free technology of sonophotolysis with emphasis on the impacts of several important parameters, including light intensity, solution pH, two commonly seen inorganic ions (i.e. NO{sub 3}{sup −} and HCO{sub 3}{sup −}), and principally on the examination of degradation mechanisms. It was found that, solution pH could significantly influence both NP degradation efficiency and the synergistic effect of sonophotolytic process, where higher synergistic effect was obtained at more acidic condition. In addition, the presence of NO{sub 3}{sup −} accelerated NP degradation by both acting as a photosensitizer and providing NO{sub 2}· radicals, while HCO{sub 3}{sup −} had little effect on NP degradation. Identification of intermediates of NP degradation indicated that NP sonophotolysis was mainly initiated by the formation of hydroxy-NP, and a new intermediate di-hydroxy-NP was identified for the first time ever in this study. Through thermodynamic analysis, results indicated that both ortho- and meta-hydroxy-NP species can coexist in the solution but the ortho-4-NBZQ (4-nonyl-benzoquinone) is dominant. In addition, the mechanism of ortho-hydroxy-NP formation was suggested by the addition of HO· and H· radicals.

  9. Oxidation of cumene hydroperoxide on glassy carbon electrodes in aqueous solution and its interaction with ascorbic and gallic acids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Estévez, Rafael; Mellado, José Miguel Rodríguez; Mayén, Manuel

    2015-01-01

    The cumene hydroperoxide oxidation on glassy carbon electrodes involves an irreversible one-electron transfer to peroxide and phenoxy radicals, being the main end products hydroquinone and acetone. The overall oxidation mechanism occurs in two steps: formation of acetone and a phenoxy radical, and the reaction of this phenoxy radical with water, getting stability by oxidizing into p-benzoquinone The interaction of such radicals with ascorbic and gallic acids decreases the oxidation signal of cumene hydroperoxide in differential pulse voltammetry. This decrease, due to the scavenging of the radicals formed after the electron transfer, is related to the antioxidant activities. So, it is possible to substitute the mercury as a probe for the electrochemical determination of antioxidant activity.

  10. Enhancing photophysical and photochemical properties of zinc(II) phthalocyanine dyes by substitution of triptycene moieties

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Al-Sohaimi, Bander Roshadan [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Taibah University, P.O. Box 344, Al-Madinah Al Munawwrah (Saudi Arabia); Pişkin, Mehmet [Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Vocational School of Technical Sciences, Department of Food Technology, Çanakkale 17100 (Turkey); Aljuhani, Ateyatallah; Al-Raqa, Shaya Y. [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Taibah University, P.O. Box 344, Al-Madinah Al Munawwrah (Saudi Arabia); Durmuş, Mahmut, E-mail: durmus@gtu.edu.tr [Gebze Technical University, Department of Chemistry, P.O. Box 141, Gebze 41400, Kocaeli (Turkey)

    2016-05-15

    The symmetrical zinc(II) phthalocyanines conjugated with 9,10-dioctyl-6,7-dimethoxy-2,3-dioxytriptycene or 9,10-diundecyl-6,7-dimethoxy-2,3-dioxytriptycene moieties were synthesized in this study. These novel phthalocyanines were characterized by standard characterization techniques such as {sup 1}H-NMR, FT-IR, UV–vis, Mass and Elemental Analysis. All these phthalocyanines showed highly solubility and formed non-aggregated monomeric species in most of the organic solvents. Their photochemical properties such as singlet oxygen, and photodegradation quantum yields, and photophysical properties including fluorescence quantum yields and lifetimes were investigated in toluene. The fluorescence quenching behavior of the studied zinc(II) phthalocyanines by the addition of 1,4-benzoquinone were also described in toluene.

  11. Kinematic approximation in the theory of stimulated nuclear polarization in radical recombination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mikhailov, S.A.; Purtov, P.A.

    1989-01-01

    Within the kinematic approximation, we have developed the theory of stimulated nuclear polarization (SNP) in reactions of geminal recombination of radicals in a strong d.c. magnetic field. We have obtained analytical formulas which are applicable for analysis of SNP effects occurring when the reactions are carried out in nonviscous solutions. The result is represented in the form of integrals with respect to the Green's function determining the kinematics of reagent approach. As an illustration of the proposed theory, we have calculated the polarization of nuclei formed in the reaction products of p-benzoquinone in CD 3 OD and in C 6 D 6 with addition of phenol, and we compare with experiment

  12. Enhancing photophysical and photochemical properties of zinc(II) phthalocyanine dyes by substitution of triptycene moieties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Al-Sohaimi, Bander Roshadan; Pişkin, Mehmet; Aljuhani, Ateyatallah; Al-Raqa, Shaya Y.; Durmuş, Mahmut

    2016-01-01

    The symmetrical zinc(II) phthalocyanines conjugated with 9,10-dioctyl-6,7-dimethoxy-2,3-dioxytriptycene or 9,10-diundecyl-6,7-dimethoxy-2,3-dioxytriptycene moieties were synthesized in this study. These novel phthalocyanines were characterized by standard characterization techniques such as 1 H-NMR, FT-IR, UV–vis, Mass and Elemental Analysis. All these phthalocyanines showed highly solubility and formed non-aggregated monomeric species in most of the organic solvents. Their photochemical properties such as singlet oxygen, and photodegradation quantum yields, and photophysical properties including fluorescence quantum yields and lifetimes were investigated in toluene. The fluorescence quenching behavior of the studied zinc(II) phthalocyanines by the addition of 1,4-benzoquinone were also described in toluene.

  13. Electrochemistry in near-critical and supercritical fluids. 3. Studies of Br/sup -/, I/sup -/, and hydroquinone in aqueous solutions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Flarsheim, W.J.; Tsou, Y.M.; Trachtenberg, I.; Johnston, K.P.; Bard, A.J.

    1986-07-31

    A new type of apparatus has been constructed for carrying out electrochemistry in near-critical and supercritical aqueous solutions. The following systems have been studied at a platinum electrode: H/sub 2/O/O/sub 2/, I/sup -//I/sub 2/, Br/sup -//Br/sub 2/, and hydroquinone/benzoquinone. The compact alumina flow cell can be heated or cooled quickly and can be recharged with fresh electrolyte solution while at high temperature and pressure. A large reduction in the potential required for the electrolysis of water was observed. Diffusivities have been measured for iodide ions and hydroquinone. General agreement with the Stokes-Einstein model was observed in the temperature range 25-375/sup 0/C.

  14. Phytotoxicity of sorgoleone found in grain Sorghum root exudates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Einhellig, F A; Souza, I F

    1992-01-01

    Root exudates ofSorghum bicolor consist primarily of a dihydroquinone that is quickly oxidized to ap-benzoquinone named sorgoleone. The aim of this investigation was to determine the potential activity of sorgoleone as an inhibitor of weed growth. Bioassays showed 125μM sorgoleone reduced radicle elongation ofEragrostis tef. In liquid culture, 50-μM sorgoleone treatments stunted the growth ofLemna minor. Over a 10-day treatment period, 10μM sorgoleone in the nutrient medium reduced the growth of all weed seedlings tested:Abutilon theophrasti, Datura stramonium, Amaranthus retroflexus, Setaria viridis, Digitaria sanguinalis, andEchinochloa crusgalli. These data show sorgoleone has biological activity at extremely low concentrations, suggesting a strong contribution toSorghum allelopathy.

  15. A complementary switching mechanism for organic memory devices to regulate the conductance of binary states

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vyas, Giriraj; Dagar, Parveen; Sahu, Satyajit

    2016-06-01

    We have fabricated an organic non-volatile memory device wherein the ON/OFF current ratio has been controlled by varying the concentration of a small organic molecule, 2,3-Dichloro-5,6-dicyano-p-benzoquinone (DDQ), in an insulating matrix of a polymer Poly(4-vinylphenol) (PVP). A maximum ON-OFF ratio of 106 is obtained when the concentration of DDQ is half or 10 wt. % of PVP. In this process, the switching direction for the devices has also been altered, indicating the disparity in conduction mechanism. Conduction due to metal filament formation through the active material and the voltage dependent conformational change of the organic molecule seem to be the motivation behind the gradual change in the switching direction.

  16. Formation of reactive metabolites from benzene

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Snyder, R.; Jowa, L.; Witz, G.; Kalf, G.; Rushmore, T.

    1986-01-01

    Rat liver mitoplasts were incubated first with [ 3 H]dGTP, to form DNA labeled in G, and then with [ 14 C]benzene. The DNA was isolated and upon isopycnic density gradient centrifugation in CsCl yielded a single fraction of DNA labeled with both [ 3 H] and [ 14 C]. These data are consistent with the covalent binding of one or more metabolites of benzene to DNA. The DNA was enzymatically hydrolyzed to deoxynucleosides and chromatographed to reveal at least seven deoxyguanosine adducts. Further studies with labeled deoxyadenine revealed one adduct on deoxyadenine. [ 3 H]Deoxyguanosine was reacted with [ 14 C]hydroquinone or benzoquinone. The product was characterized using uv, fluorescence, mass and NMR spectroscopy. A proposed structure is described. (orig.)

  17. Secondary Metabolites Isolated from Iris germanica

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Muhammad I. Choudhary

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available Phytochemical investigations of methanol extract of rhizome of Iris germanica L. resulted in the isolation of one new compound, 6,6-ditetradecyl-6,7-dihydrooxepin-2(3H-one (1 and five known compounds, 1-(2-(6′-hydroxy-2′-methylcyclohex-1′-enyloxy-5-methoxyphenylethanone (2 4-hydroxy-3-methoxyacetophenone (3, irisolone (4 irisolidone (5 and 2-acetoxy-3,6-dimethoxy-1,4-benzoquinone (6 .The structures of the compounds were determined on the basis of spectroscopic techniques. The antifungal activity of different soluble portions was measured. The hexane soluble portion of the methanol extract showed significant antifungal activity where as the ethyl acetate and chloroform soluble portions showed moderate activity. The methanol extract showed no antifungal activity.

  18. Electrochemical and morphological characterization of gold nanoparticles deposited on boron-doped diamond electrode

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Limat, Meriadec; El Roustom, Bahaa [Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, CH-1015 Lausanne (Switzerland); Jotterand, Henri [Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), Institute of Physics of the Complex Matter, CH-1015 Lausanne (Switzerland); Foti, Gyoergy [Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, CH-1015 Lausanne (Switzerland)], E-mail: gyorgy.foti@epfl.ch; Comninellis, Christos [Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, CH-1015 Lausanne (Switzerland)

    2009-03-30

    A novel two-step method was employed to synthesize gold nanoparticles dispersed on boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrode. It consisted of sputter deposition at ambient temperature of maximum 15 equivalent monolayers of gold, followed by a heat treatment in air at 600 deg. C. Gold nanoparticles with an average diameter between 7 and 30 nm could be prepared by this method on polycrystalline BDD film electrode. The obtained Au/BDD composite electrode appeared stable under conditions of electrochemical characterization performed using ferri-/ferrocyanide and benzoquinone/hydroquinone redox couples in acidic medium. The electrochemical behavior of Au/BDD was compared to that of bulk Au and BDD electrodes. Finally, the Au/BDD composite electrode was regarded as an array of Au microelectrodes dispersed on BDD substrate.

  19. Antiplasmodial Natural Products

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cláudio R. Nogueira

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available Malaria is a human infectious disease that is caused by four species of Plasmodium. It is responsible for more than 1 million deaths per year. Natural products contain a great variety of chemical structures and have been screened for antiplasmodial activity as potential sources of new antimalarial drugs. This review highlights studies on natural products with antimalarial and antiplasmodial activity reported in the literature from January 2009 to November 2010. A total of 360 antiplasmodial natural products comprised of terpenes, including iridoids, sesquiterpenes, diterpenes, terpenoid benzoquinones, steroids, quassinoids, limonoids, curcubitacins, and lanostanes; flavonoids; alkaloids; peptides; phenylalkanoids; xanthones; naphthopyrones; polyketides, including halenaquinones, peroxides, polyacetylenes, and resorcylic acids; depsidones; benzophenones; macrolides; and miscellaneous compounds, including halogenated compounds and chromenes are listed in this review.

  20. Novel magnetic cross-linked lipase aggregates for improving the resolution of (R, S)-2-octanol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Ying; Guo, Chen; Liu, Chun-Zhao

    2015-03-01

    Novel magnetic cross-linked lipase aggregates were fabricated by immobilizing the cross-linked lipase aggregates onto magnetic particles with a high number of -NH2 terminal groups using p-benzoquinone as the cross-linking agent. At the optimal fabrication conditions, 100% of immobilization efficiency and 139% of activity recovery of the magnetic cross-linked lipase aggregates were achieved. The magnetic cross-linked lipase aggregates were able to efficiently resolve (R, S)-2-octanol, and retained 100% activity and 100% enantioselectivity after 10 cycles of reuse, whereas the cross-linked lipase aggregates only retained about 50% activity and 70% enantioselectivity due to insufficient cross-linking. These results provide a great potential for industrial applications of the magnetic cross-linked lipase aggregates. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  1. Crosslinked Carbon Nanotubes/Polyaniline Composites as a Pseudocapacitive Material with High Cycling Stability

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dong Liu

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available The poor cycling stability of polyaniline (PANI limits its practical application as a pseudocapacitive material due to the volume change during the charge-discharge procedure. Herein, crosslinked carbon nanotubes/polyaniline (C-CNTs/PANI composites had been designed by the in situ chemical oxidative polymerization of aniline in the presence of crosslinked carbon nanotubes (C-CNTs, which were obtained by coupling of the functionalized carbon nanotubes with 1,4-benzoquinone. The composite showed a specific capacitance of 294 F/g at the scan rate of 10 mV/s, and could retain 95% of its initial specific capacitance after 1000 CV cycles. Such high electrochemical cycling stability resulting from the crosslinked skeleton of the C-CNTs makes them potential electrode materials for a supercapacitor.

  2. Electrochemical and morphological characterization of gold nanoparticles deposited on boron-doped diamond electrode

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Limat, Meriadec; El Roustom, Bahaa; Jotterand, Henri; Foti, Gyoergy; Comninellis, Christos

    2009-01-01

    A novel two-step method was employed to synthesize gold nanoparticles dispersed on boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrode. It consisted of sputter deposition at ambient temperature of maximum 15 equivalent monolayers of gold, followed by a heat treatment in air at 600 deg. C. Gold nanoparticles with an average diameter between 7 and 30 nm could be prepared by this method on polycrystalline BDD film electrode. The obtained Au/BDD composite electrode appeared stable under conditions of electrochemical characterization performed using ferri-/ferrocyanide and benzoquinone/hydroquinone redox couples in acidic medium. The electrochemical behavior of Au/BDD was compared to that of bulk Au and BDD electrodes. Finally, the Au/BDD composite electrode was regarded as an array of Au microelectrodes dispersed on BDD substrate

  3. Determination and analysis of the dispersive optical constants of the 5,5',6,6'-tetraphenyl-2,2'-bi([1,3]dithiolo[4,5-b][1,4]dithiinylidene)-DDQ complex thin film

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Atalay, Y.; Basoglu, A.; Avci, D.; Arslan, M.; Ozturk, T.; Ertas, E.

    2008-01-01

    The synthesis and optical properties of the 5,5',6,6'-tetraphenyl-2,2'-bi([1,3]dithiolo [4,5-b] [1,4]dithiinylidene)-2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-p-benzoquinone (DDQ) complex thin film were investigated by the optical characterization. The optical constants such as refractive index, extinction coefficient and absorption coefficient were determined using the transmittance T(λ) and reflectance R(λ) spectra and the refractive index dispersion was analyzed using single oscillator of Wemple-Didomenico model. The single oscillator energy E 0 and the dispersion energy E d were calculated. The effect of temperature on refractive dispersion and optical band gap E g is also discussed. As a result, the annealing temperatures have an important effect on refractive index of thin film

  4. The role of humic and fulvic acids in the phototransformation of phenolic compounds in seawater

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Calza, P.; Vione, D.; Minero, C.

    2014-01-01

    Humic substances (HS) are known to act as photosensitizers toward the transformation of pollutants in the surface layer of natural waters. This study focused on the role played by HS toward the transformation of xenobiotics in seawater, with the purpose of assessing the prevailing degradation routes. Phenol was chosen as model xenobiotic and its transformation was investigated under simulated sunlight in the presence of terrestrial or marine humic and fulvic acids, in pure water at pH 8, artificial seawater (ASW) or natural seawater (NSW). The following parameters were determined: (1) the phenol degradation rate; (2) the variation in HS concentration with irradiation time; (3) the production of transformation products; (4) the influence of iron species on the transformation process. Faster transformation of phenol was observed with humic acids (HA) compared to fulvic acids (SRFA), and transformation induced by both HA and SRFA was faster in ASW than that in pure water. These observations can be explained by assuming an interplay between different competing and sometimes opposite processes, including the competition between chloride, bromide and dissolved oxygen for reaction with HS triplet states. The analysis of intermediates formed in the different matrices under study showed the formation of several hydroxylated (hydroquinone, 1,4-benzoquinone, resorcinol) and condensed compounds (2,2′-bisphenol, 4,4′-bisphenol, 4-phenoxyphenol). Although 1,4-benzoquinone was the main transformation product, formation of condensed molecules was significant with both HA and SRFA. Experiments on natural seawater spiked with HS confirmed the favored formation of condensed products, suggesting a key role of humic matter in dimerization reactions occurring in saline water. - Highlights: • Phenol transformation in seawater can be photosensitized by humic substances. • Dimeric species are peculiar intermediates formed in the process. • Phenol degradation occurred faster with

  5. Genes involved in degradation of para-nitrophenol are differentially arranged in form of non-contiguous gene clusters in Burkholderia sp. strain SJ98.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Surendra Vikram

    Full Text Available Biodegradation of para-Nitrophenol (PNP proceeds via two distinct pathways, having 1,2,3-benzenetriol (BT and hydroquinone (HQ as their respective terminal aromatic intermediates. Genes involved in these pathways have already been studied in different PNP degrading bacteria. Burkholderia sp. strain SJ98 degrades PNP via both the pathways. Earlier, we have sequenced and analyzed a ~41 kb fragment from the genomic library of strain SJ98. This DNA fragment was found to harbor all the lower pathway genes; however, genes responsible for the initial transformation of PNP could not be identified within this fragment. Now, we have sequenced and annotated the whole genome of strain SJ98 and found two ORFs (viz., pnpA and pnpB showing maximum identity at amino acid level with p-nitrophenol 4-monooxygenase (PnpM and p-benzoquinone reductase (BqR. Unlike the other PNP gene clusters reported earlier in different bacteria, these two ORFs in SJ98 genome are physically separated from the other genes of PNP degradation pathway. In order to ascertain the identity of ORFs pnpA and pnpB, we have performed in-vitro assays using recombinant proteins heterologously expressed and purified to homogeneity. Purified PnpA was found to be a functional PnpM and transformed PNP into benzoquinone (BQ, while PnpB was found to be a functional BqR which catalyzed the transformation of BQ into hydroquinone (HQ. Noticeably, PnpM from strain SJ98 could also transform a number of PNP analogues. Based on the above observations, we propose that the genes for PNP degradation in strain SJ98 are arranged differentially in form of non-contiguous gene clusters. This is the first report for such arrangement for gene clusters involved in PNP degradation. Therefore, we propose that PNP degradation in strain SJ98 could be an important model system for further studies on differential evolution of PNP degradation functions.

  6. The role of humic and fulvic acids in the phototransformation of phenolic compounds in seawater

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Calza, P., E-mail: paola.calza@unito.it; Vione, D.; Minero, C.

    2014-09-15

    Humic substances (HS) are known to act as photosensitizers toward the transformation of pollutants in the surface layer of natural waters. This study focused on the role played by HS toward the transformation of xenobiotics in seawater, with the purpose of assessing the prevailing degradation routes. Phenol was chosen as model xenobiotic and its transformation was investigated under simulated sunlight in the presence of terrestrial or marine humic and fulvic acids, in pure water at pH 8, artificial seawater (ASW) or natural seawater (NSW). The following parameters were determined: (1) the phenol degradation rate; (2) the variation in HS concentration with irradiation time; (3) the production of transformation products; (4) the influence of iron species on the transformation process. Faster transformation of phenol was observed with humic acids (HA) compared to fulvic acids (SRFA), and transformation induced by both HA and SRFA was faster in ASW than that in pure water. These observations can be explained by assuming an interplay between different competing and sometimes opposite processes, including the competition between chloride, bromide and dissolved oxygen for reaction with HS triplet states. The analysis of intermediates formed in the different matrices under study showed the formation of several hydroxylated (hydroquinone, 1,4-benzoquinone, resorcinol) and condensed compounds (2,2′-bisphenol, 4,4′-bisphenol, 4-phenoxyphenol). Although 1,4-benzoquinone was the main transformation product, formation of condensed molecules was significant with both HA and SRFA. Experiments on natural seawater spiked with HS confirmed the favored formation of condensed products, suggesting a key role of humic matter in dimerization reactions occurring in saline water. - Highlights: • Phenol transformation in seawater can be photosensitized by humic substances. • Dimeric species are peculiar intermediates formed in the process. • Phenol degradation occurred faster with

  7. Non-cannabinoid constituents from a high potency Cannabis sativa variety

    Science.gov (United States)

    Radwan, Mohamed M.; ElSohly, Mahmoud A.; Slade, Desmond; Ahmed, Safwat A.; Wilson, Lisa; El-Alfy, Abir T.; Khan, Ikhlas A.; Ross, Samir A.

    2016-01-01

    Six new non-cannabinoid constituents were isolated from a high potency Cannabis sativa L. variety, namely 5-acetoxy-6-geranyl-3-n-pentyl-1,4-benzoquinone (1), 4,5-dihydroxy-2,3,6-trimethoxy-9,10-dihydrophenanthrene (2), 4-hydroxy-2,3,6,7-tetramethoxy-9,10-dihydrophenanthrene (3), 4,7-dimethoxy-1,2,5-trihydroxyphenanthrene (4), cannflavin C (5) and β-sitosteryl-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside-2'-O-palmitate (6). In addition, five known compounds, α-cannabispiranol (7), chrysoeriol (8), 6-prenylapigenin (9), cannflavin A (10) and β-acetyl cannabispiranol (11) were identified, with 8 and 9 being reported for the first time from cannabis. Some isolates displayed weak to strong antimicrobial, antileishmanial, antimalarial and anti-oxidant activities. Compounds 2–4 were inactive as analgesics. PMID:18774146

  8. Kinetics and mechanism of reduction of diazonium salts with hypophosphorous acid

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Levit, A.F.; Kiprianova, L.A.; Gragerov, I.P.

    1975-01-01

    A kinetic study has been made of reduction of a series of diazonium salts n-XC 6 H 4 N 2 + BF 4 - (X=OCH 3 , CH 3 , H, Cl, Br, NO 2 ) by subphosphorus acid using the NMR technique. The intensity of NMR signals has been used to measure the rate of formation of the reaction products-benzene or substituted benzenes. The reaction with phenyldiazonium has been studied in the most detailed way. Under conditions when propagation stages are suppressed (in the presence of benzoquinone) chemical polarization of nuclei is observed in benzene which is formed at the initiation stage. The polarization indicates the formation of C 6 H 5 radicals in this stage. It is interesting as the first observation of the chemical polarization of nuclei in the initiation stage of chain reactions

  9. Evaluation of herbicidal potential of depsides from Cladosporium uredinicola, an endophytic fungus found in Guava fruit

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Medeiros, Livia S. de; Sampaio, Olivia M.; Silva, Maria Fatima das G.F. da; Rodrigues Filho, Edson [Departamento de Quimica, Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos, SP (Brazil); Veiga, Thiago Andre M., E-mail: tveiga@unifesp.br [Instituto de Ciencias Ambientais, Quimicas e Farmaceuticas, Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo, Diadema, SP (Brazil)

    2012-08-15

    Two natural products produced by Cladosporium uredinicola, an endophytic fungus isolated from guava fruit, were evaluated for their effects on photosynthesis. Both of them inhibited electron flow (basal, phosphorylating, and uncoupled) from water to methylviologen (MV), acting as Hill reaction inhibitors in freshly lysed spinach thylakoids. These polyketides, belonging to depsides class, inhibited partial reactions of photosystem II (PS II) electron flow from water to 2,5-dichloro-1,4-benzoquinone (DCBQ), from water to sodium silicomolybdate (SiMo Na{sup +}), and partially inhibited electron flow from 1,5-diphenylcarbazide (DPC) to 2,6-dichloroindophenol (DCPIP). These results established that the depsides sites of inhibition are located on the donor and acceptor sides of PS II, between P680 and QA . Chlorophyll a fluorescence measurements corroborated this mechanism of action. None of the tested compounds inhibited photosystem I (PS I) electron transport. (author)

  10. Evaluation of herbicidal potential of depsides from Cladosporium uredinicola, an endophytic fungus found in Guava fruit

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Medeiros, Livia S. de; Sampaio, Olivia M.; Silva, Maria Fatima das G.F. da; Rodrigues Filho, Edson; Veiga, Thiago Andre M.

    2012-01-01

    Two natural products produced by Cladosporium uredinicola, an endophytic fungus isolated from guava fruit, were evaluated for their effects on photosynthesis. Both of them inhibited electron flow (basal, phosphorylating, and uncoupled) from water to methylviologen (MV), acting as Hill reaction inhibitors in freshly lysed spinach thylakoids. These polyketides, belonging to depsides class, inhibited partial reactions of photosystem II (PS II) electron flow from water to 2,5-dichloro-1,4-benzoquinone (DCBQ), from water to sodium silicomolybdate (SiMo Na + ), and partially inhibited electron flow from 1,5-diphenylcarbazide (DPC) to 2,6-dichloroindophenol (DCPIP). These results established that the depsides sites of inhibition are located on the donor and acceptor sides of PS II, between P680 and QA . Chlorophyll a fluorescence measurements corroborated this mechanism of action. None of the tested compounds inhibited photosystem I (PS I) electron transport. (author)

  11. Gold-catalyzed oxidation of substituted phenols by hydrogen peroxide

    KAUST Repository

    Cheneviere, Yohan

    2010-10-20

    Gold nanoparticles deposited on inorganic supports are efficient catalysts for the oxidation of various substituted phenols (2,6-di-tert-butyl phenol and 2,3,6-trimethyl phenol) with aqueous hydrogen peroxide. By contrast to more conventional catalysts such as Ti-containing mesoporous silicas, which convert phenols to the corresponding benzoquinones, gold nanoparticles are very selective to biaryl compounds (3,3′,5,5′-tetra-tert-butyl diphenoquinone and 2,2′,3,3′,5,5′-hexamethyl-4,4′- biphenol, respectively). Products yields and selectivities depend on the solvent used, the best results being obtained in methanol with yields >98%. Au offers the possibility to completely change the selectivity in the oxidation of substituted phenols and opens interesting perspectives in the clean synthesis of biaryl compounds for pharmaceutical applications. © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Effects of gamma irradiation on food contact polyethylene, polypropylene and polystyrene: additives and other chemicals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kawamura, Yoko; Sayama, Kayo; Yamada, Takashi

    2000-01-01

    The effects of gamma irradiation on additives, oligomers, and other chemicals in food contact polyethylene, polypropylene and polystyrene were investigated. Polyethylene and polypropylene products contained several antioxidants, lubricants and plasticizers. After gamma irradiation, the contents of all the antioxidants significantly decreased. Irgafos 168 disappeared the fastest. Lubricants and plasticizers decreased to some extent or not at all. 2,4-Di-tert-butylphenol was detected not only after irradiation but also before irradiation, and 1,3-di-tert-butylbenzene and 2,6-di-tert-butyl-1,4-benzoquinone were detected only after irradiation. They were presumed to be degradation products of the irradiation, though the former should be also a degradation product of the manufacturing process. On the other hand, the polystyrene products contained styrene dimers and trimers and their contents did not change after the gamma irradiation. (author)

  13. Integrated Photoelectrochemical Solar Energy Conversion and Organic Redox Flow Battery Devices

    KAUST Repository

    Li, Wenjie

    2016-09-21

    Building on regenerative photoelectrochemical solar cells and emerging electrochemical redox flow batteries (RFBs), more efficient, scalable, compact, and cost-effective hybrid energy conversion and storage devices could be realized. An integrated photoelectrochemical solar energy conversion and electrochemical storage device is developed by integrating regenerative silicon solar cells and 9,10-anthraquinone-2,7-disulfonic acid (AQDS)/1,2-benzoquinone-3,5-disulfonic acid (BQDS) RFBs. The device can be directly charged by solar light without external bias, and discharged like normal RFBs with an energy storage density of 1.15 Wh L−1 and a solar-to-output electricity efficiency (SOEE) of 1.7 % over many cycles. The concept exploits a previously undeveloped design connecting two major energy technologies and promises a general approach for storing solar energy electrochemically with high theoretical storage capacity and efficiency.

  14. Study and Elimination of the Interference of Aluminium on the Voltammetric Determination of Uranium with Chloranilic Acid. Application to the Determination of Uranium in Waters and Geological Samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fernandez, C.; Sanchez, M.; Ballesteros, O.; Fernandez, M.; Clavero, M. A.; Gonzalez, A. M.

    2000-01-01

    The interference of aluminium during the voltammetric determination of uranium with 2,5-dichloro-3,6-dihydroxy-1,4-benzoquinone (chloranilic acid) has been investigated. The presence of aluminium originates a voltammetric signal due to its chloranilic acid complex at the same potential range as the uranium analytical signal appears. The interference of aluminium can be overcome by addition of an appropriate amount of sodium fluoride as complexing reagent. The determination of uranium by adsorptive stripping voltammetry (AdSV) can be carried out at concentration levels as low as 1 μg/L in the presence of 100 μg/L aluminium after the addition of 100μL of 0.1 mol/L NaF. The method can be applied to the determination of uranium in aluminium-containing waters and geological samples containing high aluminium levels. (Author) 19 refs

  15. Stabilizing Pentacene By Cyclopentannulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bheemireddy, Sambasiva R; Ubaldo, Pamela C; Rose, Peter W; Finke, Aaron D; Zhuang, Junpeng; Wang, Lichang; Plunkett, Kyle N

    2015-12-21

    A new class of stabilized pentacene derivatives with externally fused five-membered rings are prepared by means of a key palladium-catalyzed cyclopentannulation step. The target compounds are synthesized by chemical manipulation of a partially saturated 6,13-dibromopentacene precursor that can be fully aromatized in a final step through a DDQ-mediated dehydrogenation reaction (DDQ=2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone). The new 1,2,8,9-tetraaryldicyclopenta[fg,qr]pentacene derivatives have narrow energy gaps of circa 1.2 eV and behave as strong electron acceptors with lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energies between -3.81 and -3.90 eV. Photodegradation studies reveal the new compounds are more photostable than 6,13-bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl)pentacene (TIPS-pentacene). © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  16. Studies on the Diels-Alder adduct from cyclopentadiene and p-benzoquinone: Biotransformation, enantiomeric excess and absolute configuration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Felipe Camargo Braga

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available The use of microorganisms or isolated enzymes in synthetic routes has been extensively used by industry and academic research. A great advantage of biotransformation in a synthetic route is highly regio- and enatiosselective control, which can be achieved through microbial catalyzed reaction. Biotransformation is one of the most efficient methods in a production of high purity optical compounds and development of efficient routes for target molecules. Biotransformation by Mucor ramosissimus of enedione 1 gave the keto-alcohol (--2 with enantiomeric excess (ee>99,9% (determined by 1H NMR with [(+-Eu(hfc]3 and their epimer (--3. Determination of the absolute configuration of epimer (--3 was accomplished by controlled reaction and measuring of optical rotation (scheme 1. The fungus M. ramosissimus is a promising species to perform desymmetrization of diketones with high enantioselectivity.

  17. Synthesis of nanostructured polyaniline

    Science.gov (United States)

    Surwade, Sumedh P.

    The organization of my thesis is as follows: (a) Chapter III describes the synthesis of bulk quantities of polyaniline nanofibers in one step using a simple and versatile high ionic strength aqueous system (HCl/NaCl) that permits the use of pure H2O2 as a mild oxidant without any added metal or enzyme catalyst. Polyaniline nanofibers obtained are highly conducting, sigma˜1--5 S/cm, and spectroscopically similar to conventional polyaniline synthesized using stronger oxidants. The synthesis method is further extended to the synthesis of oligoanilines of controlled molecular weight, e.g., aniline tetramer, octamer, and hexadecamer. Microns long tetramer nanofibers are synthesized using this method. (b) Chapter IV describes the mechanism of nanofiber formation in polyaniline. It is proposed that the surfaces such as the walls of the reaction vessel and/or intentionally added surfaces play a dramatic role in the evolution of nanofibrillar morphology. Nucleation sites on surfaces promote the accumulation of aniline dimer that reacts further to yield aniline tetramer, which (surprisingly) is entirely in form of nanofibers and whose morphology is transcribed to the bulk by a double heterogeneous nucleation mechanism. This unexpected phenomenon could form the basis of nanofiber formation in all classes of precipitation polymerization systems. (c) Chapter V is the mechanistic study on the formation of oligoanilines during the chemical oxidation of aniline in weakly acidic, neutral or basic media using peroxydisulfate oxidant. It is proposed that the reaction proceeds via the intermediacy of benzoquinone monoimine that is formed as a result of a Boyland-Sims rearrangement of aniline. The initial role of peroxydisulfate is to provide a pathway for the formation of benzoquinone monoimine intermediate that is followed by a conjugate Michael-type addition reaction with aniline or sulfated anilines. The products isolated in pH 2.5--10.0 buffers are intermediate species at various

  18. Simultaneous Activation of Iron- and Thiol-Based Sensor-Regulator Systems by Redox-Active Compounds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Kang-Lok; Yoo, Ji-Sun; Oh, Gyeong-Seok; Singh, Atul K; Roe, Jung-Hye

    2017-01-01

    Bacteria in natural habitats are exposed to myriad redox-active compounds (RACs), which include producers of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive electrophile species (RES) that alkylate or oxidize thiols. RACs can induce oxidative stress in cells and activate response pathways by modulating the activity of sensitive regulators. However, the effect of a certain compound on the cell has been investigated primarily with respect to a specific regulatory pathway. Since a single compound can exert multiple chemical effects in the cell, its effect can be better understood by time-course monitoring of multiple sensitive regulatory pathways that the compound induces. We investigated the effect of representative RACs by monitoring the activity of three sensor-regulators in the model actinobacterium Streptomyces coelicolor ; SoxR that senses reactive compounds directly through oxidation of its [2Fe-2S] cluster, CatR/PerR that senses peroxides through bound iron, and an anti-sigma factor RsrA that senses RES via disulfide formation. The time course and magnitude of induction of their target transcripts were monitored to predict the chemical activities of each compound in S. coelicolor . Phenazine methosulfate (PMS) was found to be an effective RAC that directly activated SoxR and an effective ROS-producer that induced CatR/PerR with little thiol-perturbing activity. p -Benzoquinone was an effective RAC that directly activated SoxR, with slower ROS-producing activity, and an effective RES that induced the RsrA-SigR system. Plumbagin was an effective RAC that activated SoxR, an effective ROS-producer, and a less agile but effective RES. Diamide was an RES that effectively formed disulfides and a weak RAC that activated SoxR. Monobromobimane was a moderately effective RES and a slow producer of ROS. Interestingly, benzoquinone induced the SigR system by forming adducts on cysteine thiols in RsrA, revealing a new pathway to modulate RsrA activity. Overall, this study showed

  19. Mesostructured Cu–Mn–Ce–O composites with homogeneous bulk composition for chlorobenzene removal: Catalytic performance and microactivation course

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    He, Chi, E-mail: chi_he@mail.xjtu.edu.cn [Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, School of Energy and Power Engineering, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China); Yu, Yanke [Key Lab of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021 (China); Shi, Jianwen [Center of Nanomaterials for Renewable Energy, State Key Laboratory of Electrical Insulation and Power Equipment, School of Electrical Engineering, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China); Shen, Qun [Research Center for Greenhouse Gases and Environmental Engineering, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210 (China); Chen, Jinsheng [Key Lab of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021 (China); Liu, Hongxia, E-mail: hxliu72@mail.xjtu.edu.cn [Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, School of Energy and Power Engineering, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China)

    2015-05-01

    Cu–Mn–Ce–O composites with enhanced surface area and developed mesoporosity were synthesized using a homogeneous coprecipitation (hcp) method, and were tested in the catalytic destruction of chlorobenzene (CB). X-ray diffraction (XRD), N{sub 2} adsorption/desorption, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), temperature programmed reduction (H{sub 2}-TPR), temperature programmed desorption of CB/O{sub 2} (CB/O{sub 2}-TPD), and diffuse reflectance ultraviolet visible spectroscopy (DRUV-Vis) were used to characterize the structure and textural properties of catalysts. Mn and Cu enter CeO{sub 2} matrix with a fluorite-like structure, and produce large amounts of oxygen vacancies. Addition of manganese promotes the formation of reduced copper phase, and the presence of large numbers of high valence Mn{sup 4+} ions strongly enhances the redox couple of Cu{sup +}–Cu{sup 2+} in the composites. Both the synthesis protocol and metal doping amount significantly affect the catalyst reducibility, surface state and oxygen density. Cu{sub 0.15}Mn{sub 0.15}Ce{sub 0.85}O{sub x} synthesized via the hcp method exhibits the highest catalytic activity with 90% of chlorobenzene destructed at 255 °C (CO{sub 2} selectivity > 99.5%). Enriched surface oxygen, excellent active oxygen mobility and CB adsorption ability guarantee the superior activity and stability of Cu–Mn–Ce–O composite catalysts. Nucleophilic and electrophilic substitutions happen in sequence during chlorobenzene destruction, and the adsorbed Cl can be finally removed in the form of Cl{sub 2} via the Deacon reaction. Furthermore, the incorporation of CuO and MnO{sub x} phases can inhibit the formation of organic byproducts, such as phenolates, maleates, and o-benzoquinone-type species, especially at elevated reaction temperatures. - Highlights: • Cu–Mn–Ce–O mesoporous oxides possess enhanced surface oxygen

  20. Emulsifier-free emulsion polymerization of tetrafluoroethylene by radiation. IV. Effects of additives on Polymer molecular weight

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Watanabe, T.; Suwa, T.; Okamoto, J.; Machi, S.

    1979-01-01

    Poly(tetrafluoroethylene)(PTFE) of high molecular weight, 4.5 x 10 7 , was incidentally obtained at earlier study of an emulsifier-free emulsion polymerization of tetrafluoroethylene by radiation. In order to clarify this phenomenon, the effects of additives, in particular radical scavengers, on the molecular weight of PTFE and its polymerization behavior were studied. It was found that the molecular weight of PTFE is increased by the addition of hydroquinone, benzoquinone, α-pinene, dl-limonene, and ethylenediamine but is decreased by oxygen and triethylamine. A PTFE latex with molecular weight higher than 2 x 10 7 was obtained in the presence of hydroquinone. It is concluded that additives such as hydroquinone and benzaquinone, which rapidly scavenge the primary radicals (OH, H, and e/sub aq/ - ) in the aqueous phase but not the growing polymer radicals in PTFE particles, are most effective in increasing the molecular weight

  1. Temperature dependence of positronium reactivities with charge transfer molecules in bilayer membranes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jean, Y.C.; Yu, C.; Wang, Y.Y.; Yeh, Y.Y.

    1984-01-01

    Rate constants for positronium atoms reacting chemically with charge-transfer molecules such as p-benzoquinone, nitrobenzene, and coenzyme Q-10 in a model bilayer membrane, dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC), have been measured at temperatures between 23 and 65 0 C. A strong variation of the positronium chemical reactivities, k/sub Ps/ was observed in these systems: k/sub Ps/ increases with increasing temperature until the pretransition temperature of the membrane reaches a maximum value near the main transition temperature and decreases at temperatures higher than the main transition temperature. This variation is interpreted in terms of fluidity and permeability changes associated with the phase transitions of membranes and in terms of charge-transfer-complex formation between the solubilized molecules and the polar head of the membrane. These results demonstrate that positronium and its annihilation characteristics can be employed to investigate charge transport phenomena and microstructural changes of real biological membranes

  2. Design of Amperometric Biosensors for the Detection of Glucose Prepared by Immobilization of Glucose Oxidase on Conducting (PolyThiophene Films

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria Pilo

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Enzyme-based sensors have emerged as important analytical tools with application in diverse fields, and biosensors for the detection of glucose using the enzyme glucose oxidase have been widely investigated. In this work, the preparation of biosensors by electrochemical polymerization of (polythiophenes, namely 2,2′-bithiophene (2,2′-BT and 4,4′-bis(2-methyl-3-butyn-2-ol-2,2′-bithiophene (4,4′-bBT, followed by immobilization of glucose oxidase on the films, is described. N-cyclohexyl-N′-(2-morpholinoethylcarbodiimide metho-p-toluenesulfonate (CMC was used as a condensing agent, and p-benzoquinone (BQ was used as a redox mediator in solution. The glucose oxidase electrodes with films of 2,2′-BT and 4,4′-bBT were then tested for their ability in detecting glucose from synthetic and real samples (pear, apricot, and peach fruit juices.

  3. Multicolor Fluorescence Writing Based on Host-Guest Interactions and Force-Induced Fluorescence-Color Memory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matsunaga, Yuki; Yang, Jye-Shane

    2015-06-26

    A new strategy is reported for multicolor fluorescence writing on thin solid films with mechanical forces. This concept is illustrated by the use of a green-fluorescent pentiptycene derivative 1, which forms variably colored fluorescent exciplexes: a change from yellow to red was observed with anilines, and fluorescence quenching (a change to black) occurred in the presence of benzoquinone. Mechanical forces, such as grinding and shearing, induced a crystalline-to-amorphous phase transition in both the pristine and guest-adsorbed solids that led to a change in the fluorescence color (mechanofluorochromism) and a memory of the resulting color. Fluorescence drawings of five or more colors were created on glass or paper and could be readily erased by exposure to air and dichloromethane fumes. The structural and mechanistic aspects of the observations are also discussed. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  4. Functionalized Nanostructures: Redox-Active Porphyrin Anchors for Supramolecular DNA Assemblies

    KAUST Repository

    Börjesson, Karl

    2010-09-28

    We have synthesized and studied a supramolecular system comprising a 39-mer DNA with porphyrin-modified thymidine nucleosides anchored to the surface of large unilamellar vesicles (liposomes). Liposome porphyrin binding characteristics, such as orientation, strength, homogeneity, and binding site size, was determined, suggesting that the porphyrin is well suited as a photophysical and redox-active lipid anchor, in comparison to the inert cholesterol anchor commonly used today. Furthermore, the binding characteristics and hybridization capabilities were studied as a function of anchor size and number of anchoring points, properties that are of importance for our future plans to use the addressability of these redox-active nodes in larger DNA-based nanoconstructs. Electron transfer from photoexcited porphyrin to a lipophilic benzoquinone residing in the lipid membrane was characterized by steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence and verified by femtosecond transient absorption. © 2010 American Chemical Society.

  5. Tetra- and octa-[4-(2-hydroxyethyl)phenoxy bearing novel metal-free and zinc(II) phthalocyanines: Synthesis, characterization and investigation of photophysicochemical properties

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Köksoy, Baybars [Marmara University, Department of Chemistry, 34722 Kadıköy, Istanbul (Turkey); Durmuş, Mahmut [Gebze Technical University, Department of Chemistry, 41400 Gebze, Kocaeli (Turkey); Bulut, Mustafa, E-mail: mbulut@marmara.edu.tr [Marmara University, Department of Chemistry, 34722 Kadıköy, Istanbul (Turkey)

    2015-05-15

    In this study, four novel phthalonitriles (1–4) and their corresponding metal-free (5–8) and zinc(II) phthalocyanine derivatives (9–12) bearing 4-(hydroxyethyl)phenoxy groups were synthesized. These novel compounds were characterized by IR, elemental analyses, {sup 1}H-NMR, UV–vis, and MALDI-TOF spectral data. Furthermore, photophysical (fluorescence quantum yields and lifetimes) and photochemical properties (singlet oxygen generation and photodegradation quantum yields) of these phthalocyanines were investigated in dimethylsulfoxide. The studied zinc(II) phthalocyanines generated highly singlet oxygen which is very important for the photodynamic therapy (PDT) of cancer. The fluorescence quenching behaviour of the newly synthesized phthalocyanine compounds were also investigated using 1,4-benzoquinone. - Highlights: • Octa and tetra 4-(hydroxyethyl)phenoxy substituted metal-free and zinc(II) phthalocyanines. • Study of photophysicochemical properties of eight new phthalocyanines. • Highly singlet oxygen generation for novel zinc(II) phthalocyanine photosensitizers.

  6. Photophysical, Photochemical, and BQ Quenching Properties of Zinc Phthalocyanines with Fused or Interrupted Extended Conjugation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gülşah Gümrükçü

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The effects of substituents and solvents on the photophysical and photochemical parameters of zinc(II phthalocyanines containing four Schiff’s base substituents attached directly and through phenyleneoxy-bridges on peripheral positions are reported. The group effects on peripheral position and the continual and intermittent conjugation of the phthalocyanine molecules on the photophysical and photochemical properties are also investigated. General trends are described for photodegradation, singlet oxygen, and fluorescence quantum yields of these compounds in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO, dimethylformamide (DMF, and tetrahydrofurane (THF. Among the different substituents, phthalocyanines with cinnamaldimine moieties (1c and 2c have the highest singlet oxygen quantum yields (ΦΔ and those with nitro groups (1a and 2a have the highest fluorescence quantum yields in all the solvents used. The fluorescence of the substituted zinc(II phthalocyanine complexes is effectively quenched by 1,4-benzoquinone (BQ in these solvents.

  7. Radiolytic and electron-transfer reactions in supercritical CO2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bartels, D. M.; Dimitrijevic, N. M.; Jonah, C. D.; Takahashi, K.

    2000-01-01

    Using supercritical fluids as solvents is useful for both practical and theoretical reasons. It has been proposed to use supercritical CO 2 as a solvent for synthesis because it eliminates the air pollution arising from other solvents. The properties of supercritical fluids can be easily varied with only modest changes in temperature and density, so they provide a way of testing theories of chemical reactions. It has also been proposed to use supercritical fluids for the treatment of hazardous mixed waste. For these reasons the authors have studied the production of radiolytic species in supercritical CO 2 and have measured their reactivity as a function of density. They have shown that the C 2 O 4 + is formed. They also have shown that the electron transfer reactions of dimethylaniline to C 2 O 4 + and CO 2 (e - ) to benzoquinone are diffusion controlled over a considerable density range

  8. Integrated Photoelectrochemical Solar Energy Conversion and Organic Redox Flow Battery Devices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Wenjie; Fu, Hui-Chun; Li, Linsen; Cabán-Acevedo, Miguel; He, Jr-Hau; Jin, Song

    2016-10-10

    Building on regenerative photoelectrochemical solar cells and emerging electrochemical redox flow batteries (RFBs), more efficient, scalable, compact, and cost-effective hybrid energy conversion and storage devices could be realized. An integrated photoelectrochemical solar energy conversion and electrochemical storage device is developed by integrating regenerative silicon solar cells and 9,10-anthraquinone-2,7-disulfonic acid (AQDS)/1,2-benzoquinone-3,5-disulfonic acid (BQDS) RFBs. The device can be directly charged by solar light without external bias, and discharged like normal RFBs with an energy storage density of 1.15 Wh L -1 and a solar-to-output electricity efficiency (SOEE) of 1.7 % over many cycles. The concept exploits a previously undeveloped design connecting two major energy technologies and promises a general approach for storing solar energy electrochemically with high theoretical storage capacity and efficiency. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  9. Total assignment of 1 H and 13 C NMR of Cordiachrome C, a terpenoid benzoquinone from Cordia trichotoma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alencar, Jane Eire; Pessoa, Otilia Deusdenia Loiola; Lemos, Tlema Leda Gomes de; Silveira, Edilberto Rocha; Braz Filho, Raimundo

    1999-01-01

    1 D and 2 D NMR techniques were applied for establishing of the complete assignment of hydrogen and carbon-13 NMR of cordiachrome C. Th results were also used to confirm 1 H NMR data already published, as well as to define the relative stereochemistry, which has not been completely established for cordiachrome C, previously isolated from C. millenii

  10. Bursting in the Belousov-Zhabotinsky Reaction added with Phenol in a Batch Reactor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cadena, Ariel; Agreda, Jesus, E-mail: jaagredab@unal.edu.co [Departamento de Quimica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogota (Colombia); Barragan, Daniel [Escuela de Quimica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Medellin (Colombia)

    2013-12-01

    The classic Belousov-Zhabotinski reaction was modified by adding phenol as a second organic substrate that kinetically competes with the malonic acid in the reduction of Ce{sup 4+} to Ce{sup 3+} and in the removal of molecular bromine of the reaction mixture. The oscillating reaction of two substrates exhibited burst firing and an oscillatory period of long duration. Analysis of experimental data shows an increasing of the bursting phenomenon, with a greater spiking in the burst firing and with a longer quiescent state, as a function of the initial phenol concentration increase. It was hypothesized that the bursting phenomenon can be explained introducing a redox cycle between the reduced phenolic species (hydroxyphenols) and the oxidized ones (quinones). The hypothesis was experimentally and numerically tested and from the results it is possible to conclude that the bursting phenomenon exhibited by the oscillating reaction of two substrates is mainly driven by a p-di-hydroxy-benzene/p-benzoquinone redox cycle (author)

  11. Polypyrrole–gold nanoparticle composites for highly sensitive DNA detection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Spain, Elaine; Keyes, Tia E.; Forster, Robert J.

    2013-01-01

    DNA capture surfaces represent a powerful approach to developing highly sensitive sensors for identifying the cause of infection. Electrochemically deposited polypyrrole, PPy, films have been functionalized with electrodeposited gold nanoparticles to give a nanocomposite material, PPy–AuNP. Thiolated capture strand DNA, that is complementary to the sequence from the pathogen Staphylococcus aureus that causes mammary gland inflammation, was then immobilized onto the gold nanoparticles and any of the underlying gold electrode that is exposed. A probe strand, labelled with horse radish peroxidase, HRP, was then hybridized to the target. The concentration of the target was determined by measuring the current generated by reducing benzoquinone produced by the HRP label. Semi-log plots of the pathogen DNA concentration vs. faradaic current are linear from 150 pM to 1 μM and pM concentrations can be detected without the need for molecular, e.g., PCR or NASBA, amplification. The nanocomposite also exhibits excellent selectivity and single base mismatches in a 30 mer sequence can be detected

  12. Photocatalytic degradation of paracetamol: intermediates and total reaction mechanism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moctezuma, Edgar; Leyva, Elisa; Aguilar, Claudia A; Luna, Raúl A; Montalvo, Carlos

    2012-12-01

    The advanced oxidation of paracetamol (PAM) promoted by TiO(2)/UV system in aqueous medium was investigated. Monitoring this reaction by HPLC and TOC, it was demonstrated that while oxidation of paracetamol is quite efficient under these conditions, its mineralization is not complete. HPLC indicated the formation of hydroquinone, benzoquinone, p-aminophenol and p-nitrophenol in the reaction mixtures. Further evidence of p-nitrophenol formation was obtained following the reaction by UV-vis spectroscopy. Continuous monitoring by IR spectroscopy demonstrated the breaking of the aromatic amide present in PAM and subsequent formation of several aromatic intermediate compounds such as p-aminophenol and p-nitrophenol. These aromatic compounds were eventually converted into trans-unsaturated carboxylic acids. Based on these experimental results, an alternative deacylation mechanism for the photocatalytic oxidation of paracetamol is proposed. Our studies also demonstrated IR spectroscopy to be a useful technique to investigate oxidative mechanisms of pharmaceutical compounds. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Glucose Oxidase Biosensor Modeling and Predictors Optimization by Machine Learning Methods

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Felix F. Gonzalez-Navarro

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Biosensors are small analytical devices incorporating a biological recognition element and a physico-chemical transducer to convert a biological signal into an electrical reading. Nowadays, their technological appeal resides in their fast performance, high sensitivity and continuous measuring capabilities; however, a full understanding is still under research. This paper aims to contribute to this growing field of biotechnology, with a focus on Glucose-Oxidase Biosensor (GOB modeling through statistical learning methods from a regression perspective. We model the amperometric response of a GOB with dependent variables under different conditions, such as temperature, benzoquinone, pH and glucose concentrations, by means of several machine learning algorithms. Since the sensitivity of a GOB response is strongly related to these dependent variables, their interactions should be optimized to maximize the output signal, for which a genetic algorithm and simulated annealing are used. We report a model that shows a good generalization error and is consistent with the optimization.

  14. An amperometric enzyme biosensor for real-time measurements of cellobiohydrolase activity on insoluble cellulose

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Cruys-Bagger, Nicolaj; Guilin, Ren; Tatsumi, Hirosuke

    2012-01-01

    An amperometric enzyme biosensor for continuous detection of cellobiose has been implemented as an enzyme assay for cellulases. We show that the initial kinetics for cellobiohydrolase I, Cel7A from Trichoderma reesei, acting on different types of cellulose substrates, semi-crystalline and amorphous......, can be monitored directly and in real-time by an enzyme-modified electrode based on cellobiose dehydrogenase (CDH) from Phanerochaete chrysosporium (Pc). PcCDH was cross-linked and immobilized on the surface of a carbon paste electrode which contained a mediator, benzoquinone. An oxidation current...... of the reduced mediator, hydroquinone, produced by the CDH-catalyzed reaction with cellobiose, was recorded under constant-potential amperometry at +0.5 V (vs. Ag/AgCl). The CDH-biosensors showed high sensitivity (87.7 µA mM−1 cm−2), low detection limit (25 nM), and fast response time (t95% ∼ 3 s...

  15. Glucose Oxidase Biosensor Modeling and Predictors Optimization by Machine Learning Methods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gonzalez-Navarro, Felix F; Stilianova-Stoytcheva, Margarita; Renteria-Gutierrez, Livier; Belanche-Muñoz, Lluís A; Flores-Rios, Brenda L; Ibarra-Esquer, Jorge E

    2016-10-26

    Biosensors are small analytical devices incorporating a biological recognition element and a physico-chemical transducer to convert a biological signal into an electrical reading. Nowadays, their technological appeal resides in their fast performance, high sensitivity and continuous measuring capabilities; however, a full understanding is still under research. This paper aims to contribute to this growing field of biotechnology, with a focus on Glucose-Oxidase Biosensor (GOB) modeling through statistical learning methods from a regression perspective. We model the amperometric response of a GOB with dependent variables under different conditions, such as temperature, benzoquinone, pH and glucose concentrations, by means of several machine learning algorithms. Since the sensitivity of a GOB response is strongly related to these dependent variables, their interactions should be optimized to maximize the output signal, for which a genetic algorithm and simulated annealing are used. We report a model that shows a good generalization error and is consistent with the optimization.

  16. Study of photo-activated electron transfer reactions in the first excited singlet state by picosecond and nanosecond laser spectroscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Doizi, Denis

    1983-01-01

    Picosecond laser spectroscopy has been used to study two photo-activated electron transfer reactions: - a bimolecular electron transfer reaction between a sensitizer, DODCI, and an electron acceptor, methylviologen. The two radical ions created with an electron transfer efficiency γ ≅ 0.07 have been identified in picosecond and nanosecond laser absorption spectroscopy by adding selective solutes such as para-benzoquinone (an electron acceptor) or L(+) ascorbic acid (an electron donor). - an intramolecular electron transfer reaction in a triad molecule consisting of a tetra-aryl-porphyrin covalently linked to both a carotenoid and a quinone. The photoinduced charge separation occurs within 30 ps and leads, with a yield of 25 pc, to the formation of a zwitterion whose half-life is 2.5 μs. The experimental results obtained in these two studies show an effective decrease in the recombination rate of the two radical ions created in the encounter pair. (author) [fr

  17. Chemical Bonding and Structural Information of Black CarbonReference Materials and Individual Carbonaceous AtmosphericAerosols

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hopkins, Rebecca J.; Tivanski, Alexei V.; Marten, Bryan D.; Gilles, Mary K.

    2007-04-25

    The carbon-to-oxygen ratios and graphitic nature of a rangeof black carbon standard reference materials (BC SRMs), high molecularmass humic-like substances (HULIS) and atmospheric particles are examinedusing scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM) coupled with nearedge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy. UsingSTXM/NEXAFS, individual particles with diameter>100 nm are studied,thus the diversity of atmospheric particles collected during a variety offield missions is assessed. Applying a semi-quantitative peak fittingmethod to the NEXAFS spectra enables a comparison of BC SRMs and HULIS toparticles originating from anthropogenic combustion and biomass burns,thus allowing determination of the suitability of these materials forrepresenting atmospheric particles. Anthropogenic combustion and biomassburn particles can be distinguished from one another using both chemicalbonding and structural ordering information. While anthropogeniccombustion particles are characterized by a high proportion ofaromatic-C, the presence of benzoquinone and are highly structurallyordered, biomass burn particles exhibit lower structural ordering, asmaller proportion of aromatic-C and contain a much higher proportion ofoxygenated functional groups.

  18. Measuring protection of aromatic wine thiols from oxidation by competitive reactions vs wine preservatives with ortho-quinones.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nikolantonaki, Maria; Magiatis, Prokopios; Waterhouse, Andrew L

    2014-11-15

    Quinones are central intermediates in wine oxidation that can degrade the quality of wine by reactions with varietal thiols, such as 3-sulfanylhexanol, decreasing desirable aroma. Protection by wine preservatives (sulphur dioxide, glutathione, ascorbic acid and model tannin, phloroglucinol) was assessed by competitive sacrificial reactions with 4-methyl-1,2-benzoquinone, quantifying products and ratios by HPLC-UV-MS. Regioselectivity was assessed by product isolation and identification by NMR spectroscopy. Nucleophilic addition reactions compete with two electron reduction of quinones by sulphur dioxide or ascorbic acid, and both routes serve as effective quenching pathways, but minor secondary products from coupled redox reactions between the products and reactants are also observed. The wine preservatives were all highly reactive and thus all very protective against 3-sulfanylhexanol loss to the quinone, but showed only additive antioxidant effects. Confirmation of these reaction rates and pathways in wine is needed to assess the actual protective action of each tested preservative. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Chemical constituents from Chirita longgangensis var. hongyao with inhibitory activity against porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome virus

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Su, Yao; Wang, Yue-Hu; Tan, Ying; Yang, Jun; Liu, Hong-Xin; Gu, Wei; Long, Chun-Lin, E-mail: long@mail.kib.ac.cn [Key Laboratory of Economic Plants and Biotechnology, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences (China); Bi, Jun-Long; Yin, Ge-Fen, E-mail: yingefen383@sohu.com [College of Animal Science and Technology, Yunnan Agricultural University (China)

    2012-10-15

    Two new quinonoids chiritalone A and B, and a new neolignan 7'E-4,9-dihydroxy- 3,3',5'-trimethoxy-8,4'-oxyneolign-7'-en-9'-al, along with known (-)-8-hydroxy-{alpha}-dunnione, digiferruginol, 2,5-dimethoxy-1,4-benzoquinone and hederagenin, were isolated from the stems of Chirita longgangensis var. hongyao. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated by detailed analysis from NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) and MS (mass spectrometry) data, and the absolute configuration of chiritalone A was determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis using the Flack parameter. The inhibitory activity of compounds against porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome virus (PRRSV) was measured by the cytopathic effect (CPE) method. Digiferruginol and hederagenin showed weak effect on PRRSV with an IC{sub 50} value of 80.5 {+-} 16.9 {mu}mol L{sup -1} (SI = 19.9) and 43.2 {+-} 7.4 {mu}mol L{sup -1} (SI = 13.1), respectively. (author)

  20. Recent results for electron scattering from biomolecules and molecules formed due to plasma treatment of biomass

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brunger, Michael

    2016-09-01

    We have been concentrating our recent experimental studies, for determining absolute cross sections, on both biomolecules (e.g. pyrimidine and benzoquinone) and molecules that result when biomass undergoes treatment by plasmas (e.g. phenol and furfural). All this work was supported and informed by computations from the Brazilian SMC groups and the Madrid IAM-SCAR group. A major rationale for these investigations was to provide cross section data for relevant modelling studies, and in this talk I will also present some results from those modelling studies. Possible further investigations will be canvassed in this presentation. Work done in conjunction with: D. B. Jones, L. Campbell, R. D. White, S. J. Buckman, M. A. P. Lima, M. C. A. Lopes, M. H. F. Bettega, M. T. do N. Varella, R. F. da Costa, G. García, P. Limão-Vieira, D. H. Madison, O. Ingólfsson and many other friends and colleagues.

  1. Effect of carbonyl group on the lifetimes of pentafluoroacetophenone and pentafluorobenzaldehyde radical anions in aqueous solution: a pulse radiolysis study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shoute, L.C.T.

    1996-01-01

    Hydrated electrons react with pentafluoroacetophenone (PFA) to form radical anion. Evidence for the formation of the radical anion was obtained from observation of intermolecular electron transfer from PFA .- to p-benzoquinone (Q) and methyl viologen (MV 2+ ) to form Q .- and MV .+ . The radical anion lose fluoride with a rate constant of 5x10 4 s -1 . The radical anion has a pK a =7.5. Radical anion of pentafluorobenzaldehyde (PFB) was observed on reduction PFB with hydrated electron. It has a pK a =7.2. It loses fluoride with a rate constant of 1.2x10 5 s -1 . The studies show that substitution of a carbonyl group in the aromatic ring of a perfluorinated compound led to dramatic increase in the lifetime of the radical anion formed on electron addition due to decrease in the rate of fluoride elimination. This led to the possibility of observing their reactions with other solute present in the solution. (author). 6 refs., 1 tab

  2. Analysis of organic pollutant degradation in pulsed plasma by coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bratescu, Maria Antoneta; Hieda, Junko; Umemura, Tomonari; Saito, Nagahiro; Takai, Osamu

    2011-01-01

    The degradation of p-benzoquinone (p-BQ) in water was investigated by the coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy (CARS) method, in which the change of the anti-Stokes signal intensity corresponding to the vibrational transitions of the molecule is monitored during and after solution plasma processing (SPP). In the beginning of SPP treatment, the CARS signal intensity of the ring vibrational molecular transitions at 1233 and 1660 cm -1 increases under the influence of the electric field of the plasma, depending on the delay time between the plasma pulse and the laser firing pulse. At the same time, the plasma contributes to the degradation of p-BQ molecules by generating hydrogen and hydroxyl radicals, which decompose p-BQ into different carboxylic acids. After SPP, the CARS signal intensity of the vibrational bands of p-BQ ceased and the degradation of p-BQ was confirmed by UV-visible absorption spectroscopy and liquid chromatography analysis.

  3. Spectrofluorimetric determination of gemifloxacin mesylate and linezolid in pharmaceutical formulations: Application of quinone-based fluorophores and enhanced native fluorescence

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Moussa Bahia Abbas

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Quinone-based fluorophores and enhanced native fluorescence techniques were applied for a fast quantitative analysis of gemifloxacin mesylate (GEM and linezolid (LIN in pharmaceutical formulations. For this purpose, three sensitive, accurate and precise spectrofluorimetric methods were developed. GEM, as an n-electron donor, reacts with 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (method A and 2,5-dichloro-3,6-dihydroxy-p-benzoquinone (method B as п-electron acceptors, forming charge transfer complexes that exhibit high fluorescence intensity at 441 and 390 nm upon excitation at 260 and 339 nm, respectively. Method C depends on measurement of enhanced native fluorescence of LIN in phosphate buffer (pH 5 at 380 nm upon excitation at 260 nm. Experimental factors affecting fluorescence intensity were optimized. Linearity was obtained over concentration ranges 50-500, 10-60 and 20-400 ng mL-1 for methods A, B and C, respectively. The developed methods were validated and successfully applied for determination of the cited drugs in tablets.

  4. Synthesis of 19-substituted geldanamycins with altered conformations and their binding to heat shock protein Hsp90

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kitson, Russell R. A.; Chang, Chuan-Hsin; Xiong, Rui; Williams, Huw E. L.; Davis, Adrienne L.; Lewis, William; Dehn, Donna L.; Siegel, David; Roe, S. Mark; Prodromou, Chrisostomos; Ross, David; Moody, Christopher J.

    2013-01-01

    The benzoquinone ansamycin geldanamycin and its derivatives are inhibitors of heat shock protein Hsp90, an emerging target for novel therapeutic agents both in cancer and in neurodegeneration. However, toxicity of these compounds to normal cells has been ascribed to reaction with thiol nucleophiles at the quinone 19-position. We reasoned that blocking this position would ameliorate toxicity, and that it might also enforce a favourable conformational switch of the trans-amide group into the cis-form required for protein binding. We report here an efficient synthesis of such 19-substituted compounds and realization of our hypotheses. Protein crystallography established that the new compounds bind to Hsp90 with, as expected, a cis-amide conformation. Studies on Hsp90 inhibition in cells demonstrated the molecular signature of Hsp90 inhibitors: decreases in client proteins with compensatory increases in other heat shock proteins in both human breast cancer and dopaminergic neural cells, demonstrating their potential for use in the therapy of cancer or neurodegenerative diseases. PMID:23511419

  5. Photoelectrochemical processes in organic semiconductor: Ambipolar perylene diimide thin film

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Jung Yong; Chung, In Jae

    2018-03-01

    A thin film of N,N‧-dioctadecyl-3,4,9,10-perylene tetracarboxylic diimide (PTCDI-C18) is spin-coated on indium tin oxide (ITO) glass. Using the PTCDI-C18/ITO electrode, we fabricate a photoelectrochemical cell with the ITO/PTCDI-C18/Redox Electrolyte/Pt configuration. The electrochemical properties of this device are investigated as a function of hydroquinone (HQ) concentration, bias voltage, and wavelength of light. Anodic photocurrent is observed at V ≥ -0.2 V vs. Ag/AgCl, indicating that the PTCDI-C18 film acts as an n-type semiconductor as usual. However, when benzoquinone (BQ) is inserted into the electrolyte system instead of HQ, cathodic photocurrent is observed at V ≤ 0.0 V, displaying that PTCDI-C18 abnormally serves as a p-type semiconductor. Hence the overall results reveal that the PTCDI-C18 film can be an ambipolar functional semiconductor depending on the redox couple in the appropriate voltage.

  6. Palladium Catalyzed Allylic C-H Alkylation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Engelin, Casper Junker; Fristrup, Peter

    2011-01-01

    are highlighted with emphasis on those leading to C-C bond formation, but where it was deemed necessary for the general understanding of the process closely related C-H oxidations and aminations are also included. It is found that C-H cleavage is most likely achieved by ligand participation which could involve......-H alkylation reaction which is the topic of the current review. Particular emphasis is put on current mechanistic proposals for the three reaction types comprising the overall transformation: C-H activation, nucleophillic addition, and re-oxidation of the active catalyst. Recent advances in C-H bond activation...... an acetate ion coordinated to Pd. Several of the reported systems rely on benzoquinone for re-oxidation of the active catalyst. The scope for nucleophilic addition in allylic C-H alkylation is currently limited, due to demands on pKa of the nucleophile. This limitation could be due to the pH dependence...

  7. Chemical constituents from Chirita longgangensis var. hongyao with inhibitory activity against porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome virus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Su, Yao; Wang, Yue-Hu; Tan, Ying; Yang, Jun; Liu, Hong-Xin; Gu, Wei; Long, Chun-Lin; Bi, Jun-Long; Yin, Ge-Fen

    2012-01-01

    Two new quinonoids chiritalone A and B, and a new neolignan 7'E-4,9-dihydroxy- 3,3',5'-trimethoxy-8,4'-oxyneolign-7'-en-9'-al, along with known (-)-8-hydroxy-α-dunnione, digiferruginol, 2,5-dimethoxy-1,4-benzoquinone and hederagenin, were isolated from the stems of Chirita longgangensis var. hongyao. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated by detailed analysis from NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) and MS (mass spectrometry) data, and the absolute configuration of chiritalone A was determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis using the Flack parameter. The inhibitory activity of compounds against porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome virus (PRRSV) was measured by the cytopathic effect (CPE) method. Digiferruginol and hederagenin showed weak effect on PRRSV with an IC 50 value of 80.5 ± 16.9 μmol L -1 (SI = 19.9) and 43.2 ± 7.4 μmol L -1 (SI = 13.1), respectively. (author)

  8. Charge transfer complex studies between some non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and π-electron acceptors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duymus, Hulya; Arslan, Mustafa; Kucukislamoglu, Mustafa; Zengin, Mustafa

    2006-12-01

    Charge transfer (CT) complexes of some non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, naproxen and etodolac which are electron donors with some π-acceptors, such as tetracyanoethylene (TCNE), 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano- p-benzoquinone (DDQ), p-chloranil ( p-CHL), have been investigated spectrophotometrically in chloroform at 21 °C. The coloured products are measured spectrophotometrically at different wavelength depending on the electronic transition between donors and acceptors. Beer's law is obeyed and colours were produced in non-aqueous media. All complexes were stable at least 2 h except for etodolac with DDQ stable for 5 min. The equilibrium constants of the CT complexes were determined by the Benesi-Hildebrand equation. The thermodynamic parameters Δ H, Δ S, Δ G° were calculated by Van't Hoff equation. Stochiometries of the complexes formed between donors and acceptors were defined by the Job's method of the continuous variation and found in 1:1 complexation with donor and acceptor at the maximum absorption bands in all cases.

  9. Interaction of aromatic amines with iron oxides: implications for prebiotic chemistry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shanker, Uma; Singh, Gurinder; Kamaluddin

    2013-06-01

    The interaction of aromatic amines (aniline, p-chloroaniline, p-toludine and p-anisidine) with iron oxides (goethite, akaganeite and hematite) has been studied. Maximum uptake of amines was observed around pH 7. The adsorption data obtained at neutral pH were found to follow Langmuir adsorption. Anisidine was found to be a better adsorbate probably due to its higher basicity. In alkaline medium (pH > 8), amines reacted on goethite and akaganeite to give colored products. Analysis of the products by GC-MS showed benzoquinone and azobenzene as the reaction products of aniline while p-anisidine afforded a dimer. IR analysis of the amine-iron oxide hydroxide adduct suggests that the surface acidity of iron oxide hydroxides is responsible for the interaction. The present study suggests that iron oxide hydroxides might have played a role in the stabilization of organic molecules through their surface activity and in prebiotic condensation reactions.

  10. Characterization of methyl parathion degradation by a Burkholderia zhejiangensis strain, CEIB S4-3, isolated from agricultural soils.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Popoca-Ursino, Elida C; Martínez-Ocampo, Fernando; Dantán-González, Edgar; Sánchez-Salinas, Enrique; Ortiz-Hernández, Ma Laura

    2017-12-01

    Through the use of an enrichment technique, we isolated from the agricultural soils of Morelos in central México a strain of Burkholderia zhejiangensis identified as CEIB S4-3, it's could use the pesticide methyl parathion (MP) as the only source of carbon and degrade completely p-nitrophenol (PNP). For more efficient MP and PNP degradation by the CEIB S4-3 strain, the absence of an extra carbon source, a large inoculum and an MP concentration up to 50 mg/l are required. Sequence and annotation analysis of the draft genome, showed presence of mpd functional gene, which was expressed and its activity on the MP was confirmed. Additionally, the genes coding for enzymes in the benzoquinone pathway (conducted by Gram-negative bacteria) and the benzenotriol pathway (conducted by Gram-positive bacteria) were found, which was corroborated by identification of intermediary metabolites by HPLC. Thus, we propose that B. zhejiangensis CEIB S4-3 uses both degradation pathways.

  11. Bursting in the Belousov-Zhabotinsky Reaction added with Phenol in a Batch Reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cadena, Ariel; Agreda, Jesus; Barragan, Daniel

    2013-01-01

    The classic Belousov-Zhabotinski reaction was modified by adding phenol as a second organic substrate that kinetically competes with the malonic acid in the reduction of Ce 4+ to Ce 3+ and in the removal of molecular bromine of the reaction mixture. The oscillating reaction of two substrates exhibited burst firing and an oscillatory period of long duration. Analysis of experimental data shows an increasing of the bursting phenomenon, with a greater spiking in the burst firing and with a longer quiescent state, as a function of the initial phenol concentration increase. It was hypothesized that the bursting phenomenon can be explained introducing a redox cycle between the reduced phenolic species (hydroxyphenols) and the oxidized ones (quinones). The hypothesis was experimentally and numerically tested and from the results it is possible to conclude that the bursting phenomenon exhibited by the oscillating reaction of two substrates is mainly driven by a p-di-hydroxy-benzene/p-benzoquinone redox cycle (author)

  12. Oxidative degradation of triclosan by potassium permanganate: Kinetics, degradation products, reaction mechanism, and toxicity evaluation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Jing; Qu, Ruijuan; Pan, Xiaoxue; Wang, Zunyao

    2016-10-15

    In this study, we systematically investigated the potential applicability of potassium permanganate for removal of triclosan (TCS) in water treatment. A series of kinetic experiments were carried out to study the influence of various factors, including the pH, oxidant doses, temperature, and presence of typical anions (Cl(-), SO4(2-), NO3(-)), humic acid (HA), and fulvic acid (FA) on triclosan removal. The optimal reaction conditions were: pH = 8.0, [TCS]0:[KMnO4]0 = 1:2.5, and T = 25 °C, where 20 mg/L of TCS could be completely degraded in 120 s. However, the rate of TCS (20 μg/L) oxidation by KMnO4 ([TCS]0:[KMnO4]0 = 1:2.5) was 1.64 × 10(-3) mg L(-1)·h(-1), lower than that at an initial concentration of 20 mg/L (2.24 × 10(3) mg L(-1)·h(-1)). A total of eleven products were detected by liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (LC-Q-TOF-MS) analysis, including phenol and its derivatives, benzoquinone, an organic acid, and aldehyde. Two main reaction pathways involving CO bond cleavage (-C(8)O(7)-) and benzene ring opening (in the less chlorinated benzene ring) were proposed, and were further confirmed based on frontier electron density calculations and point charges. Furthermore, the changes in the toxicity of the reaction solution during TCS oxidation by KMnO4 were evaluated by using both the luminescent bacteria Photobacterium phosphoreum and the water flea Daphnia magna. The toxicity of 20 mg/L triclosan to D. magna and P. phosphoreum after 60 min was reduced by 95.2% and 43.0%, respectively. Phenol and 1,4-benzoquinone, the two representative degradation products formed during permanganate oxidation, would yield low concentrations of DBPs (STHMFP, 20.99-278.97 μg/mg; SHAAFP, 7.86 × 10(-4)-45.77 μg/mg) after chlorination and chloramination. Overall, KMnO4 can be used as an effective oxidizing agent for TCS removal in water and wastewater treatment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Plasmid DNA linearization in the antibacterial action of a new fluorescent Ag nanoparticle-paracetamol dimer composite

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sahoo, Amaresh Kumar; Sk, Md Palashuddin; Ghosh, Siddhartha Sankar; Chattopadhyay, Arun

    2011-10-01

    Herein, we report the generation of a composite comprised of p-hydroxyacetanilide dimer and Ag nanoparticles (NPs) by reaction of AgNO3 and p-hydroxyacetanilide. The formation of the composite was established by UV-vis, FTIR and NMR spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction along with substantiation by mass spectrometry. Interestingly, the composite exhibited an emission spectrum with a peak at 435 nm when excited by light of wavelength 320 nm. The composite showed superior antimicrobial activity with respect to its individual components against a wide range of Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria at relatively low concentrations of Ag NPs and at which there was no apparent cytotoxicity against mammalian cells. Our results suggest that the composite strongly interacted with the bacterial cell walls leading to cell bursting. Interestingly, enhancement in the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in bacteria was observed in the presence of the composite. It is proposed that the ROS generation led to oxidation of the dimer to N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine (NAPQI). The generated NAPQI acted as a DNA gyrase inhibitor causing cell death following linearization of DNA.Herein, we report the generation of a composite comprised of p-hydroxyacetanilide dimer and Ag nanoparticles (NPs) by reaction of AgNO3 and p-hydroxyacetanilide. The formation of the composite was established by UV-vis, FTIR and NMR spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction along with substantiation by mass spectrometry. Interestingly, the composite exhibited an emission spectrum with a peak at 435 nm when excited by light of wavelength 320 nm. The composite showed superior antimicrobial activity with respect to its individual components against a wide range of Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria at relatively low concentrations of Ag NPs and at which there was no apparent cytotoxicity against mammalian cells. Our results suggest that the

  14. Surface–active bismuth ferrite as superior peroxymonosulfate activator for aqueous sulfamethoxazole removal: Performance, mechanism and quantification of sulfate radical

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Oh, Wen-Da, E-mail: wdoh@ntu.edu.sg [Nanyang Environment and Water Research Institute (NEWRI), Nanyang Technological University, 1 Cleantech Loop, CleanTech One, Singapore 637141 (Singapore); Division of Environmental and Water Resources Engineering, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 639798 (Singapore); Dong, Zhili [Nanyang Environment and Water Research Institute (NEWRI), Nanyang Technological University, 1 Cleantech Loop, CleanTech One, Singapore 637141 (Singapore); School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 639798 (Singapore); Ronn, Goei [Nanyang Environment and Water Research Institute (NEWRI), Nanyang Technological University, 1 Cleantech Loop, CleanTech One, Singapore 637141 (Singapore); Lim, Teik-Thye, E-mail: cttlim@ntu.edu.sg [Nanyang Environment and Water Research Institute (NEWRI), Nanyang Technological University, 1 Cleantech Loop, CleanTech One, Singapore 637141 (Singapore); Division of Environmental and Water Resources Engineering, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 639798 (Singapore)

    2017-03-05

    Highlights: • Bi{sub 2}Fe{sub 4}O{sub 9} nanoplates (BF-nP) was synthesized via a hydrothermal method. • BF-nP was used as peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activator for sulfamethoxazole (SMX) removal. • The Fe{sup 3+}/Fe{sup 2+} and Bi{sup 3+}/Bi{sup 5+} couples are responsible for PMS activation. • The sulfate radical concentration was quantified through benzoquinone detection. - Abstract: A surface–active Bi{sub 2}Fe{sub 4}O{sub 9} nanoplates (BF–nP) was prepared using a facile hydrothermal protocol for sulfamethoxazole (SMX) removal via peroxymonosulfate (PMS). The catalytic activity of BF–nP was superior to other catalysts with the following order of performance: BF–nP > Bi{sub 2}Fe{sub 4}O{sub 9} (nanocubes) >> Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} > Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} (low temperature co–precipitation method) > Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} (hydrothermal method) ∼ Bi{sub 2}O{sub 3} ∼ Bi{sup 3+} ∼ Fe{sup 3+}. The empirical relationship of the apparent rate constant (k{sub app}), BF–nP loading and PMS dosage can be described as follows: k{sub app} = 0.69[BF–nP]{sup 0.6}[PMS]{sup 0.4} (R{sup 2} = 0.98). The GC–MS study suggests that the SMX degradation proceed mainly through electron transfer reaction. The XPS study reveals that the interconversion of Fe{sup 3+}/Fe{sup 2+} and Bi{sup 3+}/Bi{sup 5+} couples are responsible for the enhanced PMS activation. The radical scavenging study indicates that SO{sub 4}·{sup −} is the dominant reactive radical (>92% of the total SMX degradation). A method to quantify SO{sub 4}·{sup −} in the heterogeneous Bi{sub 2}Fe{sub 4}O{sub 9}/PMS systems based on the quantitation of benzoquinone, which is the degradation byproduct of p–hydroxybenzoic acid and SO{sub 4}·{sup −}, is proposed. It was found that at least 7.8 ± 0.1 μM of SO{sub 4}·{sup −} was generated from PMS during the BF–nP/PMS process (0.1 g L{sup −1}, 0.40 mM PMS, natural pH). The Bi{sub 2}Fe{sub 4}O{sub 9} nanoplates has a remarkable potential for use as a

  15. Electrochemical applications of CVD diamond

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pastor-Moreno, Gustavo

    2002-01-01

    Diamond technology has claimed an important role in industry since non-expensive methods of synthesis such as chemical vapour deposition allow to elaborate cheap polycrystalline diamond. This fact has increased the interest in the scientific community due to the outstanding properties of diamond. Since Pleskov published in 1987 the first paper in electrochemistry, many researchers around the world have studied different aspects of diamond electrochemistry such as reactivity, electrical structure, etc. As part of this worldwide interest these studies reveal new information about diamond electrodes. These studies report investigation of diamond electrodes characterized using structural techniques like scanning electrode microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. A new electrochemical theory based on surface states is presented that explains the metal and the semiconductor behaviour in terms of the doping level of the diamond electrode. In an effort to characterise the properties of diamond electrodes the band edges for hydrogen and oxygen terminated surface are located in organic solvent, hence avoiding possible interference that are present in aqueous solution. The determination of the band edges is performed by Mott-Schottky studies. These allow the calculation of the flat band potential and therefore the band edges. Additional cyclic voltammetric studies are presented for both types of surface termination. Mott-Schottky data and cyclic voltammograms are compared and explained in terms of the band edge localisation. Non-degenerately p-type semiconductor behaviour is presented for hydrogen terminated boron doped diamond. Graphitic surface states on oxidised surface boron doped diamond are responsible for the electrochemistry of redox couples that posses similar energy. Using the simple redox couple 1,4-benzoquinone effect of surface termination on the chemical behaviour of diamond is presented. Hydrogen sublayers in diamond electrodes seem to play an important role for the

  16. Anatase vs. rutile efficiency on the photocatalytic degradation of clofibric acid under near UV to visible irradiation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silva, Cláudia Gomes; Faria, Joaquim Luís

    2009-05-01

    Titanium dioxide (TiO(2)) powder, a semiconductor material typically used as a photocatalyst, is prepared following an acid-catalyzed sol-gel method starting from titanium isopropoxide. The xerogel calcination temperature is used to control surface and morphological properties of the material. Materials are extensively characterized by spectroscopic, micrographic and calorimetric techniques. The different TiO(2) catalysts are used in the visible-light-driven photocatalytic degradation of clofibric acid, a lipid regulator drug. The photoefficiency of TiO(2) catalysts, quantified in terms of kinetic rate constant, total organic carbon removal and initial quantum yield, increases with calcination temperature up to 673 K. A further increase in the calcination temperature leads to a decline in the photoefficiency of the catalysts, which is associated with the phase transformation from anatase to rutile concomitant with an increase in crystallite dimensions. The photochemical and photocatalytic oxidation of clofibric acid follows a pseudo-first order kinetic rate law. 4-Chlorophenol, isobutyric acid, hydroquinone, benzoquinone and 4-chlorocatechol are detected as main intermediates.

  17. The application of exfoliated graphite electrode in the electrochemical degradation of p-nitrophenol in water.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ntsendwana, Bulelwa; Peleyeju, Moses G; Arotiba, Omotayo A

    2016-01-01

    We report the application of exfoliated graphite (EG) as an electrode material in the electrochemical degradation of p-nitrophenol in water. Bulk electrolysis (degradation) of p-nitrophenol was carried out at a potential of 2.0 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) in the presence of 0.1 M Na2SO4 supporting electrolyte, while UV-Vis spectrophotometry was used to monitor the degradation efficiency. An initial p-nitrophenol load concentration of 0.2 mM for 3 h electrolysis time was studied under the optimized conditions of pH 7, and 10 mAcm(-2) current density. The electro-degradation reaction displayed a pseudo-first-order kinetic behavior with a rate constant (k(r)) of 11×10(-3) min(-1). The removal efficiency was found to be 91.5%. Chromatography coupled with time of flight mass spectrometry revealed p-benzoquinone as a major intermediate product. These results demonstrate the potential and viability of electrochemical technology as an alternative approach to water treatment using a low cost graphite electrode.

  18. Protein kinase and phosphatase activities of thylakoid membranes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Michel, H.; Shaw, E.K.; Bennett, J.

    1987-01-01

    Dephosphorylation of the 25 and 27 kDa light-harvesting Chl a/b proteins (LHCII) of the thylakoid membranes is catalyzed by a phosphatase which differs from previously reported thylakoid-bound phosphatases in having an alkaline pH optimum (9.0) and a requirement for Mg 2+ ions. Dephosphorylation of the 8.3 kDa psb H gene product requires a Mg 2+ ion concentration more than 200 fold higher than that for dephosphorylation of LHC II. The 8.3 kDa and 27 kDa proteins appear to be phosphorylated by two distinct kinases, which differ in substrate specificity and sensitivity to inhibitors. The plastoquinone antagonist 2,5-dibromo-3-methyl-6-isopropyl-benzoquinone (DBMIB) inhibits phosphorylation of the 27 kDa LHC II much more readily than phosphorylation of the 8.3 kDa protein. A similar pattern of inhibition is seen for two synthetic oligopeptides (MRKSATTKKAVC and ATQTLESSSRC) which are analogs of the phosphorylation sites of the two proteins. Possible modes of action of DBMIB are discussed. 45 refs., 7 figs., 3 tabs

  19. Comparative Study of Commercial Oxide Electrodes Performance in Electrochemical Degradation of Organics in Aqueous Solutions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pelegrino Rosângela L.

    2002-01-01

    Full Text Available In this paper the potentiality of two types of DSAâ commercial electrodes, for electrochemical treatment of effluents, is investigated. Oxide anodes, with nominal composition of 70TiO2/30RuO2 and 45IrO2/55Ta2O5, were used in a flow-cell reactor for the electrooxidation of phenol. Comparative results were presented as phenol concentration decay as a function of electrolysis time, as well as COD and TOC concentration reduction. The cell reactor was operated at current densities, ranging from 15 to 150 mA cm-2 and solution linear velocity was 0.24 m s-1. Results reported in this paper showed that phenol and quinones were degraded to a very low concentration, besides only a small portion of the organic carbon is reduced. Starting from 100 mg L-1, after five hours of electrolysis at 100 mA cm-2, concentrations reached 0.4 mg L-1 of phenol, 1 mg L-1 of hydroquinone, 7 mg L-1 of benzoquinone and TOC was reduced by 35%.

  20. Nuclear spin circular dichroism

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vaara, Juha; Rizzo, Antonio; Kauczor, Joanna; Norman, Patrick; Coriani, Sonia

    2014-01-01

    Recent years have witnessed a growing interest in magneto-optic spectroscopy techniques that use nuclear magnetization as the source of the magnetic field. Here we present a formulation of magnetic circular dichroism (CD) due to magnetically polarized nuclei, nuclear spin-induced CD (NSCD), in molecules. The NSCD ellipticity and nuclear spin-induced optical rotation (NSOR) angle correspond to the real and imaginary parts, respectively, of (complex) quadratic response functions involving the dynamic second-order interaction of the electron system with the linearly polarized light beam, as well as the static magnetic hyperfine interaction. Using the complex polarization propagator framework, NSCD and NSOR signals are obtained at frequencies in the vicinity of optical excitations. Hartree-Fock and density-functional theory calculations on relatively small model systems, ethene, benzene, and 1,4-benzoquinone, demonstrate the feasibility of the method for obtaining relatively strong nuclear spin-induced ellipticity and optical rotation signals. Comparison of the proton and carbon-13 signals of ethanol reveals that these resonant phenomena facilitate chemical resolution between non-equivalent nuclei in magneto-optic spectra

  1. Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Citric Acid-Treated Wheat Germ Extract in Lipopolysaccharide-Stimulated Macrophages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jeong, Hee-Yeong; Choi, Yong-Seok; Lee, Jae-Kang; Lee, Beom-Joon; Kim, Woo-Ki; Kang, Hee

    2017-07-10

    Until recently, fermentation was the only processing used to improve the functionality of wheat germ. The release of 2,6-dimethoxy-1,4-benzoquinone (DMBQ) from hydroquinone glycosides during the fermentation process is considered a marker of quality control. Here, we treated wheat germ extract with citric acid (CWG) to release DMBQ and examined the anti-inflammatory activity of this extract using a lipopolysaccharide-activated macrophage model. Treatment of wheat germ with citric acid resulted in detectable release of DMBQ but reduced total phenolic and total flavonoid contents compared with untreated wheat germ extract (UWG). CWG inhibited secretion of the pro-inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-12 and the synthesis of cyclooxygenase-2, while UWG only decreased IL-12 production. CWG and UWG induced high levels of anti-inflammatory IL-10 and heme oxygenase-1. CWG specifically inhibited phosphorylation of NF-κB p65 and p38 kinase at 15 min after LPS stimulation. Our study showed that citric acid treatment enhanced the anti-inflammatory activity of wheat germ extract.

  2. Investigation of optimum conditions and costs estimation for degradation of phenol by solar photo-Fenton process

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gar Alalm, Mohamed; Tawfik, Ahmed; Ookawara, Shinichi

    2017-03-01

    In this study, solar photo-Fenton reaction using compound parabolic collectors reactor was assessed for removal of phenol from aqueous solution. The effect of irradiation time, initial concentration, initial pH, and dosage of Fenton reagent were investigated. H2O2 and aromatic intermediates (catechol, benzoquinone, and hydroquinone) were quantified during the reaction to study the pathways of the oxidation process. Complete degradation of phenol was achieved after 45 min of irradiation when the initial concentration was 100 mg/L. However, increasing the initial concentration up to 500 mg/L inhibited the degradation efficiency. The dosage of H2O2 and Fe+2 significantly affected the degradation efficiency of phenol. The observed optimum pH for the reaction was 3.1. Phenol degradation at different concentration was fitted to the pseudo-first order kinetic according to Langmuir-Hinshelwood model. Costs estimation for a large scale reactor based was performed. The total costs of the best economic condition with maximum degradation of phenol are 2.54 €/m3.

  3. Destruction of 4-phenolsulfonic acid in water by anodic contact glow discharge electrolysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Haiming; An, Baigang; Wang, Shaoyan; Li, Lixiang; Jin, Wenjie; Li, Lihua

    2013-06-01

    Destruction of 4-phenolsulfonic acid (4-PSA) in water was carried out using anodic contact glow discharge electrolysis. Accompanying the decay of 4-PSA, the amount of total organic carbon (TOC) in water correspondingly decreased, while the sulfonate group of 4-PSA was released as sulfate ion. Oxalate and formate were obtained as minor by-products. Additionally, phenol, 1,4-hydroquinone, hydroxyquinol and 1,4-benzoquinone were detected as primary intermediates in the initial stages of decomposition of 4-PSA. A reaction pathway involving successive attacks of hydroxyl and hydrogen radicals was assumed on the basis of the observed products and kinetics. It was revealed that the decay of both 4-PSA and TOC obeyed a first-order rate law. The effects of different Fe ions and initial concentrations of 4-PSA on the degradation rate were investigated. It was found that the presence of Fe ions could increase the degradation rate of 4-PSA, while initial concentrations lower than 80 mmol/L had no significant effect on kinetic behaviour. The disappearance rate of 4-PSA was significantly affected by pH.

  4. Resveratrol and its oligomers from wine grapes are selective (1)O2 quenchers: mechanistic implication by high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry and theoretical calculation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Li-Yan; He, Shan; Jiang, Ke-Zhi; Sun, Cui-Rong; Pan, Yuan-Jiang

    2010-08-25

    Resveratrol and its oligomers, abundantly present in wine grapes, are believed to be effective phytoalexins for the phenomenon "French paradox" partially by virtue of their powerful antiradical properties. EPR spin-trapping technique was utilized, demonstrating all polyphenols were selective (1)O2 quenchers but not effective (•)OH and O2(•¯) scavengers. On the basis of the HPLC-ESI-MS(2) analysis for the simulated reactions of polyphenols with (1)O2, the molecular weights of the resulting photochemical products were 14 or 28 Da higher than those of their substrates. No fragment C2H2O (42 Da), which was rather distinctive of the resorcinol rings in these cases, had been observed, whereas their MS/MS spectra displayed characteristic neutral fragments including carbon monoxide (CO, 28 Da) and 2-hydroxy[1,4]benzoquinone (C6H4O3, 124 Da). Finally, PM3 semiempirical calculations and HR-FTICR-MS experiments were performed, supporting the assertion that their quenching mechanism involved physical and chemical pathways. Chemical quenching underwent an endoperoxide intermediate form to generate quinones.

  5. Old treatments for new insights and strategies: proposed management in adults and children with alkaptonuria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arnoux, Jean-Baptiste; Le Quan Sang, Kim-Hanh; Brassier, Anais; Grisel, Coraline; Servais, Aude; Wippf, Julien; Dubois, Sandrine; Sireau, Nicolas; Job-Deslandre, Chantal; Ranganath, Lakshminarayan; de Lonlay, Pascale

    2015-09-01

    Alkaptonuria (AKU) is caused by deficiency of the enzyme homogentisate 1,2 dioxygenase. It results in an accumulation of homogentisate which oxidizes spontaneously to benzoquinone acetate, a highly oxidant compound, which polymerises to a melanin-like structure, in a process called ochronosis. Asymptomatic during childhood, this accumulation will lead from the second decade of life to a progressive and severe spondylo-arthopathy, associated with multisystem involvement: osteoporosis/fractures, stones (renal, prostatic, gall bladder, salivary glands), ruptures of tendons/muscle/ligaments, renal failure and aortic valve disease. The pathophysiological mechanisms of AKU remain poorly understood, but recent advances lead us to reconsider the treatment strategy in AKU patients. Besides the supporting therapies (pain killers, anti-inflammatory drugs, physiotherapy, joints replacements and others), specific therapies have been considered (anti-oxidant, low protein diet, nitisinone), but clinical studies have failed to prove efficiency on the rheumatological lesions of the disease. Here we propose a treatment strategy for children and adults with AKU, based on a review of the latest findings on AKU and lessons from other aminoacipathies, especially tyrosinemias.

  6. Tuning the electronic structure and transport properties of graphene by noncovalent functionalization: effects of organic donor, acceptor and metal atoms

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Yonghui; Zhou Kaige; Xie Kefeng; Zeng Jing; Zhang Haoli; Peng Yong

    2010-01-01

    Using density functional theory and nonequilibrium Green's function (NEGF) formalism, we have theoretically investigated the binding of organic donor, acceptor and metal atoms on graphene sheets, and revealed the effects of the different noncovalent functionalizations on the electronic structure and transport properties of graphene. The adsorptions of 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone (DDQ) and tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) induce hybridization between the molecular levels and the graphene valence bands, and transform the zero-gap semiconducting graphene into a metallic graphene. However, the current versus voltage (I-V) simulation indicates that the noncovalent modifications by organic molecules are not sufficient to significantly alter the transport property of the graphene for sensing applications. We found that the molecule/graphene interaction could be dramatically enhanced by introducing metal atoms to construct molecule/metal/graphene sandwich structures. A chemical sensor based on iron modified graphene shows a sensitivity two orders of magnitude higher than that of pristine graphene. The results of this work could help to design novel graphene-based sensing or switching devices.

  7. Examining the free radical bonding mechanism of benzoquinone– and hydroquinone–methanol passivation of silicon surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kotulak, Nicole A.; Chen, Meixi; Schreiber, Nikolas; Jones, Kevin; Opila, Robert L.

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • Photons are required for high levels of c-Si passivation by both BQ/ME and HQ/ME solutions. • Protons are required for high levels of c-Si passivation by both BQ/ME and HQ/ME solutions. • The free radical QH· is the likely passivating species for c-Si surfaces from BQ/ME and HQ/ME solutions. - Abstract: The surface passivation of p-benzoquinone (BQ) and hydroquinone (HQ) when dissolved in methanol (ME) has been examined through effective lifetime testing of crystalline silicon (c-Si) wafers treated with the aforementioned solutions. Changes in the availability of both photons and protons in the solutions were demonstrated to affect the level of passivation achieved. The requirement of both excess protons and ambient light exposure to maintain high effective lifetimes supports the presence of a free radical species that drives the surface passivation. Surface analysis suggests a 1:1 ratio of HQ-like bonds to methoxy bonds on the c-Si surface after treatment with a BQ/ME solution.

  8. Bioelectrocatalytic and biosensing properties of horseradish peroxidase covalently immobilized on (3-aminopropyl)trimethoxysilane-modified titanate nanotubes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sovic, David; Gajovic, Andreja; Ivekovic, Damir

    2011-01-01

    Titanate nanotubes (TiNT) surface modified with (3-aminopropyl)trimethoxysilane were employed as a support for covalent immobilization of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) by using 1,4-benzoquinone as a coupling agent. Composite film-electrodes consisting of HRP-modified TiNT embedded into the porous carbon powder/Nafion matrix were fabricated and their applicability in direct bioelectrocatalytic reduction of H 2 O 2 and H 2 O 2 biosensing were investigated. An efficient direct electron transfer between the immobilized HRP molecules and the electrode was observed in the presence of H 2 O 2 at potentials lower than 600 mV (vs. Hg/Hg 2 Cl 2 /3.5 M KCl). For the HRP-TiNT-modified electrodes polarized at 0 mV, a linear dependence of the bioelectrocatalytic current on the concentration of H 2 O 2 was observed up to the concentration of H 2 O 2 equal to 10 μM, with the sensitivity of (1.10 ± 0.01) AM -1 cm -2 and the detection limit of 35 nM.

  9. Solar driven production of toxic halogenated and nitroaromatic compounds in natural seawater

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Calza, Paola [Dipartimento di Chimica Analitica, Universita di Torino, via P. Giuria 5, 10125 Torino (Italy)], E-mail: paola.calza@unito.it; Massolino, Cristina; Pelizzetti, Ezio; Minero, Claudio [Dipartimento di Chimica Analitica, Universita di Torino, via P. Giuria 5, 10125 Torino (Italy)

    2008-07-15

    Natural seawater (NSW) sampled in March and June 2007 in the Gulf of Trieste, Italy, has been spiked with phenol and irradiated in a device simulating solar light spectrum and intensity. Opposite to the case of artificial seawater, for which phenol is slightly degraded by direct photolysis, in NSW the phenol degradation mediated by natural photosensitizers occurs, forming several secondary pollutants, including hydroxyderivatives (1,4-benzoquinone, resorcinol), three chlorophenol isomers, 2,3-dichlorophenol, 2- and 4-bromophenol, 2- and 4-nitrophenol, and several condensed products (2 and 4-phenoxyphenol, 2,2'-, 4,4'- and 2,4-bisphenol). These compounds are toxic to bacteria and other living organisms. Ecotoxicologic effect has been evaluated by using the Vibrio Fischeri luminescent bacteria assay. This technique uses marine organisms, and it is therefore well suited for the study on marine samples. A correlation exists between the intermediates evolution and the toxicity profile, as the largest toxicity is observed when compounds with the lower EC50 (halophenols, phenoxyphenols) are formed at higher concentration.

  10. Measuring the relative hydrogen-bonding strengths of alcohols in aprotic organic solvents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tessensohn, Malcolm E; Lee, Melvyn; Hirao, Hajime; Webster, Richard D

    2015-01-12

    Voltammetric experiments with 9,10-anthraquinone and 1,4-benzoquinone performed under controlled moisture conditions indicate that the hydrogen-bond strengths of alcohols in aprotic organic solvents can be differentiated by the electrochemical parameter ΔEp (red) =|Ep (red(1)) -Ep (red(2)) |, which is the potential separation between the two one-electron reduction processes. This electrochemical parameter is inversely related to the strength of the interactions and can be used to differentiate between primary, secondary, tertiary alcohols, and even diols, as it is sensitive to both their steric and electronic properties. The results are highly reproducible across two solvents with substantially different hydrogen-bonding properties (CH3 CN and CH2 Cl2 ) and are supported by density functional theory calculations. This indicates that the numerous solvent-alcohol interactions are less significant than the quinone-alcohol hydrogen-bonding interactions. The utility of ΔEp (red) was illustrated by comparisons between 1) 3,3,3-trifluoro-n-propanol and 1,3-difluoroisopropanol and 2) ethylene glycol and 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  11. Solar driven production of toxic halogenated and nitroaromatic compounds in natural seawater

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Calza, Paola; Massolino, Cristina; Pelizzetti, Ezio; Minero, Claudio

    2008-01-01

    Natural seawater (NSW) sampled in March and June 2007 in the Gulf of Trieste, Italy, has been spiked with phenol and irradiated in a device simulating solar light spectrum and intensity. Opposite to the case of artificial seawater, for which phenol is slightly degraded by direct photolysis, in NSW the phenol degradation mediated by natural photosensitizers occurs, forming several secondary pollutants, including hydroxyderivatives (1,4-benzoquinone, resorcinol), three chlorophenol isomers, 2,3-dichlorophenol, 2- and 4-bromophenol, 2- and 4-nitrophenol, and several condensed products (2 and 4-phenoxyphenol, 2,2'-, 4,4'- and 2,4-bisphenol). These compounds are toxic to bacteria and other living organisms. Ecotoxicologic effect has been evaluated by using the Vibrio Fischeri luminescent bacteria assay. This technique uses marine organisms, and it is therefore well suited for the study on marine samples. A correlation exists between the intermediates evolution and the toxicity profile, as the largest toxicity is observed when compounds with the lower EC50 (halophenols, phenoxyphenols) are formed at higher concentration

  12. Total assignment of {sup 1} H and {sup 13} C NMR of Cordiachrome C, a terpenoid benzoquinone from Cordia trichotoma

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alencar, Jane Eire; Pessoa, Otilia Deusdenia Loiola; Lemos, Tlema Leda Gomes de; Silveira, Edilberto Rocha [Ceara Univ., Fortaleza, CE (Brazil). Dept. de Quimica Organica e Inorganica; Braz Filho, Raimundo [Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense (UENF), Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ (Brazil). Setor de Quimica de Produtos Naturais

    1999-05-01

    1 D and 2 D NMR techniques were applied for establishing of the complete assignment of hydrogen and carbon-13 NMR of cordiachrome C. Th results were also used to confirm {sup 1} H NMR data already published, as well as to define the relative stereochemistry, which has not been completely established for cordiachrome C, previously isolated from C. millenii.

  13. Quantum Calculations Indicate Effective Electron Transfer between FMN and Benzoquinone in a New Crystal Structure of Escherichia coli WrbA

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Degtjarik, Oksana; Brynda, Jiří; Ettrichová, Olga; Kutý, Michal; Sinha, Dhiraj; Kutá Smatanová, Ivana; Carey, Jannette; Ettrich, Rüdiger; Řeha, David

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 120, č. 22 (2016), s. 4867-4877 ISSN 1520-6106 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LM2015055; GA ČR GAP207/10/1934 Institutional support: RVO:61388971 ; RVO:68378050 Keywords : MACROMOLECULAR CRYSTALLOGRAPHY * NONCOVALENT INTERACTIONS * MOLECULAR-REPLACEMENT Subject RIV: EE - Microbiology, Virology Impact factor: 3.177, year: 2016

  14. Quantum Calculations Indicate Effective Electron Transfer between FMN and Benzoquinone in a New Crystal Structure of Escherichia coli WrbA

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Degtjarik, O.; Brynda, Jiří; Ettrichová, O.; Kutý, M.; Sinha, D.; Kutá Smatanová, I.; Carey, J.; Ettrich, R.; Řeha, D.

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 120, č. 22 (2016), s. 4867-4877 ISSN 1520-6106 Institutional support: RVO:61388963 Keywords : macromolecular crystallography * noncovalent interactions * molecular replacement Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry Impact factor: 3.177, year: 2016

  15. A quantum chemical study of the reactivity of acetaminophen (paracetamol) toxic metabolite N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine with deoxyguanosine and glutathione.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klopčič, Ivana; Poberžnik, Matic; Mavri, Janez; Dolenc, Marija Sollner

    2015-12-05

    Acetaminophen (APAP) forms some reactive metabolites that can react with DNA. APAP is a potentially genotoxic drug and is classified as a Group 3 drug according to International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). One of the possible mechanisms of APAP genotoxicity after long term of use is that its reactive quinone imine (QI) metabolite of acetaminophen (NAPQI), can chemically react with DNA after glutathione (GSH) depletion. A quantum chemical study of the reactions between the NAPQI and deoxyguanosine (dG) or GSH was performed. Activation energies (ΔG(ǂ)) for the reactions associated with the 1, 4-Michael addition were calculated on the M062X/6-311++G (d,p) level of theory. We modeled the reaction with dG as a multi-step process. The first step is rate-limiting (ΔG(ǂ) = 26.7 kcal/mol) and consists of formation of a C-N bond between the C3 atom of the QI moiety and the N7 atom of dG. The second step involves proton transfer from the C3 moiety to the nitrogen atom of the QI with ΔG(ǂ) of 13.8 kcal/mol. The depurination reaction that follows has a ΔG(ǂ) of 25.7 kcal/mol. The calculated ΔG(ǂ) for the nucleophilic attack of the deprotonated S atom of GSH on the C3 atom of the NAPQI is 12.9 kcal/mol. Therefore, the QI will react with GSH much faster than with DNA. Our study gives mechanistic insight into the genotoxicity of the APAP metabolite and will be useful for estimating the genotoxic potential of existing drugs with a QI moiety. Our results show that clinical application of APAP is safe, while in the case of severely depleted GSH levels APAP should be administered with caution. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Oxidation of atenolol, propranolol, carbamazepine and clofibric acid by a biological Fenton-like system mediated by the white-rot fungus Trametes versicolor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marco-Urrea, Ernest; Radjenović, Jelena; Caminal, Gloria; Petrović, Mira; Vicent, Teresa; Barceló, Damià

    2010-01-01

    Biological advanced oxidation of the pharmaceuticals clofibric acid (CA), carbamazepine (CBZP), atenolol (ATL) and propranolol (PPL) is reported for the first time. Extracellular oxidizing species were produced through a quinone redox cycling mechanism catalyzed by an intracellular quinone reductase and any of the ligninolytic enzymes of Trametes versicolor after addition of the lignin-derived quinone 2,6-dimethoxy-1,4-benzoquinone (DBQ) and Fe(3+)-oxalate in the medium. Time-course experiments with approximately 10mg L(-1) of initial pharmaceutical concentration resulted in percent degradations above 80% after 6h of incubation. Oxidation of pharmaceuticals was only observed under DBQ redox cycling conditions. A similar degradation pattern was observed when CBZP was added at the environmentally relevant concentration of 50 microg L(-1). Depletion of DBQ due to the attack of oxidizing agents was assumed to be the main limiting factor of pharmaceutical degradation. The main degradation products, that resulted to be pharmaceutical hydroxylated derivatives, were structurally elucidated. The detected 4- and 7-hydroxycarbamazepine intermediates of CBZP degradation were not reported to date. Total disappearance of intermediates was observed in all the experiments at the end of the incubation period. (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. On the Catalytic Effect of Water in the Intramolecular Diels–Alder Reaction of Quinone Systems: A Theoretical Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Renato Contreras

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available The mechanism of the intramolecular Diels–Alder (IMDA reaction of benzoquinone 1, in the absence and in the presence of three water molecules, 1w, has been studied by means of density functional theory (DFT methods, using the M05-2X and B3LYP functionals for exploration of the potential energy surface (PES. The energy and geometrical results obtained are complemented with a population analysis using the NBO method, and an analysis based on the global, local and group electrophilicity and nucleophilicity indices. Both implicit and explicit solvation emphasize the increase of the polarity of the reaction and the reduction of activation free energies associated with the transition states (TSs of this IMDA process. These results are reinforced by the analysis of the reactivity indices derived from the conceptual DFT, which show that the increase of the electrophilicity of the quinone framework by the hydrogen-bond formation correctly explains the high polar character of this intramolecular process. Large polarization at the TSs promoted by hydrogen-bonds and implicit solvation by water together with a high electrophilicity-nucleophilicity difference consistently explains the catalytic effects of water molecules.

  18. Identification of Characteristic Phenolic Constituents in Mousouchiku Extract Used as Food Additives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoshimura, Morio; Ochi, Keisuke; Sekiya, Hiroshi; Tamai, Eiji; Maki, Jun; Tada, Atsuko; Sugimoto, Naoki; Akiyama, Hiroshi; Amakura, Yoshiaki

    2017-01-01

    Mousouchiku extract is prepared from the bamboo-sheath of Phyllostachys heterocycla MITF. (Poaceae), and is registered as a food manufacturing agent in the List of Existing Food Additives in Japan. This study describes the chromatographic evaluation of characteristic components of this extract to obtain the chemical data needed for standardized specifications. We isolated 12 known compounds from this extract: 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furfural, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, trans-p-coumaric acid, trans-ferulic acid, N,N'-diferuloylputrescine, 4'-hydroxypropiophenone, β-arbutin, tachioside, isotachioside, 3,4'-dihydroxypropiophenone 3-O-glucoside, koaburaside, and (+)-lyoniresinol 9'-O-glucoside. Moreover, a new propiophenone glycoside, propiophenone 4'-O-(6-β-D-xylosyl)-β-D-glucoside (propiophenone 4'-O-primeveroside), was isolated. The structure of each isolated compound was elucidated based on NMR and MS data or direct HPLC comparisons with authentic samples. Among the isolates, (+)-lyoniresinol 9'-O-glucoside was found to be the major ingredients of the extract as observed using HPLC analysis. However, 2,6-dimethoxy-1,4-benzoquinone, which is considered the main constituent of mousouchiku extract, was only detected as a trace constituent and not isolated in this study.

  19. FY 1974 report on the results of the Sunshine Project. Comprehensive study of hydrogen use subsystem and study on the periphery technology (Investigational study on the hydrogen production method by the quinone method); 1974 nendo suiso riyo subsystem no sogoteki kento to shuhen gijutsu ni kansuru kenkyu seika hokokusho. Kinonho ni yoru suiso seizoho ni kansuru chosa kenkyu

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1975-05-01

    This is aimed at making an investigational study on the hydrogen production from water by means of quinone compounds. The paper studied a preparation method in case of using n-TiO2 photosemiconductor and p-GaAs and Gap photosemiconductor to photoelectrode as catalysts of this reaction. The reaction from p-benzoquinone to p-hydroquinone by reaction with H2O were studied in terms of photochemical reaction, and light reaction/dark reaction of photosemiconductor electrode. As a result, it was found out that this reaction easily advances by the photochemical reaction by solar light, and also that it advances by the counter electrode Pt electrode reaction in the water electrolysis of n-TiO2 photosemiconductor electrode. The H2 production reaction from p-hydrogquinone was studied in terms of the photochemical reaction, photosemiconductor electrode reaction, and effects of the catalysis of electron transport of metal salts, methylviologen, etc. As a result, in the n-TiO2 photosemiconductor electrode reaction, H2 formation was not as great as it can be confirmed. However, it was found that p-hydroquinone can produce H2 under the existence of methylviologen or Fe salts. (NEDO)

  20. [Study on Precursors for Synthesis of Anthraquinone Metabolites from Rheum tanguticum].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hasi, Qi-mei-ge; Lj, Hai-ling; Cheng, Yan; Menggen, Qi-qi-ge; Zhang, Yang

    2015-01-01

    To explore the potential precursors of the anthraquinone metabolites from Rheum tanguticum and preliminanly identify the synthesis pathway thereof. Sterile seedlings sprouted from the seeds of Rheum tanguticum were chosen as materials for inducing callus. The effects of different precursors and feeding duration on the callus of Rheum tanguticum and the anthraquinone yield in adult rheum were studied. The greatest improvement of anthraquinone yield was achieved by acetic acid, increasing 43. 9% for the callus and 45. 8% in the adult rheum; the second greatest improvement was achieved by malonic acid, increasing 15. 8% for the callus and only 3. 6% in the adult rheum. The yield of anthraquinone was not influenced significantly by benzoic acid and p-benzoquinone, and in contrast, was inhibited in some degree by shikimic acid and α-ketoglutaric acid. A suitable feeding duration was 36 h, which worked well for the effects of precursors. The precursor for synthesis of anthraquinone metabolites from Rheum tan- guticum is acetic acid, which improves the yields of callus and anthraquinone in adult rheum, concluding that the anthraquinone metabolites are synthesized via polyketone pathway.

  1. Electrochemical treatment of wastewaters containing 4-chlororesorcinol using boron doped diamond anodes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nasr, B.; Abdelatif, G.

    2009-01-01

    The electrochemical oxidation of aqueous wastes polluted with 4-chlororesorcinol has been studied on boron-doped diamond electrodes on acidic medium. The voltammetric results showed that in the potential region where the supporting electrolyte is stable, reactions occur, resulting in the loss of activity due to electrode fouling. Galvanostatic electrolysis study showed that the oxidation of these wastes in single-compartment electrochemical flow cell with boron doped diamond anodes deal to the complete mineralization of the organics but is no indication of electrode fouling. Resorcinol, 1,2,4-trihydroxybenzene, benzoquinone, maleic, fumaric, and oxalic acids have been detected as soluble organics and chlorides (Cl - ) and hypochlorites (ClO - ) as mineral products during the electrolysis of 4-chlororesorcinol. The electrochemical oxidation of 4-chlororesorcinol consists of a sequence of steps: Release of Cl and/or hydroxylation of the aromatic ring; formation of quinonic compounds; oxidative opening of aromatic ring to form carboxylic acids; and oxidation of carboxylic acids to carbon dioxide. Both, direct oxidation at boron doped diamond surface and mediated oxidation by powerful oxidants electrogenerated from electrolyte oxidation at anode surface are involved in these stages. (author)

  2. Degradation of phenol using a combination of granular activated carbon adsorption and bipolar pulse dielectric barrier discharge plasma regeneration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shoufeng, TANG; Na, LI; Jinbang, QI; Deling, YUAN; Jie, LI

    2018-05-01

    A combined method of granular activated carbon (GAC) adsorption and bipolar pulse dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma regeneration was employed to degrade phenol in water. After being saturated with phenol, the GAC was filled into the DBD reactor driven by bipolar pulse power for regeneration under various operating parameters. The results showed that different peak voltages, air flow rates, and GAC content can affect phenol decomposition and its major degradation intermediates, such as catechol, hydroquinone, and benzoquinone. The higher voltage and air support were conducive to the removal of phenol, and the proper water moisture of the GAC was 20%. The amount of H2O2 on the GAC was quantitatively determined, and its laws of production were similar to phenol elimination. Under the optimized conditions, the elimination of phenol on the GAC was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and the total removal of organic carbons achieved 50.4%. Also, a possible degradation mechanism was proposed based on the HPLC analysis. Meanwhile, the regeneration efficiency of the GAC was improved with the discharge treatment time, which attained 88.5% after 100 min of DBD processing.

  3. Synthesis and fluorescence of new 3-biphenylpyrrolo[1,2-c]pyrimidines

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marian-Laurentiu Tatu

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available New pyrrolo[1,2-c]pyrimidines derivates having a biphenyl moiety at position 3 have been synthesized by 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of their corresponding N-ylides with activated alkynes. FTIR, 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy and elemental analysis have been used to characterize the structures of the new nine pyrrolo[1,2-c]pyrimidine derivates. Absorption and fluorescence spectra have been recorded. The appropriate solvent for the photoluminescence properties of the studied compounds has been found to be chloroform:acetonitrile mixture (1:1. The main spectral features such as molar extinction coefficients (ε, Stokes shifts, quantum yields using quinine sulphate as standard, fluorescence quenching in the presence of benzoquinone and Stern-Volmer constants have been calculated. The substituent effects on intensity of absorption, maximum absorbance wavelengths and fluorescence parameters have been discussed. The highest quantum yield value was found for ethyl 3-(4-biphenylyl-7-(3,4-dimethoxybenzoylpyrrolo[1,2-c]pyrimidine-5-carboxylate (0.55. The obtained results suggest that the studied compounds are promising candidates for future study in order to evaluate their use in practical applications in fluorescent chemical sensors.

  4. [Development and application of electroanalytical methods in biomedical fields].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kusu, Fumiyo

    2015-01-01

    To summarize our electroanalytical research in the biomedical field over the past 43 years, this review describes studies on specular reflection measurement, redox potential determination, amperometric acid sensing, HPLC with electrochemical detection, and potential oscillation across a liquid membrane. The specular reflection method was used for clarifying the adsorption of neurotransmitters and their related drugs onto a gold electrode and the interaction between dental alloys and compound iodine glycerin. A voltammetric screening test using a redox potential for the antioxidative effect of flavonoids was proposed. Amperometric acid sensing based on the measurement of the reduction prepeak current of 2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone (VK3) or 3,5-di-tert-buty1-1,2-benzoquinone (DBBQ) was applied to determine acid values of fats and oils, titrable acidity of coffee, and enzyme activity of lipase, free fatty acids (FFAs) in serum, short-chain fatty acids in feces, etc. The electrode reactions of phenothiazines, catechins, and cholesterol were applied to biomedical analysis using HPLC with electrochemical detection. A three-channel electrochemical detection system was utilized for the sensitive determination of redox compounds in Chinese herbal medicines. The behavior of barbituric acid derivatives was examined based on potential oscillation measurements.

  5. Modification of an enzyme electrode by electrodeposition of hydroquinone for use as the anode of a glucose fuel cell

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kuwahara, Takashi; Yamazaki, Hiraku; Kondo, Mizuki [Department of Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering, Nagaoka University of Technology, 1603-1, Kamitomioka-machi, Nagaoka 940-2188 (Japan); Shimomura, Masato, E-mail: smasato@vos.nagaokaut.ac.jp [Department of Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering, Nagaoka University of Technology, 1603-1, Kamitomioka-machi, Nagaoka 940-2188 (Japan)

    2012-06-15

    An electrode having immobilized glucose oxidase (GOx) was modified with polyhydroquinone (PHQ), which was employed as an electron-transferring mediator, by a simple electrochemical method and used as the anode of a glucose fuel cell. The GOx-immobilized electrode was fabricated by attaching polyallylamine (PAAm) and then GOx covalently onto a gold electrode covered with a monolayer formed with 3-mercaptopropionic acid. Subsequently, the GOx-immobilized electrode (GOx/PAAm electrode) was modified with PHQ by electrodeposition of hydroquinone. The cyclic voltammogram of the modified electrode (PHQ/GOx/PAAm electrode) in a phosphate buffer solution (0.10 M, pH 7.0) showed redox peaks due to the electrodeposited PHQ, whereas no redox peaks were found for the GOx/PAAm electrode in the buffer solution containing p-benzoquinone (BQ). The onset potential of glucose oxidation with the PHQ/GOx/PAAm electrode became ca. 0.2 V more negative than that observed with the GOx/PAAm electrode in the presence of BQ. The glucose fuel cell equipped with the PHQ/GOx/PAAm electrode as an anode gave a 3 times larger power output than the cell with the GOx/PAAm electrode using dissolved quinone as the mediator.

  6. Degradation mechanisms of 4-chlorophenol in a novel gas-liquid hybrid discharge reactor by pulsed high voltage system with oxygen or nitrogen bubbling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yi; Zhou, Minghua; Hao, Xiaolong; Lei, Lecheng

    2007-03-01

    The effect of gas bubbling on the removal efficiency of 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) in aqueous solution has been investigated using a novel pulsed high voltage gas-liquid hybrid discharge reactor, which generates gas-phase discharge above the water surface simultaneously with the spark discharge directly in the liquid. The time for 100% of 4-CP degradation in the case of oxygen bubbling (7 min) was much shorter than that in the case of nitrogen bubbling (25 min) as plenty of hydrogen peroxide and ozone formed in oxygen atmosphere enhanced the removal efficiency of 4-CP. Except for the main similar intermediates (4-chlorocatechol, hydroquinone and 1,4-benzoquinone) produced in the both cases of oxygen and nitrogen bubbling, special intermediates (5-chloro-3-nitropyrocatechol, 4-chloro-2-nitrophenol, nitrate and nitrite ions) were produced in nitrogen atmosphere. The reaction pathway of 4-CP in the case of oxygen bubbling was oxygen/ozone attack on the radical hydroxylated derivatives of 4-CP. However, in the case of nitrogen bubbling, hydroxylation was the main reaction pathway with effect of N atom on degradation of 4-CP.

  7. Coenzyme Q Biosynthesis: Evidence for a Substrate Access Channel in the FAD-Dependent Monooxygenase Coq6.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexandre Ismail

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Coq6 is an enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of coenzyme Q, a polyisoprenylated benzoquinone lipid essential to the function of the mitochondrial respiratory chain. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, this putative flavin-dependent monooxygenase is proposed to hydroxylate the benzene ring of coenzyme Q (ubiquinone precursor at position C5. We show here through biochemical studies that Coq6 is a flavoprotein using FAD as a cofactor. Homology models of the Coq6-FAD complex are constructed and studied through molecular dynamics and substrate docking calculations of 3-hexaprenyl-4-hydroxyphenol (4-HP6, a bulky hydrophobic model substrate. We identify a putative access channel for Coq6 in a wild type model and propose in silico mutations positioned at its entrance capable of partially (G248R and L382E single mutations or completely (a G248R-L382E double-mutation blocking access to the channel for the substrate. Further in vivo assays support the computational predictions, thus explaining the decreased activities or inactivation of the mutated enzymes. This work provides the first detailed structural information of an important and highly conserved enzyme of ubiquinone biosynthesis.

  8. Bioassay-guided evaluation of anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activities of pistachio, Pistacia vera L.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Orhan, I; Küpeli, E; Aslan, M; Kartal, M; Yesilada, E

    2006-04-21

    The ethanolic and aqueous extracts prepared from different parts of Pistacia vera L. (Anacardiaceae) as well as its oleoresin were evaluated for their in vivo anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activities. Among the extracts screened, only the oleoresin was shown to possess a marked anti-inflammatory activity against carrageenan-induced hind paw edema model in mice without inducing any gastric damage at both 250 and 500 mg/kg doses whereas the rest of the extracts were totally inactive. While the oleoresin was found to display significant antinociceptive activity at 500 mg/kg dose, the ethanolic and aqueous extracts belonging to fruit, leaf, branch and peduncle of Pistacia vera did not exhibit any noticeable antinociception in p-benzoquinone-induced abdominal contractions in mice. Fractionation of the oleoresin indicated the n-hexane fraction to be active, which further led to recognition of some monoterpenes, mainly alpha-pinene (77.5%) by capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) as well as the oleoresin itself. alpha-Pinene was also assessed for its antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities in the same manner and exerted a moderate anti-inflammatory effect at 500 mg/kg dose.

  9. Crystal structure of 5,7,12,14-tetrahydro-5,14:7,12-bis([1,2]benzenopentacene-6,13-dione

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammad Nozari

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available The lattice of 5,7,12,14-tetrahydro-5,14:7,12-bis([1,2]benzenopentacene-6,13-dione, C34H20O2, at 173 K has triclinic (P-1 symmetry and crystallizes with four independent half-molecules in the asymmetric unit. Each molecule is generated from a C17H10O substructure through an inversion center at the centroid of the central quinone ring, generating a wide H-shaped molecule, with a dihedral angle between the mean planes of the terminal benzene rings in each of the two symmetry-related pairs over the four molecules of 68.6 (1 (A, 65.5 (4 (B, 62.3 (9 (C, and 65.8 (8° (D, an average of 65.6 (1°. This compound has applications in gas-separation membranes constructed from polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIM. The title compound is a product of a double Diels–Alder reaction between anthracene and p-benzoquinone followed by dehydrogenation. It has also been characterized by cyclic voltammetry and rotating disc electrode polarography, FT–IR, high resolution mass spectrometry, elemental analysis, and 1H NMR.

  10. Isolation and chemical characterization of naphthoquinone metabolites of Aspergillus parvulus Smith

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, C.C.P.

    1984-01-01

    Although several benzoquinone and anthraquinone compounds have been isolated from Aspergillus species, only two naphthoquinone monomers have been reported thus far. Aspergillus parvulus Smith (ATCC number16911) was first investigated chemically in 1974, and five naphthalenones, along with one naphthoquinone, were isolated and characterized. Based on biosynthetic considerations, it was thought that A. parvulus might be capable of producing additional naphthoquinones under suitable conditions. It was decided to undertake a further investigation of A. parvulus. Thus, three novel naphthoquinones, compounds A, B, and C, were isolated from A. parvulus cultures grown in an acidic medium of glucose and phytone peptone. The structures of these compounds were deduced largely by the comparison of the effects of acetylation on the 1 H-NMR and 13 C-NMR spectra of the parent compounds and their four derivatives. An unusual mass fragmentation pattern which was previously thought to be unfavorable was discovered, and the other fragmentation patterns of the parent compounds, as well as their derivatives, were proposed. This investigation appears to be the third reported isolation of 2,5,7-tri-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone derivatives from nature and the first reported from A. parvulus

  11. On the nature of non-covalent interactions in isomers of 2,5-dichloro-1,4-benzoquinone dimers - ground- and excited-state properties

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Pandiyan, B. V.; Deepa, Palanisamy; Kolandaivel, P.

    2014-01-01

    Roč. 16, č. 37 (2014), s. 19928-19940 ISSN 1463-9076 Institutional support: RVO:61388963 Keywords : hydrogen bonding interactions * density functional theory * circular dichroism Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry Impact factor: 4.493, year: 2014

  12. Determination of malachite green in fish based on magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer extraction followed by electrochemiluminescence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Baomei; Zhou, Xibin; Chen, Jing; Wu, Guofan; Lu, Xiaoquan

    2015-09-01

    A novel procedure for selective extraction of malachite green (MG) from fish samples was set up by using magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers (MMIP) as the solid phase extraction material followed by electrochemiluminescence (ECL) determination. MMIP was prepared by using Fe3O4 magnetite as magnetic component, MG as template molecule, methacrylic acid (MAA) as functional monomer and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) as crosslinking agent. MMIP was characterized by SEM, TEM, FT-IR, VSM and XRD. Leucomalachite green (LMG) was oxidized in situ to MG by 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone (DDQ). And then MMIP was successfully used to selectively enrich MG from fish samples. Adsorbed MG was desorbed and determined by ECL. Under the optimal conditions, calibration curve was good linear in the range of 0.29-290 μg/kg and the limit of detection (LOD) was 7.3 ng/kg (S/N=3). The recoveries of MMIP extraction were 77.1-101.2%. In addition, MMIP could be regenerated. To the best of our knowledge, MMIP coupling with ECL quenching of Ru(bpy)3(2+)/TPA for the determination of MG has not yet been developed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Structural Understanding of the Glutathione-dependent Reduction Mechanism of Glutathionyl-Hydroquinone Reductases*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Green, Abigail R.; Hayes, Robert P.; Xun, Luying; Kang, ChulHee

    2012-01-01

    Glutathionyl-hydroquinone reductases (GS- HQRs) are a newly identified group of glutathione transferases, and they are widely distributed in bacteria, halobacteria, fungi, and plants. GS-HQRs catalyze glutathione (GSH)-dependent reduction of glutathionyl-hydroquinones (GS-hydroquinones) to hydroquinones. GS-hydroquinones can be spontaneously formed from benzoquinones reacting with reduced GSH via Michael addition, and GS-HQRs convert the conjugates to hydroquinones. In this report we have determined the structures of two bacterial GS-HQRs, PcpF of Sphingobium chlorophenolicum and YqjG of Escherichia coli. The two structures and the previously reported structure of a fungal GS-HQR shared many features and displayed complete conservation for all the critical residues. Furthermore, we obtained the binary complex structures with GS-menadione, which in its reduced form, GS-menadiol, is a substrate. The structure revealed a large H-site that could accommodate various substituted hydroquinones and a hydrogen network of three Tyr residues that could provide the proton for reductive deglutathionylation. Mutation of the Tyr residues and the position of two GSH molecules confirmed the proposed mechanism of GS-HQRs. The conservation of GS-HQRs across bacteria, halobacteria, fungi, and plants potentiates the physiological role of these enzymes in quinone metabolism. PMID:22955277

  14. Ultrafast excited state deactivation of doped porous anodic alumina membranes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Makhal, Abhinandan; Sarkar, Soumik; Pal, Samir Kumar; Yan, Hongdan; Wulferding, Dirk; Cetin, Fatih; Lemmens, Peter

    2012-01-01

    Free-standing, bi-directionally permeable and ultra-thin anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes establish attractive templates (host) for the synthesis of nano-dots and rods of various materials (guest). This is due to their chemical and structural integrity and high periodicity on length scales of 5–150 nm which are often used to host photoactive nano-materials for various device applications including dye-sensitized solar cells. In the present study, AAO membranes are synthesized by using electrochemical methods and a detailed structural characterization using FEG-SEM, XRD and TGA confirms the porosity and purity of the material. Defect-mediated photoluminescence quenching of the porous AAO membrane in the presence of an electron accepting guest organic molecule (benzoquinone) is studied by means of steady-state and picosecond/femtosecond-resolved luminescence measurements. Using time-resolved luminescence transients, we have also revealed light harvesting of complexes of porous alumina impregnated with inorganic quantum dots (Maple Red) or gold nanowires. Both the Förster resonance energy transfer and the nano-surface energy transfer techniques are employed to examine the observed quenching behavior as a function of the characteristic donor–acceptor distances. The experimental results will find their relevance in light harvesting devices based on AAOs combined with other materials involving a decisive energy/charge transfer dynamics. (paper)

  15. Molecular electron affinities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fukuda, E.K.

    1983-01-01

    Molecular electron affinities have historically been difficult quantities to measure accurately. These difficulties arise from differences in structure between the ion and neutral as well as the existence of excited negative ion states. To circumvent these problems, relative electron affinities were determined in this dissertation by studying equilibrium electron transfer reactions using a pulsed ion cyclotron resonance (ICR) spectrometer. Direct measurement of ion and neutral concentrations for reactions of the general type, A - + B = B - + A, allow calculation of the equilibrium constant and, therefore, the free energy change. The free energy difference is related to the difference in electron affinities between A and B. A relative electron affinity scale covering a range of about 45 kcal/mol was constructed with various substituted p-benzoquinones, nitrobenzenes, anhydrides, and benzophenones. To assign absolute electron affinities, various species with accurately known electron affinities are tied to the scale via ion-cyclotron double resonance bracketing techniques. After the relative scale is anchored to these species with well-known electron affinities, the scale is then used as a check on other electron affinity values as well as generating new electron affinity values. Many discrepancies were found between the electron affinities measured using the ICR technique and previous literature determinations

  16. Pyranose Dehydrogenase from Agaricus campestris and Agaricus xanthoderma: Characterization and Applications in Carbohydrate Conversions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Clemens K. Peterbauer

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available Pyranose dehydrogenase (PDH is a flavin-dependent sugar oxidoreductase that is limited to a rather small group of litter-degrading basidiomycetes. The enzyme is unable to utilize oxygen as an electron acceptor, using substituted benzoquinones and (organo metal ions instead. PDH displays a broad substrate specificity and intriguing variations in regioselectivity, depending on substrate, enzyme source and reaction conditions. In contrast to the related enzyme pyranose 2-oxidase (POx, PDHs from several sources are capable of oxidizing α- or β-1→4-linked di- and oligosaccharides, including lactose. PDH from A. xanthoderma is able to perform C-1 and C-2 oxidation, producing, in addition to lactobionic acid, 2-dehydrolactose, an intermediate for the production of lactulose, whereas PDH from A. campestris oxidizes lactose nearly exclusively at the C-1 position. In this work, we present the isolation of PDH-encoding genes from A. campestris (Ac and A. xanthoderma (Ax and a comparison of other so far isolated PDH-sequences. Secretory overexpression of both enzymes in Pichia pastoris was successful when using their native signal sequences with yields of 371 U·L−1 for AxPDH and 35 U·L−1 for AcPDH. The pure enzymes were characterized biochemically and tested for applications in carbohydrate conversion reactions of industrial relevance.

  17. Gamma radiolysis of aliphatic sulfur compounds in aqueous solutions. A study to contribute to the analysis of the end products of the OH radical-induced oxidation of aliphatic mercaptanes, sulfides, and disulfides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weiss, J.

    1982-01-01

    By identifying and determining numerous hitherto unknown end products, the study in hand contributes to a better insight into the radiation chemical processes occurring in OH radical-induced oxidation of aliphatic sulfur compounds. An extraction method has been developed for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of end products in aqueous solution in order to determine these compounds down to the level of trace amounts. Separation of endproducts is achieved by means of gas chromatography and high-pressure liquid chromatography, subsequent identification by GC-MS analysis. Aliphatic mercaptanes are oxidized by OH radicals to thiyl radicals which after combination can be detected as disulfide. At high radiation doses, secondary reactions will lead to polysulfides of which the homologues could first be prepared as the pure substance. The end products of the γ-radiolysis of aliphatic thioethers are determined to be dithia compounds, symmetrical or asymmetrical disulfides, or polysulfides, depending on the thioethers. With some end products, the radiation chemical yield is found to be a function of the absorbed dose so that material balances are impossible. Intermediate thiyl, α-alkyl mercaptoalkyl or alkyl radicals can be captured by tetramethyl ethylene, cyclohexene or p-benzoquinone, and can then be identified as the relevant adducts. (orig./RB) [de

  18. Photocatalytic degradation of paracetamol on TiO2 nanoparticles and TiO2/cellulosic fiber under UV and sunlight irradiation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nabil Jallouli

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available In the present study, photocatalytic degradation of acetaminophen ((N-(4-hydroxyphe-nylacetamide, an analgesic drug has been investigated in a batch reactor using TiO2 P25 as a photocatalyst in slurry and under UV light. Using TiO2 P25 nanoparticles, much faster photodegradation of paracetamol and effective mineralization occurred, more than 90% of 2.65 × 10−4 M paracetamol was degraded under UV irradiation. Changes in pH values affected the adsorption and the photodegradation of paracetamol. pH 9.0 is found to be the optimum for the photodegradation of paracetamol. HPLC detected hydroquinone, benzoquinone, p-nitrophenol, and 1,2,4-trihydroxybenzene during the TiO2-assisted photodegradation of paracetamol among which some pathway products are disclosed for the first time. The results showed that TiO2 suspension/UV system is more efficient than the TiO2/cellulosic fiber mode combined to solar light for the photocatalytic degradation of paracetamol. Nerveless the immobilization of TiO2 showed many advantages over slurry system because it can enhance adsorption properties while allowing easy separation of the photocatalyst from the treated solution with improved reusable performance.

  19. Degradation of paracetamol by advance oxidation processes using modified reticulated vitreous carbon electrodes with TiO(2) and CuO/TiO(2)/Al(2)O(3).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arredondo Valdez, H C; García Jiménez, G; Gutiérrez Granados, S; Ponce de León, C

    2012-11-01

    The degradation of paracetamol in aqueous solutions in the presence of hydrogen peroxide was carried out by photochemistry, electrolysis and photoelectrolysis using modified 100 pores per inch reticulated vitreous carbon electrodes. The electrodes were coated with catalysts such as TiO(2) and CuO/TiO(2)/Al(2)O(3) by electrophoresis followed by heat treatment. The results of the electrolysis with bare reticulated vitreous carbon electrodes show that 90% paracetamol degradation occurs in 4 h at 1.3 V vs. SCE, forming intermediates such as benzoquinone and carboxylic acids followed by their complete mineralisation. When the electrolysis was carried out with the modified electrodes such as TiO(2)/RVC, 90% degradation was achieved in 2 h while with CuO/TiO(2)/Al(2)O(3)/RVC, 98% degradation took only 1 h. The degradation was also carried out in the presence of UV reaching 95% degradation with TiO(2)/RVC/UV and 99% with CuO/TiO(2)/Al(2)O(3)/RVC/UV in 1 h. The reactions were followed by spectroscopy UV-Vis, HPLC and total organic carbon analysis. These studies show that the degradation of paracetamol follows a pseudo-first order reaction kinetics. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. [Studies on the degradation of paracetamol in sono-electrochemical oxidation].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dai, Qi-Zhou; Ma, Wen-Jiao; Shen, Hong; Chen, Jun; Chen, Jian-Meng

    2012-07-01

    A novel lead dioxide electrodes co-doped with rare earth and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) were prepared by the electrode position method and applied as anodes in sono-electrochemical oxidation for pharmaceutical wastewater degradation. The results showed that the APAP removal and the mineralization efficiency reached an obvious increase, which meant that the catalytic efficiency showed a significant improvement in the use of rare-earth doped electrode. The effects of process factors showed that the condition of the electrode had the best degradation efficiency with doped with Ce2O3 under electrolyte concentration of 14.2 g x L(-1), 49.58 W x cm(-2), 50 Hz, pH = 3, 71.43 mA x cm(-2). The APAP of 500 mg x L(-1) removal rate reached 92.20% and its COD and TOC values declined to 79.95% and 58.04%, the current efficiency reached 45.83% after degradation process for 2.0 h. The intermediates were monitored by the methods of GC-MS, HPLC, and IC. The main intermediates of APAP were p-benzoquinone, benzoic acid, acetic acid, maleic acid, oxalic acid, formic acid etc, and the final products were carbon dioxide and water. The goal of completely degradation of pollutant was achieved and a possible degradation way was proposed.

  1. Development and Validation of Spectrophotometric Methods for the Determination of Rasagiline in Pharmaceutical Preparations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Serife Evrim Kepekci Tekkeli

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available This study presents three simple, rapid, and accurate spectrophotometric methods for the determination of Rasagiline (RSG in pharmaceutical preparations. The determination procedures depend on the reaction of RSG with chloranilic acid for method A, tetrachloro-1,4-benzoquinone for method B, and 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane for method C. The colored products were quantitated spectrophotometrically at 524, 535, and 843 nm for methods A, B, and C, respectively. Different variables affecting the reaction were optimized. Linearity ranges of the methods with good correlation coefficients (0.9988–0.9996 were observed as 25–300 µg mL−1, 25–350 µg mL−1, and 50–500 µg mL−1 for methods A, B, and C, respectively. The formation of products takes place through different mechanisms. The sites of interaction were confirmed by elemental analysis using IR and 1H-NMR spectroscopy. The validation of the methods was carried out in terms of specificity, linearity, accuracy, precision, robustness, limit of detection, and limit of quantitation. No interference was observed from concomitants usually present in dosage forms. The methods were applied successfully to the determination of RSG in pharmaceutical preparations.

  2. Evaluation of some organic compounds on bloodstream forms of Trypanosoma cruzi

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    João S. Silva

    1992-09-01

    Full Text Available Accidental transmission of Chagas' disease to man by blood transfusion is a serious problem in Latin-America. This paper describes the testing of several synthetic, semi-synthetic, and natural compounds for their activity against blood trypomastigotes in vitro at 4-C. The compounds embody several types of chemical structures: benzoquinone, naphthoquinone, anthracenequinone, phenanthrenequinone, imidazole, piperazine, quinoline, xanthene, and simple benzenic and naphthalenic derivates. Some of them are for the first time tested against Trypanosoma cruzi. The toxic effect these compounds on this parasite was done by two quite distinct sets of experiments. In one set, the compounds were added to infected blood as ethanolic solution. In this situation the most active one was a furan-1, 2-naphthoquinone, in the same range as gentian violet, a new fact to be considered in the assessment of structure-activity relationships in this class of compounds. In other set, we tentatively evaluated the biological activity of water insoluble compounds by adding them in a pure form without solvent into infected blood. In this way some appear to be very active and it was postulated that the effectiveness of such compounds must result from interactions between them and specific blood components.

  3. Study on electroactive and electrocatalytic surfaces of single walled carbon nanotube-modified electrodes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Salinas-Torres, David [Departamento de Quimica Fisica and Instituto Universitario de Materiales de Alicante, Universidad de Alicante, Apdo. de Correos 99, E-03080 Alicante (Spain); Huerta, Francisco [Departamento de Ingenieria Textil y Papelera, Universidad Politecnica de Valencia, Plaza Ferrandiz y Carbonell, 1. E-03801 Alcoy (Spain); Montilla, Francisco, E-mail: francisco.montilla@ua.e [Departamento de Quimica Fisica and Instituto Universitario de Materiales de Alicante, Universidad de Alicante, Apdo. de Correos 99, E-03080 Alicante (Spain); Morallon, Emilia [Departamento de Quimica Fisica and Instituto Universitario de Materiales de Alicante, Universidad de Alicante, Apdo. de Correos 99, E-03080 Alicante (Spain)

    2011-02-01

    An investigation of the electrocatalysis of single-walled carbon nanotubes modified electrodes has been performed in this work. Nanotube-modified electrodes present a surface area much higher than the bare glassy carbon surfaces as determined by capacitance measurements. Several redox probes were selected for checking the reactivity of specific sites at the carbon nanotube surface. The presence of carbon nanotubes on the electrode improves the kinetics for all the reactions studied compared with the bare glassy carbon electrode with variations of the heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant up to 5 orders of magnitude. The most important effects are observed for the benzoquinone/hydroquinone and ferrocene/ferricinium redox couples, which show a remarkable improvement of their electron transfer kinetics on SWCNT-modified electrodes, probably due to strong {pi}-{pi} interaction between the organic molecules and the walls of the carbon nanotubes. For many of the reactions studied, less than 1% of the nanotube-modified electrode surface is transferring charge to species in solution. This result suggests that only nanotube tips are active sites for the electron transfer in such cases. On the contrary, the electroactive surface for the reactions of ferrocene and quinone is higher indicating that the electron transfer is produced also from the nanotube walls.

  4. Molecular Mechanisms of Cigarette Smoke-Induced Proliferation of Lung Cells and Prevention by Vitamin C

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Neekkan Dey

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer dearth. Cigarette smoking is the strongest risk factor for developing lung cancer, which is conceivably initiated by proliferation. Here, we show that low concentration of aqueous extract of cigarette smoke (AECS causes excessive proliferation of human lung epithelial cells (A549 without any apoptotic cell death. The causative factor responsible for AECS-induced proliferation has been identified as p-benzoquinone (p-BQ. Coimmunoprecipitation and immunoblot experiments indicate that p-BQ binds with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR. However, in contrast to EGF, it causes aberrant phosphorylation of EGFR that lacks c-Cbl-mediated ubiquitination and degradation resulting in persistent activation of EGFR. This is followed by activation of Hras + Kras and the downstream survival and proliferative signaling molecules Akt and ERK1/2, as well as the nuclear transcription factors c-Myc and c-Fos. Vitamin C and/or antibody to p-BQ prevents AECS/p-BQ-induced proliferation of lung cells apparently by inactivating p-BQ and thereby preventing activation of EGFR and the downstream signaling molecules. The results suggest that vitamin C and/or antibody to p-BQ may provide a novel intervention for preventing initiation of lung cancer in smokers.

  5. Metabolic regulation at the tricarboxylic acid and glyoxylate cycles of the lignin-degrading basidiomycete Phanerochaete chrysosporium against exogenous addition of vanillin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shimizu, Motoyuki; Yuda, Naoki; Nakamura, Tomofumi; Tanaka, Hiroo; Wariishi, Hiroyuki

    2005-10-01

    A proteomic differential display technique was utilized to study cellular responses of Phanerochaete chrysosporium exposed to vanillin, one of the key intermediates found during lignin biodegradation. Intracellular proteins were resolved by 2-DE and target protein spots were identified using MALDI-MS after in-gel tryptic digestions. Upon addition of vanillin to P. chrysosporium, up-regulation of homogentisate 1,2-dioxygenase, 1,4-benzoquinone reductases, aldehyde dehydrogenase, and aryl-alcohol dehydrogenase, which seem to play roles in vanillin metabolism, was observed. Furthermore, enzymes involved in glycolysis, the tricarboxylic acid cycle, the pentose-phosphate cycle, and heme biosynthesis were also activated. Up-regulation of extracellular peroxidase was also observed. One of the most unique phenomena against exogenous vanillin was a switch from the glyoxylate cycle to the tricarboxylic acid cycle, where a drastic increase in isocitrate dehydrogenase activity was observed. The exogenous addition of other aromatic compounds also caused an increase in its activity, which in turn triggered NAD(P)H production via the action of dehydrogenases in the tricarboxylic acid cycle, heme biosynthesis via the action of aminolevulinic acid synthase on succinyl-CoA, and energy production via activation of the mitochondrial electron transfer system. These metabolic shifts seem to be required for activating a metabolic system for aromatic compounds.

  6. Ultrafast excited state deactivation of doped porous anodic alumina membranes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Makhal, Abhinandan; Sarkar, Soumik; Pal, Samir Kumar; Yan, Hongdan; Wulferding, Dirk; Cetin, Fatih; Lemmens, Peter

    2012-08-01

    Free-standing, bi-directionally permeable and ultra-thin anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes establish attractive templates (host) for the synthesis of nano-dots and rods of various materials (guest). This is due to their chemical and structural integrity and high periodicity on length scales of 5-150 nm which are often used to host photoactive nano-materials for various device applications including dye-sensitized solar cells. In the present study, AAO membranes are synthesized by using electrochemical methods and a detailed structural characterization using FEG-SEM, XRD and TGA confirms the porosity and purity of the material. Defect-mediated photoluminescence quenching of the porous AAO membrane in the presence of an electron accepting guest organic molecule (benzoquinone) is studied by means of steady-state and picosecond/femtosecond-resolved luminescence measurements. Using time-resolved luminescence transients, we have also revealed light harvesting of complexes of porous alumina impregnated with inorganic quantum dots (Maple Red) or gold nanowires. Both the Förster resonance energy transfer and the nano-surface energy transfer techniques are employed to examine the observed quenching behavior as a function of the characteristic donor-acceptor distances. The experimental results will find their relevance in light harvesting devices based on AAOs combined with other materials involving a decisive energy/charge transfer dynamics.

  7. Ultrafast excited state deactivation of doped porous anodic alumina membranes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Makhal, Abhinandan; Sarkar, Soumik; Pal, Samir Kumar [Department of Chemical, Biological and Macromolecular Sciences, S N Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences, Block JD, Sector III, Salt Lake, Kolkata 700 098 (India); Yan, Hongdan; Wulferding, Dirk; Cetin, Fatih; Lemmens, Peter [Institute for Condensed Matter Physics, TU Braunschweig, Mendelssohnstrasse 3, 38106 Braunschweig (Germany)

    2012-08-03

    Free-standing, bi-directionally permeable and ultra-thin anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes establish attractive templates (host) for the synthesis of nano-dots and rods of various materials (guest). This is due to their chemical and structural integrity and high periodicity on length scales of 5-150 nm which are often used to host photoactive nano-materials for various device applications including dye-sensitized solar cells. In the present study, AAO membranes are synthesized by using electrochemical methods and a detailed structural characterization using FEG-SEM, XRD and TGA confirms the porosity and purity of the material. Defect-mediated photoluminescence quenching of the porous AAO membrane in the presence of an electron accepting guest organic molecule (benzoquinone) is studied by means of steady-state and picosecond/femtosecond-resolved luminescence measurements. Using time-resolved luminescence transients, we have also revealed light harvesting of complexes of porous alumina impregnated with inorganic quantum dots (Maple Red) or gold nanowires. Both the Foerster resonance energy transfer and the nano-surface energy transfer techniques are employed to examine the observed quenching behavior as a function of the characteristic donor-acceptor distances. The experimental results will find their relevance in light harvesting devices based on AAOs combined with other materials involving a decisive energy/charge transfer dynamics. (paper)

  8. Study on electroactive and electrocatalytic surfaces of single walled carbon nanotube-modified electrodes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Salinas-Torres, David; Huerta, Francisco; Montilla, Francisco; Morallon, Emilia

    2011-01-01

    An investigation of the electrocatalysis of single-walled carbon nanotubes modified electrodes has been performed in this work. Nanotube-modified electrodes present a surface area much higher than the bare glassy carbon surfaces as determined by capacitance measurements. Several redox probes were selected for checking the reactivity of specific sites at the carbon nanotube surface. The presence of carbon nanotubes on the electrode improves the kinetics for all the reactions studied compared with the bare glassy carbon electrode with variations of the heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant up to 5 orders of magnitude. The most important effects are observed for the benzoquinone/hydroquinone and ferrocene/ferricinium redox couples, which show a remarkable improvement of their electron transfer kinetics on SWCNT-modified electrodes, probably due to strong π-π interaction between the organic molecules and the walls of the carbon nanotubes. For many of the reactions studied, less than 1% of the nanotube-modified electrode surface is transferring charge to species in solution. This result suggests that only nanotube tips are active sites for the electron transfer in such cases. On the contrary, the electroactive surface for the reactions of ferrocene and quinone is higher indicating that the electron transfer is produced also from the nanotube walls.

  9. Acetaminophen/paracetamol: A history of errors, failures and false decisions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brune, K; Renner, B; Tiegs, G

    2015-08-01

    Acetaminophen/paracetamol is the most widely used drug of the world. At the same time, it is probably one of the most dangerous compounds in medical use, causing hundreds of deaths in all industrialized countries due to acute liver failure (ALF). Publications of the last 130 years found in the usual databases were analyzed. Personal contacts existed to renowned researchers having contributed to the medical use of paracetamol and its precursors as H.U. Zollinger, S. Moeschlin, U. Dubach, J. Axelrod and others. Further information is found in earlier reviews by Eichengrün, Rodnan and Benedek, Sneader, Brune; comp. references. The history of the discovery of paracetamol starts with an error (active against worms), continues with a false assumption (paracetamol is safer than phenacetin), describes the first side-effect 'epidemy' (phenacetin nephropathy, drug-induced interstitial nephritis) and ends with the discovery of second-generation problems due to the unavoidable production of a highly toxic metabolite of paracetamol N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine (NAPQI) that may cause not only ALF and kidney damage but also impaired development of the fetus and the newborn child. It appears timely to reassess the risk/benefit ratio of this compound. © 2014 European Pain Federation - EFIC®

  10. Analgesic activity of piracetam: effect on cytokine production and oxidative stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Navarro, Suelen A; Serafim, Karla G G; Mizokami, Sandra S; Hohmann, Miriam S N; Casagrande, Rubia; Verri, Waldiceu A

    2013-04-01

    Piracetam is a prototype of nootropic drugs used to improve cognitive impairment. However, recent studies suggest that piracetam can have analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects. Inflammatory pain is the result of a process that depends on neutrophil migration, cytokines and prostanoids release and oxidative stress. We analyze whether piracetam has anti-nociceptive effects and its mechanisms. Per oral pretreatment with piracetam reduced in a dose-dependent manner the overt pain-like behavior induced by acetic acid, phenyl-p-benzoquinone, formalin and complete Freund's adjuvant. Piracetam also diminished carrageenin-induced mechanical and thermal hyperalgesia, myeloperoxidase activity, and TNF-α-induced mechanical hyperalgesia. Piracetam presented analgesic effects as post-treatment and local paw treatment. The analgesic mechanisms of piracetam were related to inhibition of carrageenin- and TNF-α-induced production of IL-1β as well as prevention of carrageenin-induced decrease of reduced glutathione, ferric reducing ability and free radical scavenging ability in the paw. These results demonstrate that piracetam presents analgesic activity upon a variety of inflammatory stimuli by a mechanism dependent on inhibition of cytokine production and oxidative stress. Considering its safety and clinical use for cognitive function, it is possible that piracetam represents a novel perspective of analgesic. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Wearable Wireless Tyrosinase Bandage and Microneedle Sensors: Toward Melanoma Screening.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ciui, Bianca; Martin, Aida; Mishra, Rupesh K; Brunetti, Barbara; Nakagawa, Tatsuo; Dawkins, Thomas J; Lyu, Mengjia; Cristea, Cecilia; Sandulescu, Robert; Wang, Joseph

    2018-04-01

    Wearable bendable bandage-based sensor and a minimally invasive microneedle biosensor are described toward rapid screening of skin melanoma. These wearable electrochemical sensors are capable of detecting the presence of the tyrosinase (TYR) enzyme cancer biomarker in the presence of its catechol substrate, immobilized on the transducer surface. In the presence of the surface TYR biomarker, the immobilized catechol is rapidly converted to benzoquinone that is detected amperometrically, with a current signal proportional to the TYR level. The flexible epidermal bandage sensor relies on printing stress-enduring inks which display good resiliency against mechanical deformations, whereas the hollow microneedle device is filled with catechol-coated carbon paste for assessing tissue TYR levels. The bandage sensor can thus be used directly on the skin whereas microneedle device can reach melanoma tissues under the skin. Both wearable sensors are interfaced to an ultralight flexible electronic board, which transmits data wirelessly to a mobile device. The analytical performance of the resulting bandage and microneedle sensing systems are evaluated using TYR-containing agarose phantom gel and porcine skin. The new integrated conformal portable sensing platforms hold considerable promise for decentralized melanoma screening, and can be extended to the screening of other key biomarkers in skin moles. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  12. Photophysical and photochemical properties of novel metallophthalocyanines bearing 7-oxy-3-(m-methoxyphenyl)coumarin groups

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taştemel, Ayşegül; Karaca, Birsen Yılmaz; Durmuş, Mahmut; Bulut, Mustafa

    2015-01-01

    Tetra-peripherally and non-peripherally 7-oxy-3-(m-methoxyphenyl)coumarin-substituted zinc(II) (4a and 5a), indium(III)acetate (4b and 5b) and magnesium(II) (4c and 5c) phthalocyanines were synthesized for the first time. These phthalocyanines were characterized by elemental analysis, FT-IR, 1 H NMR, UV–vis spectroscopy and mass spectra. The novel phthalocyanines showed excellent solubility in general organic solvents, such as dichloromethane, chloroform, tetrahydrofuran (THF), N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) and dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO). The photophysical and photochemical properties of these phthalocyanines were investigated in DMF. The effects of the central metal ions (Zn 2+ , Mg 2+ , In +3 ) and the position (peripheral or non-peripheral) of the substituents on the photophysical and photochemical parameters were reported for comparison. The singlet oxygen quantum yield values of novel phthalocyanines ranged from 0.29 to 0.82 in DMF. In this study, the fluorescence quenching behavior of the studied zinc(II) and magnesium(II) phthalocyanine complexes was also described by the addition of 1,4-benzoquinone. - Highlights: • 7-oxy-3-(m-methoxyphenyl)coumarin-substituted Zn, In(III)OAc and Mg phthalocyanines. • Investigation of their photophysical and photochemical properties in DMF. • The effects of metal types and position of the substituents on these properties.

  13. Advanced oxidation of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene isomers (BTEX) by Trametes versicolor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aranda, Elisabet; Marco-Urrea, Ernest; Caminal, Gloria; Arias, María E; García-Romera, Inmaculada; Guillén, Francisco

    2010-09-15

    Advanced oxidation of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and o-, m-, and p-xylene (BTEX) by the extracellular hydroxyl radicals (*OH) generated by the white-rot fungus Trametes versicolor is for the first time demonstrated. The production of *OH was induced by incubating the fungus with 2,6-dimethoxy-1,4-benzoquinone (DBQ) and Fe3+-EDTA. Under these conditions, *OH were generated through DBQ redox cycling catalyzed by quinone reductase and laccase. The capability of T. versicolor growing in malt extract medium to produce *OH by this mechanism was shown during primary and secondary metabolism, and was quantitatively modulated by the replacement of EDTA by oxalate and Mn2+ addition to DBQ incubations. Oxidation of BTEX was observed only under *OH induction conditions. *OH involvement was inferred from the high correlation observed between the rates at which they were produced under different DBQ redox cycling conditions and those of benzene removal, and the production of phenol as a typical hydroxylation product of *OH attack on benzene. All the BTEX compounds (500 microM) were oxidized at a similar rate, reaching an average of 71% degradation in 6 h samples. After this time oxidation stopped due to O2 depletion in the closed vials used in the incubations. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Vibrational spectra of charge transfer complexes of lead phthalocyanine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oza, A.T.; Patel, S.G.; Patel, R.G.; Prajapati, S.M.; Vaidya, Rajiv

    2005-01-01

    Infrared spectra of six charge transfer complexes of lead phthalocyanine (PbPc), namely, PbPc-I 2 , PbPc-TCNQ, PbPc-DDQ, PbPc-chloranil, PbPc-TCNE and PbPc-TNF, where TCNQ=7,7,8,8-tetracyano-1,4-quinodimethane, DDQ=2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-p-benzoquinone, TCNE=tetracyano-p-ethylene and TNF=2,4,5,7-tetranitro-9-fluorenone have been studied in the range of 400-4000 cm -1 . The analysis of featureless absorption is carried out for studying transition across the Peierls gap of 0.225 eV. The electronic absorption envelopes at 1500, 1100 and 3400 cm -1 are found to have Gaussian shapes and not the degenerate oscillators, as found in purely organic conductors. There is a pairing of two electrons on phthalocyanine ligand as required in Little's model, and consequently, the electronic absorption envelope is a doublet. Electronic absorption envelope is a doublet showing two peaks at 1500 and 1100 cm -1 , indicating a two-electron problem in PbPc. Metal-ligand vibrations between 400 and 700 cm -1 lead to indirect transition between the valence and conduction bands and phonon-mediated coupling between metal chains and the side chains

  15. Ga2O3 photocatalyzed on-line tagging of cysteine to facilitate peptide mass fingerprinting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qiao, Liang; Su, Fangzheng; Bi, Hongyan; Girault, Hubert H; Liu, Baohong

    2011-09-01

    β-Ga(2)O(3) is a wide-band-gap semiconductor having strong oxidation ability under light irradiation. Herein, the steel target plates modified with β-Ga(2)O(3) nanoparticles have been developed to carry out in-source photo-catalytic oxidative reactions for online peptide tagging during laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (LDI-MS) analysis. Under UV laser irradiation, β-Ga(2)O(3) can catalyze the photo-oxidation of 2-methoxyhydroquinone added to a sample mixture to 2-methoxy benzoquinone that can further react with the thiol groups of cysteine residues by Michael addition reaction. The tagging process leads to appearance of pairs of peaks with an m/z shift of 138.1Th. This online labelling strategy is demonstrated to be sensitive and efficient with a detection-limit at femtomole level. Using the strategy, the information on cysteine content in peptides can be obtained together with peptide mass, therefore constraining the database searching for an advanced identification of cysteine-containing proteins from protein mixtures. The current peptide online tagging method can be important for specific analysis of cysteine-containing proteins especially the low-abundant ones that cannot be completely isolated from other high-abundant non-cysteine-proteins. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  16. Performance and Mechanism of Piezo-Catalytic Degradation of 4-Chlorophenol: Finding of Effective Piezo-Dechlorination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lan, Shenyu; Feng, Jinxi; Xiong, Ya; Tian, Shuanghong; Liu, Shengwei; Kong, Lingjun

    2017-06-06

    Piezo-catalysis was first used to degrade a nondye pollutant, 4-chlorophenol (4-CP). In this process, hydrothermally synthesized tetragonal BaTiO 3 nano/micrometer-sized particles were used as the piezo-catalyst, and the ultrasonic irradiation with low frequency was selected as the vibration energy to cause the deformation of tetragonal BaTiO 3 . It was found that the piezoelectric potential from the deformation could not only successfully degrade 4-chlorophenol but also effectively dechlorinate it at the same time, and five kinds of dechlorinated intermediates, hydroquinone, benzoquinone, phenol, cyclohexanone, and cyclohexanol, were determined. This is the first sample of piezo-dechlorination. Although various active species, including h + , e - , •H, •OH, •O 2 - , 1 O 2 , and H 2 O 2 , were generated in the piezoelectric process, it was confirmed by ESR, scavenger studies, and LC-MS that the degradation and dechlorination were mainly attributed to •OH radicals. These •OH radicals were chiefly derived from the electron reduction of O 2 , partly from the hole oxidation of H 2 O. These results indicated that the piezo-catalysis was an emerging and effective advanced oxidation technology for degradation and dechlorination of organic pollutants.

  17. Discovery and study of novel protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B inhibitors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Qian; Chen, Xi; Feng, Changgen

    2017-10-01

    Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) is considered to be a target for therapy of type II diabetes and obesity. So it is of great significance to take advantage of a computer aided drug design protocol involving the structured-based virtual screening with docking simulations for fast searching small molecule PTP1B inhibitors. Based on optimized complex structure of PTP1B bound with specific inhibitor of IX1, structured-based virtual screening against a library of natural products containing 35308 molecules, which was constructed based on Traditional Chinese Medicine database@ Taiwan (TCM database@ Taiwan), was conducted to determine the occurrence of PTP1B inhibitors using the Lubbock module and CDOCKER module from Discovery Studio 3.1 software package. The results were further filtered by predictive ADME simulation and predictive toxic simulation. As a result, 2 good drug-like molecules, namely para-benzoquinone compound 1 and Clavepictine analogue 2 were identified ultimately with the dock score of original inhibitor (IX1) and the receptor as a threshold. Binding model analyses revealed that these two candidate compounds have good interactions with PTP1B. The PTP1B inhibitory activity of compound 2 hasn't been reported before. The optimized compound 2 has higher scores and deserves further study.

  18. Optimization and Validation of Quantitative Spectrophotometric Methods for the Determination of Alfuzosin in Pharmaceutical Formulations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Vamsi Krishna

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available Three accurate, simple and precise spectrophotometric methods for the determination of alfuzosin hydrochloride in bulk drugs and tablets are developed. The first method is based on the reaction of alfuzosin with ninhydrin reagent in N, N'-dimethylformamide medium (DMF producing a colored product which absorbs maximally at 575 nm. Beer’s law is obeyed in the concentration range 12.5-62.5 µg/mL of alfuzosin. The second method is based on the reaction of drug with ascorbic acid in DMF medium resulting in the formation of a colored product, which absorbs maximally at 530 nm. Beer’s law is obeyed in the concentration 10-50 µg/mL of alfuzosin. The third method is based on the reaction of alfuzosin with p-benzoquinone (PBQ to form a colored product with λmax at 400 nm. The products of the reaction were stable for 2 h at room temperature. The optimum experimental parameters for the reactions have been studied. The validity of the described procedures was assessed. Statistical analysis of the results has been carried out revealing high accuracy and good precision. The proposed methods could be used for the determination of alfuzosin in pharmaceutical formulations. The procedures were rapid, simple and suitable for quality control application.

  19. Composition and Biological Properties of Agaricus bisporus Fruiting Bodies – a Review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Muszyńska Bożena

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available White Agaricus bisporus is both the most popular and the most commonly eaten edible mushroom species in the world. It is popular not only because of its taste, but also due to its high level of nutrients: dietary fiber (chitin, essential, semi-essential amino acids, unsaturated fatty acids including linoleic and linolenic acids, easily digestible proteins, sterols, phenolic and indole compounds, and vitamins − especially provitamin D2 and B1, B2, B6, B7, and C. Fruiting bodies of A. bisporus have antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, and immunomodulatory activity. The presence of antioxidant ergothioneine (which also displays the antimutagenic, chemo- and radioprotective activity is also noteworthy. A. bisporus also contains derivatives of benzoquinone, a substance which belongs to the group of antibiotics. Studies of tyrosinase isolated from this species show its very high similarity to human tyrosinase. This points directly to the fact that this species could be a rich source of tyrosinase used for medicinal and cosmetics purposes. A. bisporus is also a rich source of selenium, zinc and other elements such as magnesium, copper, iron, potassium, sodium, calcium, phosphorus, sulfur or manganese. In conclusion, the presence of these compounds and elements with biological activity in fruiting bodies of A. bisporus confirms their nutraceutical and medicinal properties.

  20. Ultrafast Interfacial Electron and Hole Transfer from CsPbBr3 Perovskite Quantum Dots.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Kaifeng; Liang, Guijie; Shang, Qiongyi; Ren, Yueping; Kong, Degui; Lian, Tianquan

    2015-10-14

    Recently reported colloidal lead halide perovskite quantum dots (QDs) with tunable photoluminescence (PL) wavelengths covering the whole visible spectrum and exceptionally high PL quantum yields (QYs, 50-90%) constitute a new family of functional materials with potential applications in light-harvesting and -emitting devices. By transient absorption spectroscopy, we show that the high PL QYs (∼79%) can be attributed to negligible electron or hole trapping pathways in CsPbBr3 QDs: ∼94% of lowest excitonic states decayed with a single-exponential time constant of 4.5 ± 0.2 ns. Furthermore, excitons in CsPbBr3 QDs can be efficiently dissociated in the presence of electron or hole acceptors. The half-lives of electron transfer (ET) to benzoquinone and subsequent charge recombination are 65 ± 5 ps and 2.6 ± 0.4 ns, respectively. The half-lives for hole transfer (HT) to phenothiazine and the subsequent charge recombination are 49 ± 6 ps and 1.0 ± 0.2 ns, respectively. The lack of electron and hole traps and fast interfacial ET and HT rates are key properties that may enable the development of efficient lead halide perovskite QDs-based light-harvesting and -emitting devices.

  1. Review of Pharmacological Effects of Antrodia camphorata and Its Bioactive Compounds

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Madamanchi Geethangili

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Antrodia camphorata is a unique mushroom of Taiwan, which has been used as a traditional medicine for protection of diverse health-related conditions. In an effort to translate this Eastern medicine into Western-accepted therapy, a great deal of work has been carried out on A. camphorata. This review discusses the biological activities of the crude extracts and the main bioactive compounds of A. camphorata. The list of bioactivities of crude extracts is huge, ranging from anti-cancer to vasorelaxation and others. Over 78 compounds consisting of terpenoids, benzenoids, lignans, benzoquinone derivatives, succinic and maleic derivatives, in addition to polysaccharides have been identified. Many of these compounds were evaluated for biological activity. Many activities of crude extracts and pure compounds of A. camphorata against some major diseases of our time, and thus, a current review is of great importance. It is concluded that A. camphorata can be considered as an efficient alternative phytotherapeutic agent or a synergizer in the treatment of cancer and other immune-related diseases. However, clinical trails of human on A. camphorata extracts are limited and those of pure compounds are absent. The next step is to produce some medicines from A. camphorata, however, the production may be hampered by problems related to mass production.

  2. Combined atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) studies of glucose oxidase (GOx) immobilised onto self-assembled monolayer on the gold film

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Losic, D.; Shapter, J.; Gooding, J.; Erokin, P.; Short, K.

    1999-01-01

    In fabrication of biosensors, self-assembled monolayers (SAM) are an attractive method of immobilising enzymes at electrode surface since it allows precise control over the amount and spatial distribution of the immobilized enzyme. The covalent attachment of glucose oxidase (GOx) to a carboxylic terminated SAM chemisorbed onto gold films was achieved via carbodiimide activation of the carboxylic acids to a reactive intermediate susceptible to nucleophilic attack by amines on free lysine chains of the enzyme. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) measurements were used for characterisation of GOx modified gold surfaces. Tapping mode AFM studies have revealed that GOx molecules form slightly disordered arrays of pentagonal or hexagonal clusters. Observed features of immobilised GOx are distributed as a submonolayer on the SAM surface which has allowed visualisation of native and unfolded enzyme structure. The presence of the SAM and enzyme on the gold surface was detected by XPS spectroscopy. Spectra show typical peaks for the C 1s, O 1s and N 1s regions. A kinetic study of the adsorption of GOx onto activated SAM using in-situ QCM allowed determination the amount of immobilised GOx on the layer and consequently the optimal immobilisation conditions. Performance parameters of the biosensor such as sensitivity to glucose concentration as a function of enzyme loading were evaluated amperometrically using the redox mediator p-benzoquinone

  3. A Novel Photoelectrochemical Biosensor for Tyrosinase and Thrombin Detection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jiexia Chen

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available A novel photoelectrochemical biosensor for step-by-step assay of tyrosinase and thrombin was fabricated based on the specific interactions between the designed peptide and the target enzymes. A peptide chain with a special sequence which contains a positively charged lysine-labeled terminal, tyrosine at the other end and a cleavage site recognized by thrombin between them was designed. The designed peptide can be fixed on surface of the CdTe quantum dots (QDs-modified indium-tin oxide (ITO electrode through electrostatic attraction to construct the photoelectrochemical biosensor. The tyrosinase target can catalyze the oxidization of tyrosine by oxygen into ortho-benzoquinone residues, which results in a decrease in the sensor photocurrent. Subsequently, the cleavage site could be recognized and cut off by another thrombin target, restoring the sensor photocurrent. The decrease or increase of photocurrent in the sensor enables us to assay tyrosinase and thrombin. Thus, the detection of tyrosinase and thrombin can be achieved in the linear range from 2.6 to 32 μg/mL and from 4.5 to 100 μg/mL with detection limits of 1.5 μg/mL and 1.9 μg/mL, respectively. Most importantly, this strategy shall allow us to detect different classes of enzymes simultaneously by designing various enzyme-specific peptide substrates.

  4. Compatible validated spectrofluorimetric and spectrophotometric methods for determination of vildagliptin and saxagliptin by factorial design experiments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdel-Aziz, Omar; Ayad, Miriam F.; Tadros, Mariam M.

    2015-04-01

    Simple, selective and reproducible spectrofluorimetric and spectrophotometric methods have been developed for the determination of vildagliptin and saxagliptin in bulk and their pharmaceutical dosage forms. The first proposed spectrofluorimetric method is based on the dansylation reaction of the amino group of vildagliptin with dansyl chloride to form a highly fluorescent product. The formed product was measured spectrofluorimetrically at 455 nm after excitation at 345 nm. Beer's law was obeyed in a concentration range of 100-600 μg ml-1. The second proposed spectrophotometric method is based on the charge transfer complex of saxagliptin with tetrachloro-1,4-benzoquinone (p-chloranil). The formed charge transfer complex was measured spectrophotometrically at 530 nm. Beer's law was obeyed in a concentration range of 100-850 μg ml-1. The third proposed spectrophotometric method is based on the condensation reaction of the primary amino group of saxagliptin with formaldehyde and acetyl acetone to form a yellow colored product known as Hantzsch reaction, measured at 342.5 nm. Beer's law was obeyed in a concentration range of 50-300 μg ml-1. All the variables were studied to optimize the reactions' conditions using factorial design. The developed methods were validated and proved to be specific and accurate for quality control of vildagliptin and saxagliptin in their pharmaceutical dosage forms.

  5. Degradation of phenolic compounds with hydrogen peroxide catalyzed by enzyme from Serratia marcescens AB 90027.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yao, Ri-Sheng; Sun, Min; Wang, Chun-Ling; Deng, Sheng-Song

    2006-09-01

    In this paper, the degradation of phenolic compounds using hydrogen peroxide as oxidizer and the enzyme extract from Serratia marcescens AB 90027 as catalyst was reported. With such an enzyme/H2O2 combination treatment, a high chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency was achieved, e.g., degradation of hydroquinone exceeded 96%. From UV-visible and IR spectra, the degradation mechanisms were judged as a process of phenyl ring cleavage. HPLC analysis shows that in the degradation p-benzoquinone, maleic acid and oxalic acid were formed as intermediates and that they were ultimately converted to CO2 and H2O. With the enzyme/H2O2 treatment, vanillin, hydroquinone, catechol, o-aminophenol, p-aminophenol, phloroglucinol and p-hydroxybenzaldehyde were readily degraded, whereas the degradation of phenol, salicylic acid, resorcinol, p-cholorophenol and p-nitrophenol were limited. Their degradability was closely related to the properties and positions of their side chain groups. Electron-donating groups, such as -OH, -NH2 and -OCH3 enhanced the degradation, whereas electron-withdrawing groups, such as -NO2, -Cl and -COOH, had a negative effect on the degradation of these compounds in the presence of enzyme/H2O2. Compounds with -OH at ortho and para positions were more readily degraded than those with -OH at meta positions.

  6. Geometry and quadratic nonlinearity of charge transfer complexes in solution: A theoretical study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mukhopadhyay, S.; Ramasesha, S.; Pandey, Ravindra; Das, Puspendu K.

    2011-01-01

    In this paper, we have computed the quadratic nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of a class of weak charge transfer (CT) complexes. These weak complexes are formed when the methyl substituted benzenes (donors) are added to strong acceptors like chloranil (CHL) or di-chloro-di-cyano benzoquinone (DDQ) in chloroform or in dichloromethane. The formation of such complexes is manifested by the presence of a broad absorption maximum in the visible range of the spectrum where neither the donor nor the acceptor absorbs. The appearance of this visible band is due to CT interactions, which result in strong NLO responses. We have employed the semiempirical intermediate neglect of differential overlap (INDO/S) Hamiltonian to calculate the energy levels of these CT complexes using single and double configuration interaction (SDCI). The solvent effects are taken into account by using the self-consistent reaction field (SCRF) scheme. The geometry of the complex is obtained by exploring different relative molecular geometries by rotating the acceptor with respect to the fixed donor about three different axes. The theoretical geometry that best fits the experimental energy gaps, β HRS and macroscopic depolarization ratios is taken to be the most probable geometry of the complex. Our studies show that the most probable geometry of these complexes in solution is the parallel displaced structure with a significant twist in some cases.

  7. Study of the interactions between naphthoquinone and protein

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Zhaoxia; Zhao Hongwei; Zhu Hongping; Ge Min; Hao Shumei; Wang Wenfeng; Li Wenxin

    2006-01-01

    Quinones are found in probably all respiring animal and plant cells. They are widely used as anticancer, antibacterial or antimalarial drugs and as fungicides. Over the last several decades, much attention has been paid to quinone compounds since they play important roles as electron and hydrogen atom acceptors in both chemistry and biochemistry. It has been known that the reactive states for the photoreduction of quinones are triplets. As for the photochemistry of simple quinones, such as benzoquinones (BQ), anthraquinones (AQ) and naphthoquinone (NQ), a large number of studies on their photochemical properties and elementary photoreactions. However little research on the protein electron transfer of triplet naphthoquinones ( 3 NQ * ) in organic solvents has been reported using laser flash photolysis. We have studied interactions between 3 NQ * and lysozyme in a mixture solution of acetonitrile and H 2 O (3:1, v/v) using 355 nm laser flash photolysis technique combined with the sample being irradiated in steady-state. Electron transfer reaction between 3 NQ * and lysozyme was found, and the rate constant was determined. On the other hand, the results of electrophoresis suggested that protein can be damaged induced by NQ irradiated with UVA light. It was indicated that the mechanisms and products of oxidative damage were relative to the concentration of riboflavin, the time of irradiation and the ambience. Mechanisms of photosensitive damage of protein were proposed. (authors)

  8. Ultra pressure liquid chromatography-negative electrospray ionization mass spectrometry determination of twelve halobenzoquinones at ng/L levels in drinking water.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Rongfu; Wang, Wei; Qian, Yichao; Boyd, Jessica M; Zhao, Yuli; Li, Xing-Fang

    2013-05-07

    We report here the characterization of twelve halobenzoquinones (HBQs) using electrospray ionization (ESI) high resolution quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The high resolution negative ESI spectra of the twelve HBQs formed two parent ions, [M + H(+) + 2e(-)], and the radical M(-•). The intensities of these two parent ions are dependent on their chemical structures and on instrumental parameters such as the source temperature and flow rate. The characteristic ions of the HBQs were used to develop an ultra pressure liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method. At the UPLC flow rate (400 μL/min) and under the optimized ESI conditions, eleven HBQs showed the stable and abundant transitions [M + H(+) + 2e(-)] → X(-) (X(-) representing Cl(-), Br(-), or I(-)), while dibromo-dimethyl-benzoquinone (DBDMBQ) showed only the transition of M(-•) → Br(-). The UPLC efficiently separates all HBQs including some HBQ isomers, while the MS/MS offers exquisite limits of detection (LODs) at subng/mL levels for all HBQs except DBDMBQ. Combined with solid phase extraction (SPE), the method LOD is down to ng/L. The results from analysis of authentic samples demonstrated that the SPE-UPLC-MS/MS method is reliable, fast, and sensitive for the identification and quantification of the twelve HBQs in drinking water.

  9. Predictive toxicology using systemic biology and liver microfluidic “on chip” approaches: Application to acetaminophen injury

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Prot, Jean-Matthieu; Bunescu, Andrei; Elena-Herrmann, Bénédicte; Aninat, Caroline; Snouber, Leila Choucha; Griscom, Laurent; Razan, Florence; Bois, Frederic Y.; Legallais, Cécile

    2012-01-01

    We have analyzed transcriptomic, proteomic and metabolomic profiles of hepatoma cells cultivated inside a microfluidic biochip with or without acetaminophen (APAP). Without APAP, the results show an adaptive cellular response to the microfluidic environment, leading to the induction of anti-oxidative stress and cytoprotective pathways. In presence of APAP, calcium homeostasis perturbation, lipid peroxidation and cell death are observed. These effects can be attributed to APAP metabolism into its highly reactive metabolite, N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine (NAPQI). That toxicity pathway was confirmed by the detection of GSH-APAP, the large production of 2-hydroxybutyrate and 3-hydroxybutyrate, and methionine, cystine, and histidine consumption in the treated biochips. Those metabolites have been reported as specific biomarkers of hepatotoxicity and glutathione depletion in the literature. In addition, the integration of the metabolomic, transcriptomic and proteomic collected profiles allowed a more complete reconstruction of the APAP injury pathways. To our knowledge, this work is the first example of a global integration of microfluidic biochip data in toxicity assessment. Our results demonstrate the potential of that new approach to predictive toxicology. -- Highlights: ► We cultivated liver cells in microfluidic biochips ► We integrated transcriptomic, proteomic and metabolomics profiles ► Pathways reconstructions were proposed in control and acetaminophen treated cultures ► Biomarkers were identified ► Comparisons with in vivo studies were proposed.

  10. Basic electrochemical properties of sputtered gold film electrodes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Libansky, Milan; Zima, Jiri; Barek, Jiri; Reznickova, Alena; Svorcik, Vaclav; Dejmkova, Hana

    2017-01-01

    Gold nanolayers made by sputtering of pure gold (physical vapour deposition) are commonly used for many biophysical and material applications. However, the use of sputtering method for fabrication of working electrodes for electroanalytical purposes is less common. This paper focuses on the testing and characterization of sputtered working roughened gold nanostructured film electrodes, which fall into category of upcoming desirable new generation of nanostructured gold working electrodes. Gold nanostructured films (80 nm thin) were sputtered onto 50 μm thin PTFE substrates with three different types of treatment: pristine, plasma treated, and plasma treated and subsequently spontaneously grafted with biphenyl-4,4′-dithiol. The characterization of gold nanostructured film electrodes was carried out by examination of the electrode reaction of standard redox probes (ferrocyanide/ferricyanide, hydroquinone/benzoquinone) in different types of supporting electrolytes (BR buffers of various pH, KCl, KNO 3 , H 2 SO 4 ), by exploration of the electrode surface by scanning electron microscopy, by atomic force microscopy accompanied by elementary analysis and contact angle measurements. The testing of electrodes was complemented by an attempt to calculate their real surface areas from Randles-Sevcik equation. All results were compared to conventional bulk gold electrode. The practical applicability of the nanostructured gold electrodes as sensors for the determination of environmental pollutants was verified by voltammetric determination of hydroquinone as a model electrochemically oxidisable organic environmental pollutant.

  11. The oxidation of acid azo dye AY 36 by a manganese oxide containing mine waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Clarke, Catherine E.; Kielar, Filip; Johnson, Karen L.

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► This study looks at the oxidative breakdown of the amine containing dye acid yellow 36 by a Mn oxide containing mine waste. ► The oxidation proceeds by successive one electron transfers between the dye molecule and the Mn oxide minerals. ► The initial decolorization of the dye is rapid, but does not involve the cleavage of the azo bond. -- Abstract: The oxidative breakdown of acid azo dye acid yellow 36 (AY 36) by a Mn oxide containing mine tailings is demonstrated. The oxidation reaction is pH dependent with the rate of decolorization increasing with decreasing pH. The oxidation reaction mechanism is initiated at the amino moiety and proceeds via successive, one electron transfers from the dye to the Mn oxide minerals. The reaction pathway involves the formation of a number of colorless intermediate products, some of which hydrolyze in a Mn oxide-independent step. Decolorization of the dye is rapid and is observed before the cleavage of the azo-bond, which is a slower process. The terminal oxidation products were observed to be p-benzoquinone and 3-hydroxybenzenesulfonate. The reaction order of the initial decolorization was determined to be pseudo fractional order with respect to pH and pseudo first order with respect to dye concentration and Mn tailings’ surface area

  12. Evaluation of the potential of soil remediation by direct multi-channel pulsed corona discharge in soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Tie Cheng; Qu, Guangzhou; Li, Jie; Liang, Dongli

    2014-01-15

    A novel approach, named multi-channel pulsed corona discharge in soil, was developed for remediating organic pollutants contaminated soil, with p-nitrophenol (PNP) as the model pollutant. The feasibility of PNP degradation in soil was explored by evaluating effects of pulse discharge voltage, air flow rate and soil moisture on PNP degradation. Based on roles of chemically active species and evolution of degradation intermediates, PNP degradation processes were discussed. Experimental results showed that about 89.4% of PNP was smoothly degraded within 60min of discharge treatment at pulse discharge voltage 27kV, soil moisture 5% and air flow rate 0.8Lmin(-1), and the degradation process fitted the first-order kinetic model. Increasing pulse discharge voltage was found to be favorable for PNP degradation, but not for energy yield. There existed appropriate air flow rate and soil moisture for obtaining gratifying PNP degradation efficacy. Roles of radical scavenger and measurement of active species suggested that ozone, H2O2, and OH radicals played very important roles in PNP degradation. CN bond in PNP molecule was cleaved, and the main intermediate products such as hydroquinone, benzoquinone, catechol, phenol, acetic acid, formic acid, oxalic acid, NO2(-) and NO3(-) were identified. Possible pathway of PNP degradation in soil in such a system was proposed. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Heritable Variation in Quinone-Induced Haustorium Development in the Parasitic Plant Triphysaria1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jamison, Denneal S.; Yoder, John I.

    2001-01-01

    We are using the facultative hemiparasite, Triphysaria, as a model for studying host-parasite signaling in the Scrophulariaceae. Parasitic members of this family form subterranean connections, or haustoria, on neighboring host roots to access host water and nutrients. These parasitic organs develop in response to haustorial-inducing factors contained in host root exudates. A well-characterized inducing factor, 2, 6-dimethoxy-p-benzoquinone (DMBQ), can be used to trigger in vitro haustorium formation in the roots of Triphysaria. We have assayed three species, Triphysaria eriantha (Benth.) Chuang and Heckard, Triphysaria pusilla (Benth.) Chuang and Heckard, and Triphysaria versicolor Fischer and C. Meyer, for haustorium development in response to DMBQ. There were significant differences between the species in their ability to recognize and respond to this quinone. Ninety percent of T. versicolor individuals responded, whereas only 40% of T. pusilla and less than 10% of T. eriantha formed haustoria. Within field collections of self-pollinating T. pusilla, differential responsiveness to DMBQ was seen in distinct maternal families. Assaying haustorium development in subsequent generations of self-pollinated T. pusilla showed that DMBQ responsiveness was heritable. Reciprocal crosses between T. eriantha and T. versicolor demonstrated that DMBQ responsiveness was influenced by maternal factors. These results demonstrate heritable, natural variation in the recognition of a haustorial-inducing factor by a parasitic member of the Scrophulariaceae. PMID:11299366

  14. Photophysical and photochemical properties of novel metallophthalocyanines bearing 7-oxy-3-(m-methoxyphenyl)coumarin groups

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Taştemel, Ayşegül; Karaca, Birsen Yılmaz [Marmara University, Faculty of Art and Science, Department of Chemistry, 34722 Kadıkoy-Istanbul (Turkey); Durmuş, Mahmut [Gebze Technical University, Department of Chemistry, P.O. Box 141, Gebze 41400, Kocaeli (Turkey); Bulut, Mustafa, E-mail: mbulut@marmara.edu.tr [Marmara University, Faculty of Art and Science, Department of Chemistry, 34722 Kadıkoy-Istanbul (Turkey)

    2015-12-15

    Tetra-peripherally and non-peripherally 7-oxy-3-(m-methoxyphenyl)coumarin-substituted zinc(II) (4a and 5a), indium(III)acetate (4b and 5b) and magnesium(II) (4c and 5c) phthalocyanines were synthesized for the first time. These phthalocyanines were characterized by elemental analysis, FT-IR, {sup 1}H NMR, UV–vis spectroscopy and mass spectra. The novel phthalocyanines showed excellent solubility in general organic solvents, such as dichloromethane, chloroform, tetrahydrofuran (THF), N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) and dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO). The photophysical and photochemical properties of these phthalocyanines were investigated in DMF. The effects of the central metal ions (Zn{sup 2+}, Mg{sup 2+}, In{sup +3}) and the position (peripheral or non-peripheral) of the substituents on the photophysical and photochemical parameters were reported for comparison. The singlet oxygen quantum yield values of novel phthalocyanines ranged from 0.29 to 0.82 in DMF. In this study, the fluorescence quenching behavior of the studied zinc(II) and magnesium(II) phthalocyanine complexes was also described by the addition of 1,4-benzoquinone. - Highlights: • 7-oxy-3-(m-methoxyphenyl)coumarin-substituted Zn, In(III)OAc and Mg phthalocyanines. • Investigation of their photophysical and photochemical properties in DMF. • The effects of metal types and position of the substituents on these properties.

  15. Photo-assisted Fenton type processes for the degradation of phenol: A kinetic study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kusic, Hrvoje; Koprivanac, Natalija; Bozic, Ana Loncaric; Selanec, Iva

    2006-01-01

    In this study the application of advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), dark Fenton and photo-assisted Fenton type processes; Fe 2+ /H 2 O 2 , Fe 3+ /H 2 O 2 , Fe 0 /H 2 O 2 , UV/Fe 2+ /H 2 O 2 , UV/Fe 3+ /H 2 O 2 and UV/Fe 0 /H 2 O 2 , for degradation of phenol as a model organic pollutant in the wastewater was investigated. A detail kinetic modeling which describes the degradation of phenol was performed. Mathematical models which predict phenol decomposition and formation of primary oxidation by-products: catechol, hydroquinone and benzoquinone, by applied processes were developed. The study also consist the modeling of mineralization kinetic of the phenol solution by applied AOPs. This part, besides well known reactions of Fenton and photo-Fenton chemistry, involves additional reactions which describe removal of iron from catalytic cycle through formation of ferric complexes and its regeneration induced by UV radiation. Phenol decomposition kinetic was monitored by HPLC analysis and total organic carbon content measurements (TOC). Complete phenol removal was obtained by all applied processes. Residual TOC by applied Fenton type processes ranged between 60.2 and 44.7%, while the efficiency of those processes was significantly enhanced in the presence of UV light, where residual TOC ranged between 15.2 and 2.4%

  16. Synthesis, Half-Wave Potentials and Antiproliferative Activity of 1-Aryl-substituted Aminoisoquinolinequinones

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juana Andrea Ibacache

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The synthesis of a variety of 1-aryl-7-phenylaminoisoquinolinequinones from 1,4-benzoquinone and arylaldehydes via the respective 1-arylisoquinolinequinones is reported. The cyclic voltammograms of the new compounds exhibit two one-electron reduction waves to the corresponding radical-anion and dianion and two quasi-reversible oxidation peaks. The half-wave potential values (EI½ of the members of the series have proven sensitive to the electron-donor effect of the aryl group (phenyl, 2-thienyl, 2-furyl at the 1-position as well as to the phenylamino groups (anilino, p-anisidino at the 7-position. The antiproliferative activity of the new compounds was evaluated in vitro using the MTT colorimetric method against one normal cell line (MRC-5 lung fibroblasts and two human cancer cell lines: AGS human gastric adenocarcinoma and HL-60 human promyelocytic leukemia cells in 72-h drug exposure assays. Among the series, compounds 5a, 5b, 5g, 5h, 6a and 6d exhibited interesting antiproliferative activities against human gastric adenocarcinoma. The 1-arylisoquinolinequinone 6a was found to be the most promising active compound against the tested cancer cell lines in terms of IC50 values (1.19; 1.24 µM and selectivity index (IS: 3.08; 2.96, respect to the anti-cancer agent etoposide used as reference (IS: 0.57; 0.14.

  17. Mitochondrial–Lysosomal Axis in Acetaminophen Hepatotoxicity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anna Moles

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Acetaminophen (APAP toxicity is the most common cause of acute liver failure and a major indication for liver transplantion in the United States and Europe. Although significant progress has been made in understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying APAP hepatotoxicity, there is still an urgent need to find novel and effective therapies against APAP-induced acute liver failure. Hepatic APAP metabolism results in the production of the reactive metabolite N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine (NAPQI, which under physiological conditions is cleared by its conjugation with glutathione (GSH to prevent its targeting to mitochondria. APAP overdose or GSH limitation leads to mitochondrial NAPQI-protein adducts formation, resulting in oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and necrotic cell death. As mitochondria are a major target of APAP hepatotoxicity, mitochondrial quality control and clearance of dysfunctional mitochondria through mitophagy, emerges as an important strategy to limit oxidative stress and the engagement of molecular events leading to cell death. Recent evidence has indicated a lysosomal–mitochondrial cross-talk that regulates APAP hepatotoxicity. Moreover, as lysosomal function is essential for mitophagy, impairment in the fusion of lysosomes with autophagosomes-containing mitochondria may compromise the clearance of dysfunctional mitochondria, resulting in exacerbated APAP hepatotoxicity. This review centers on the role of mitochondria in APAP hepatotoxicity and how the mitochondrial/lysosomal axis can influence APAP-induced liver failure.

  18. Effect of ultrasonic waves on the water turbidity during the oxidation of phenol. Formation of (hydro)peroxo complexes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Villota, Natalia; Lomas, Jose M; Camarero, Luis M

    2017-11-01

    Analysis of the kinetics of aqueous phenol oxidation by a sono-Fenton process reveals that the via involving ortho-substituted intermediates prevails: catechol (25.0%), hydroquinone (7.7%) and resorcinol (0.6%). During the oxidation, water rapidly acquires color that reaches its maximum intensity at the maximum concentration of p-benzoquinone. Turbidity formation occurs at a slower rate. Oxidant dosage determines the nature of the intermediates, being trihydroxylated benzenes (pyrogallol, hydroxyhydroquinone) and muconic acid the main precursors causing turbidity. It is found that the concentration of iron species and ultrasonic waves affects the intensity of the turbidity. The pathway of (hydro)peroxo-iron(II) complexes formation is proposed. Operating with 20.0-27.8mgFe 2+ /kW rates leads to formation of (hydro)peroxo-iron(II) complexes, which induce high turbidity levels. These species would dissociate into ZZ-muconic acid and ferrous ions. Applying relationships around 13.9mgFe 2+ /kW, the formation of (hydro)peroxo-iron(III) complexes would occur, which could react with carboxylic acids (2,5-dioxo-3-hexenedioic acid). That reaction induces turbidity slower. This is due to the organic substrate reacting with two molecules of the (hydro)peroxo complex. Therefore, it is necessary to accelerate the iron regeneration, intensifying the ultrasonic irradiation. Afterwards, this complex would dissociate into maleic acid and ferric ions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Isolation of active constituents from cherry laurel (Laurocerasus officinalis Roem.) leaves through bioassay-guided procedures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akkol, Esra Küpeli; Kırmızıbekmez, Hasan; Küçükboyacı, Nurgün; Gören, Ahmet C; Yesilada, Erdem

    2012-01-31

    The fresh leaves of Laurocerasus officinalis Roem. (Rosaceae) are externally used against pain and feverish symptoms in Turkish folk medicine. Effects of the extracts, fractions and isolated compounds from the leaves of L. officinalis were investigated using in vivo models of inflammation and pain in mice. The crude ethanolic extract from the leaves of plant was sequentially fractionated into five subextracts; explicitly, n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate (EtOAc), n-butanol, and remaining water extracts. Further studies were carried out on the most active EtOAc subextract was further subjected to fractionation through column chromatography. For the anti-inflammatory activity, carrageenan-induced hind paw edema and acetic acid-induced increase in capillary permeability models, and for the antinociceptive activity p-benzoquinone-induced writhing test in mice were employed. Ethanolic extract of the leaves was shown to possess significant inhibitory activity in the assay methods without inducing any gastric damage. Through bioassay-guided fractionation and isolation procedures three phenolic compounds, 2-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-2-hydroxyphenyl-acetic acid (1), kaempferol-3-O-β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1→2)-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (2) and (+)-catechin (3) were isolated from the active fraction and their structures were elucidated by spectral techniques (1D and 2D NMR, ESIMS). The experimental data verified that Laurocerasus officinalis leaves displayed remarkable anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activity. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Investigation of some critical parameters of buffer conditions for the development of quantum dots-based optical sensors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yuan Jipei; Guo Weiwei; Wang Erkang

    2008-01-01

    The unique surface-sensitive properties make quantum dots (QDs) great potential in the development of sensors for various analytes. However, quantum dots are not only sensitive to a certain analyte, but also to the surrounding conditions. The controlled response to analyte may be the first step in the designing of functional quantum dots sensors. In this study, taking the quenching effect of benzoquinone (BQ) on CdTe QDs as model, several critical parameters of buffer solution conditions with potential effect on the sensors were investigated. The pH value and the concentration of sodium citrate in the buffer solution critically influenced the quenching effects of BQ. Dozens folds elevation of the quenching extents were observed with the increase of concentrations of H + and sodium citrate, and the quenching mechanisms were also fundamentally different with the changes of the surrounding buffer solutions. The quenching models were proposed and analyzed at different buffer conditions. Taking pH values for example, QDs quenching obeyed the sphere of effective quenching model with the sphere radii of 8.29 nm at pH 8.0, the linear Stern-Volmer equation with Stern-Volmer constant of 2.0 x 10 3 mol -1 L at pH 7.0, and the two binding site static quenching model at basic conditions. The elucidation of parameters for assay performance was important in the development of QDs-based optical sensors

  1. Light-dependent expression of flg22-induced defense genes in Arabidopsis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Satoshi eSano

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Chloroplasts have been reported to generate retrograde immune signals that activate defense gene expression in the nucleus. However, the roles of light and photosynthesis in plant immunity remain largely elusive. In this study, we evaluated the effects of light on the expression of defense genes induced by flg22, a peptide derived from bacterial flagellins which acts as a potent elicitor in plants. Whole-transcriptome analysis of flg22-treated Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings under light and dark conditions for 30 min revealed that a number of (30% genes strongly induced by flg22 (>4.0 require light for their rapid expression, whereas flg22-repressed genes include a significant number of genes that are down-regulated by light. Furthermore, light is responsible for the flg22-induced accumulation of salicylic acid, indicating that light is indispensable for basal defense responses in plants. To elucidate the role of photosynthesis in defense, we further examined flg22-induced defense gene expression in the presence of specific inhibitors of photosynthetic electron transport: 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl-1,1-dimethylurea (DCMU and 2,5-dibromo-3-methyl-6-isopropyl-benzoquinone (DBMIB. Light-dependent expression of defense genes was largely suppressed by DBMIB, but only partially suppressed by DCMU. These findings suggest that photosynthetic electron flow plays a role in controling the light-dependent expression of flg22-inducible defense genes.

  2. A Novel Photoelectrochemical Biosensor for Tyrosinase and Thrombin Detection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Jiexia; Liu, Yifan; Zhao, Guang-Chao

    2016-01-01

    A novel photoelectrochemical biosensor for step-by-step assay of tyrosinase and thrombin was fabricated based on the specific interactions between the designed peptide and the target enzymes. A peptide chain with a special sequence which contains a positively charged lysine-labeled terminal, tyrosine at the other end and a cleavage site recognized by thrombin between them was designed. The designed peptide can be fixed on surface of the CdTe quantum dots (QDs)-modified indium-tin oxide (ITO) electrode through electrostatic attraction to construct the photoelectrochemical biosensor. The tyrosinase target can catalyze the oxidization of tyrosine by oxygen into ortho-benzoquinone residues, which results in a decrease in the sensor photocurrent. Subsequently, the cleavage site could be recognized and cut off by another thrombin target, restoring the sensor photocurrent. The decrease or increase of photocurrent in the sensor enables us to assay tyrosinase and thrombin. Thus, the detection of tyrosinase and thrombin can be achieved in the linear range from 2.6 to 32 μg/mL and from 4.5 to 100 μg/mL with detection limits of 1.5 μg/mL and 1.9 μg/mL, respectively. Most importantly, this strategy shall allow us to detect different classes of enzymes simultaneously by designing various enzyme-specific peptide substrates. PMID:26805846

  3. Electron transfer reactions involving porphyrins and chlorophyll a

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Neta, P.; Scherz, A.; Levanon, H.

    1979-01-01

    Electron transfer reactions involving porphyrins (P) and quinones (Q) have been studied by pulse radiolysis. The porphyrins used were tetraphenylporphyrin (H 2 TPP), its tetracarboxy derivative (H 2 TCPP), the sodium and zinc compounds (Na 2 TPP and ZnTPP), and chlorophyll a (Chl a). These compounds were found to be rapidly reduced by electron transfer from (CH 3 ) 2 CO - . Reduction by (CH 3 ) 2 COH was rapid in aqueous solutions but relatively slow in i-PrOH solutions. Transient spectra of the anion radicals were determined and, in the case of H 2 TCPP - ., a pK = 9.7 was derived for its protonation. Electron-transfer reactions from the anion radical of H 2 TCPP to benzoquinone, duroquinone, 9,10-anthraquinone 2-sulfonate, and methylviologen occur in aqueous solutions with rate constants approx. 10 7 -10 9 M -1 s -1 which depend on the pH and the quinone reduction potential. Reactions of Na 2 TPP - ., ZnTPP - ., and Chl a - . with anthraquinone in basic i-PrOH solutions occur with rate constants approx. 10 9 M -1 s -1 . The spectral changes associated with these electron-transfer reactions as observed over a period of approx. 1 ms indicated, in some cases, the formation of an intermediate complex [P...Q - .]. 8 figures, 2 tables

  4. Two selective HPTLC methods for determination of some angiotensin II receptor antagonists in tablets and biological fluids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salah, Gamal A; Abd El-Wadood, Hanaa M; Khairy, Mohamed; Khorshed, Ahmed A

    2017-07-01

    Two simple, selective, precise and highly sensitive high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) methods have been developed and validated for analysis of five angiotensin II receptor antagonists, namely losartan, irbesartan valsartan, candesartan and olmesartan, which are widely used in clinical practice. HPTLC of the drugs was performed on pre-coated silica gel HPTLC plates 60 F 254 by development using a mobile phase composed of chloroform-acetone-glacial acetic acid (7.8:1.5:0.7m v/v/v), which was suitable for all of the studied drugs. The first method depended on utilizing reflectance/fluorescence mode for detection while the second method depended on using 2,3,5,6-tetrachloro-1,4-benzoquinone as spraying reagent for the first time to form orange spots scanned at 460 nm. A good linear relationship was obtained over the concentration ranges of 1.2-60 and 360-3000 ng/band while detection and quantification limits were in the ranges of 0.07-0.43, 45.2-140.49 and 0.21-1.29, 137.05-425.74 ng/band for reflectance/fluorescence and reflectance/absorbance methods respectively. The developed methods were applied successfully for their determination in tablets and spiked human plasma for reflectance/fluorescence method with good accuracy and precision, and so can be applied in the pharmacokinetic and bioavailability studies. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  5. Controlled Defects of Zinc Oxide Nanorods for Efficient Visible Light Photocatalytic Degradation of Phenol

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jamal Al-Sabahi

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Environmental pollution from human and industrial activities has received much attention as it adversely affects human health and bio-diversity. In this work we report efficient visible light photocatalytic degradation of phenol using supported zinc oxide (ZnO nanorods and explore the role of surface defects in ZnO on the visible light photocatalytic activity. ZnO nanorods were synthesized on glass substrates using a microwave-assisted hydrothermal process, while the surface defect states were controlled by annealing the nanorods at various temperatures and were characterized by photoluminescence and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC was used for the evaluation of phenol photocatalytic degradation. ZnO nanorods with high surface defects exhibited maximum visible light photocatalytic activity, showing 50% degradation of 10 ppm phenol aqueous solution within 2.5 h, with a degradation rate almost four times higher than that of nanorods with lower surface defects. The mineralization process of phenol during degradation was also investigated, and it showed the evolution of different photocatalytic byproducts, such as benzoquinone, catechol, resorcinol and carboxylic acids, at different stages. The results from this study suggest that the presence of surface defects in ZnO nanorods is crucial for its efficient visible light photocatalytic activity, which is otherwise only active in the ultraviolet region.

  6. Electrochemical oxidation of 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid by metal-oxide-coated Ti electrodes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maharana, Dusmant; Xu, Zesheng; Niu, Junfeng; Rao, Neti Nageswara

    2015-10-01

    Electrochemical oxidation of 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T) over metal-oxide-coated Ti anodes, i.e., Ti/SnO2-Sb/Ce-PbO2, Ti/SnO2-Sb and Ti/RuO2, was examined. The degradation efficiency of over 90% was attained at 20 min at different initial concentrations (0.5-20 mg L(-1)) and initial pH values (3.1-11.2). The degradation efficiencies of 2,4,5-T on Ti/SnO2-Sb/Ce-PbO2, Ti/SnO2-Sb and Ti/RuO2 anodes were higher than 99.9%, 97.2% and 91.5% at 30 min, respectively, and the respective total organic carbon removal ratios were 65.7%, 54.6% and 37.2%. The electrochemical degradation of 2,4,5-T in aqueous solution followed pseudo-first-order kinetics. The compounds, i.e., 2,5-dichlorohydroquinone and 2,5-dihydroxy-p-benzoquinone, have been identified as the main aromatic intermediates by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The results showed that the energy efficiencies of 2,4,5-T (20 mg L(-1)) degradation with Ti/SnO2-Sb/Ce-PbO2 anode at the optimal current densities from 2 to 16 mA cm(-2) ranged from 8.21 to 18.73 kWh m(-3). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Induction of Maltose Release by Light in the Endosymbiont Chlorella variabilis of Paramecium bursaria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shibata, Aika; Takahashi, Fumio; Kasahara, Masahiro; Imamura, Nobutaka

    2016-11-01

    The endosymbiotic green algae of Paramecium bursaria are known to release a photosynthate to the host cells. The endosymbiont Chlorella variabilis F36-ZK isolated in Japan releases maltose under acidic conditions, and such release requires both light and low pH. However, whether photosynthate release is due to light sensing by photoreceptors or is merely a consequence of active photosynthesis is unclear. Herein, we studied the effect of light on maltose release from C. variabilis F36-ZK; we measured maltose release using a combination of 1-phenyl-3-methyl-5-pyrazolone derivative and 14 C-tracer methods. Blue (450nm) or red (around 600nm) light was most effective to stimulate maltose release. This suggests that the photosynthetic pathway probably participates in maltose release, because the effective wavelength corresponds to the absorption spectrum of chlorophyll. Furthermore, maltose release was slightly affected by addition of a photosynthetic inhibitor, 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea, but was abolished by another inhibitor of photosynthesis, 2,5-dibromo-6-isopropyl-3-methyl-1,4-benzoquinone, suggesting that electron flow through photosystem I may be more involved in maltose release. Interestingly, starving F36-ZK cells cultured under prolonged dark conditions did not release maltose but retained their photosynthetic capacity. Our results thus show that maltose release is regulated by light and cellular conditions in endosymbiotic Chlorella. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

  8. Effect of a Grain Extract on Certain Digestive Physiological Indicators in Early Weaned Rabbits

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Melinda Kovács

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available The effect of a non-medicated diet with or without a grain extract feed additive (benzoquinones as main active ingredients on the growth of rabbits and certain physiological indicators of the digestive tract was examined. One-day-old rabbits of average birth weight were distributed into litters of eight, and these litters were randomly divided into three groups (21-22 litters/group. The control group (Group C received a basal diet. The diet fed to rabbits of Group IM, was supplemented with a feed additive containing natural basic ingredients (Immunovet-HBM, 1 kg/t; the diet fed to Group M was medicated (tiamulin, oxytetracycline and diclazuril. Three days prior to kindling and up to weaning at 21 days of age of the pups, the does were fed one of the three diets ad libitum. Young rabbits were allowed to consume the same diets beside their mother’s milk before weaning. Significant (p p p < 0.05 higher in the C and IM group than in M rabbits. The proportion of butyric acid was lower than that of propionic acid even on the 42nd day in Group M. From the results of this study it is clear that the early weaning of rabbits can be accomplished by the use of a non-medicated diet without any decrease in weight gain. In our study the grain extract feed additive exerted a beneficial effect by increasing the pancreatic enzyme activity and maintaining a better VFA ratio.

  9. Responses of the L51781Y tk/sup +//tk/sup -/ mouse lymphoma cell forward mutation assay: III. 72 coded chemicals

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McGregor, D.B.; Brown, A.; Cattanach, P.; Edwards, I.; McBride, D.; Riach, C.; Caspary, W.J.

    1988-01-01

    Seventy-two chemicals were tested for their mutagenic potential in the L51781Y tk/sup +///sup -/ mouse lymphoma cell forward mutation assay, using procedures based upon those described previously. Cultures were exposed to the chemicals for 4 hr, then cultured for 2 days before planting in soft agar with or without trifluorothymidine (TFT), 3 ..mu..g/ml. The chemicals were tested at least twice. Significant responses were obtained with allyl isothiocyanate, p-benzoquinone dioxime, benzyl acetate, 2-biphenylamine HCl, bis(2-chloro-1-methylethyl)ether, cadmium chloride, chlordane, chlorobenzene, chlorobenzilate, 2-chloroethanol, chlorothalonil, cytarabine x HCl, p,p'-DDE, diazinon, 2,6-dichloro-p-phenylenediamine, N,N-diethylthiourea, diglycidylresorcinol ether, 2,4-dimethoxy aniline x HCl, disperse yellow 3, endosulfan, 1,2-epoxyhexadecane, ethyl acrylate, ethyl benzene, ethylene thiourea, F D and C yellow Number 6, furan, heptachlor, isophorone, mercuric chloride, 4,4'-methylenedianiline x 2 HCl, methyl viologen, nickel sulfate x 6H/sub 2/O, 4,4'-oxydianiline, pentachloroethane, piperonyl butoxide, propyl gallate, quinoline, rotenone, 2,4,5,6-tetrachloro-4-nitro-anisole, 1,1,1,2-tetrachloroethane, trichlorfon, 2,4,6-trichlorophenol, 2,4,5-trimethoxybenzaldehyde, 1,1,3-trimethyl-2-thiourea, 1-vinyl-3-cyclopetene dioxide, vinyl toluene, and ziram. The assay was incapable of providing a clear indication of whether some chemicals were mutagens; these benzyl alcohol, 1,4-dichlorobenzene, phenol, succinic acid-2,2-dimethyl hydrazide, and toluene.

  10. Synthesis and characterization of Ag₃PO₄ immobilized with graphene oxide (GO) for enhanced photocatalytic activity and stability over 2,4-dichlorophenol under visible light irradiation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Xiao-juan; Dai, You-zhi; Wang, Xing-yan; Guo, Jing; Liu, Tan-hua; Li, Fen-fang

    2015-07-15

    A series of visible-light responsive photocatalysts prepared using Ag3PO4 immobilized with graphene oxide (GO) with varying GO content were obtained by an electrostatically driven method, and 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) was used to evaluate the performance of the photocatalysts. The composites exhibited superior photocatalytic activity and stability compared with pure Ag3PO4. When the content of GO was 5%, the degradation efficiency of 2,4-DCP could reach 98.95%, and 55.91% of the total organic (TOC) content was removed within 60 min irradiation. Meanwhile, the efficiency of 91.77% was achieved for 2,4-DCP degradation even after four times of recycling in the photocatalysis/Ag3PO4-GO (5%) system. Reactive species of O2(˙-), OH˙ and h(+) were considered as the main participants for oxidizing 2,4-DCP, as confirmed by the free radical capture experiments. And some organic intermediates including 4-chlorophenol (4-CP), hydroquinone (HQ), benzoquinone (BZQ), 2-chlorohydroquinone and hydroxyhydroquinone (HHQ) were detected by comparison with the standard retention times from the high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). In short, the enhanced photocatalytic property of Ag3PO4-GO was closely related to the strong absorption ability of GO relative to 2,4-DCP, the effective separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs, and the excellent electron capture capability of GO. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  11. A copper-induced quinone degradation pathway provides protection against combined copper/quinone stress in Lactococcus lactis IL1403.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mancini, Stefano; Abicht, Helge K; Gonskikh, Yulia; Solioz, Marc

    2015-02-01

    Quinones are ubiquitous in the environment. They occur naturally but are also in widespread use in human and industrial activities. Quinones alone are relatively benign to bacteria, but in combination with copper, they become toxic by a mechanism that leads to intracellular thiol depletion. Here, it was shown that the yahCD-yaiAB operon of Lactococcus lactis IL1403 provides resistance to combined copper/quinone stress. The operon is under the control of CopR, which also regulates expression of the copRZA copper resistance operon as well as other L. lactis genes. Expression of the yahCD-yaiAB operon is induced by copper but not by quinones. Two of the proteins encoded by the operon appear to play key roles in alleviating quinone/copper stress: YaiB is a flavoprotein that converts p-benzoquinones to less toxic hydroquinones, using reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) as reductant; YaiA is a hydroquinone dioxygenase that converts hydroquinone putatively to 4-hydroxymuconic semialdehyde in an oxygen-consuming reaction. Hydroquinone and methylhydroquinone are both substrates of YaiA. Deletion of yaiB causes increased sensitivity of L. lactis to quinones and complete growth arrest under combined quinone and copper stress. Copper induction of the yahCD-yaiAB operon offers protection to copper/quinone toxicity and could provide a growth advantage to L. lactis in some environments. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  12. 17-Allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin induces downregulation of critical Hsp90 protein clients and results in cell cycle arrest and apoptosis of human urinary bladder cancer cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Karkoulis, Panagiotis K; Stravopodis, Dimitrios J; Margaritis, Lukas H; Voutsinas, Gerassimos E

    2010-01-01

    17-Allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17-AAG), a benzoquinone ansamycin antibiotic, specifically targets heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) and interferes with its function as a molecular chaperone that maintains the structural and functional integrity of various protein clients involved in cellular signaling. In this study, we have investigated the effect of 17-AAG on the regulation of Hsp90-dependent signaling pathways directly implicated in cell cycle progression, survival and motility of human urinary bladder cancer cell lines. We have used MTT-based assays, FACS analysis, Western blotting, semi-quantitative RT-PCR, immunocytochemistry and scratch-wound assay in RT4, RT112 and T24 human urinary bladder cancer cell lines. We have demonstrated that, upon 17-AAG treatment, bladder cancer cells are arrested in the G1 phase of the cell cycle and eventually undergo apoptotic cell death in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, 17-AAG administration was shown to induce a pronounced downregulation of multiple Hsp90 protein clients and other downstream effectors, such as IGF-IR, Akt, IKK-α, IKK-β, FOXO1, ERK1/2 and c-Met, resulting in sequestration-mediated inactivation of NF-κB, reduced cell proliferation and decline of cell motility. In total, we have clearly evinced a dose-dependent and cell type-specific effect of 17-AAG on cell cycle progression, survival and motility of human bladder cancer cells, due to downregulation of multiple Hsp90 clients and subsequent disruption of signaling integrity

  13. The heat shock protein 90 of Plasmodium falciparum and antimalarial activity of its inhibitor, geldanamycin

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    Barik Sailen

    2003-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The naturally occurring benzoquinone ansamycin compound, geldanamycin (GA, is a specific inhibitor of heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90 and is a potential anticancer agent. Since Plasmodium falciparum has been reported to have an Hsp90 ortholog, we tested the possibility that GA might inhibit it and thereby display antiparasitic activity. Results We provide direct recombinant DNA evidence for the Hsp90 protein of Plasmodium falciparum, the causative agent of fatal malaria. While the mRNA of Hsp90 was mainly expressed in ring and trophozoite stages, the protein was found in all stages, although schizonts contained relatively lower amounts. In vitro the parasitic Hsp90 exhibited an ATP-binding activity that could be specifically inhibited by GA. Plasmodium growth in human erythrocyte culture was strongly inhibited by GA with an IC50 of 20 nM, compared to the IC50 of 15 nM for chloroquine (CQ under identical conditions. When used in combination, the two drugs acted synergistically. GA was equally effective against CQ-sensitive and CQ-resistant strains (3D7 and W2, respectively and on all erythrocytic stages of the parasite. Conclusions Together, these results suggest that an active and essential Hsp90 chaperone cycle exists in Plasmodium and that the ansamycin antibiotics will be an important tool to dissect its role in the parasite. Additionally, the favorable pharmacology of GA, reported in human trials, makes it a promising antimalarial drug.

  14. The cooperative electrochemical oxidation of chlorophenols in anode-cathode compartments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Hui; Wang Jianlong

    2008-01-01

    By using a self-made carbon/polytetrafluoroethylene (C/PTFE) O 2 -fed as the cathode and Ti/IrO 2 /RuO 2 as the anode, the degradation of three organic compounds (phenol, 4-chlorophenol, and 2,4-dichlorophenol) was investigated in the diaphragm (with terylene as diaphragm material) electrolysis device by electrochemical oxidation process. The result indicated that the concentration of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) was 8.3 mg/L, and hydroxyl radical (HO·) was determined in the cathodic compartment by electron spin resonance spectrum (ESR). The removal efficiency for organic compounds reached about 90% after 120 min, conforming to the sequence of phenol, 4-chlorophenol, and 2,4-dichlorophenol. And the dechlorination degree of 4-chlorophenol exceeded 90% after 80 min. For H 2 O 2 , HO· existed in the catholyte and reduction dechlorination at the cathode, the mineralization of organics in the cathodic compartment was better than that in the anodic compartment. The degradation of organics was supposed to be cooperative oxidation by direct or indirect electrochemical oxidation at the anode and H 2 O 2 , HO· produced by oxygen reduction at the cathode. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) allowed identifying phenol as the dechlorination product of 4-chlorophenol in the cathodic compartment, and hydroquinone, 4-chlorocatechol, benzoquinone, maleic, fumaric, oxalic, and formic acids as the main oxidation intermediates in the cathodic and anodic compartments. A reaction scheme involving all these intermediates was proposed

  15. Solar photoelectro-Fenton degradation of the herbicide 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic acid optimized by response surface methodology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garcia-Segura, Sergi; Almeida, Lucio Cesar; Bocchi, Nerilso; Brillas, Enric

    2011-10-30

    A central composite rotatable design and response surface methodology (RSM) were used to optimize the experimental variables of the solar photoelectro-Fenton (SPEF) treatment of the herbicide 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic acid (MCPA). The experiments were made with a flow plant containing a Pt/air-diffusion reactor coupled to a solar compound parabolic collector (CPC) under recirculation of 10 L of 186 mg L(-1) MCPA solutions in 0.05 M Na(2)SO(4) at a liquid flow rate of 180 L h(-1) with an average UV irradiation intensity of about 32 Wm(-2). The optimum variables found for the SPEF process were 5.0 A, 1.0mM Fe(2+) and pH 3.0 after 120 min of electrolysis. Under these conditions, 75% of mineralization with 71% of current efficiency and 87.7 k Wh kg(-1) TOC of energy consumption were obtained. MCPA decayed under the attack of generated hydroxyl radicals following a pseudo-first-order kinetics. Hydroxyl radicals also destroyed 4-chloro-2-methylphenol, methylhydroquinone and methyl-p-benzoquinone detected as aromatic by-products. Glycolic, maleic, fumaric, malic, succinic, tartronic, oxalic and formic acids were identified as generated carboxylic acids, which form Fe(III) complexes that are quickly photodecarboxylated by the UV irradiation of sunlight at the CPC photoreactor. A reaction sequence for the SPEF degradation of MCPA was proposed. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Combined electrochemical degradation and activated carbon adsorption treatments for wastewater containing mixed phenolic compounds

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rajkumar, D.; Palanivelu, K.; Balasubramanian, N. [Anna University, Madras (India). Center for Environmental Studies

    2005-01-01

    Electrochemical degradation of mixed phenolic compounds present in coal conversion wastewater was investigated in the presence of chloride as supporting electrolyte. Initially, the degradation experiments were conducted separately with 300 mg/L of individual phenolic compound in the presence of 2500 mg/L chloride using Ti/TiO{sub 2}-RuO{sub 2}-IrO{sub 2} anode at 5.4 A/dm{sup 2} current density. Comparison of the experimental results of the chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal versus charge indicated that the order of decreasing COD removal for various phenolic compounds as catechol {gt} resorcinol {gt} m-cresol {gt} o-cresol {gt} phenol {gt} p-cresol. Degradation of the mixture of phenolic compounds and high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) determinations at various stages of electrolysis showed that phenolic compounds were initially converted into benzoquinone and then to lower molecular weight aliphatic compounds. The COD and the total organic carbon (TOC) removal were 83 and 58.9% after passing 32 Ah/L with energy consumption of 191.6 kWh/kg of COD removal. Experiments were also conducted to remove adsorbable organic halogens (AOX) content in the treated solution using granular activated carbon. The optimum conditions for the removal of AOX was at pH 3.0, 5 mL/min flow rate and 31.2 cm bed height. Based on the investigation, a general scheme of treatment of mixed phenolic compounds by combined electrochemical and activated carbon adsorption treatment is proposed.

  17. Green synthesis of zero-valent Fe-nanoparticles: Catalytic degradation of rhodamine B, interactions with bovine serum albumin and their enhanced antimicrobial activities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khan, Zaheer; Al-Thabaiti, Shaeel Ahmad

    2018-03-01

    Biomimetic method was used for the synthesis of Fe-nanoparticles (FeNPs). FeCl 3 and Hibiscus sabdariffa, Roselle flower aqueous extract (HBS) were employed in the present studies. The FeNPs have been characterized by using UV-visible spectroscopy, transmission electron microscope (TEM), and energy dispersion X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The average particles diameter was found to be 18 nm. The as prepared FeNPs were used as a catalyst to the oxidative degradation of rhodamine B (RB) in presence of NaBH 4 . The effects of various quencher on the degradation rates were examined by employing ammonium oxalate (AO), benzoquinone (BQ), isopropyl alcohol (IPA), and potassium iodide (KI). The interactions of FeNPs with bovine serum albumin (BSA) have been determined and discussed. Adsorption of FeNPs into the core of BSA changes the tryptophan environment from hydrophobic to hydrophilic (from folding to partially folded and/or unfolded). Tryptophan residues, indole moieties of BSA were responsible to complex formation with FeNPs in excited states via electrostatic, van der Waals, hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic and hydrophilic interactions with static quenching. The antimicrobial activities of FeNPs have been determined against human pathogens. Hibiscus sabdariffa flower extract shows mild antimicrobial activities against all target pathogenic organisms. FeNPs have potential antimicrobial activity against both bacterial strains and candida fungus even at low concentration, and retains potential application in biomedical industries. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Controlled Vectorial Electron Transfer and Photoelectrochemical Applications of Layered Relay/Photosensitizer-Imprinted Au Nanoparticle Architectures on Electrodes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Metzger, Tzuriel S; Tel-Vered, Ran; Willner, Itamar

    2016-03-23

    Two configurations of molecularly imprinted bis-aniline-bridged Au nanoparticles (NPs) for the specific binding of the electron acceptor N,N'-dimethyl-4,4'-bipyridinium (MV(2+) ) and for the photosensitizer Zn(II)-protoporphyrin IX (Zn(II)-PP-IX) are assembled on electrodes, and the photoelectrochemical features of the two configurations are discussed. Configuration I includes the MV(2+) -imprinted Au NPs matrix as a base layer, on which the Zn(II)-PP-IX-imprinted Au NPs layer is deposited, while configuration II consists of a bilayer corresponding to the reversed imprinting order. Irradiation of the two electrodes in the presence of a benzoquinone/benzohydroquinone redox probe yields photocurrents of unique features: (i) Whereas configuration I yields an anodic photocurrent, the photocurrent generated by configuration II is cathodic. (ii) The photocurrents obtained upon irradiation of the imprinted electrodes are substantially higher as compared to the nonimprinted surfaces. The high photocurrents generated by the imprinted Au NPs-modified electrodes are attributed to the effective loading of the imprinted matrices with the MV(2+) and Zn(II)-PP-IX units and to the effective charge separation proceeding in the systems. The directional anodic/cathodic photocurrents are rationalized in terms of vectorial electron transfer processes dictated by the imprinting order and by the redox potentials of the photosensitizer/electron acceptor units associated with the imprinted sites in the two configurations. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  19. Synthesis of f metal coordination polymers: properties and conversion into inorganic solids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Demars, Thomas

    2012-01-01

    Coordination polymers (CP) are of great academic and industrial interest due to flexible structure and composition and offer prospects for original chemical (catalysis, soft-hard materials conversion..) and physical properties (magnetism, optics..). The major interest of these studies is to check the transfer of the structure, meso-structure and composition from the CP to the ceramic via a thermal treatment. In this context, this thesis describes studies on conversion of coordination polymers obtained by self-assembly of 4f and 5f metal ions with 2,5-dihydroxy-1,4-benzoquinone (DHBQ). Aqueous and anhydrous synthetic ways were developed, which yielded different kinds of CPs (4f, 4f-4f, 4f-5f); solid solutions were obtained with the mixed compounds. The products were characterized and their behaviour under thermal treatment was studied. The main results show that the DHBQ-based precursors obtained by aqueous way have a micrometric meso-structure, formed by the assembly of micro-crystalline subunits which all posses the same crystallographic structure. The study of the assembly of the meso-structure allowed controlling the morphology of the elementary grain (cylinder, cube, disk...) with very good size distribution. The implementation of anhydrous systems in a controlled atmosphere allowed yielded a wider range of micro-structural parameters (surface area, porosity...). For all CP-type compounds, the thermal conversion to ceramic has barely altered the morphology of the materials. The microstructural aspects could be controlled via the method of synthesis. (author) [fr

  20. Synthesis of 4‧-substituted-2,2‧;6‧,2″-terpyridine Ru(II) complexes electrochemical, fluorescence quenching and antibacterial studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ezhilarasu, Tamilarasu; Sathiyaseelan, Anbazhagan; Kalaichelvan, Pudupalayam Thangavelu; Balasubramanian, Sengottuvelan

    2017-04-01

    Three new Ru(II) terpyridine complexes viz. [Ru(BBtpy)2](PF6)2 [Ru(L1)] (BBtpy = 4‧-(4-benzyloxybenzaldehyde)-2,2‧:6‧,2″-terpyridine), [Ru(BMBtpy)2](PF6)2 [Ru(L2)] (BMBtpy = 4‧-(4-benzyloxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde)-2,2‧:6‧,2″-terpyridine) and [Ru(BEBtpy)2](PF6)2 [Ru(L3)] (BEBtpy = 4‧-(4-benzyloxy-3-ethoxybenzaldehyde)-2,2‧:6‧,2″-terpyridine) have been synthesized and characterized. The MALDI-TOF/MS fragmentation pattern of [Ru(BMBtpy)2](PF6)2 complex exhibits a molecular ion peak at m/z = 987.09 [M-2PF6]2+ fragment. These Ru(II) complexes are redox active, show both metal centered oxidation and ligand centered reduction processes. The peak potential and peak current Ipa and Ipc also undergo definite shift and increase with increase in the scan rate (20-120 mV/s). The fluorescence of Ru(II) complexes [Ru(L1)], [Ru(L2)] and [Ru(L3)] are effectively quenched by 1,4-benzoquinone and 1,4-naphthoquinone in acetonitrile. The antibacterial activity of ruthenium(II) complexes were screened against four human pathogens both gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus) and gram negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia) by the well diffusion method. The antibacterial activity of Ru(II) complexes is comparable to that of standard antibiotics like tetracycline.

  1. Artemisinin inhibits chloroplast electron transport activity: mode of action.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adyasha Bharati

    Full Text Available Artemisinin, a secondary metabolite produced in Artemisia plant species, besides having antimalarial properties is also phytotoxic. Although, the phytotoxic activity of the compound has been long recognized, no information is available on the mechanism of action of the compound on photosynthetic activity of the plant. In this report, we have evaluated the effect of artemisinin on photoelectron transport activity of chloroplast thylakoid membrane. The inhibitory effect of the compound, under in vitro condition, was pronounced in loosely and fully coupled thylakoids; being strong in the former. The extent of inhibition was drastically reduced in the presence of uncouplers like ammonium chloride or gramicidin; a characteristic feature described for energy transfer inhibitors. The compound, on the other hand, when applied to plants (in vivo, behaved as a potent inhibitor of photosynthetic electron transport. The major site of its action was identified to be the Q(B; the secondary quinone moiety of photosystemII complex. Analysis of photoreduction kinetics of para-benzoquinone and duroquinone suggest that the inhibition leads to formation of low pool of plastoquinol, which becomes limiting for electron flow through photosystemI. Further it was ascertained that the in vivo inhibitory effect appeared as a consequence of the formation of an unidentified artemisinin-metabolite rather than by the interaction of the compound per se. The putative metabolite of artemisinin is highly reactive in instituting the inhibition of photosynthetic electron flow eventually reducing the plant growth.

  2. Potential of Wood-Rotting Fungi to Attack Polystyrene Sulfonate and Its Depolymerisation by Gloeophyllum trabeum via Hydroquinone-Driven Fenton Chemistry.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Martin C Krueger

    Full Text Available Synthetic polymers often pose environmental hazards due to low biodegradation rates and resulting accumulation. In this study, a selection of wood-rotting fungi representing different lignocellulose decay types was screened for oxidative biodegradation of the polymer polystyrene sulfonate (PSS. Brown-rot basidiomycetes showed PSS depolymerisation of up to 50 % reduction in number-average molecular mass (Mn within 20 days. In-depth investigations with the most efficient depolymeriser, a Gloeophyllum trabeum strain, pointed at extracellular hydroquinone-driven Fenton chemistry responsible for depolymerisation. Detection of hydroxyl radicals present in the culture supernatants showed good compliance with depolymerisation over the time course of PSS degradation. 2,5-Dimethoxy-1,4-hydroquinone (2,5-DMHQ, which was detected in supernatants of active cultures via liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry, was demonstrated to drive the Fenton processes in G. trabeum cultures. Up to 80% reduction in Mn of PSS where observed when fungal cultures were additionally supplemented with 2,5-dimethoxy benzoquinone, the oxidized from of 2,5-DMHQ. Furthermore, 2,5-DMHQ could initiate the Fenton's reagent-mediated PSS depolymerisation in cell-free systems. In contrast, white-rot fungi were unable to cause substantial depolymerising effects despite the expression of lignin-modifying exo-enzymes. Detailed investigations with laccase from Trametes versicolor revealed that only in presence of certain redox mediators limited PSS depolymerisation occurred. Our results indicate that brown-rot fungi might be suitable organisms for the biodegradation of recalcitrant synthetic polymeric pollutants.

  3. Fisetin Protects DNA Against Oxidative Damage and Its Possible Mechanism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Tingting; Lin, Huajuan; Tu, Qian; Liu, Jingjing; Li, Xican

    2016-06-01

    The paper tries to assess the protective effect of fisetin against •OH-induced DNA damage, then to investigate the possible mechanism. The protective effect was evaluated based on the content of malondialdehyde (MDA). The possible mechanism was analyzed using various antioxidant methods in vitro, including •OH scavenging (deoxyribose degradation), •O2 (-) scavenging (pyrogallol autoxidation), DPPH• scavenging, ABTS•(+) scavenging, and Cu(2+)-reducing power assays. Fisetin increased dose-dependently its protective percentages against •OH-induced DNA damage (IC50 value =1535.00±29.60 µM). It also increased its radical-scavenging percentages in a dose-dependent manner in various antioxidants assays. Its IC50 values in •OH scavenging, •O2(-) scavenging, DPPH• scavenging, ABTS•(+) scavenging, and Cu(2+)-reducing power assays, were 47.41±4.50 µM, 34.05±0.87 µM, 9.69±0.53 µM, 2.43±0.14 µM, and 1.49±0.16 µM, respectively. Fisetin can effectively protect DNA against •OH-induced oxidative damage possibly via reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging approach, which is assumed to be hydrogen atom (H•) and/or single electron (e) donation (HAT/SET) pathways. In the HAT pathway, the 3',4'-dihydroxyl moiety in B ring of fisetin is thought to play an important role, because it can be ultimately oxidized to a stable ortho-benzoquinone form.

  4. Oxidative Damage and Its Possible Mechanism

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tingting Wang

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: The paper tries to assess the protective effect of fisetin against •OH-induced DNAdamage, then to investigate the possible mechanism.Methods: The protective effect was evaluated based on the content of malondialdehyde(MDA. The possible mechanism was analyzed using various antioxidant methods in vitro,including •OH scavenging (deoxyribose degradation, •O2- scavenging (pyrogallolautoxidation, DPPH• scavenging, ABTS•+ scavenging, and Cu2+-reducing power assays.Results: Fisetin increased dose-dependently its protective percentages against •OH-inducedDNA damage (IC50 value =1535.00±29.60 μM. It also increased its radical-scavengingpercentages in a dose-dependent manner in various antioxidants assays. Its IC50 values in•OH scavenging, •O2- scavenging, DPPH• scavenging, ABTS•+ scavenging, and Cu2+-reducing power assays, were 47.41±4.50 μM, 34.05±0.87 μM, 9.69±0.53 μM, 2.43±0.14μM, and 1.49±0.16 μM, respectively.Conclusion: Fisetin can effectively protect DNA against •OH-induced oxidative damagepossibly via reactive oxygen species (ROS scavenging approach, which is assumed to behydrogen atom (H• and/or single electron (e donation (HAT/SET pathways. In the HATpathway, the 3’,4’-dihydroxyl moiety in B ring of fisetin is thought to play an importantrole, because it can be ultimately oxidized to a stable ortho-benzoquinone form.

  5. Development of LLNA:DAE: a new local lymph node assay that includes the elicitation phase, discriminates borderline-positive chemicals, and is useful for cross-sensitization testing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamashita, Kunihiko; Shinoda, Shinsuke; Hagiwara, Saori; Itagaki, Hiroshi

    2014-02-01

    We developed a new local lymph node assay (LLNA) that includes the elicitation phase termed LLNA:DAE for discrimination of borderline-positive chemicals as classified by the LLNA modified by Daicel based on ATP content (LLNA:DA) and for cross-sensitization testing. Although the LLNA:DA method could help identify skin sensitizers, some skin irritants classified as non-sensitizers by the LLNA were classified as borderline positive. In addition, the evaluation for the cross-sensitization potential between chemicals was impossible. In the LLNA:DAE procedure, test group of mice received four applications of chemicals on the dorsum of the right ear for induction and one application on the dorsum of the left ear for elicitation. Control group of mice received one chemical application on the dorsum of the left ear. We evaluated the sensitizing potential by comparing the weights of the lymph nodes from the left ears between the two groups. The results of using the LLNA:DAE method to examine 24 chemicals, which contained borderline-positive chemicals, were consistent with those from the LLNA method, except for nickel chloride (NiCl2). Two chemical pairs, 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) with 2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB) and hydroquinone (HQ) with p-benzoquinone (p-BQ), showed clear cross-sensitization with each other, while another chemical pair, DNFB with hexylcinnamic aldehyde (HCA) did not. Taken together, our results suggest that the LLNA:DAE method is useful for discriminating borderline-positive chemicals and for determining chemical cross-sensitization.

  6. Geldanamycin induces production of heat shock protein 70 and partially attenuates ototoxicity caused by gentamicin in the organ of Corti explants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Haupt Heidemarie

    2009-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Heat shock protein 70 (HSP70 protects inner ear cells from damage and death induced by e.g. heat or toxins. Benzoquinone ansamycin antibiotic geldanamycin (GA was demonstrated to induce the expression of HSP70 in various animal cell types. The aim of our study was to investigate whether GA induces HSP70 in the organ of Corti (OC, which contains the auditory sensory cells, and whether GA can protect these cells from toxicity caused by a common aminoglycoside antibiotic gentamicin. Methods To address these questions, we used the OC explants isolated from p3-p5 rats. As a read-out, we used RT-PCR, ELISA and immunofluorescence. Results We found that GA at the concentration of 2 μM efficiently induced HSP70 expression on mRNA and protein level in the OC explants. Confocal microscopy revealed that HSP70 induced by GA is expressed by hair cells and interdental cells of spiral limbus. Preincubation of explants with 2 μM GA prior to adding gentamicin (500 μM significantly reduced the loss of outer but not inner hair cells, suggesting different mechanisms of otoprotection needed for these two cell types. Conclusion GA induced HSP70 in the auditory sensory cells and partially protected them from toxicity of gentamicin. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of GA otoprotection may provide insights for preventative therapy of the hearing loss caused by aminoglycoside antibiotics.

  7. Spectrophotometric determination and thermodynamic studies of the charge transfer complexation of emedastine difumarate with some π-acceptors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abdel-Raeq A. Sawsan

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Spectrophotometric procedures were presented for the determination of antihistaminic drug, emedastine difumarate. The methods are based on the charge transfer complexation reaction of the drug with π-acceptors; 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone (DDQ, chloranilic acid (CA and 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ. Different charge-transfer complexes and colored radical anions were obtained. The formations of the colored complexes were utilized in the development of simple, rapid and accurate spectrophotometric methods for the analysis of emedastine in drug substance and products. Under the optimum reaction conditions, linear relationships with good correlation coefficients (0.9996–0.9999 were found between the absorbance at the relevant maxima and the concentrations of emedastine in the range of 0.8–200 μg mL−1. The limits of detection ranged from 0.06 to 0.76 μg mL−1. The molar absorptivities and association constants for the colored complexes were evaluated using the Benesi–Hildebrand equation. The free energy change (ΔG° and the enthalpy of formation (ΔH° as well as the entropy (ΔS° were also determined. The methods were successfully applied to analyze the drug formulation with mean recovery percentages ± RSD% of 100.04 ± 0.59–100.22 ± 0.72. The results were compared favorably with the official and reported methods.

  8. The effect of dose, dose rate, route of administration, and species on tissue and blood levels of benzene metabolites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Henderson, R.F.; Sabourin, P.J.; Bechtold, W.E.; Griffith, W.C.; Medinsky, M.A.; Birnbaum, L.S.; Lucier, G.W.

    1989-01-01

    Studies were completed in F344/N rats and B6C3F 1 mice to determine the effect of dose, dose rate, route of administration, and rodent species on formation of total and individual benzene metabolites. Oral doses of 50 mg/kg or higher saturated the capacity for benzene metabolism in both rats and mice, resulting in an increased proportion of the administered dose being exhaled as benzene. The saturating air concentration for benzene metabolism during 6-hr exposures was between 130 and 900 ppm. At the highest exposure concentration, rats exhaled approximately half of the internal dose retained at the end of the 6-hr exposure as benzene; mice exhaled only 15% as benzene. Mice were able to convert more of the inhaled benzene to metabolites than were rats. In addition, mice metabolized more of the benzene by pathways leading to the putative toxic metabolites, benzoquinone and muconaldehyde, than did rats. In both rats and mice, the effect of increasing dose, administered orally or by inhalation, was to increase the proportion of the total metabolites that were the products of detoxification pathways relative to the products of pathways leading to putative toxic metabolites. This indicates low-affinity, high-capacity pathways for detoxification and high-affinity, low-capacity pathways leading to putative toxic metabolites. If the results of rodent studied performed at high doses were used to assess the health risk at low-dose exposures to benzene, the toxicity of benzene would be underestimated

  9. Self-assembled arene-ruthenium-based rectangles for the selective sensing of multi-carboxylate anions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vajpayee, Vaishali; Song, Young Ho; Lee, Min Hyung; Kim, Hyunuk; Wang, Ming; Stang, Peter J; Chi, Ki-Whan

    2011-07-04

    Novel arene-ruthenium [2+2] metalla-rectangles 4 and 5 have been synthesized by self-assembly using dipyridyl amide ligand 3 and arene-ruthenium acceptors (arene: benzoquinone (1), naphthacenedione (2)) and characterized by NMR spectroscopy and ESI-MS. The solid-state structure of 5 was determined by X-ray diffraction and shows encapsulated diethyl ether molecule in the rectangular cavity of 5. The luminescent 5 was further used for anion sensing with the amidic linkage serving as a hydrogen-bond donor site for anions and the ruthenium moiety serving as a signaling unit. A UV/Vis titration study demonstrated that although 5 interacts very weakly with common monoanions as well as with flexible dicarboxylate anions such as malonate and succinate, it displays significant binding affinity (K>10(3) in MeOH) for rigid multi-carboxylate anions such as oxalate, citrate, and tartrate, exhibiting a 1:1 stoichiometry. It has been suggested that 1:1 bidentate hydrogen bonding assisted by appropriate geometrical complementarity is mainly responsible for the increased affinity of 5 towards such anions. A fluorescence titration study revealed a large fluorescence enhancement of 5 upon binding to multi-carboxylate anions, which can be attributed to the blocking of the photoinduced electron-transfer process from the arene-Ru moiety to the amidic donor in 5 as a result of hydrogen bonding between the donor and the anion. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  10. Catalytic oxidation of 2-aminophenols and ortho hydroxylation of aromatic amines by tyrosinase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Toussaint, O.; Lerch, K.

    1987-01-01

    The usual substrates of tyrosinase, a copper-containing monooxygenase (EC 1.14.18.1), are monophenols and o-diphenols which are both converted to o-quinones. In this paper, the authors studied the reaction of this enzyme with two new classes of substrates: aromatic amines and o-aminophenols, structural analogues of monophenols and o-diphenols, respectively. They undergo the same catalytic reactions (ortho hydroxylation and oxidation), as documented by product analysis and kinetic studies. In the presence of tyrosinase, arylamines and o-aminophenols are converted to o-quinone imines, which are isolated as quinone anils or phenoxazones. As an example, in the presence of tyrosinase, 2-amino-3-hydroxybenzoic acid (an o-aminophenol) is converted to cinnabarinic acid, a well-known phenoxazone, while p-aminotoluene (an aromatic amine) gives rise to the formation of 5-amino-2-methyl-1,4-benzoquinone 1-(4-methylanil). Kinetic studies using an oxygen electrode show that arylamines and the corresponding monophenols exhibit similar Michaelis constants. In contrast, the reaction rates observed for aromatic amines are relatively slow as compared to monophenols. The enzymatic conversion of arylamines by tryosinase is different from the typical ones: N-oxidation and ring hydroxylation without further oxidation. This difference originates from the regiospecific hydroxylation (ortho position) and subsequent oxidation of the intermediate o-aminophenol to the corresponding o-quinone imine. Finally, the well-know monooxygenase activity of tyrosinase was also confirmed for the aromatic amine p-aminotoluene, with 18 O 2

  11. The analysis of aqueous mixtures using liquid chromatography-electrospray mass spectrometry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Johnson, Steven [Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States)

    1999-02-12

    The focus of this dissertation is the use of chromatographic methods coupled with electrospray mass spectrometry (ES-MS) for the determination of both organic and inorganic compounds in aqueous solutions. The combination of liquid chromatography (LC) methods and ES-MS offers one of the foremost methods for determining compounds in complex aqueous solutions. In this work, LC-ES-MS methods are devised using ion exclusion chromatography, reversed phase chromatography, and ion exchange chromatography, as well as capillary electrophoresis (CE). For an aqueous sample, these LC-ES-MS and CE-ES-MS techniques require no sample preparation or analyte derivatization, which makes it possible to observe a wide variety of analytes as they exist in solution. The majority of this work focuses on the use of LC-ES-MS for the determination of unknown products and intermediates formed during electrochemical incineration (ECI), an experimental waste remediation process. This report contains a general introduction to the project and the general conclusions. Four chapters have been removed for separate processing. Titles are: Chapter 2: Determination of small carboxylic acids by ion exclusion chromatography with electrospray mass spectrometry; Chapter 3: Electrochemical incineration of benzoquinone in aqueous media using a quaternary metal oxide electrode in the absence of a soluble supporting electrolyte; Chapter 4: The determination of electrochemical incineration products of 4-chlorophenol by liquid chromatography-electrospray mass spectrometry; and Chapter 5: Determination of small carboxylic acids by capillary electrophoresis with electrospray mass spectrometry.

  12. A RP-HPLC-DAD-APCI/MSD method for the characterisation of medicinal Ericaceae used by the Eeyou Istchee Cree First Nations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saleem, Ammar; Harris, Cory S; Asim, Muhammad; Cuerrier, Alain; Martineau, Louis; Haddad, Pierre S; Arnason, John T

    2010-01-01

    Ericaceae medicinal plants are traditionally used by the Eeyou Istchee Cree and other northern peoples of North America to treat type 2 diabetic symptoms. Because of the importance of phenolics as potential cures for degenerative diseases including type 2 diabetes, an analytical method was developed to detect them in the leaf extracts of 14 Ericaceae plants. To develop an optimised method which is applicable to a relatively large number of Ericaceae plants using their leaf extracts. For this purpose phenolics with a wide range of polarity, including a glucosylated benzoquinone, two phenolic acids, three flavanols, a flavanone, a flavone and five flavonols, were included in this study. Characterisation of phytochemicals in extracts was undertaken by automated matching to the UV spectra to those of an in house library of plant secondary metabolites and the authentication of their identity was achieved by reversed phase-high-performance chromatography-diode array detection-atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation/mass selective detection. Twenty-six phenolics were characterised within 26 min of chromatographic separation in 80% ethanol extracts of 14 Ericaceae plants. The calibration curves were linear within 0.5-880 microg/g dry mass of the plant with regression values better than 0.995. The limits of detection ranged from 0.3 for microg/mL for (+)-catechin to 2.6 microg/mL for chlorogenic acid. This is a first study dealing with relatively large number of Ericaceae extracts and is applicable to other plants of same family.

  13. Utilisation des sécrétions de myriapodes chez les lémurs et les sapajous : fonction curative ou signalisation sociale ? Fur-rubbing with millipedes in lemurs and capuchin monkeys: social function or zoopharmacognosy?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bruno Simmen

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available L’utilisation des myriapodes en friction sur le pelage et d’autres zones corporelles est documentée chez les primates en conditions naturelles, notamment à partir des observations récurrentes menées chez le genre Cebus. La typologie de ces comportements suggère différentes hypothèses, fonctionnelles (zoopharmacognosie, alimentaire, sociale ou non (sensorielle, auto-stimulation. Nous présentons des observations qualitatives comparées de l’utilisation non alimentaire de myriapodes diplopodes chez une forme hybride du genre Eulemur au Sud de Madagascar (occurrences en janvier 2005 et chez le sapajou Cebus apella en Guyane Française (occurrences en mars-avril 1996. L’application des sécrétions à benzoquinones sur une large partie du pelage chez Cebus contraste avec la friction exclusive de la zone périgénitale faisant suite au flairage du diplopode chez Eulemur qui manifeste en outre une réponse stéréotypée analogue au flehmen. Dans notre étude, l’imprégnation de fluides à forte intensité olfactive potentialiserait la signalisation de l’identité individuelle chez Eulemur alors que le "fur-rubbing" chez Cebus est compatible avec l’hypothèse commune d’une forme d’appropriation des défenses antiparasitaires de ces invertébrés. La sécrétion de ces défenses chimiques n’est pas automatiquement déclenchée par la manipulation des diplopodes. Le stress induit par les morsures légères (Eulemur et Cebus et l’arrachage des pattes sur plusieurs segments (Cebus augmente la probabilité de sécrétion, ce qui témoignerait d’un apprentissage d’autant plus efficace des conditions d’émission de ces fluides que l’usage est spécifique et très opportuniste.Body-rubbing with millipedes is repeatedly documented in primates living under natural conditions, mainly in capuchin monkeys (Cebus spp.. Various functional (zoopharmacognosy, ingestion, social and non-functional hypotheses (sensory, auto

  14. Reaction pathway of the degradation of the p-hydroxybenzoic acid by sulfate radical generated by ionizing radiations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Criquet, Justine; Leitner, Nathalie Karpel Vel

    2015-01-01

    The degradation of p-hydroxybenzoic acid (HBA) in aqueous solutions by ionizing radiation was studied. The phenolic pollutant was easily removed by the electron beam irradiation, as more than 80% of the initial 100 µM introduced was degraded for a dose of 600 Gy. It was shown that the addition of persulfate, producing the sulfate radical as additional reactive species, induced a change in the reaction pathway. LC–MS analyses were performed in order to identify the different by-products formed. In the absence of persulfate, the main by-product formed was 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid, while in presence of persulfate, 1,4-benzoquinone was detected and the hydroxylated by-products were not present. A reaction pathway of HBA degradation by hydroxyl and sulfate radicals was proposed from the identification of the chemical structure of the different by-products detected. The influences of pH and dissolved oxygen were also studied. A high decline of HBA degradation was observed at pH 11 compared to pH 4.5, this decrease was minimized in the presence of persulfate. The dissolved oxygen concentration was found to be a limiting parameter of HBA degradation, however an excess of dissolved oxygen in solution did not improve the degradation to a large extent. - Highlights: • p-Hydroxybenzoic acid (HBA) is easily removed by e-beam irradiation. • The sulfate radicals formed from persulfate induce loss of the benzoic acid skeleton. • The dissolved oxygen concentration is a limiting parameter of the HBA degradation. • The effect of pH is minimized in presence of persulfate

  15. Plasma-catalyst hybrid reactor with CeO2/γ-Al2O3 for benzene decomposition with synergetic effect and nano particle by-product reduction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mao, Lingai; Chen, Zhizong; Wu, Xinyue; Tang, Xiujuan; Yao, Shuiliang; Zhang, Xuming; Jiang, Boqiong; Han, Jingyi; Wu, Zuliang; Lu, Hao; Nozaki, Tomohiro

    2018-04-05

    A dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) catalyst hybrid reactor with CeO 2 /γ-Al 2 O 3 catalyst balls was investigated for benzene decomposition at atmospheric pressure and 30 °C. At an energy density of 37-40 J/L, benzene decomposition was as high as 92.5% when using the hybrid reactor with 5.0wt%CeO 2 /γ-Al 2 O 3 ; while it was 10%-20% when using a normal DBD reactor without a catalyst. Benzene decomposition using the hybrid reactor was almost the same as that using an O 3 catalyst reactor with the same CeO 2 /γ-Al 2 O 3 catalyst, indicating that O 3 plays a key role in the benzene decomposition. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis showed that O 3 adsorption on CeO 2 /γ-Al 2 O 3 promotes the production of adsorbed O 2 - and O 2 2‒ , which contribute benzene decomposition over heterogeneous catalysts. Nano particles as by-products (phenol and 1,4-benzoquinone) from benzene decomposition can be significantly reduced using the CeO 2 /γ-Al 2 O 3 catalyst. H 2 O inhibits benzene decomposition; however, it improves CO 2 selectivity. The deactivated CeO 2 /γ-Al 2 O 3 catalyst can be regenerated by performing discharges at 100 °C and 192-204 J/L. The decomposition mechanism of benzene over CeO 2 /γ-Al 2 O 3 catalyst was proposed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Is nitric oxide decrease observed with naphthoquinones in LPS stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages a beneficial property?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brígida R Pinho

    Full Text Available The search of new anti-inflammatory drugs has been a current preoccupation, due to the need of effective drugs, with less adverse reactions than those used nowadays. Several naphthoquinones (plumbagin, naphthazarin, juglone, menadione, diosquinone and 1,4-naphthoquinone, plus p-hydroquinone and p-benzoquinone were evaluated for their ability to cause a reduction of nitric oxide (NO production, when RAW 264.7 macrophages were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS. Dexamethasone was used as positive control. Among the tested compounds, diosquinone was the only one that caused a NO reduction with statistical importance and without cytotoxicity: an IC(25 of 1.09±0.24 µM was found, with 38.25±6.50% (p<0.001 NO reduction at 1.5 µM. In order to elucidate if this NO decrease resulted from the interference of diosquinone with cellular defence mechanisms against LPS or to its conversion into peroxynitrite, by reaction with superoxide radical formed by naphthoquinones redox cycling, 3-nitrotyrosine and superoxide determination was also performed. None of these parameters showed significant changes relative to control. Furthermore, diosquinone caused a decrease in the pro-inflammatory cytokines: tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α and interleukin 6 (IL-6. Therefore, according to the results obtained, diosquinone, studied for its anti-inflammatory potential for the first time herein, has beneficial effects in inflammation control. This study enlightens the mechanisms of action of naphthoquinones in inflammatory models, by checking for the first time the contribution of oxidative stress generated by naphthoquinones to NO reduction.

  17. Selective electrochemical determination of homocysteine in the presence of cysteine and glutathione

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Salehzadeh, Hamid; Mokhtari, Banafsheh; Nematollahi, Davood

    2014-01-01

    Graphical abstract: 3,5-Di-tert-buthylcatechol was used for the selective electrochemical determination of homocysteine in the presence of cysteine and glutathione at the glassy carbon and carbon nanotube modified glassy carbon electrode. - Highlights: • Selective electrochemical determination of homocysteine. • Catalytic electron transfer of 3,5-di-tert-buthylcatechol in the presence of homocysteine. • Michael type addition reaction of electrochemically generated 3,5-di-tert-buthyl-o-benzoquinone with glutathione. - Abstract: The electrochemical oxidation of 3,5-di-tert-buthylcatechol in the presence of homocysteine was used for the selective electrochemical determination of homocysteine in the presence of cysteine and glutathione at a glassy carbon and a glassy carbon electrode modified with carbon nanotube. The results revealed that the electrochemically generated 3,5-di-tert-butylcyclohexa-3,5-diene-1,2-dione exhibits high catalytic activity toward homocysteine oxidation at reduced over-potential and low catalytic activity for oxidation of cysteine. The catalytic activity 3,5-di-tert-butylcyclohexa-3,5-diene-1,2-dione toward cysteine was suppressed in the presence of 4-N,N-dimethylaminocinnamaldehyde. Contrary to homocysteine and cysteine, the reaction of glutathione with 3,5-di-tert-butylcyclohexa-3,5-diene-1,2-dione is a substituation reaction. This method exhibits three dynamic linear ranges of 2.5 to 10 μmol L −1 , 10 to 100 μmol L −1 and 100 to 1000 μmol L −1 , and a lower detection limit (3σ) of 0.89 ± 3.53% μmol L −1 for homocysteine

  18. Formation of chlorinated breakdown products during degradation of sunscreen agent, 2-ethylhexyl-4-methoxycinnamate in the presence of sodium hypochlorite.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gackowska, Alicja; Przybyłek, Maciej; Studziński, Waldemar; Gaca, Jerzy

    2016-01-01

    In this study, a new degradation path of sunscreen active ingredient, 2-ethylhexyl-4-methoxycinnamate (EHMC) and 4-methoxycinnamic acid (MCA) in the presence of sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), was discussed. The reaction products were detected using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Since HOCl treatment leads to more polar products than EHMC, application of polar extracting agents, dichloromethane and ethyl acetate/n-hexane mixture, gave better results in terms of chlorinated breakdown products identification than n-hexane. Reaction of EHMC with HOCl lead to the formation of C=C bridge cleavage products such as 2-ethylhexyl chloroacetate, 1-chloro-4-methoxybenzene, 1,3-dichloro-2-methoxybenzene, and 3-chloro-4-methoxybenzaldehyde. High reactivity of C=C bond attached to benzene ring is also characteristic for MCA, since it can be converted in the presence of HOCl to 2,4-dichlorophenole, 2,6-dichloro-1,4-benzoquinone, 1,3-dichloro-2-methoxybenzene, 1,2,4-trichloro-3-methoxybenzene, 2,4,6-trichlorophenole, and 3,5-dichloro-2-hydroxyacetophenone. Surprisingly, in case of EHMC/HOCl/UV, much less breakdown products were formed compared to non-UV radiation treatment. In order to describe the nature of EHMC and MCA degradation, local reactivity analysis based on the density functional theory (DFT) was performed. Fukui function values showed that electrophilic attack of HOCl to the C=C bridge in EHMC and MCA is highly favorable (even more preferable than phenyl ring chlorination). This suggests that HOCl electrophilic addition is probably the initial step of EHMC degradation.

  19. Altered bacterial metabolism, not coenzyme Q content, is responsible for the lifespan extension in Caenorhabditis elegans fed an Escherichia coli diet lacking coenzyme Q.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saiki, Ryoichi; Lunceford, Adam L; Bixler, Tarra; Dang, Peter; Lee, Wendy; Furukawa, Satoru; Larsen, Pamela L; Clarke, Catherine F

    2008-06-01

    Coenzyme Q(n) is a fully substituted benzoquinone containing a polyisoprene tail of distinct numbers (n) of isoprene groups. Caenorhabditis elegans fed Escherichia coli devoid of Q(8) have a significant lifespan extension when compared to C. elegans fed a standard 'Q-replete'E. coli diet. Here we examine possible mechanisms for the lifespan extension caused by the Q-less E. coli diet. A bioassay for Q uptake shows that a water-soluble formulation of Q(10) is effectively taken up by both clk-1 mutant and wild-type nematodes, but does not reverse lifespan extension mediated by the Q-less E. coli diet, indicating that lifespan extension is not due to the absence of dietary Q per se. The enhanced longevity mediated by the Q-less E. coli diet cannot be attributed to dietary restriction, different Qn isoforms, reduced pathogenesis or slowed growth of the Q-less E. coli, and in fact requires E. coli viability. Q-less E. coli have defects in respiratory metabolism. C. elegans fed Q-replete E. coli mutants with similarly impaired respiratory metabolism due to defects in complex V also show a pronounced lifespan extension, although not as dramatic as those fed the respiratory deficient Q-less E. coli diet. The data suggest that feeding respiratory incompetent E. coli, whether Q-less or Q-replete, produces a robust life extension in wild-type C. elegans. We believe that the fermentation-based metabolism of the E. coli diet is an important parameter of C. elegans longevity.

  20. Benzene: a case study in parent chemical and metabolite interactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Medinsky, M A; Kenyon, E M; Schlosser, P M

    1995-12-28

    Benzene, an important industrial solvent, is also present in unleaded gasoline and cigarette smoke. The hematotoxic effects of benzene in humans are well documented and include aplastic anemia and pancytopenia, and acute myelogenous leukemia. A combination of metabolites (hydroquinone and phenol for example) is apparently necessary to duplicate the hematotoxic effect of benzene, perhaps due in part to the synergistic effect of phenol on myeloperoxidase-mediated oxidation of hydroquinone to the reactive metabolite benzoquinone. Since benzene and its hydroxylated metabolites (phenol, hydroquinone and catechol) are substrates for the same cytochrome P450 enzymes, competitive interactions among the metabolites are possible. In vivo data on metabolite formation by mice exposed to various benzene concentrations are consistent with competitive inhibition of phenol oxidation by benzene. In vitro studies of the metabolic oxidation of benzene, phenol and hydroquinone are consistent with the mechanism of competitive interaction among the metabolites. The dosimetry of benzene and its metabolites in the target tissue, bone marrow, depends on the balance of activation processes such as enzymatic oxidation and deactivation processes such as conjugation and excretion. Phenol, the primary benzene metabolite, can undergo both oxidation and conjugation. Thus, the potential exists for competition among various enzymes for phenol. However, zonal localization of Phase I and Phase II enzymes in various regions of the liver acinus regulates this competition. Biologically-based dosimetry models that incorporate the important determinants of benzene flux, including interactions with other chemicals, will enable prediction of target tissue doses of benzene and metabolites at low exposure concentrations relevant for humans.

  1. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-binding protein (PBP) but not PPAR-interacting protein (PRIP) is required for nuclear translocation of constitutive androstane receptor in mouse liver

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guo Dongsheng; Sarkar, Joy; Ahmed, Mohamed R.; Viswakarma, Navin; Jia Yuzhi; Yu Songtao; Sambasiva Rao, M.; Reddy, Janardan K.

    2006-01-01

    The constitutive androstane receptor (CAR) regulates transcription of phenobarbital-inducible genes that encode xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes in liver. CAR is localized to the hepatocyte cytoplasm but to be functional, it translocates into the nucleus in the presence of phenobarbital-like CAR ligands. We now demonstrate that adenovirally driven EGFP-CAR, as expected, translocates into the nucleus of normal wild-type hepatocytes following phenobarbital treatment under both in vivo and in vitro conditions. Using this approach we investigated the role of transcription coactivators PBP and PRIP in the translocation of EGFP-CAR into the nucleus of PBP and PRIP liver conditional null mouse hepatocytes. We show that coactivator PBP is essential for nuclear translocation of CAR but not PRIP. Adenoviral expression of both PBP and EGFP-CAR restored phenobarbital-mediated nuclear translocation of exogenously expressed CAR in PBP null livers in vivo and in PBP null primary hepatocytes in vitro. CAR translocation into the nucleus of PRIP null livers resulted in the induction of CAR target genes such as CYP2B10, necessary for the conversion of acetaminophen to its hepatotoxic intermediate metabolite, N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine. As a consequence, PRIP-deficiency in liver did not protect from acetaminophen-induced hepatic necrosis, unlike that exerted by PBP deficiency. These results establish that transcription coactivator PBP plays a pivotal role in nuclear localization of CAR, that it is likely that PBP either enhances nuclear import or nuclear retention of CAR in hepatocytes, and that PRIP is redundant for CAR function

  2. A novel combined thermometric and amperometric biosensor for lactose determination based on immobilised cellobiose dehydrogenase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yakovleva, Maria; Buzas, Orsolya; Matsumura, Hirotoshi; Samejima, Masahiro; Igarashi, Kiyohiko; Larsson, Per-Olof; Gorton, Lo; Danielsson, Bengt

    2012-01-15

    A novel method for lactose determination in milk is proposed. It is based on oxidation of lactose by cellobiose dehydrogenase (CDH) from the basidiomycete Phanerochaete chrysosporium, immobilised in an enzyme reactor. The reactor was prepared by cross-linking CDH onto aminopropyl-silanised controlled pore glass (CPG) beads using glutaraldehyde. The combined biosensor worked in flow injection analysis (FIA) mode and was developed for simultaneous monitoring of the thermometric signal associated with the enzymatic oxidation of lactose using p-benzoquinone as electron acceptor and the electrochemically generated current associated with the oxidation of the hydroquinone formed. A highly reproducible linear response for lactose was obtained between 0.05 mM and 30 mM. For a set of more than 500 samples an R.S.D. of less than 10% was achieved. The assay time was ca. 2 min per sample. The sensor was applied for the determination of lactose in dairy milk samples (milk with a fat content of 1.5% or 3% and also "lactose free" milk). No sample preparation except dilution with buffer was needed. The proposed method is rapid, suitable for repeated use and allows the possibility to compare results from two different detection methods, thus providing a built-in quality assurance. Some differences in the response observed between the methods indicate that the dual approach can be useful in mechanistic studies of redox enzymes. In addition, a dual system opens up interesting possibilities for studies of enzyme properties and mechanisms. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Single turnover studies of oxidative halophenol dehalogenation by horseradish peroxidase reveal a mechanism involving two consecutive one electron steps: toward a functional halophenol bioremediation catalyst.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sumithran, Suganya; Sono, Masanori; Raner, Gregory M; Dawson, John H

    2012-12-01

    Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) catalyzes the oxidative para-dechlorination of the environmental pollutant/carcinogen 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (2,4,6-TCP). A possible mechanism for this reaction is a direct oxygen atom transfer from HRP compound I (HRP I) to trichlorophenol to generate 2,6-dichloro 1,4-benzoquinone, a two-electron transfer process. An alternative mechanism involves two consecutive one-electron transfer steps in which HRP I is reduced to compound II (HRP II) and then to the ferric enzyme as first proposed by Wiese et al. [F.W. Wiese, H.C. Chang, R.V. Lloyd, J.P. Freeman, V.M. Samokyszyn, Arch. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 34 (1998) 217-222]. To probe the mechanism of oxidative halophenol dehalogenation, the reactions between 2,4,6-TCP and HRP compounds I or II have been investigated under single turnover conditions (i.e., without excess H(2)O(2)) using rapid scan stopped-flow spectroscopy. Addition of 2,4,6-TCP to HRP I leads rapidly to HRP II and then more slowly to the ferric resting state, consistent with a mechanism involving two consecutive one-electron oxidations of the substrate via a phenoxy radical intermediate. HRP II can also directly dechlorinate 2,4,6-TCP as judged by rapid scan stopped-flow and mass spectrometry. This observation is particularly significant since HRP II can only carry out one-electron oxidations. A more detailed understanding of the mechanism of oxidative halophenol dehalogenation will facilitate the use of HRP as a halophenol bioremediation catalyst. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. A sulphonamido-indanone derivative CGP 28237 (ZK 34228), a novel non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent without gastro-intestinal ulcerogenicity in rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Böttcher, I; Schweizer, A; Glatt, M; Werner, H

    1987-01-01

    CGP 28237 (5-methylsulphonylamino-6-phenoxy-1-indanone) belongs to a series of structurally novel indanones. The compound is a weak acid (pK = 6.98), but it does not contain a carboxylic group. CGP 28237 exhibits potent anti-inflammatory activity in developing and established adjuvant arthritis in rats (ED40 approximately 0.5 mg/kg p.o.) and good activity in carrageenin oedema (ED40 approximately 3 mg/kg p.o.). It inhibits yeast-induced fever in rats with ED50 values of 1, 2 and 10 mg/kg p.o. at 1, 3 and 5 hours after drug administration. The antinociceptive activity in mice (phenyl-p-benzoquinone writhing) and rats (acetic-acid writhing) is weak. CGP 28237 has been shown to be non-ulcerogenic in rats under acute and chronic test conditions: it does not cause mucosal lesions in the stomach at 2 X 400 mg/kg p.o., it does not enhance gastro-intestinal blood loss during 10 days' oral treatment with 400 mg/kg p.o., and it did not induce gastro-intestinal lesions in a 4-week toxicity study up to 1000 mg/kg p.o. Although CGP 28237 is not a cyclooxygenase inhibitor in bovine seminal vesicle microsomes, it inhibits prostaglandin synthesis in zymosan-stimulated murine macrophages (IC50 approximately 3 X 10(-6) mol/l) and protects rabbits against arachidonic acid-induced lung embolism with 10 mg/kg p.o. CGP 28237 may represent a novel anti-inflammatory drug with excellent gastro-intestinal tolerability.

  5. 2D/2D nano-hybrids of γ-MnO{sub 2} on reduced graphene oxide for catalytic ozonation and coupling peroxymonosulfate activation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Yuxian [National Engineering Laboratory for Hydrometallurgical Cleaner Production Technology, Beijing Engineering Research Center of Process Pollution Control, Key Laboratory of Green Process and Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190 (China); Department of Chemical Engineering, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA 6845 (Australia); Xie, Yongbing, E-mail: ybxie@ipe.ac.cn [National Engineering Laboratory for Hydrometallurgical Cleaner Production Technology, Beijing Engineering Research Center of Process Pollution Control, Key Laboratory of Green Process and Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190 (China); Sun, Hongqi [Department of Chemical Engineering, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA 6845 (Australia); Xiao, Jiadong; Cao, Hongbin [National Engineering Laboratory for Hydrometallurgical Cleaner Production Technology, Beijing Engineering Research Center of Process Pollution Control, Key Laboratory of Green Process and Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190 (China); Wang, Shaobin, E-mail: shaobin.wang@curtin.edu.au [Department of Chemical Engineering, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA 6845 (Australia)

    2016-01-15

    Highlights: • 2D γ-MnO{sub 2}/2D rGO hybrids (MnO{sub 2}/rGO) via a facile hydrothermal route were prepared. • MnO{sub 2}/rGO exhibits high activity in catalytic ozonation of 4-nitrophenol. • ·O{sub 2}{sup ̄} and {sup 1}O{sub 2} are the major radicals for 4-nitrophenol degradation and mineralization. • A synergistic effect of ozonation and peroxymonosulfate oxidation was evaluated. - Abstract: Two-dimensional reduced graphene oxide (2D rGO) was employed as both a shape-directing medium and support to fabricate 2D γ-MnO{sub 2}/2D rGO nano-hybrids (MnO{sub 2}/rGO) via a facile hydrothermal route. For the first time, the 2D/2D hybrid materials were used for catalytic ozonation of 4-nitrophenol. The catalytic efficiency of MnO{sub 2}/rGO was much higher than either MnO{sub 2} or rGO only, and rGO was suggested to play the role for promoting electron transfers. Quenching tests using tert-butanol, p-benzoquinone, and sodium azide suggested that the major radicals responsible for 4-nitrophenol degradation and mineralization are O{sub 2}{sup ̄} and {sup 1}O{sub 2}, but not ·OH. Reusability tests demonstrated a high stability of the materials in catalytic ozonation with minor Mn leaching below 0.5 ppm. Degradation mechanism, reaction kinetics, reusability and a synergistic effect between catalytic ozonation and coupling peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation were also discussed.

  6. A simple route to Cu{sub x}Sn{sub (100−x)} intermetallic nanoparticle catalyst for ultra-phenol hydroxylation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pithakratanayothin, Sakollapath [The Petroleum and Petrochemical College and Center of Excellence on Petrochemical and Materials Technology, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330 (Thailand); Tongsri, Ruangdaj [Powder Metallurgy Research and Development Unit - PM-RDU, National Metal and Materials Technology Center, Pathum Thani 12120 (Thailand); Chaisuwan, Thanyalak [The Petroleum and Petrochemical College and Center of Excellence on Petrochemical and Materials Technology, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330 (Thailand); Wongkasemjit, Sujitra, E-mail: dsujitra@chula.ac.th [The Petroleum and Petrochemical College and Center of Excellence on Petrochemical and Materials Technology, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330 (Thailand)

    2016-09-15

    A practical methodology and novel, economical materials were proposed to successfully prepare nanoparticle catalysts for phenol hydroxylation. The preparation was carried out via mechanical alloying (MA) of Cu{sub x}Sn{sub (100−x)} powder mixtures (where x = 30, 50, 70, and 100%wt). The mechanical alloyed nanoparticles were characterized using various techniques. X-ray diffraction patterns indicated that η-Cu{sub 6}Sn{sub 5}, ε-Cu{sub 3}Sn, and CuSn phases could be formed in the mechanical alloyed Cu{sub x}Sn{sub (100−x)} materials. Transmission electron micrographs and selected area electron diffraction patterns confirmed the presence of η-Cu{sub 6}Sn{sub 5}, ε-Cu{sub 3}Sn, and CuSn phases. Activity of the catalysts, using the optimal conditions of 70 °C reaction temperature for 1 h, 50 mg of Cu{sub 0.5}Sn{sub 0.5}, and 1:3 phenol:H{sub 2}O{sub 2} ratio, provided more than 98% conversion with 70% catechol (CAT) and 29% hydroquinone (HQ). Experimental results suggested that the presence of the ε-Cu{sub 3}Sn phase gave higher activity while Sn reduced benzoquinone (BQ) to HQ. The catalyst maintained its stability with no structural collapse for more than 24 h. - Highlights: • Cu{sub x}Sn{sub y} intermetallic as a catalyst was successfully synthesized via mechanical alloying. • Cu{sub x}Sn{sub y} intermetallics promoted impressive phenol hydroxylation. • 98% conversion was achieved with high selectivity of catechol.

  7. Electrochemical degradation of clofibric acid in water by anodic oxidation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sires, Ignasi [Laboratori de Ciencia i Tecnologia Electroquimica de Materials, Departament de Quimica Fisica, Facultat de Quimica, Universitat de Barcelona, Marti i Franques 1-11, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); Cabot, Pere Lluis [Laboratori de Ciencia i Tecnologia Electroquimica de Materials, Departament de Quimica Fisica, Facultat de Quimica, Universitat de Barcelona, Marti i Franques 1-11, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); Centellas, Francesc [Laboratori de Ciencia i Tecnologia Electroquimica de Materials, Departament de Quimica Fisica, Facultat de Quimica, Universitat de Barcelona, Marti i Franques 1-11, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); Garrido, Jose Antonio [Laboratori de Ciencia i Tecnologia Electroquimica de Materials, Departament de Quimica Fisica, Facultat de Quimica, Universitat de Barcelona, Marti i Franques 1-11, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); Rodriguez, Rosa Maria [Laboratori de Ciencia i Tecnologia Electroquimica de Materials, Departament de Quimica Fisica, Facultat de Quimica, Universitat de Barcelona, Marti i Franques 1-11, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); Arias, Conchita [Laboratori de Ciencia i Tecnologia Electroquimica de Materials, Departament de Quimica Fisica, Facultat de Quimica, Universitat de Barcelona, Marti i Franques 1-11, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); Brillas, Enric [Laboratori de Ciencia i Tecnologia Electroquimica de Materials, Departament de Quimica Fisica, Facultat de Quimica, Universitat de Barcelona, Marti i Franques 1-11, 08028 Barcelona (Spain)]. E-mail: brillas@ub.edu

    2006-10-05

    Aqueous solutions containing the metabolite clofibric acid (2-(4-chlorophenoxy)-2-methylpropionic acid) up to close to saturation in the pH range 2.0-12.0 have been degraded by anodic oxidation with Pt and boron-doped diamond (BDD) as anodes. The use of BDD leads to total mineralization in all media due to the efficient production of oxidant hydroxyl radical ({center_dot}OH). This procedure is then viable for the treatment of wastewaters containing this compound. The effect of pH, apparent current density, temperature and metabolite concentration on the degradation rate, consumed specific charge and mineralization current efficiency has been investigated. Comparative treatment with Pt yields poor decontamination with complete release of stable chloride ion. When BDD is used, this ion is oxidized to Cl{sub 2}. Clofibric acid is more rapidly destroyed on Pt than on BDD, indicating that it is more strongly adsorbed on the Pt surface enhancing its reaction with {center_dot}OH. Its decay kinetics always follows a pseudo-first-order reaction and the rate constant for each anode increases with increasing apparent current density, being practically independent of pH and metabolite concentration. Aromatic products such as 4-chlorophenol, 4-chlorocatechol, 4-chlororesorcinol, hydroquinone, p-benzoquinone and 1,2,4-benzenetriol are detected by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and reversed-phase chromatography. Tartronic, maleic, fumaric, formic, 2-hydroxyisobutyric, pyruvic and oxalic acids are identified as generated carboxylic acids by ion-exclusion chromatography. These acids remain stable in solution using Pt, but they are completely converted into CO{sub 2} with BDD. A reaction pathway for clofibric acid degradation involving all these intermediates is proposed.

  8. Biotic nitrosation of diclofenac in a soil aquifer system (Katari watershed, Bolivia).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chiron, Serge; Duwig, Céline

    2016-09-15

    Up till now, the diclofenac (DCF) transformation into its nitrogen-derivatives, N-nitroso-DCF (NO-DCF) and 5-nitro-DCF (NO2-DCF), has been mainly investigated in wastewater treatment plant under nitrification or denitrification processes. This work reports, for the first time, an additional DCF microbial mediated nitrosation pathway of DCF in soil under strictly anoxic conditions probably involving codenitrification processes and fungal activities. This transformation pathway was investigated by using field observations data at a soil aquifer system (Katari watershed, Bolivia) and by carrying out soil slurry batch experiments. It was also observed for diphenylamine (DPA). Field measurements revealed the occurrence of NO-DCF, NO2-DCF and NO-DPA in groundwater samples at concentration levels in the 6-68s/L range. These concentration levels are more significant than those previously reported in wastewater treatment plant effluents taking into account dilution processes in soil. Interestingly, the p-benzoquinone imine of 5-OH-DCF was also found to be rather stable in surface water. In laboratory batch experiments under strictly anoxic conditions, the transformation of DCF and DPA into their corresponding N-nitroso derivatives was well correlated to denitrification processes. It was also observed that NO-DCF evolved into NO2-DCF while NO-DPA was stable. In vitro experiments showed that the Fisher-Hepp rearrangement could not account for NO2-DCF formation. One possible mechanism might be that NO-DCF underwent spontaneous NO loss to give the resulting intermediates diphenylaminyl radical or nitrenium cation which might evolve into NO2-DCF in presence of NO2 radical or nitrite ion, respectively. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Identification of the para-nitrophenol catabolic pathway, and characterization of three enzymes involved in the hydroquinone pathway, in pseudomonas sp. 1-7

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhang Shuangyu

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background para-Nitrophenol (PNP, a priority environmental pollutant, is hazardous to humans and animals. However, the information relating to the PNP degradation pathways and their enzymes remain limited. Results Pseudomonas sp.1-7 was isolated from methyl parathion (MP-polluted activated sludge and was shown to degrade PNP. Two different intermediates, hydroquinone (HQ and 4-nitrocatechol (4-NC were detected in the catabolism of PNP. This indicated that Pseudomonas sp.1-7 degraded PNP by two different pathways, namely the HQ pathway, and the hydroxyquinol (BT pathway (also referred to as the 4-NC pathway. A gene cluster (pdcEDGFCBA was identified in a 10.6 kb DNA fragment of a fosmid library, which cluster encoded the following enzymes involved in PNP degradation: PNP 4-monooxygenase (PdcA, p-benzoquinone (BQ reductase (PdcB, hydroxyquinol (BT 1,2-dioxygenase (PdcC, maleylacetate (MA reductase (PdcF, 4-hydroxymuconic semialdehyde (4-HS dehydrogenase (PdcG, and hydroquinone (HQ 1,2-dioxygenase (PdcDE. Four genes (pdcDEFG were expressed in E. coli and the purified pdcDE, pdcG and pdcF gene products were shown to convert HQ to 4-HS, 4-HS to MA and MA to β-ketoadipate respectively by in vitro activity assays. Conclusions The cloning, sequencing, and characterization of these genes along with the functional PNP degradation studies identified 4-NC, HQ, 4-HS, and MA as intermediates in the degradation pathway of PNP by Pseudomonas sp.1-7. This is the first conclusive report for both 4-NC and HQ- mediated degradation of PNP by one microorganism.

  10. Electron Impact Excitation-Ionization of Molecules

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ali, Esam Abobakr A.

    In the last few decades, the study of atomic collisions by electron-impact has made significant advances. The most difficult case to study is electron impact ionization of molecules for which many approximations have to be made and the validity of these approximations can only be checked by comparing with experiment. In this thesis, I have examined the Molecular three-body distorted wave (M3DW) or Molecular four-body distorted wave (M4DW) approximations for electron-impact ionization. These models use a fully quantum mechanical approach where all particles are treated quantum mechanically and the post collision interaction (PCI) is treated to all orders of perturbation. These electron impact ionization collisions play central roles in the physics and chemistry of upper atmosphere, biofuel, the operation of discharges and lasers, radiation induced damage in biological material like damage to DNA by secondary electrons, and plasma etching processes. For the M3DW model, I will present results for electron impact single ionization of small molecules such as Water, Ethane, and Carbon Dioxide and the much larger molecules Tetrahydrofuran, phenol, furfural, 1-4 Benzoquinone. I will also present results for the four-body problem in which there are two target electrons involved in the collision. M4DW results will be presented for dissociative excitation-ionization of orientated D2. I will show that M4DW calculations using a variational wave function for the ground state that included s- and p- orbital states give better agreement to the experimental measurements than a ground state approximated as a product of two 1s-type Dyson orbitals.

  11. Electrochemical degradation of clofibric acid in water by anodic oxidation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sires, Ignasi; Cabot, Pere Lluis; Centellas, Francesc; Garrido, Jose Antonio; Rodriguez, Rosa Maria; Arias, Conchita; Brillas, Enric

    2006-01-01

    Aqueous solutions containing the metabolite clofibric acid (2-(4-chlorophenoxy)-2-methylpropionic acid) up to close to saturation in the pH range 2.0-12.0 have been degraded by anodic oxidation with Pt and boron-doped diamond (BDD) as anodes. The use of BDD leads to total mineralization in all media due to the efficient production of oxidant hydroxyl radical (·OH). This procedure is then viable for the treatment of wastewaters containing this compound. The effect of pH, apparent current density, temperature and metabolite concentration on the degradation rate, consumed specific charge and mineralization current efficiency has been investigated. Comparative treatment with Pt yields poor decontamination with complete release of stable chloride ion. When BDD is used, this ion is oxidized to Cl 2 . Clofibric acid is more rapidly destroyed on Pt than on BDD, indicating that it is more strongly adsorbed on the Pt surface enhancing its reaction with ·OH. Its decay kinetics always follows a pseudo-first-order reaction and the rate constant for each anode increases with increasing apparent current density, being practically independent of pH and metabolite concentration. Aromatic products such as 4-chlorophenol, 4-chlorocatechol, 4-chlororesorcinol, hydroquinone, p-benzoquinone and 1,2,4-benzenetriol are detected by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and reversed-phase chromatography. Tartronic, maleic, fumaric, formic, 2-hydroxyisobutyric, pyruvic and oxalic acids are identified as generated carboxylic acids by ion-exclusion chromatography. These acids remain stable in solution using Pt, but they are completely converted into CO 2 with BDD. A reaction pathway for clofibric acid degradation involving all these intermediates is proposed

  12. Efficient degradation of phenol using iron-montmorillonite as a Fenton catalyst: Importance of visible light irradiation and intermediates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wei, Xipeng; Wu, Honghai, E-mail: wuhonghai@scnu.edu.cn; He, Guangping, E-mail: hegp@scnu.edu.cn; Guan, Yufeng

    2017-01-05

    Highlights: • Iron-montmorillonite has excellent catalytic activity on phenol Fenton degradation. • Phenol Fenton reaction follows the two-stage pseudo first order kinetic equations. • Role of visible light irradiation is more evident during induction reaction period. • Hydroquinone and catechol have a significant effect on the second-stage kinetics. - Abstract: Iron-montmorillonite (Fe-Mt) with delaminated structures was synthesized via the introduction of iron oxides into Na-montmorillonite. Fe-Mt showed significant increases in the available iron content, surface area and pore volume, along with a slight increase in the basal spacing from d{sub 001} = 1.26 (Na-Mt) to 1.53 nm (Fe-Mt). The Fenton process was efficient for phenol removal using Fe-Mt as a catalyst under visible light irradiation, and the process had two-stage pseudo-first order kinetics. The overall reaction had a higher degradation rate even when it was only irradiated with visible light for the first 40 min period. Further investigation confirmed that the irradiation increased the presence of certain intermediates. Among them, 1,4-benzoquinone, hydroquinone, and catechol all enhanced the Fenton reaction rates. Either catechol or hydroquinone was added to the Fenton system with Fe-Mt/H{sub 2}O{sub 2} with or without visible light irradiation, and they both accelerated phenol degradation because catechol and hydroquinone are capable of reductively and effectively transforming Fe(III) into Fe(II). The concentrations of dissolved total Fe increased with the increase in the oxalic acid concentration, which can strongly chelate Fe(III). Hence, iron was released from Fe-Mt, and reductive transformation played an important role in promoting the Fenton reaction process for phenol removal.

  13. Use of response surface methodology for development of new microwell-based spectrophotometric method for determination of atrovastatin calcium in tablets

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wani Tanveer A

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Response surface methodology by Box–Behnken design employing the multivariate approach enables substantial improvement in the method development using fewer experiments, without wastage of large volumes of organic solvents, which leads to high analysis cost. This methodology has not been employed for development of a method for analysis of atorvastatin calcium (ATR-Ca. Results The present research study describes the use of in optimization and validation of a new microwell-based UV-Visible spectrophotometric method of for determination of ATR-Ca in its tablets. By the use of quadratic regression analysis, equations were developed to describe the behavior of the response as simultaneous functions of the selected independent variables. Accordingly, the optimum conditions were determined which included concentration of 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone (DDQ, time of reaction and temperature. The absorbance of the colored-CT complex was measured at 460 nm by microwell-plate absorbance reader. The method was validated, in accordance with ICH guidelines for accuracy, precision, selectivity and linearity (r² = 0.9993 over the concentration range of 20–200 μg/ml. The assay was successfully applied to the analysis of ATR-Ca in its pharmaceutical dosage forms with good accuracy and precision. Conclusion The assay described herein has great practical value in the routine analysis of ATR-Ca in quality control laboratories, as it has high throughput property, consumes minimum volume of organic solvent thus it offers the reduction in the exposures of the analysts to the toxic effects of organic solvents, environmentally friendly "Green" approach and reduction in the analysis cost by 50-fold.

  14. Acquired resistance to 17-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17-AAG, tanespimycin) in glioblastoma cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gaspar, Nathalie; Sharp, Swee Y; Pacey, Simon; Jones, Chris; Walton, Michael; Vassal, Gilles; Eccles, Suzanne; Pearson, Andrew; Workman, Paul

    2009-03-01

    Heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) inhibitors, such as 17-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17-AAG, tanespimycin), which is currently in phase II/phase III clinical trials, are promising new anticancer agents. Here, we explored acquired resistance to HSP90 inhibitors in glioblastoma (GB), a primary brain tumor with poor prognosis. GB cells were exposed continuously to increased 17-AAG concentrations. Four 17-AAG-resistant GB cell lines were generated. High-resistance levels with resistance indices (RI = resistant line IC(50)/parental line IC(50)) of 20 to 137 were obtained rapidly (2-8 weeks). After cessation of 17-AAG exposure, RI decreased and then stabilized. Cross-resistance was found with other ansamycin benzoquinones but not with the structurally unrelated HSP90 inhibitors, radicicol, the purine BIIB021, and the resorcinylic pyrazole/isoxazole amide compounds VER-49009, VER-50589, and NVP-AUY922. An inverse correlation between NAD(P)H/quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) expression/activity and 17-AAG IC(50) was observed in the resistant lines. The NQO1 inhibitor ES936 abrogated the differential effects of 17-AAG sensitivity between the parental and resistant lines. NQO1 mRNA levels and NQO1 DNA polymorphism analysis indicated different underlying mechanisms: reduced expression and selection of the inactive NQO1*2 polymorphism. Decreased NQO1 expression was also observed in a melanoma line with acquired resistance to 17-AAG. No resistance was generated with VER-50589 and NVP-AUY922. In conclusion, low NQO1 activity is a likely mechanism of acquired resistance to 17-AAG in GB, melanoma, and, possibly, other tumor types. Such resistance can be overcome with novel HSP90 inhibitors.

  15. Impact of geo-chemical environment of subsurface water on the measurement of ultra trace level of uranium in ground water by adsorptive stripping voltammetry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Singhal, R.K.; Preetha, J.; Karpe, Rupali; Ajay Kumar; Hegde, A.G.

    2005-01-01

    During the present work, impacts of cations (Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , K + ,), anions (Cl -1 , F -1 , and PO 4 3- ) and DOC (Dissolved Organic Carbon) on the measurement of ultra trace level of uranium (VI) in subsurface water by adsorptive stripping voltammetry (AdSV) is studied. The concentrations of these anions, cations and DOC in subsurface water changes due to change in the geo-chemical environment at different locations. In AdSV, concentration of U was determined by forming an uranium-chloranilic acid complex (2,5-dichloro- 3,6-dihydroxy-1,4-benzoquinone). AdSV measurements were carried out in the differential pulse (DP) mode using a pulse amplitude of -50 mV, a pulse time of 30 ms and a potential step of 4 mV. The detection limit, was calculated to 2+ , Mg 2+ , K + ) and anions (Cl -1 , F -1 , and PO 4 3- ) was carried out by using Ion Chromatography. Ground water samples were spiked with varying degree of cations, anions and DOC (dissolved organic carbon). DOC in ground waters were measured by Total Organic Carbon (TOC) analyzer. Various experiments show that analysis of uranium in the concentration range of 2+ , Mg 2+ , K + , Cl -1 , F -1 , and PO 4 3- . In case of DOC there is no interference observed in the concentration range of 0.02-15 ppm but beyond 15 ppm the concentration of uranium decrease sharply. Further, if DOC exceeded 16 ppm it was not possible to do the analysis of uranium by AdSV without destruction of DOC, as DOC is surface active organic compound and accumulates on Hg electrode preferentially over uranium-chloroanailic complex. (author)

  16. Mechanistic considerations in benzene physiological model development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Medinsky, M A; Kenyon, E M; Seaton, M J; Schlosser, P M

    1996-12-01

    Benzene, an important industrial solvent, is also present in unleaded gasoline and cigarette smoke. The hematotoxic effects of benzene in humans are well documented and include aplastic anemia, pancytopenia, and acute myelogenous leukemia. However, the risks of leukemia at low exposure concentrations have not been established. A combination of metabolites (hydroquinone and phenol, for example) may be necessary to duplicate the hematotoxic effect of benzene, perhaps due in part to the synergistic effect of phenol on myeloperoxidase-mediated oxidation of hydroquinone to the reactive metabolite benzoquinone. Because benzene and its hydroxylated metabolites (phenol, hydroquinone, and catechol) are substrates for the same cytochrome P450 enzymes, competitive interactions among the metabolites are possible. In vivo data on metabolite formation by mice exposed to various benzene concentrations are consistent with competitive inhibition of phenol oxidation by benzene. In vitro studies of the metabolic oxidation of benzene, phenol, and hydroquinone are consistent with the mechanism of competitive interaction among the metabolites. The dosimetry of benzene and its metabolites in the target tissue, bone marrow, depends on the balance of activation processes such as enzymatic oxidation and deactivation processes such as conjugation and excretion. Phenol, the primary benzene metabolite, can undergo both oxidation and conjugation. Thus the potential exists for competition among various enzymes for phenol. Zonal localization of phase I and phase II enzymes in various regions of the liver acinus also impacts this competition. Biologically based dosimetry models that incorporate the important determinants of benzene flux, including interactions with other chemicals, will enable prediction of target tissue doses of benzene and metabolites at low exposure concentrations relevant for humans.

  17. Tomato fruit chromoplasts behave as respiratory bioenergetic organelles during ripening.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Renato, Marta; Pateraki, Irini; Boronat, Albert; Azcón-Bieto, Joaquín

    2014-10-01

    During tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) fruit ripening, chloroplasts differentiate into photosynthetically inactive chromoplasts. It was recently reported that tomato chromoplasts can synthesize ATP through a respiratory process called chromorespiration. Here we show that chromoplast oxygen consumption is stimulated by the electron donors NADH and NADPH and is sensitive to octyl gallate (Ogal), a plastidial terminal oxidase inhibitor. The ATP synthesis rate of isolated chromoplasts was dependent on the supply of NAD(P)H and was fully inhibited by Ogal. It was also inhibited by the proton uncoupler carbonylcyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone, suggesting the involvement of a chemiosmotic gradient. In addition, ATP synthesis was sensitive to 2,5-dibromo-3-methyl-6-isopropyl-p-benzoquinone, a cytochrome b6f complex inhibitor. The possible participation of this complex in chromorespiration was supported by the detection of one of its components (cytochrome f) in chromoplasts using immunoblot and immunocytochemical techniques. The observed increased expression of cytochrome c6 during ripening suggests that it could act as electron acceptor of the cytochrome b6f complex in chromorespiration. The effects of Ogal on respiration and ATP levels were also studied in tissue samples. Oxygen uptake of mature green fruit and leaf tissues was not affected by Ogal, but was inhibited increasingly in fruit pericarp throughout ripening (up to 26% in red fruit). Similarly, Ogal caused a significant decrease in ATP content of red fruit pericarp. The number of energized mitochondria, as determined by confocal microscopy, strongly decreased in fruit tissue during ripening. Therefore, the contribution of chromoplasts to total fruit respiration appears to increase in late ripening stages. © 2014 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.

  18. Tomato Fruit Chromoplasts Behave as Respiratory Bioenergetic Organelles during Ripening1[W][OPEN

    Science.gov (United States)

    Renato, Marta; Pateraki, Irini; Boronat, Albert; Azcón-Bieto, Joaquín

    2014-01-01

    During tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) fruit ripening, chloroplasts differentiate into photosynthetically inactive chromoplasts. It was recently reported that tomato chromoplasts can synthesize ATP through a respiratory process called chromorespiration. Here we show that chromoplast oxygen consumption is stimulated by the electron donors NADH and NADPH and is sensitive to octyl gallate (Ogal), a plastidial terminal oxidase inhibitor. The ATP synthesis rate of isolated chromoplasts was dependent on the supply of NAD(P)H and was fully inhibited by Ogal. It was also inhibited by the proton uncoupler carbonylcyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone, suggesting the involvement of a chemiosmotic gradient. In addition, ATP synthesis was sensitive to 2,5-dibromo-3-methyl-6-isopropyl-p-benzoquinone, a cytochrome b6f complex inhibitor. The possible participation of this complex in chromorespiration was supported by the detection of one of its components (cytochrome f) in chromoplasts using immunoblot and immunocytochemical techniques. The observed increased expression of cytochrome c6 during ripening suggests that it could act as electron acceptor of the cytochrome b6f complex in chromorespiration. The effects of Ogal on respiration and ATP levels were also studied in tissue samples. Oxygen uptake of mature green fruit and leaf tissues was not affected by Ogal, but was inhibited increasingly in fruit pericarp throughout ripening (up to 26% in red fruit). Similarly, Ogal caused a significant decrease in ATP content of red fruit pericarp. The number of energized mitochondria, as determined by confocal microscopy, strongly decreased in fruit tissue during ripening. Therefore, the contribution of chromoplasts to total fruit respiration appears to increase in late ripening stages. PMID:25125503

  19. Spectroscopic and molecular docking studies on the charge transfer complex of bovine serum albumin with quinone in aqueous medium and its influence on the ligand binding property of the protein

    Science.gov (United States)

    Satheshkumar, Angupillai; Elango, Kuppanagounder P.

    2014-09-01

    The spectral techniques such as UV-Vis, 1H NMR and fluorescence and electrochemical experiments have been employed to investigate the interaction between 2-methoxy-3,5,6-trichloro-1,4-benzoquinone (MQ; a water soluble quinone) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) in aqueous medium. The fluorescence of BSA was quenched by MQ via formation of a 1:1 BSA-MQ charge transfer adduct with a formation constant of 3.3 × 108 L mol-1. Based on the Forster’s theory the binding distance between them is calculated as 2.65 nm indicating high probability of binding. For the first time, influence of quinone on the binding property of various types of ligands such as aspirin, ascorbic acid, nicotinimide and sodium stearate has also been investigated. The results indicated that the strong and spontaneous binding existing between BSA and MQ, decreased the intensity of binding of these ligands with BSA. Since Tryptophan (Trp) is the basic residue present in BSA, a comparison between binding property of Trp-MQ adduct with that of BSA-MQ with these ligands has also been attempted. 1H NMR titration study indicated that the Trp forms a charge transfer complex with MQ, which reduces the interaction of Trp with the ligands. Molecular docking study supported the fact that the quinone interacts with the Trp212 unit of the BSA and the free energy change of binding (ΔG) for the BSA-MQ complex was found to be -46 kJ mol-1, which is comparable to our experimental free energy of binding (-49 kJ mol-1) obtained from fluorescence study.

  20. Acylcarnitine Profiles in Acetaminophen Toxicity in the Mouse: Comparison to Toxicity, Metabolism and Hepatocyte Regeneration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jack Hinson

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available High doses of acetaminophen (APAP result in hepatotoxicity that involves metabolic activation of the parent compound, covalent binding of the reactive intermediate N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine (NAPQI to liver proteins, and depletion of hepatic glutathione. Impaired fatty acid β-oxidation has been implicated in previous studies of APAP-induced hepatotoxicity. To better understand relationships between toxicity and fatty acid β-oxidation in the liver in APAP toxicity, metabolomic assays for long chain acylcarnitines were examined in relationship to established markers of liver toxicity, oxidative metabolism, and liver regeneration in a time course study in mice. Male B6C3F1 mice were treated with APAP (200 mg/kg IP or saline and sacrificed at 1, 2, 4, 8, 24 or 48 h after APAP. At 1 h, hepatic glutathione was depleted and APAP protein adducts were markedly increased. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT levels were elevated at 4 and 8 h, while proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA expression, indicative of hepatocyte regeneration, was apparent at 24 h and 48 h. Elevations of palmitoyl, oleoyl and myristoyl carnitine were apparent by 2–4 h, concurrent with the onset of Oil Red O staining in liver sections. By 8 h, acylcarnitine levels were below baseline levels and remained low at 24 and 48 h. A partial least squares (PLS model suggested a direct association of acylcarnitine accumulation in serum to APAP protein adduct and hepatic glutathione levels in mice. Overall, the kinetics of serum acylcarnitines in APAP toxicity in mice followed a biphasic pattern involving early elevation after the metabolism phases of toxicity and later depletion of acylcarnitines.

  1. Structural motifs of diiodine complexes with amides and thioamides.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parigoridi, Ioanna-Efpraxia; Corban, Ghada J; Hadjikakou, Sotiris K; Hadjiliadis, Nick; Kourkoumelis, Nikolaos; Kostakis, George; Psycharis, Vassilis; Raptopoulou, Catherine P; Kubicki, Maciej

    2008-10-14

    The reaction of 2-pyrimidone hydrochloride ([C(4)H(5)N(2)O](+)[Cl](-) or [PMOH(2)](+)[Cl](-)) with diiodine in a dichloromethane-methanol solution resulted in the formation of ([C(4)H(5)N(2)O](+))(2)[I(2)Cl(2)](2-) (1) complex. The compound was characterized by elemental analysis, FT-IR, DTA-TG and conductivity titrations. The crystal structure of 1 was also determined by X-ray diffraction at 294(1) K. Compound 1 is monoclinic, space group P2(1)/n, consisting of two cationic [PMOH(2)](+) species and a [I(2)Cl(2)](2-) counter dianion. The cation is in its keto form. Direct reaction of thiazolidine-2-thione (tzdtH), with diiodine in dichloromethane solution, on the other hand, led to the formation of a crystalline solid which contained two complexes of formulae [(tzdtH)(2)I](+)[I(3)](-).2I(2) (2) and [(tzdtH)I(2)](2).I(2) (2a) in a ratio of 90 to 10%. Complex 2a was characterized by X-ray analysis at 180(2) K. Compound is monoclinic, space group C2/c and contains two units of [(tzdtH)I(2)] "spoke" structures. Compound 1, as well as the known species iodonium salt [(tzdtH)(2)I](+)[I(3)](-).2I(2) (2) and the charge transfer (CT) iodine complexes of formulae [(bztzdtH)I(2)] (3) and [(bztzdtH)I(2)].I(2) (4) (bztzdtH = 2-mercaptobenzothiazole) with "spoke" and extended "spoke" structures respectively, were tested for their oxidizing activity towards 3,5-di-tert-butylcatechol to 3,5-di-tert-butyl-o-benzoquinone.

  2. Trifluoperazine inhibits acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity and hepatic reactive nitrogen formation in mice and in freshly isolated hepatocytes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sudip Banerjee

    Full Text Available The hepatotoxicity of acetaminophen (APAP occurs by initial metabolism to N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine which depletes GSH and forms APAP-protein adducts. Subsequently, the reactive nitrogen species peroxynitrite is formed from nitric oxide (NO and superoxide leading to 3-nitrotyrosine in proteins. Toxicity occurs with inhibited mitochondrial function. We previously reported that in hepatocytes the nNOS (NOS1 inhibitor NANT inhibited APAP toxicity, reactive nitrogen and oxygen species formation, and mitochondrial dysfunction. In this work we examined the effect of trifluoperazine (TFP, a calmodulin antagonist that inhibits calcium induced nNOS activation, on APAP hepatotoxicity and reactive nitrogen formation in murine hepatocytes and in vivo. In freshly isolated hepatocytes TFP inhibited APAP induced toxicity, reactive nitrogen formation (NO, GSNO, and 3-nitrotyrosine in protein, reactive oxygen formation (superoxide, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, decreased ATP production, decreased oxygen consumption rate, and increased NADH accumulation. TFP did not alter APAP induced GSH depletion in the hepatocytes or the formation of APAP protein adducts which indicated that reactive metabolite formation was not inhibited. Since we previously reported that TFP inhibits the hepatotoxicity of APAP in mice without altering hepatic APAP-protein adduct formation, we examined the APAP treated mouse livers for evidence of reactive nitrogen formation. 3-Nitrotyrosine in hepatic proteins and GSNO were significantly increased in APAP treated mouse livers and decreased in the livers of mice treated with APAP plus TFP. These data are consistent with a hypothesis that APAP hepatotoxicity occurs with altered calcium metabolism, activation of nNOS leading to increased reactive nitrogen formation, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Keywords: Acetaminophen, Neuronal nitric oxide, Oxidative stress, Mitochondria

  3. Transformation of Flame Retardant Tetrabromobisphenol A by Aqueous Chlorine and the Effect of Humic Acid.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Yuan; Pang, Su-Yan; Jiang, Jin; Ma, Jun; Zhou, Yang; Li, Juan; Wang, Li-Hong; Lu, Xue-Ting; Yuan, Li-Peng

    2016-09-06

    In this work, it was found that the most widely used brominated flame retardant tetrabromobisphenol A (TBrBPA) could be transformed by free chlorine over a wide pH range from 5 to 10 with apparent second-order rate constants from 138 to 3210 M(-1)·s(-1). A total of eight products, including one quinone-like compound (i.e., 2,6-dibromoquinone), two dimers, and several simple halogenated phenols (e.g., 4-(2-hydroxyisopropyl)-2,6-dibromophenol, 2,6-dibromohydroquinone, and 2,4,6-tribromophenol), were detected by high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) using a novel precursor ion scan (PIS) approach. A tentative reaction pathway was proposed: chlorine initially oxidized TBrBPA leading to the formation of a phenoxy radical, and then this primary radical and its secondary intermediates (e.g., 2,6-dibromo-4-isopropylphenol carbocation) formed via beta-scission subsequently underwent substitution, dimerization, and oxidation reactions. Humic acid (HA) considerably inhibited the degradation rates of TBrBPA by chlorine even accounting for oxidant consumption. A similar inhibitory effect of HA was also observed in permanganate and ferrate oxidation. This inhibitory effect was possibly attributed to the fact that HA competitively reacted with the phenoxy radical of TBrBPA and reversed it back to parent TBrBPA. This study confirms that chlorine can transform phenolic compounds (e.g., TBrBPA) via electron transfer rather than the well-documented electrophilic substitution, which also have implications on the formation pathway of halo-benzoquinones during chlorine disinfection. These findings can improve the understanding of chlorine chemistry in water and wastewater treatment.

  4. Use of response surface methodology for development of new microwell-based spectrophotometric method for determination of atrovastatin calcium in tablets

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-01

    Background Response surface methodology by Box–Behnken design employing the multivariate approach enables substantial improvement in the method development using fewer experiments, without wastage of large volumes of organic solvents, which leads to high analysis cost. This methodology has not been employed for development of a method for analysis of atorvastatin calcium (ATR-Ca). Results The present research study describes the use of in optimization and validation of a new microwell-based UV-Visible spectrophotometric method of for determination of ATR-Ca in its tablets. By the use of quadratic regression analysis, equations were developed to describe the behavior of the response as simultaneous functions of the selected independent variables. Accordingly, the optimum conditions were determined which included concentration of 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone (DDQ), time of reaction and temperature. The absorbance of the colored-CT complex was measured at 460 nm by microwell-plate absorbance reader. The method was validated, in accordance with ICH guidelines for accuracy, precision, selectivity and linearity (r² = 0.9993) over the concentration range of 20–200 μg/ml. The assay was successfully applied to the analysis of ATR-Ca in its pharmaceutical dosage forms with good accuracy and precision. Conclusion The assay described herein has great practical value in the routine analysis of ATR-Ca in quality control laboratories, as it has high throughput property, consumes minimum volume of organic solvent thus it offers the reduction in the exposures of the analysts to the toxic effects of organic solvents, environmentally friendly "Green" approach) and reduction in the analysis cost by 50-fold. PMID:23146143

  5. Sorghum allelopathy--from ecosystem to molecule.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weston, Leslie A; Alsaadawi, Ibrahim S; Baerson, Scott R

    2013-02-01

    Sorghum allelopathy has been reported in a series of field experiments following sorghum establishment. In recent years, sorghum phytotoxicity and allelopathic interference also have been well-described in greenhouse and laboratory settings. Observations of allelopathy have occurred in diverse locations and with various sorghum plant parts. Phytotoxicity has been reported when sorghum was incorporated into the soil as a green manure, when residues remained on the soil surface in reduced tillage settings, or when sorghum was cultivated as a crop in managed fields. Allelochemicals present in sorghum tissues have varied with plant part, age, and cultivar evaluated. A diverse group of sorghum allelochemicals, including numerous phenolics, a cyanogenic glycoside (dhurrin), and a hydrophobic p-benzoquinone (sorgoleone) have been isolated and identified in recent years from sorghum shoots, roots, and root exudates, as our capacity to analyze and identify complex secondary products in trace quantities in the plant and in the soil rhizosphere has improved. These allelochemicals, particularly sorgoleone, have been widely investigated in terms of their mode(s) of action, specific activity and selectivity, release into the rhizosphere, and uptake and translocation into sensitive indicator species. Both genetics and environment have been shown to influence sorgoleone production and expression of genes involved in sorgoleone biosynthesis. In the soil rhizosphere, sorgoleone is released continuously by living root hairs where it accumulates in significant concentrations around its roots. Further experimentation designed to study the regulation of sorgoleone production by living sorghum root hairs may result in increased capacity to utilize sorghum cover crops more effectively for suppression of germinating weed seedlings, in a manner similar to that of soil-applied preemergent herbicides like trifluralin.

  6. Expression of Xanthophyll Biosynthetic Genes during Light-Dependent Chloroplast Differentiation1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Woitsch, Sonja; Römer, Susanne

    2003-01-01

    In higher plants, etioplast to chloroplast differentiation is characterized by dramatic ultrastructural changes of the plastid and a concomitant increase in chlorophylls and carotenoids. Whereas the formation and function of carotenes and their oxygenated derivatives, the xanthophylls, have been well studied, little is known about the regulation of the genes involved in xanthophyll biosynthesis. Here, we analyze the expression of three xanthophyll biosynthetic genes (i.e. β-carotene hydroxylase [bhy], zeaxanthin epoxidase [zep], and violaxanthin de-epoxidase [vde]) during de-etiolation of seedlings of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L. cv Samsun) under different light conditions. White-light illumination caused an increase in the amount of all corresponding mRNAs. The expression profiles of bhy and zep not only resembled each other but were also similar to the pattern of a gene encoding a major light-harvesting protein of photosystem II. This finding indicates a coordinated synthesis during formation of the antenna complex. In contrast, the expression pattern of vde was clearly different. Furthermore, the gene expression of bhy was shown to be modulated after illumination with different white-light intensities. The expression of all xanthophyll biosynthetic genes under examination was up-regulated upon exposure to red, blue, and white light. Gene expression of bhy and vde but not of zep was more pronounced under red-light illumination, pointing at an involvement of the phytochrome system. Expression analysis in the presence of the photosynthetic electron transport inhibitors 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethyl-urea and 2,5-dibromo-3-methyl-6-isopropyl-p-benzoquinone indicated a redox control of transcription of two of the xanthophyll biosynthetic genes (bhy and zep). PMID:12857831

  7. A novel in situ electrochemical NMR cell with a palisade gold film electrode

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ni, Zu-Rong; Cui, Xiao-Hong; Cao, Shuo-Hui; Chen, Zhong

    2017-08-01

    In situ electrochemical nuclear magnetic resonance (EC-NMR) has attracted considerable attention because of its ability to directly observe real-time electrochemical processes. Therefore, minimizing the incompatibility between the electrochemical device and NMR detection has become an important challenge. A circular thin metal film deposited on the outer surface of a glass tube with a thickness considerably less than the metal skin depth is considered to be the ideal working electrode. In this study, we demonstrate that such a thin film electrode still has a great influence on the radio frequency field homogeneity in the detective zone of the NMR spectrometer probe and provide theoretical and experimental confirmation of its electromagnetic shielding. Furthermore, we propose a novel palisade gold film device to act as the working electrode. The NMR nutation behavior of protons shows that the uniformity of the radio frequency field is greatly improved, increasing the sensitivity in NMR detection. Another advantage of the proposed device is that an external reference standard adapted to the reaction compound can be inserted as a probe to determine the fluctuation of the physico-chemical environment and achieve high-accuracy quantitative NMR analysis. A three-chamber electrochemical device based on the palisade gold film design was successfully fabricated and the in situ electrochemical NMR performance was validated in a standard 5 mm NMR probe by acquiring voltammograms and high-resolution NMR spectra to characterize the electrochemically generated species. The evolution of in situ EC-NMR spectrum monitoring of the redox transformation between p-benzoquinone and hydroquinone demonstrates the ability of the EC-NMR device to simultaneously quantitatively determine the reactants and elucidate the reaction mechanism at the molecular level.

  8. A novel in situ electrochemical NMR cell with a palisade gold film electrode

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zu-Rong Ni

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available In situ electrochemical nuclear magnetic resonance (EC-NMR has attracted considerable attention because of its ability to directly observe real-time electrochemical processes. Therefore, minimizing the incompatibility between the electrochemical device and NMR detection has become an important challenge. A circular thin metal film deposited on the outer surface of a glass tube with a thickness considerably less than the metal skin depth is considered to be the ideal working electrode. In this study, we demonstrate that such a thin film electrode still has a great influence on the radio frequency field homogeneity in the detective zone of the NMR spectrometer probe and provide theoretical and experimental confirmation of its electromagnetic shielding. Furthermore, we propose a novel palisade gold film device to act as the working electrode. The NMR nutation behavior of protons shows that the uniformity of the radio frequency field is greatly improved, increasing the sensitivity in NMR detection. Another advantage of the proposed device is that an external reference standard adapted to the reaction compound can be inserted as a probe to determine the fluctuation of the physico-chemical environment and achieve high-accuracy quantitative NMR analysis. A three-chamber electrochemical device based on the palisade gold film design was successfully fabricated and the in situ electrochemical NMR performance was validated in a standard 5 mm NMR probe by acquiring voltammograms and high-resolution NMR spectra to characterize the electrochemically generated species. The evolution of in situ EC-NMR spectrum monitoring of the redox transformation between p-benzoquinone and hydroquinone demonstrates the ability of the EC-NMR device to simultaneously quantitatively determine the reactants and elucidate the reaction mechanism at the molecular level.

  9. Magnetic multiwalled carbon nanotubes as nanocarrier tags for sensitive determination of fetuin in saliva.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sánchez-Tirado, Esther; González-Cortés, Araceli; Yáñez-Sedeño, Paloma; Pingarrón, José M

    2018-08-15

    This paper reports the development and performance of an electrochemical immunosensor using magnetic multiwalled carbon nanotubes (m-MWCNTs) as nanocarrier tags for the determination of human fetuin A (HFA), a relevant biomarker of obesity, insulin resistance, and type-2 diabetes as well as for pancreatic and liver cancers and inflammatory processes. Screen-printed carbon electrodes were grafted with p-aminobezoic acid and streptavidin was covalently immobilized on the electrode surface. A biotinylated capture antibody was immobilized through streptavidin-biotin interaction and a sandwich assay configuration was implemented using m-MWCNTs conjugated with HRP and anti-HFA antibodies as the detection label. The determination of HFA was accomplished by measuring the current produced by the electrochemical reduction of benzoquinone at -200 mV upon addition of H 2 O 2 as HRP substrate. The prepared m-MWCNTs were characterized by SEM, TEM, XRD and EDS. All the steps involved in the immunosensor preparation were monitored by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry. A linear calibration plot for HFA was found between 20 and 2000 pg/mL with a LOD value of 16 pg/mL. This performance is notably better than that reported for an ELISA kit and a chronoimpedimetric immunosensor. The favorable contribution of m-MWCNTs in comparison with MWCNTs without incorporated magnetic particles to this excellent analytical performance is also highlighted. The immunosensor selectivity against other proteins and potentially interfering compounds was excellent. In addition, the usefulness of the immunosensor was demonstrated by the analysis of HFA in saliva with minimal sample treatment. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Efficient degradation of phenol using iron-montmorillonite as a Fenton catalyst: Importance of visible light irradiation and intermediates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wei, Xipeng; Wu, Honghai; He, Guangping; Guan, Yufeng

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • Iron-montmorillonite has excellent catalytic activity on phenol Fenton degradation. • Phenol Fenton reaction follows the two-stage pseudo first order kinetic equations. • Role of visible light irradiation is more evident during induction reaction period. • Hydroquinone and catechol have a significant effect on the second-stage kinetics. - Abstract: Iron-montmorillonite (Fe-Mt) with delaminated structures was synthesized via the introduction of iron oxides into Na-montmorillonite. Fe-Mt showed significant increases in the available iron content, surface area and pore volume, along with a slight increase in the basal spacing from d_0_0_1 = 1.26 (Na-Mt) to 1.53 nm (Fe-Mt). The Fenton process was efficient for phenol removal using Fe-Mt as a catalyst under visible light irradiation, and the process had two-stage pseudo-first order kinetics. The overall reaction had a higher degradation rate even when it was only irradiated with visible light for the first 40 min period. Further investigation confirmed that the irradiation increased the presence of certain intermediates. Among them, 1,4-benzoquinone, hydroquinone, and catechol all enhanced the Fenton reaction rates. Either catechol or hydroquinone was added to the Fenton system with Fe-Mt/H_2O_2 with or without visible light irradiation, and they both accelerated phenol degradation because catechol and hydroquinone are capable of reductively and effectively transforming Fe(III) into Fe(II). The concentrations of dissolved total Fe increased with the increase in the oxalic acid concentration, which can strongly chelate Fe(III). Hence, iron was released from Fe-Mt, and reductive transformation played an important role in promoting the Fenton reaction process for phenol removal.

  11. Role of NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 in clofibrate-mediated hepatoprotection from acetaminophen

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moffit, Jeffrey S.; Aleksunes, Lauren M.; Kardas, Michael J.; Slitt, Angela L.; Klaassen, Curtis D.; Manautou, Jose E.

    2007-01-01

    Mice pretreated with the peroxisome proliferator clofibrate (CFB) are resistant to acetaminophen (APAP) hepatotoxicity. Whereas the mechanism of protection is not entirely known, CFB decreases protein adducts formed by the reactive metabolite of APAP, N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine (NAPQI). NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) is an enzyme with antioxidant properties that is responsible for the reduction of cellular quinones. We hypothesized that CFB increases NQO1 activity, which in turn enhances the conversion of NAPQI back to the parent APAP. This could explain the decreases in APAP covalent binding and glutathione depletion produced by CFB without affecting APAP bioactivation to NAPQI. Administration of CFB (500 mg/kg, i.p.) to male CD-1 mice for 5 or 10 days increased NQO1 protein and activity levels. To evaluate the capacity of NQO1 to reduce NAPQI back to APAP, we utilized a microsomal activating system. Cytochrome P450 enzymes present in microsomes bioactivate APAP to NAPQI, which binds the electrophile trapping agent, N-acetyl cysteine (NAC). We analyzed the formation of APAP-NAC metabolite in the presence of human recombinant NQO1. Results indicate that NQO1 is capable of reducing NAPQI. The capacity of NQO1 to amelioriate APAP toxicity was then evaluated in primary hepatocytes. Primary hepatocytes isolated from mice dosed with CFB are resistant to APAP toxicity. These hepatocytes were also exposed to ES936, a high affinity, and irreversible inhibitor of NQO1 in the presence of APAP. Concentrations of ES936 that resulted in over 94% inhibition of NQO1 activity did not increase the susceptibility of hepatocytes from CFB treated mice to APAP. Whereas NQO1 is mechanistically capable of reducing NAPQI, CFB-mediated hepatoprotection does not appear to be dependent upon enhanced expression of NQO1

  12. One-electron oxidation of diclofenac by human cytochrome P450s as a potential bioactivation mechanism for formation of 2'-(glutathion-S-yl)-deschloro-diclofenac.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boerma, Jan Simon; Vermeulen, Nico P E; Commandeur, Jan N M

    2014-01-25

    Reactive metabolites have been suggested to play a role in the idiosyncratic hepatotoxicity observed with diclofenac (DF). By structural identification of the GSH conjugates formed after P450-catalyzed bioactivation of DF, it was shown that three types of reactive intermediates were formed: p-benzoquinone imines, o-imine methide and arene-oxide. Recently, detection of 2'-(glutathion-S-yl)-deschloro-diclofenac (DDF-SG), resulting from chlorine substitution, suggested the existence of a fourth type of P450-dependent reactive intermediate whose inactivation by GSH is completely dependent on presence of glutathione S-transferase. In this study, fourteen recombinant cytochrome P450s and three flavin-containing monooxygenases were tested for their ability to produce oxidative DF metabolites and their corresponding GSH conjugates. Concerning the hydroxymetabolites and their GSH conjugates, results were consistent with previous studies. Unexpectedly, all tested recombinant P450s were able to form DDF-SG to almost similar extent. DDF-SG formation was found to be partially independent of NADPH and even occurred by heat-inactivated P450. However, product formation was fully dependent on both GSH and glutathione-S-transferase P1-1. DDF-SG formation was also observed in reactions with horseradish peroxidase in absence of hydrogen peroxide. Because DDF-SG was not formed by free iron, it appears that DF can be bioactivated by iron in hemeproteins. This was confirmed by DDF-SG formation by other hemeproteins such as hemoglobin. As a mechanism, we propose that DF is subject to heme-dependent one-electron oxidation. The resulting nitrogen radical cation, which might activate the chlorines of DF, then undergoes a GST-catalyzed nucleophilic aromatic substitution reaction in which the chlorine atom of the DF moiety is replaced by GSH. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Quinone-induced protein handling changes: Implications for major protein handling systems in quinone-mediated toxicity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xiong, Rui; Siegel, David; Ross, David

    2014-01-01

    Para-quinones such as 1,4-Benzoquinone (BQ) and menadione (MD) and ortho-quinones including the oxidation products of catecholamines, are derived from xenobiotics as well as endogenous molecules. The effects of quinones on major protein handling systems in cells; the 20/26S proteasome, the ER stress response, autophagy, chaperone proteins and aggresome formation, have not been investigated in a systematic manner. Both BQ and aminochrome (AC) inhibited proteasomal activity and activated the ER stress response and autophagy in rat dopaminergic N27 cells. AC also induced aggresome formation while MD had little effect on any protein handling systems in N27 cells. The effect of NQO1 on quinone induced protein handling changes and toxicity was examined using N27 cells stably transfected with NQO1 to generate an isogenic NQO1-overexpressing line. NQO1 protected against BQ–induced apoptosis but led to a potentiation of AC- and MD-induced apoptosis. Modulation of quinone-induced apoptosis in N27 and NQO1-overexpressing cells correlated only with changes in the ER stress response and not with changes in other protein handling systems. These data suggested that NQO1 modulated the ER stress response to potentiate toxicity of AC and MD, but protected against BQ toxicity. We further demonstrated that NQO1 mediated reduction to unstable hydroquinones and subsequent redox cycling was important for the activation of the ER stress response and toxicity for both AC and MD. In summary, our data demonstrate that quinone-specific changes in protein handling are evident in N27 cells and the induction of the ER stress response is associated with quinone-mediated toxicity. - Highlights: • Unstable hydroquinones contributed to quinone-induced ER stress and toxicity

  14. Quinone-induced protein handling changes: Implications for major protein handling systems in quinone-mediated toxicity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xiong, Rui; Siegel, David; Ross, David, E-mail: david.ross@ucdenver.edu

    2014-10-15

    Para-quinones such as 1,4-Benzoquinone (BQ) and menadione (MD) and ortho-quinones including the oxidation products of catecholamines, are derived from xenobiotics as well as endogenous molecules. The effects of quinones on major protein handling systems in cells; the 20/26S proteasome, the ER stress response, autophagy, chaperone proteins and aggresome formation, have not been investigated in a systematic manner. Both BQ and aminochrome (AC) inhibited proteasomal activity and activated the ER stress response and autophagy in rat dopaminergic N27 cells. AC also induced aggresome formation while MD had little effect on any protein handling systems in N27 cells. The effect of NQO1 on quinone induced protein handling changes and toxicity was examined using N27 cells stably transfected with NQO1 to generate an isogenic NQO1-overexpressing line. NQO1 protected against BQ–induced apoptosis but led to a potentiation of AC- and MD-induced apoptosis. Modulation of quinone-induced apoptosis in N27 and NQO1-overexpressing cells correlated only with changes in the ER stress response and not with changes in other protein handling systems. These data suggested that NQO1 modulated the ER stress response to potentiate toxicity of AC and MD, but protected against BQ toxicity. We further demonstrated that NQO1 mediated reduction to unstable hydroquinones and subsequent redox cycling was important for the activation of the ER stress response and toxicity for both AC and MD. In summary, our data demonstrate that quinone-specific changes in protein handling are evident in N27 cells and the induction of the ER stress response is associated with quinone-mediated toxicity. - Highlights: • Unstable hydroquinones contributed to quinone-induced ER stress and toxicity.

  15. Quantum yields and mechanism in TiO[sub 2] mediated photocatalysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sun, Lizhong

    1994-01-01

    The photocatalytic pathway in TiO[sub 2] suspensions was examined using a spin trap/electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy technique within a competition kinetic scheme. Experimental results from competition reactions show that there is a marked difference in kinetic behaviors between the systems with (heterogeneous) and without (homogeneous) TiO[sub 2] suspension, confirming that the reaction pathway of OH- radicals in the TiO[sub 2] suspension is at least partly heterogeneous. A photocatalytic mechanism is proposed. A method of determining the trapping efficiency of OH- radicals was developed, using the spin trap DMPO (5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide), for measuring growth rates of the spin adduct DMPO-OH and high pressure liquid chromatography for measuring the OH- radical generation rates. The reliability of the measurement method was confirmed by comparison with published values. The trapping efficiency in the heterogeneous (TiO[sub 2]) system was found to be ca 0.28. A method for quantum yield determinations in heterogeneous systems was developed, based on measurements of OH- radical generation rates and the flux of absorbed photons by TiO[sub 2] suspensions. A chemical actinometer was used to measure absorbed-photon flux. Good agreement with literature values was obtained for quantum yield measurements in p-benzoquinone and H[sub 2]O[sub 2] systems. Accordingly, the quantum yield of OH- radical generation in TiO[sub 2] suspensions was determined to be ca 0.040 at pH 7. Effects of suspension loading, light intensity, electron acceptor addition, and dissolved oxygen concentration on the quantum yield were observed. The effects of pH and buffer concentration on the formation rate of DMPO-OH spin adduct are discussed. 117 refs., 50 figs., 8 tabs.

  16. Stability of solutions of antineoplastic agents during preparation and storage for in vitro assays. General considerations, the nitrosoureas and alkylating agents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bosanquet, A G

    1985-01-01

    In vitro drug sensitivity of tumour biopsies is currently being determined using a variety of methods. For these chemosensitivity assays many drugs are required at short notice, and this in turn means that the drugs must generally be stored in solution. There are, however, a number of potential problems associated with dissolving and storing drugs for in vitro use, which include (a) drug adsorption; (b) effects of freezing; (c) drug stability under the normal conditions of dilution and setting up of an in vitro assay; and (d) insolubility of drugs in normal saline (NS) or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). These problems are considered in general, and some recommendations for use of solutions of drugs in in vitro assays are suggested. The nitrosoureas and alkylating agents are also investigated in greater detail in this respect. The nitrosoureas are found to be very labile in PBS at pH 7, with 5% degradation (t0.95) occurring in 10-50 min at room temperature. These values are increased about 10-fold on refrigeration and about 5- to 10-fold on reduction of the pH of the medium to pH 4-5. At pH 7 and room temperature, t0.95 is observed in under 1 h with the alkylating agents nitrogen mustard, chlorambucil, melphalan, 2,5-diaziridinyl-3,6-bis(2-hydroxyethylamino)-1,4-benzoquinone (BZQ), dibromodulcitol, dibromomannitol, treosulphan, and procarbazine. Of the other alkylating agents, 4-hydroperoxycylophosphamide (sometimes used in vitro in place of cyclophosphamide), busulphan, dianhydrogalactitol, aziridinylbenzoquinone (AZQ), and dacarbazine have a t0.95 of between 2 and 24 h, while ifosfamide and pentamethylmelamine are both stable in aqueous solution for greater than 7 days. About half the drugs studied in detail have been stored frozen in solution for in vitro use, although very little is known about their stability under these conditions.

  17. Catalyst activity or stability: the dilemma in Pd-catalyzed polyketone synthesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amoroso, Francesco; Zangrando, Ennio; Carfagna, Carla; Müller, Christian; Vogt, Dieter; Hagar, Mohamed; Ragaini, Fabio; Milani, Barbara

    2013-10-28

    A series of Pd-complexes containing nonsymmetrical bis(aryl-imino)acenaphthene (Ar-BIAN) ligands, characterized by substituents on the meta positions of the aryl rings, have been synthesized, characterized and applied in CO/vinyl arene copolymerization reactions. Crystal structures of two neutral Pd-complexes have been solved allowing comparison of the bonding properties of the ligand. Kinetic and mechanistic investigations on these complexes have been performed. The kinetic investigations indicate that in general ligands with electron-withdrawing substituents give more active, but less stable, catalytic systems, although steric effects also play a role. The good performance observed with nonsymmetrical ligands is at least in part due to a compromise between catalyst activity and lifetime, leading to a higher overall productivity with respect to catalysts based on their symmetrical counterparts. Additionally, careful analysis of the reaction profiles provided information on the catalyst deactivation pathway. The latter begins with the reduction of a Pd(II) Ar-BIAN complex to the corresponding Pd(0) species, a reaction that can be reverted by the action of benzoquinone. Then the ligand is lost, a process that appears to be facilitated by the contemporary coordination of an olefin or a CO molecule. The so formed Pd(0) complex immediately reacts with another molecule of the initial Pd(II) complex to give a Pd(I) dimeric species that irreversibly evolves to metallic palladium. Mechanistic investigations performed on the complex with a nonsymmetrical Ar-BIAN probe evidence that the detected intermediates are characterized by the Pd-C bond trans to the Pd-N bond of the aryl ring bearing electron-withdrawing substituents. In addition, the intermediate resulting from the insertion of 4-methylstyrene into the Pd-acyl bond is a five-member palladacycle and not the open-chain η(3)-allylic species observed for complexes with Ar-BIANs substituted in ortho position.

  18. Open-label, dose-escalation, safety, pharmacokinetic, and pharmacodynamic study of intravenously administered CNF1010 (17-(allylamino)-17-demethoxygeldanamycin [17-AAG]) in patients with solid tumors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saif, M W; Erlichman, C; Dragovich, T; Mendelson, D; Toft, D; Burrows, F; Storgard, C; Von Hoff, D

    2013-05-01

    17-(Allylamino)-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17-AAG) is a benzoquinone ansamycin that binds to and inhibits the Hsp90 family of molecular chaperones leading to the proteasomal degradation of client proteins critical in malignant cell proliferation and survival. We have undertaken a Phase 1 trial of CNF1010, an oil-in-water nanoemulsion of 17-AAG. Patients with advanced solid tumors and adequate organ functions received CNF1010 by 1-h intravenous (IV) infusion, twice a week, 3 out of 4 weeks. Doses were escalated sequentially in single-patient (6 and 12 mg/m(2)/day) and three-to-six-patient (≥25 mg/m(2)/day) cohorts according to a modified Fibonacci's schema. Plasma pharmacokinetic (PK) profiles and biomarkers, including Hsp70 in PBMCs, HER-2 extracellular domain, and IGFBP2 in plasma, were performed. Thirty-five patients were treated at doses ranging from 6 to 225 mg/m(2). A total of 10 DLTs in nine patients (2 events of fatigue, 83 and 175 mg/m(2); shock, abdominal pain, ALT increased, increased transaminases, and pain in extremity at 175 mg/m(2); extremity pain, atrial fibrillation, and metabolic encephalopathy at 225 mg/m(2)) were noted. The PK profile of 17-AAG after the first dose appeared to be linear up to 175 mg/m(2), with a dose-proportional increase in C max and AUC0-inf. Hsp70 induction in PBMCs and inhibition of serum HER-2 neu extracellular domain indicated biological effects of CNF1010 at doses >83 mg/m(2). The maximum tolerated dose was not formally established. Hsp70 induction in PBMCs and inhibition of serum HER-2 neu extracellular domain indicated biological effects. The CNF1010 clinical program is no longer being pursued due to the toxicity profile of the drug and the development of second-generation Hsp90 molecules.

  19. Acquired resistance to HSP90 inhibitor 17-AAG and increased metastatic potential are associated with MUC1 expression in colon carcinoma cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Xin; Ban, Li-Li; Luo, Gang; Li, Zhi-Yao; Li, Yun-Feng; Zhou, Yong-Chun; Wang, Xi-Cai; Jin, Cong-Guo; Ye, Jia-Gui; Ma, Ding-Ding; Xie, Qing; Huang, You-Guang

    2016-06-01

    Heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) is a molecular chaperone required for the stability and function of many proteins. The chaperoning of oncoproteins by HSP90 enhances the survival, growth, and invasive potential of cancer cells. HSP90 inhibitors are promising new anticancer agents, in which the benzoquinone ansamycin 17-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17-AAG) is currently in clinical evaluation. However, the implications of acquired resistance to this class of drug remain largely unexplored. In the present study, we have generated isogenic human colon cancer cell lines that are resistant to 17-AAG by continued culturing in the compound. Cross-resistance was found with another HSP90 inhibitor 17-dimethylaminoethylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin. The resistant cells showed obvious morphology changes with a metastatic phenotype and significant increases in migration and adhesion to collagens. Western blotting analysis of epithelial-mesenchymal transition molecular markers found that expression of E-cadherin downregulated, whereas expression of N-cadherin and β-catenin upregulated in the resistant cells. Mucin 1 (MUC1) has been reported to mediate metastasis as well as chemical resistance in many cancers. Here, we found that MUC1 expression was significantly elevated in the acquired drug resistance cells. 17-AAG treatment could decrease MUC1 more in parental cells than in acquired 17-AAG-resistant cells. Further study found that knockdown of MUC1 expression by small interfering RNA could obviously re-sensitize the resistant cells to 17-AAG treatment, and decrease the cell migration and adhesion. These were coupled with a downregulation in N-cadherin and β-catenin. The results indicate that HSP90 inhibitor therapies in colon carcinomas could generate resistance and increase metastatic potential that might mediated by upregulation of MUC1 expression. Findings from this study further our understanding of the potential clinical effects of HSP90-directed therapies in

  20. Comparative Study of 17-AAG and NVP-AUY922 in Pancreatic and Colorectal Cancer Cells: Are There Common Determinants of Sensitivity?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mayor-López, Leticia; Tristante, Elena; Carballo-Santana, Mar; Carrasco-García, Estefanía; Grasso, Silvina; García-Morales, Pilar; Saceda, Miguel; Luján, Juan; García-Solano, José; Carballo, Fernando; de Torre, Carlos; Martínez-Lacaci, Isabel

    2014-10-01

    The use of heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) inhibitors is an attractive antineoplastic therapy. We wanted to compare the effects of the benzoquinone 17-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17-AAG, tanespimycin) and the novel isoxazole resorcinol-based Hsp90 inhibitor NVP-AUY922 in a panel of pancreatic and colorectal carcinoma cell lines and in colorectal primary cultures derived from tumors excised to patients. PANC-1, CFPAC-1, and Caco-2 cells were intrinsically resistant to 17-AAG but sensitive to NVP-AUY922. Other cellular models were sensitive to both inhibitors. Human epidermal growth factor receptor receptors and their downstream signaling pathways were downregulated in susceptible cellular models, and concurrently, Hsp70 was induced. Intrinsic resistance to 17-AAG did not correlate with expression of ATP-binding cassette transporters involved in multidrug resistance. Some 17-AAG-resistant, NVP-AUY922-sensitive cell lines lacked quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) enzyme and activity. However, colorectal LoVo cells still responded to both drugs in spite of having undetectable levels and activity of NQO1. Pharmacological and biologic inhibition of NQO1 did not confer resistance to 17-AAG in sensitive cell lines. Therefore, even though 17-AAG sensitivity is related to NQO1 protein levels and enzymatic activity, the absence of NQO1 does not necessarily convey resistance to 17-AAG in these cellular models. Moreover, NVP-AUY922 does not require NQO1 for its action and is a more potent inhibitor than 17-AAG in these cells. More importantly, we show in this report that NVP-AUY922 potentiates the inhibitory effects of chemotherapeutic agents, such as gemcitabine or oxaliplatin, and other drugs that are currently being evaluated in clinical trials as antitumor agents.

  1. Solar photoelectro-Fenton degradation of the herbicide 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic acid optimized by response surface methodology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Garcia-Segura, Sergi; Almeida, Lucio Cesar; Bocchi, Nerilso; Brillas, Enric

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: → The herbicide MCPA is quickly mineralized by solar photoelectro-Fenton. → A CCRD allowed the optimization of current, Fe 2+ content and solution pH. → TOC, MCE and energy consumption are described by response surface methodology. → Generated hydroxyl radical destroys MCPA and its aromatic oxidation by-products. → UV light of solar irradiation photolyzes the Fe(III)-carboxylate complexes produced. - Abstract: A central composite rotatable design and response surface methodology (RSM) were used to optimize the experimental variables of the solar photoelectro-Fenton (SPEF) treatment of the herbicide 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic acid (MCPA). The experiments were made with a flow plant containing a Pt/air-diffusion reactor coupled to a solar compound parabolic collector (CPC) under recirculation of 10 L of 186 mg L -1 MCPA solutions in 0.05 M Na 2 SO 4 at a liquid flow rate of 180 L h -1 with an average UV irradiation intensity of about 32 W m -2 . The optimum variables found for the SPEF process were 5.0 A, 1.0 mM Fe 2+ and pH 3.0 after 120 min of electrolysis. Under these conditions, 75% of mineralization with 71% of current efficiency and 87.7 kWh kg -1 TOC of energy consumption were obtained. MCPA decayed under the attack of generated hydroxyl radicals following a pseudo-first-order kinetics. Hydroxyl radicals also destroyed 4-chloro-2-methylphenol, methylhydroquinone and methyl-p-benzoquinone detected as aromatic by-products. Glycolic, maleic, fumaric, malic, succinic, tartronic, oxalic and formic acids were identified as generated carboxylic acids, which form Fe(III) complexes that are quickly photodecarboxylated by the UV irradiation of sunlight at the CPC photoreactor. A reaction sequence for the SPEF degradation of MCPA was proposed.

  2. A Phase II Trial of 17-Allylamino-17-Demethoxygeldanamycin (17-AAG) in Patients with Hormone-Refractory Metastatic Prostate Cancer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heath, Elisabeth I.; Hillman, David W.; Vaishampayan, Ulka; Sheng, Shijie; Sarkar, Fazlul; Harper, Felicity; Gaskins, Melvin; Pitot, Henry C.; Tan, Winston; Ivy, S. Percy; Pili, Roberto; Carducci, Michael A.; Liu, Glenn

    2011-01-01

    Purpose 17-Allylamino-17-Demethoxygeldanamycin (17-AAG) is a benzoquinone ansamycin antibiotic with anti-proliferative activity in several mouse xenograft models including prostate cancer models. A two-stage phase II study was conducted to assess the activity and toxicity profile of 17-AAG administered to patients with metastatic, hormone-refractory prostate cancer. Experimental Design Patients with at least one prior systemic therapy and a rising PSA were eligible. Patients received 17-AAG at a dose of 300 mg/m2 IV weekly for three out of four weeks. The primary objective was to assess the PSA response. Secondary objectives were to determine overall survival, to assess toxicity, to measure IL-6, IL-8 and maspin levels and quality of life. Results Fifteen eligible patients were enrolled. The median age was 68 years and the median PSA was 261 ng/mL. Patients received 17-AAG for a median number of 2 cycles. Severe adverse events included: grade 3 fatigue (4 pts), grade 3 lymphopenia (2 pts) and grade 3 back pain (2 pts). The median PSA progression free survival was 1.8 months (95% CI: 1.3–3.4 months). The six-month overall survival was 71% (95% CI: 52%–100%). Conclusion 17-AAG did not show any activity with regards to PSA response. Due to insufficient PSA response, enrollment was stopped at end of first stage per study design. The most significant severe toxicity was grade 3 fatigue. Further evaluation of 17-AAG at a dose of 300 mg/m2 IV weekly as a single agent in patients with metastatic, hormone-refractory prostate cancer who received at least one prior systemic therapy is not warranted. PMID:19047126

  3. The strontium inorganic mutant of the water oxidizing center (CaMn4O5) of PSII improves WOC efficiency but slows electron flux through the terminal acceptors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gates, Colin; Ananyev, Gennady; Dismukes, G Charles

    2016-09-01

    Herein we extend prior studies of biosynthetic strontium replacement of calcium in PSII-WOC core particles to characterize whole cells. Previous studies of Thermosynechococcus elongatus found a lower rate of light-saturated O2 from isolated PSII-WOC(Sr) cores and 5-8× slower rate of oxygen release. We find similar properties in whole cells, and show it is due to a 20% larger Arrhenius activation barrier for O2 evolution. Cellular adaptation to the sluggish PSII-WOC(Sr) cycle occurs in which flux through the QAQB acceptor gate becomes limiting for turnover rate in vivo. Benzoquinone derivatives that bind to QB site remove this kinetic chokepoint yielding 31% greater O2 quantum yield (QY) of PSII-WOC(Sr) vs. PSII-WOC(Ca). QY and efficiency of the WOC(Sr) catalytic cycle are greatly improved at low light flux, due to fewer misses and backward transitions and 3-fold longer lifetime of the unstable S3 state, attributed to greater thermodynamic stabilization of the WOC(Sr) relative to the photoactive tyrosine YZ. More linear and less cyclic electron flow through PSII occurs per PSII-WOC(Sr). The organismal response to the more active PSII centers in Sr-grown cells at 45°C is to lower the number of active PSII-WOC per Chl, producing comparable oxygen and energy per cell. We conclude that redox and protonic energy fluxes created by PSII are primary determinants for optimal growth rate of T. elongatus. We further conclude that the (Sr-favored) intermediate-spin S=5/2 form of the S2 state is the active form in the catalytic cycle relative to the low-spin S=1/2 form. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Enhanced aerobic degradation of 4-chlorophenol with iron-nickel nanoparticles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shen, Wenjuan; Mu, Yi; Wang, Bingning; Ai, Zhihui, E-mail: jennifer.ai@mail.ccnu.edu.cn; Zhang, Lizhi

    2017-01-30

    Highlights: • Bimetallic iron-nickel nanoparticles possessed an enhanced performance on aerobic degradation of 4-CP. • Hydroxyl radicals were the major active species contributed to aerobic 4-CP degradation with nZVI. • Superoxide radicals predominated the 4-CP degradation in the nZVIN/Air process. • The 4-CP degradation pathways were dependent on the generated superoxide radicals in the nZVIN/Air process. - Abstract: In this study, we demonstrate that the bimetallic iron-nickel nanoparticles (nZVIN) possessed an enhanced performance in comparison with nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) on aerobic degradation of 4-chlorophenol (4-CP). The 4-CP degradation rate constant in the aerobic nZVIN process (nZVIN/Air) was 5 times that in the classic nZVI counterpart system (nZVI/Air). Both reactive oxygen species measurement and inhibition experimental results suggested that hydroxyl radicals were the major active species contributed to aerobic 4-CP degradation with nZVI, on contrast, superoxide radicals predominated the 4-CP degradation in the nZVIN/Air process. High performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometer analysis indicated the intermediates of the nZVI/Air system were p-benzoquinone and hydroquinone, which were resulted from the bond cleavage between the chlorine and carbon atom in the benzene ring by hydroxyl radicals. However, the primary intermediates of 4-CP found in the nZVIN/Air system were phenol via the direct dechlorination by superoxide radicals, accompanying with the formation of chloride ions. On the base of experimental results, a superoxide radicals mediated enhancing mechanism was proposed for the aerobic degradation of 4-CP in the nZVIN/Air system. This study provides new insight into the role of bimetallic nickel on enhancing removal of organic pollutants with nZVI.

  5. Photocatalytic activity of porous multiwalled carbon nanotube-TiO{sub 2} composite layers for pollutant degradation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zouzelka, Radek [J. Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry, v.i.i., Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Dolejskova 3, 18223 Prague 8 (Czech Republic); Department of Physical Chemistry, University of Chemistry and Technology Prague, 16628 Prague (Czech Republic); Kusumawati, Yuly [Chimie ParisTech, PSL Research University, CNRS, Institut de Recherche de Chimie Paris (IRCP), 11 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 75005 Paris (France); Remzova, Monika [J. Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry, v.i.i., Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Dolejskova 3, 18223 Prague 8 (Czech Republic); Department of Physical Chemistry, University of Chemistry and Technology Prague, 16628 Prague (Czech Republic); Rathousky, Jiri [J. Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry, v.i.i., Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Dolejskova 3, 18223 Prague 8 (Czech Republic); Pauporté, Thierry, E-mail: thierry.pauporte@chimie-paristech.fr [Chimie ParisTech, PSL Research University, CNRS, Institut de Recherche de Chimie Paris (IRCP), 11 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 75005 Paris (France)

    2016-11-05

    Highlights: • A simple method for TiO{sub 2}/graphene nanocomposite layer preparation. • Stable coatings on glass substrate. • Mesoporous nanocomposite films with high internal surface area. • High photoactivity for 4-chlorophenol degradation. • Analysis of photocatalysis enhancement mechanism. - Abstract: TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles are suitable building blocks nanostructures for the synthesis of porous functional thin films. Here we report the preparation of films using brookite, P25 titania and anatase pristine nanoparticles and of nanocomposite layers combining anatase nanoparticles and multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) at various concentrations. The structure and phase composition of the layers were characterized by X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. Their morphology and texture properties were determined by scanning electron microscopy and krypton adsorption experiments, respectively. Additionally to a strong absorption in the UV range, the composites exhibited light absorption in the visible range as well. The photocatalytic performance of the layers was tested in the degradation of aqueous solutions of 4-chlorophenol serving as a model of an eco-persistent pollutant. Besides the determination of the decrease in the concentration of 4-chlorophenol, also the formation of intermediate degradation products, namely hydroquinone and benzoquinone, was followed. The presence of MWCNTs had a beneficial effect on the photocatalytic performance, a marked increase in the photocatalytic degradation rate constant being observed even at very low concentrations of MWCNTs. Compared to a P25 reference layer, the first order rate reaction constant increased by about 100% for the composite films containing MWCNTs at concentrations above 0.6 wt%. The key parameters for the enhancement of the photocatalytic performance are discussed. The presence of carbon nanotubes influences beneficially the degradation of 4-chlorophenol by an attack of the primarily

  6. Exogenous ochronosis superimposed on chronic kidney disease: A case report and review of literature

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ishrat Hussain Dar

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Ochronosis is a rare disease characterized by speckled and diffuse pigmentation symmetrically over the face, neck, and photo-exposed areas. It can present in exogenous or endogenous form. Endogenous ochronosis or alkaptonuria is an autosomal recessive disease caused by a deficiency of homogentisic acid (HGA oxidase, which results in the accumulation of HGA, a hydroquinone (HQ metabolite of tyrosine. Some evidence suggests that it is not HGA itself but a by-product of its oxidation, a benzoquinone acetic acid, that can polymerize to a melanin-like pigment by unknown mechanisms and accumulates both inter and intracellularly in connective tissue, most commonly the joints, cardiovascular system, kidney, skin, and glands, a pathological condition known as ochronosis (Development of an in vitro model to investigate joint ochronosis in alkaptonuria. Tinti L, Taylor AM et al. Rheumatology 2010; Oct 15: 1-7. doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/keq246. Exogenous ochronosis (EO is a rare, cosmetically disfiguring condition, resulting from the long-term use of topical HQ in the treatment of melasma. It manifests as grey-brown or blue-black macules in HQ-exposed regions, characterized histologically by banana-shaped ocher-colored deposits in the dermis. HQ the topical bleaching agent of choice is widely prescribed by physicians and often used by patients without a prescription. The principal adverse effects of its chronic use are confetti-like depigmentation and rarely EO. EO is an avoidable dermatosis that needs to be recognized early with immediate discontinuation of HQ as treatment is difficult. Sun exposure facilitates the formation of EO and must be strictly avoided. We report case of a 65-year-old man who had chronic kidney disease but developed EO while using topical HQ.

  7. Acute liver failure in a term neonate after repeated paracetamol administration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fabio Bucaretchi

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Objective: Severe hepatotoxicity caused by paracetamol is rare in neonates. We report a case of paracetamol-induced acute liver failure in a term neonate. Case description: A 26-day-old boy was admitted with intestinal bleeding, shock signs, slight liver enlargement, coagulopathy, metabolic acidosis (pH=7.21; bicarbonate: 7.1mEq/L, hypoglycemia (18mg/dL, increased serum aminotransferase activity (AST=4,039IU/L; ALT=1,087IU/L and hyperbilirubinemia (total: 9.57mg/dL; direct: 6.18mg/dL after receiving oral paracetamol (10mg/kg/dose every 4 hours for three consecutive days (total dose around 180mg/kg; serum concentration 36-48 hours after the last dose of 77µg/ mL. Apart from supportive measures, the patient was successfully treated with intravenous N-acetylcysteine infusion during 11 consecutive days, and was discharged on day 34. The follow-up revealed full recovery of clinical and of laboratory findings of hepatic function. Comments: The paracetamol pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in neonates and infants differ substantially from those in older children and adults. Despite the reduced rates of metabolism by the P-450 CYP2E1 enzyme system and the increased ability to synthesize glutathione - which provides greater resistance after overdoses -, it is possible to produce hepatotoxic metabolites (N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone that cause hepatocellular damage, if glutathione sources are depleted. Paracetamol clearance is reduced and the half-life of elimination is prolonged. Therefore, a particular dosing regimen should be followed due to the toxicity risk of cumulative doses. This report highlights the risk for severe hepatotoxicity in neonates after paracetamol multiple doses for more than two to three days.

  8. Oligomeric complexes of some heteroaromatic ligands and aromatic diamines with rhodium and molybdenum tetracarboxylates: 13C and 15N CPMAS NMR and density functional theory studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leniak, Arkadiusz; Kamieński, Bohdan; Jaźwiński, Jarosław

    2015-05-01

    Seven new oligomeric complexes of 4,4'-bipyridine; 3,3'-bipyridine; benzene-1,4-diamine; benzene-1,3-diamine; benzene-1,2-diamine; and benzidine with rhodium tetraacetate, as well as 4,4'-bipyridine with molybdenum tetraacetate, have been obtained and investigated by elemental analysis and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, (13)C and (15)N CPMAS NMR. The known complexes of pyrazine with rhodium tetrabenzoate, benzoquinone with rhodium tetrapivalate, 4,4'-bipyridine with molybdenum tetrakistrifluoroacetate and the 1 : 1 complex of 2,2'-bipyridine with rhodium tetraacetate exhibiting axial-equatorial ligation mode have been obtained as well for comparison purposes. Elemental analysis revealed 1 : 1 complex stoichiometry of all complexes. The (15)N CPMAS NMR spectra of all new complexes consist of one narrow signal, indicating regular uniform structures. Benzidine forms a heterogeneous material, probably containing linear oligomers and products of further reactions. The complexes were characterized by the parameter complexation shift Δδ (Δδ = δcomplex  - δligand). This parameter ranged from around -40 to -90 ppm in the case of heteroaromatic ligands, from around -12 to -22 ppm for diamines and from -16 to -31 ppm for the complexes of molybdenum tetracarboxylates with 4,4'-bipyridine. The experimental results have been supported by a density functional theory computation of (15)N NMR chemical shifts and complexation shifts at the non-relativistic Becke, three-parameter, Perdew-Wang 91/[6-311++G(2d,p), Stuttgart] and GGA-PBE/QZ4P levels of theory and at the relativistic scalar and spin-orbit zeroth order regular approximation/GGA-PBE/QZ4P level of theory. Nucleus-independent chemical shifts have been calculated for the selected compounds. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  9. [EFFECT OF ACETYLCYSTEINE, CORVITIN AND THEIR COMBINATION ON THE FUNCTIONAL STATE OF LIVER IN RATS WITH PARACETAMOL INDUCED TOXIC HEPATITIS].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghonghadze, M; Antelava, N; Liluashvili, K; Okujava, M; Pachkoria, K

    2017-02-01

    Nowadays drug-induced hepatotoxicity is urgent problem worldwide. Currently more than 1000 drugs are hepatotoxic and most often are the reason of acute fulminant hepatitis and hepatocellular failure, the states requiring liver transplantation. The paracetamol induced liver toxicity is related with accumulation of its toxic metabolite N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine (NAPQI), which is the free radical and enhances peroxidation of lipids, disturbs the energy status and causes death of hepatocytes. During our research we investigated and assessed the efficacy of acetylcysteine, corvitin and their combination in rat model of paracetamol induced acute toxic hepatitis. The study was performed on mature white male Wistar rates with body mass 150-180 g. 50 rats were randomly divided into 5 groups (10 rats in each group). To get the model of acute toxic hepatitis single intraperitoneal injection of paracetamol solution was used (750 mg/kg). Toxic hepatitis was treated with intrapertoneal administration of 40mg/kg acetylcysteine or 100mg/kg corvitin, as well as with combination of these drugs. Monotherapy with acetylcysteine and corvitin of paracetamol induced toxic hepatitis improved the liver function, decreased relative mass of the liver and animal mortality. The treatment of toxic hepatitis was most effective in the case of simultaneous administration of acetylcysteine and corvitin. The normal value of laboratory tests (ALT, ACT, alkaline phosphatase, total and unconjugated bilirubin) was reached and mortality was not more observed. On the bases of obtained data was concluded that acetylcysteine and corvitin have almost equal hepatoprotective activity. The combination of two drugs actually improves the liver function. The most pronounced hepatoprotective effect may be due to synergic action of acetylcysteine and corvitin and such regime can be recommended for correction of liver function.

  10. The effects of gamma-irradiation on additives in food-contact polymers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Christine

    A range of antioxidants (BHT, Irganox 1010, 1076, 1330 and Irgafos 168) were incorporated into polymers (polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene and polyvinyl chloride) and subjected to increasing doses of gamma-irradiation (1,5,10,20,25,35 and 50 kGy) from a cobalt-60 source.The amount of extractable antioxidant from the stabilised polymers was determined chromatographically and a gradual diminution in the total extractable levels of each antioxidant was observed as irradiation progressed, the extent depending on the nature of both the antioxidant and the polymer 2,6-Di-t-butyl-1,4-benzoquinone was shown to be an extractable degradation product, arising from the effects of gamma-irradiation on the phenolic antioxidants. The extractable degradation product arising from the phosphite antioxidant, Irgafos 168, was identified as tris(2,4-di-t-butylphenyl)phosphate. It was demonstrated using 14C-labelled Irganox 1076 that degradation products formed during gamma-irradiation are becoming covalently bound to the polymer, as a result of radical coupling processes. There is a pronounced increase in the extent of covalent binding from 0.4% before irradiation to a minimum of 12.4% after an exposure to 50 kGy. Evidence has also been presented of covalent binding of the degradation product of Irgafos 168 to the polypropylene matrix, via polymeric radicals formed during irradiation. Finally, the effects of gamma-irradiation on the extent of migration of antioxidants from polyolefins into food simulants was studied. It was found that irradiation leads to a decrease in the extent to which hindered phenolic antioxidants migrate from polyolefins into fatty media, consistent with the reduction in extractable antioxidant levels and the increase in the extent of antioxidant-polymer binding.

  11. Mutation of Rv2887, a marR-like gene, confers Mycobacterium tuberculosis resistance to an imidazopyridine-based agent.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Winglee, Kathryn; Lun, Shichun; Pieroni, Marco; Kozikowski, Alan; Bishai, William

    2015-11-01

    Drug resistance is a major problem in Mycobacterium tuberculosis control, and it is critical to identify novel drug targets and new antimycobacterial compounds. We have previously identified an imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine-4-carbonitrile-based agent, MP-III-71, with strong activity against M. tuberculosis. In this study, we evaluated mechanisms of resistance to MP-III-71. We derived three independent M. tuberculosis mutants resistant to MP-III-71 and conducted whole-genome sequencing of these mutants. Loss-of-function mutations in Rv2887 were common to all three MP-III-71-resistant mutants, and we confirmed the role of Rv2887 as a gene required for MP-III-71 susceptibility using complementation. The Rv2887 protein was previously unannotated, but domain and homology analyses suggested it to be a transcriptional regulator in the MarR (multiple antibiotic resistance repressor) family, a group of proteins first identified in Escherichia coli to negatively regulate efflux pumps and other mechanisms of multidrug resistance. We found that two efflux pump inhibitors, verapamil and chlorpromazine, potentiate the action of MP-III-71 and that mutation of Rv2887 abrogates their activity. We also used transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) to identify genes which are differentially expressed in the presence and absence of a functional Rv2887 protein. We found that genes involved in benzoquinone and menaquinone biosynthesis were repressed by functional Rv2887. Thus, inactivating mutations of Rv2887, encoding a putative MarR-like transcriptional regulator, confer resistance to MP-III-71, an effective antimycobacterial compound that shows no cross-resistance to existing antituberculosis drugs. The mechanism of resistance of M. tuberculosis Rv2887 mutants may involve efflux pump upregulation and also drug methylation. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

  12. Kinetic study of the plastoquinone pool availability correlated with H2O2 release in seawater and antioxidant responses in the red alga Kappaphycus alvarezii exposed to single or combined high light, chilling and chemical stresses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barros, Marcelo P; Necchi, Orlando; Colepicolo, Pio; Pedersén, Marianne

    2006-11-01

    Under biotic/abiotic stresses, the red alga Kappaphycus alvarezii reportedly releases massive amounts of H(2)O(2) into the surrounding seawater. As an essential redox signal, the role of chloroplast-originated H(2)O(2) in the orchestration of overall antioxidant responses in algal species has thus been questioned. This work purported to study the kinetic decay profiles of the redox-sensitive plastoquinone pool correlated to H(2)O(2) release in seawater, parameters of oxidative lesions and antioxidant enzyme activities in the red alga Kappaphycus alvarezii under the single or combined effects of high light, low temperature, and sub-lethal doses of 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea (DCMU) and 2,5-dibromo-3-methyl-6-isopropyl-p-benzoquinone (DBMIB), which are inhibitors of the thylakoid electron transport system. Within 24 h, high light and chilling stresses distinctly affected the availability of the PQ pool for photosynthesis, following Gaussian and exponential kinetic profiles, respectively, whereas combined stimuli were mostly reflected in exponential decays. No significant correlation was found in a comparison of the PQ pool levels after 24 h with either catalase (CAT) or ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activities, although the H(2)O(2) concentration in seawater (R=0.673), total superoxide dismutase activity (R=0.689), and particularly indexes of protein (R=0.869) and lipid oxidation (R=0.864), were moderately correlated. These data suggest that the release of H(2)O(2) from plastids into seawater possibly impaired efficient and immediate responses of pivotal H(2)O(2)-scavenging activities of CAT and APX in the red alga K. alvarezii, culminating in short-term exacerbated levels of protein and lipid oxidation. These facts provided a molecular basis for the recognized limited resistance of the red alga K. alvarezii under unfavorable conditions, especially under chilling stress.

  13. A conserved START domain coenzyme Q-binding polypeptide is required for efficient Q biosynthesis, respiratory electron transport, and antioxidant function in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Allan, Christopher M; Hill, Shauna; Morvaridi, Susan; Saiki, Ryoichi; Johnson, Jarrett S; Liau, Wei-Siang; Hirano, Kathleen; Kawashima, Tadashi; Ji, Ziming; Loo, Joseph A; Shepherd, Jennifer N; Clarke, Catherine F

    2013-04-01

    Coenzyme Qn (ubiquinone or Qn) is a redox active lipid composed of a fully substituted benzoquinone ring and a polyisoprenoid tail of n isoprene units. Saccharomyces cerevisiae coq1-coq9 mutants have defects in Q biosynthesis, lack Q6, are respiratory defective, and sensitive to stress imposed by polyunsaturated fatty acids. The hallmark phenotype of the Q-less yeast coq mutants is that respiration in isolated mitochondria can be rescued by the addition of Q2, a soluble Q analog. Yeast coq10 mutants share each of these phenotypes, with the surprising exception that they continue to produce Q6. Structure determination of the Caulobacter crescentus Coq10 homolog (CC1736) revealed a steroidogenic acute regulatory protein-related lipid transfer (START) domain, a hydrophobic tunnel known to bind specific lipids in other START domain family members. Here we show that purified CC1736 binds Q2, Q3, Q10, or demethoxy-Q3 in an equimolar ratio, but fails to bind 3-farnesyl-4-hydroxybenzoic acid, a farnesylated analog of an early Q-intermediate. Over-expression of C. crescentus CC1736 or COQ8 restores respiratory electron transport and antioxidant function of Q6 in the yeast coq10 null mutant. Studies with stable isotope ring precursors of Q reveal that early Q-biosynthetic intermediates accumulate in the coq10 mutant and de novo Q-biosynthesis is less efficient than in the wild-type yeast or rescued coq10 mutant. The results suggest that the Coq10 polypeptide:Q (protein:ligand) complex may serve essential functions in facilitating de novo Q biosynthesis and in delivering newly synthesized Q to one or more complexes of the respiratory electron transport chain. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Generation of dissolved organic matter and byproducts from activated sludge during contact with sodium hypochlorite and its implications to on-line chemical cleaning in MBR.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cai, Weiwei; Liu, Jiaqi; Zhang, Xiangru; Ng, Wun Jern; Liu, Yu

    2016-11-01

    On-line chemical cleaning of membranes with sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) has been commonly employed for maintaining a constant permeability of membrane bioreactor (MBR) due to its simple and efficient operation. However, activated sludge is inevitably exposed to NaClO during this cleaning process. In spite of the broad applications of on-line chemical cleaning in MBR such as chemical cleaning-in-place (CIP) and chemical enhanced backwash (CEB), little information is currently available for the release of emerging dissolved organic matter (DOM) and byproducts from this prevalent practice. Therefore, in this study, activated sludge suspended in a phosphate buffered saline solution was exposed to different doses of NaClO in order to determine the generation of potential DOM and byproducts. The results showed the occurrence of significant DOM release (up to 24.7 mg/L as dissolved organic carbon) after exposure to NaClO for 30 min. The dominant components of the released DOM were characterized to be humic acid-like as well as protein-like substances by using an excitation-emission matrix fluorescence spectrophotometer. Furthermore, after the contact of activated sludge with NaClO, 19 kinds of chlorinated and brominated byproducts were identified by ultra performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry, eight of which were confirmed and characterized with standard compounds. Many byproducts were found to be halogenated aromatic compounds, including halopyrroles and halo(hydro)benzoquinones, which had been reported to be significantly more toxic than the halogenated aliphatic ones. Consequently, this study offers new insights into the practice of on-line chemical cleaning, and opens up a window to re-examine the current operation of MBR by looking into the generation of micropollutants. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Superoxide radical-mediated photocatalytic oxidation of phenolic compounds over Ag"+/TiO_2: Influence of electron donating and withdrawing substituents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xiao, Jiadong; Xie, Yongbing; Han, Qingzhen; Cao, Hongbin; Wang, Yujiao; Nawaz, Faheem; Duan, Feng

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • A weak EWG benefited photocatalytic oxidation of phenols the most. • Phenolic compounds were dominantly oxidized by ·O_2"−, rather than ·OH, "1O_2 or h"+. • ·O_2"− preferred to nucleophilically attack EDG substituted phenols. • ·O_2"− more likely electrophilically attacked EWG substituted phenols. • ·O_2"− simultaneously nucleophilically and electrophilically assaulted p-chlorophenol. - Abstract: A comparative study was constructed to correlate the electronic property of the substituents with the degradation rates of phenolic compounds and their oxidation pathways under UV with Ag"+/TiO_2 suspensions. It was verified that a weak electron withdrawing substituent benefited photocatalytic oxidation the most, while an adverse impact appeared when a substituent was present with stronger electron donating or withdrawing ability. The addition of p-benzoquinone dramatically blocked the degradation, confirming superoxide radicals (·O_2"−) as the dominant photooxidant, rather than hydroxyl radicals, singlet oxygen or positive holes, which was also independent of the substituent. Hammett relationship was established based on pseudo-first-order reaction kinetics, and it revealed two disparate reaction patterns between ·O_2"− and phenolic compounds, which was further verified by the quantum chemical computation on the frontier molecular orbitals and Mulliken charge distributions of ·O_2"− and phenolic compounds. It was found that electron donating group (EDG) substituted phenols were more likely nucleophilically attacked by ·O_2"−, while ·O_2"− preferred to electrophilically assault electron withdrawing group (EWG) substituted phenols. Exceptionally, electrophilic and nucleophilic attack by ·O_2"− could simultaneously occur in p-chlorophenol degradation, consequently leading to its highest rate constant. Possible reactive positions on the phenolic compounds were also detailedly uncovered.

  16. Benzene-derived N2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-deoxyguanosine adduct: UvrABC incision and its conformation in DNA

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hang, Bo; Rodriguez, Ben; Yang, Yanu; Guliaev, Anton B.; Chenna, Ahmed

    2010-06-14

    Benzene, a ubiquitous human carcinogen, forms DNA adducts through its metabolites such as p-benzoquinone (p-BQ) and hydroquinone (HQ). N(2)-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)-2'-deoxyguanosine (N(2)-4-HOPh-dG) is the principal adduct identified in vivo by (32)P-postlabeling in cells or animals treated with p-BQ or HQ. To study its effect on repair specificity and replication fidelity, we recently synthesized defined oligonucleotides containing a site-specific adduct using phosphoramidite chemistry. We here report the repair of this adduct by Escherichia coli UvrABC complex, which performs the initial damage recognition and incision steps in the nucleotide excision repair (NER) pathway. We first showed that the p-BQ-treated plasmid was efficiently cleaved by the complex, indicating the formation of DNA lesions that are substrates for NER. Using a 40-mer substrate, we found that UvrABC incises the DNA strand containing N(2)-4-HOPh-dG in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The specificity of such repair was also compared with that of DNA glycosylases and damage-specific endonucleases of E. coli, both of which were found to have no detectable activity toward N(2)-4-HOPh-dG. To understand why this adduct is specifically recognized and processed by UvrABC, molecular modeling studies were performed. Analysis of molecular dynamics trajectories showed that stable G:C-like hydrogen bonding patterns of all three Watson-Crick hydrogen bonds are present within the N(2)-4-HOPh-G:C base pair, with the hydroxyphenyl ring at an almost planar position. In addition, N(2)-4-HOPh-dG has a tendency to form more stable stacking interactions than a normal G in B-type DNA. These conformational properties may be critical in differential recognition of this adduct by specific repair enzymes.

  17. Therapeutic Potential and Pharmaceutical Development of Thymoquinone: A Multitargeted Molecule of Natural Origin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sameer N. Goyal

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Thymoquinone, a monoterpene molecule is chemically known as 2-methyl-5-isopropyl-1, 4-benzoquinone. It is abundantly present in seeds of Nigella sativa L. that is popularly known as black cumin or black seed and belongs to the family Ranunculaceae. A large number of studies have revealed that thymoquinone is the major active constituent in N. sativa oil this constituent is responsible for the majority of the pharmacological properties. The beneficial organoprotective activities of thymoquinone in experimental animal models of different human diseases are attributed to the potent anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Thymoquinone has also been shown to alter numerous molecular and signaling pathways in many inflammatory and degenerative diseases including cancer. Thymoquinone has been reported to possess potent lipophilicity and limited bioavailability and exhibits light and heat sensitivity. Altogether, these physiochemical properties encumber the successful formulation for the delivery of drug in oral dosages form and restrict the pharmaceutical development. In recent past, many efforts were undertaken to improve the bioavailability for clinical usage by manipulating the physiochemical parameters. The present review aimed to provide insights regarding the physicochemical characteristics, pharmacokinetics and the methods to promote pharmaceutical development and endorse the clinical usage of TQ in future by overcoming the associated physiochemical obstacles. It also enumerates briefly the pharmacological and molecular targets of thymoquinone as well as the pharmacological properties in various diseases and the underlying molecular mechanism. Though, a convincing number of experimental studies are available but human studies are not available with thymoquinone despite of the long history of use of black cumin in different diseases. Thus, the clinical studies including pharmacokinetic studies and regulatory toxicity studies are required

  18. Therapeutic Potential and Pharmaceutical Development of Thymoquinone: A Multitargeted Molecule of Natural Origin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goyal, Sameer N; Prajapati, Chaitali P; Gore, Prashant R; Patil, Chandragouda R; Mahajan, Umesh B; Sharma, Charu; Talla, Sandhya P; Ojha, Shreesh K

    2017-01-01

    Thymoquinone, a monoterpene molecule is chemically known as 2-methyl-5-isopropyl-1, 4-benzoquinone. It is abundantly present in seeds of Nigella sativa L. that is popularly known as black cumin or black seed and belongs to the family Ranunculaceae . A large number of studies have revealed that thymoquinone is the major active constituent in N. sativa oil this constituent is responsible for the majority of the pharmacological properties. The beneficial organoprotective activities of thymoquinone in experimental animal models of different human diseases are attributed to the potent anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Thymoquinone has also been shown to alter numerous molecular and signaling pathways in many inflammatory and degenerative diseases including cancer. Thymoquinone has been reported to possess potent lipophilicity and limited bioavailability and exhibits light and heat sensitivity. Altogether, these physiochemical properties encumber the successful formulation for the delivery of drug in oral dosages form and restrict the pharmaceutical development. In recent past, many efforts were undertaken to improve the bioavailability for clinical usage by manipulating the physiochemical parameters. The present review aimed to provide insights regarding the physicochemical characteristics, pharmacokinetics and the methods to promote pharmaceutical development and endorse the clinical usage of TQ in future by overcoming the associated physiochemical obstacles. It also enumerates briefly the pharmacological and molecular targets of thymoquinone as well as the pharmacological properties in various diseases and the underlying molecular mechanism. Though, a convincing number of experimental studies are available but human studies are not available with thymoquinone despite of the long history of use of black cumin in different diseases. Thus, the clinical studies including pharmacokinetic studies and regulatory toxicity studies are required to encourage the

  19. Single Plant Derived Nanotechnology for Synergistic Antibacterial Therapies.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jhansi R Kalluri

    species present include stigmasterol and 2,6-dimethoxy-p-benzoquinone.

  20. Measurements of photo-oxidation products from the reaction of a series of alkyl-benzenes with hydroxyl radicals during EXACT using comprehensive gas chromatography

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. F. Hamilton

    2003-01-01

    Full Text Available Photo-oxidation products from the reaction of a series of alkyl-benzenes, (benzene, toluene, p-xylene and 1,3,5-trimethyl-benzene with hydroxyl radicals in the presence of NOx have been investigated using comprehensive gas chromatography (GCxGC. A GCxGC system has been developed which utilises valve modulation and independent separations as a function of both volatility and polarity. A number of carbonyl-type compounds were identified during a series of reactions carried out at the European Photoreactor (EUPHORE, a large volume outdoor reaction chamber in Valencia, Spain. Experiments were carried as part of the EXACT project (Effects of the oXidation of Aromatic Compounds in the Troposphere. Two litre chamber air samples were cryo-focused, with a sampling frequency of 30 minutes, allowing the evolution of species to be followed over oxidation periods of 3-6 hours. To facilitate product identification, several carbonyl compounds, which were possible products of the photo-oxidation, were synthesised and used as reference standards. For toluene reactions, observed oxygenated intermediates found included the co-eluting pair a-angelicalactone/4-oxo-2-pentenal, maleic anhydride, citraconic anhydride, benzaldehyde and p-methyl benzoquinone. In the p-xylene experiment, the products identified were E/Z-hex-3-en-2,5-dione and citraconic anhydride. For 1,3,5-TMB reactions, the products identified were 3,5-dimethylbenzaldehyde, 3,5-dimethyl-3H-furan-2-one and 3-methyl-5-methylene-5H-furan-2-one. Preliminary quantification was carried out on identified compounds using liquid standards. Comparison of FTIR and GCxGC for the measurement of the parent aromatics generally showed good agreement. Comparison of the concentrations observed by GCxGC to concentration-time profiles simulated using the Master Chemical Mechanism, MCMv3, demonstrates that this mechanism significantly over-predicts the concentrations of many product compounds and highlights the

  1. p-Nitrophenol degradation by Fenton's oxidation in a bubble column reactor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodrigues, Carmen S D; Borges, Ricardo A C; Lima, Vanessa N; Madeira, Luis M

    2018-01-15

    This paper reports on a study of the oxidation of p-nitrophenol (PNP) in a bubble column reactor (BCR). The use of the air stream aimed to provide perfect mixing in the liquid phase, which was successfully achieved and checked experimentally; there were no concentration gradients along the column, even at the lowest air flow rate used (Q = 1 mL/min at room temperature and atmospheric pressure). The effect of the operating variables was assessed, and a total reduction of PNP was reached, as well as mineralization of 49.2%, oxidant consumption of 90.3%, and with an efficiency of use - η H2O2 - of 0.09 mg C/mg H 2 O 2 , under the best operating conditions found - Q = 1 mL/min, [H 2 O 2 ] = 1.6 g/L, [Fe 2+ ] = 80 mg/L, pH = 3.0 and T = 22-24 °C - (after 120 min of reaction). Following this, various strategies were developed for improving the mineralization rate; it was found that the addition of H 2 O 2 every 5 min and readjusting the pH after 30 min of reaction allow the attainment of a much higher TOC removal (75.1%) and efficiency of oxidant use (η H2O2  = 0.17 mg C/mg H 2 O 2 ) with less oxidant. A reaction mechanism was proposed, based on intermediates identified that include p-nitrocatechol - PNC, p-benzoquinone - PB, hydroquinone - HQ - and carboxylic acids (oxalic, maleic and fumaric). Since the performance achieved in the BCR was good, and very similar to that obtained in a conventional batch reactor, it was possible to verify the efficacy of carrying out the Fenton process in this reactor configuration, which in our future work will focus on the treatability of industrial effluents. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Novel microwell-based spectrophotometric assay for determination of atorvastatin calcium in its pharmaceutical formulations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abdel-Rahman Hamdy M

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract The formation of a colored charge-transfer (CT complex between atorvastatin calcium (ATR-Ca as a n-electron donor and 2, 3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone (DDQ as a π-electron acceptor was investigated, for the first time. The spectral characteristics of the CT complex have been described, and the reaction mechanism has been proved by computational molecular modeling. The reaction was employed in the development of a novel microwell-based spectrophotometric assay for determination of ATR-Ca in its pharmaceutical formulations. The proposed assay was carried out in 96-microwell plates. The absorbance of the colored-CT complex was measured at 460 nm by microwell-plate absorbance reader. The optimum conditions of the reaction and the analytical procedures of the assay were established. Under the optimum conditions, linear relationship with good correlation coefficient (0.9995 was found between the absorbance and the concentration of ATR-Ca in the range of 10-150 μg/well. The limits of detection and quantitation were 5.3 and 15.8 μg/well, respectively. No interference was observed from the additives that are present in the pharmaceutical formulation or from the drugs that are co-formulated with ATR-Ca in its combined formulations. The assay was successfully applied to the analysis of ATR-Ca in its pharmaceutical dosage forms with good accuracy and precision. The assay described herein has great practical value in the routine analysis of ATR-Ca in quality control laboratories, as it has high throughput property, consumes minimum volume of organic solvent thus it offers the reduction in the exposures of the analysts to the toxic effects of organic solvents, and reduction in the analysis cost by 50-fold. Although the proposed assay was validated for ATR-Ca, however, the same methodology could be used for any electron-donating analyte for which a CT reaction can be performed.

  3. Ozagrel hydrochloride, a selective thromboxane A2 synthase inhibitor, alleviates liver injury induced by acetaminophen overdose in mice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tomishima Yoshiro

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Overdosed acetaminophen (paracetamol, N-acetyl-p-aminophenol; APAP causes severe liver injury. We examined the effects of ozagrel, a selective thromboxane A2 (TXA2 synthase inhibitor, on liver injury induced by APAP overdose in mice. Methods Hepatotoxicity was induced to ICR male mice by an intraperitoneal injection with APAP (330 mg/kg. The effects of ozagrel (200 mg/kg treatment 30 min after the APAP injection were evaluated with mortality, serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT levels and hepatic changes, including histopathology, DNA fragmentation, mRNA expression and total glutathione contents. The impact of ozagrel (0.001-1 mg/mL on cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1 activity in mouse hepatic microsome was examined. RLC-16 cells, a rat hepatocytes cell line, were exposed to 0.25 mM N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine (NAPQI, a hepatotoxic metabolite of APAP. In this model, the cytoprotective effects of ozagrel (1–100 muM were evaluated by the WST-1 cell viability assay. Results Ozagel treatment significantly attenuated higher mortality, elevated serum alanine aminotransferase levels, excessive hepatic centrilobular necrosis, hemorrhaging and DNA fragmentation, as well as increase in plasma 2,3-dinor thromboxane B2 levels induced by APAP injection. Ozagrel also inhibited the hepatic expression of cell death-related mRNAs induced by APAP, such as jun oncogene, FBJ osteosarcoma oncogene (fos and C/EBP homologous protein (chop, but did not suppress B-cell lymphoma 2-like protein11 (bim expression and hepatic total glutathione depletion. These results show ozagrel can inhibit not all hepatic changes but can reduce the hepatic necrosis. Ozagrel had little impact on CYP2E1 activity involving the NAPQI production. In addition, ozagrel significantly attenuated cell injury induced by NAPQI in RLC-16. Conclusions We demonstrate that the TXA2 synthase inhibitor, ozagrel, dramatically alleviates liver injury induced by APAP in mice, and suggest

  4. Coenzyme Q10 production in plants: current status and future prospects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parmar, Sanjay Singh; Jaiwal, Anjali; Dhankher, Om Parkash; Jaiwal, Pawan K

    2015-06-01

    Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) or Ubiquinone10 (UQ10), an isoprenylated benzoquinone, is well-known for its role as an electron carrier in aerobic respiration. It is a sole representative of lipid soluble antioxidant that is synthesized in our body. In recent years, it has been found to be associated with a range of patho-physiological conditions and its oral administration has also reported to be of therapeutic value in a wide spectrum of chronic diseases. Additionally, as an antioxidant, it has been widely used as an ingredient in dietary supplements, neutraceuticals, and functional foods as well as in anti-aging creams. Since its limited dietary uptake and decrease in its endogenous synthesis in the body with age and under various diseases states warrants its adequate supply from an external source. To meet its growing demand for pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food industries, there is a great interest in the commercial production of CoQ10. Various synthetic and fermentation of microbial natural producers and their mutated strains have been developed for its commercial production. Although, microbial production is the major industrial source of CoQ10 but due to low yield and high production cost, other cost-effective and alternative sources need to be explored. Plants, being photosynthetic, producing high biomass and the engineering of pathways for producing CoQ10 directly in food crops will eliminate the additional step for purification and thus could be used as an ideal and cost-effective alternative to chemical synthesis and microbial production of CoQ10. A better understanding of CoQ10 biosynthetic enzymes and their regulation in model systems like E. coli and yeast has led to the use of metabolic engineering to enhance CoQ10 production not only in microbes but also in plants. The plant-based CoQ10 production has emerged as a cost-effective and environment-friendly approach capable of supplying CoQ10 in ample amounts. The current strategies, progress and constraints of

  5. Fabrication of a novel PbO2 electrode with a graphene nanosheet interlayer for electrochemical oxidation of 2-chlorophenol

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Duan, Xiaoyue; Zhao, Cuimei; Liu, Wei; Zhao, Xuesong; Chang, Limin

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • A novel PbO 2 electrode with a GNS interlayer (GSN-PbO 2 ) was prepared. • The GNS interlayer reduced grain size of β-PbO 2 crystals. • The GNS interlayer enhanced electrochemical activity of PbO 2 electrode. • The lifetime of GSN-PbO 2 electrode was 1.93 times that of PbO 2 electrode. • An electrochemical mineralization mechanism of 2-chlorophenol was proposed. - Abstract: A novel PbO 2 electrode with a graphene nanosheet interlayer (marked as GNS-PbO 2 ) was prepared combining electrophoretic deposition and electro-deposition technologies. The micro morphology, crystal structure and surface chemical states of GNS-PbO 2 electrodes were characterized using scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Their electrochemical properties and stability were determined using cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), ·OH radicals test and accelerated life test, and compared with traditional PbO 2 electrodes. Besides, their potential application in the electrochemical degradation of 2-chlorophenol (2-CP) was investigated. The GNS-PbO 2 electrode possessed perfect octahedral β-PbO 2 microcrystals, and its grain size was much smaller than that of traditional PbO 2 electrode. It exhibited higher electrochemical activity than traditional PbO 2 electrode due to its larger electrochemical active surface area and stronger ·OH radicals generation ability. The service lifetime of GNS-PbO 2 electrode (107.9 h) was 1.93 times longer than that of traditional PbO 2 electrode (55.9 h). The electrochemical degradation rate constant of 2-CP on GNS-PbO 2 electrode (k app = 2.75 × 10 −2 min −1 ) is much higher than for PbO 2 electrode (k app = 1.76 × 10 −2 min −1 ). 2-CP oxidation yielded intermediates including aromatic compounds (catechol, phenol and ortho-benzoquinone) and organic acids (oxalic acid, maleic acid and

  6. The role of nitrite and nitrate ions as photosensitizers in the phototransformation of phenolic compounds in seawater

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Calza, P., E-mail: paola.calza@unito.it [Universita degli Studi di Torino, Dipartimento di Chimica, Via P. Giuria 5, 10125 Torino (Italy); Vione, D. [Universita degli Studi di Torino, Dipartimento di Chimica, Via P. Giuria 5, 10125 Torino (Italy); Universita degli Studi di Torino, Centro Interdipartimentale NatRisk, Via Leonardo da Vinci 44, 10095 Grugliasco (Italy); Novelli, A. [Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, 55128 Mainz (Germany); Pelizzetti, E.; Minero, C. [Universita degli Studi di Torino, Dipartimento di Chimica, Via P. Giuria 5, 10125 Torino (Italy)

    2012-11-15

    Nitrite and nitrate are known to be involved in photochemical processes occurring in natural waters. In this study we have investigated the role played by these photosensitizers towards the transformation of xenobiotic organic matter in marine water, with the goal of assessing the typical transformation routes induced in seawater by irradiated nitrite/nitrate. For this purpose, phenol was chosen as model molecule. Phenol transformation was investigated under simulated solar radiation in the presence of nitrite (in the range of 1 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -5}-1 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -2} M) or nitrate ions, in pure water at pH 8, in artificial seawater (containing same dissolved salts as seawater but no organic matter), and in natural seawater. In all experiments, phenol degradation rate and formation of intermediates were assessed. As expected, phenol disappearance rate decreased with decreasing nitrite concentration and was slightly reduced by the presence of chloride. Other salts present in artificial seawater (e.g. HCO{sub 3}{sup -}, CO{sub 3}{sup 2-} and Br{sup -}) had a more marked effect on phenol transformation. Analysis of intermediates formed in the different matrices under study showed generation of hydroxyl-, nitro- and chloroderivatives of phenol, to a different extent depending on experimental conditions. 1,4-Benzoquinone prevailed in all cases, nitroderivatives were only formed with nitrite but were not detected in nitrate-spiked solutions. Competition was observed between halogenation and nitration of phenol, with variable outcome depending on nitrite concentration. The most likely reason is competition between nitrating and halogenating species for reaction with the phenoxyl radical. A kinetic model able to justify the occurrence of different intermediates under the adopted conditions is presented and discussed. -- Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Nitrite and nitrate-mediated solar-driven transformations of pollutant in seawater were

  7. Detection of novel visible-light region absorbance peaks in the urine after alkalization in patients with alkaptonuria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tokuhara, Yasunori; Shukuya, Kenichi; Tanaka, Masami; Mouri, Mariko; Ohkawa, Ryunosuke; Fujishiro, Midori; Takahashi, Tomoo; Okubo, Shigeo; Yokota, Hiromitsu; Kurano, Makoto; Ikeda, Hitoshi; Yamaguchi, Seiji; Inagaki, Shinobu; Ishige-Wada, Mika; Usui, Hiromi; Yatomi, Yutaka; Shimosawa, Tatsuo

    2014-01-01

    Alkaptonuria, caused by a deficiency of homogentisate 1,2-dioxygenase, results in the accumulation of homogentisic acid (2,5-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, HGA) in the urine. Alkaptonuria is suspected when the urine changes color after it is left to stand at room temperature for several hours to days; oxidation of homogentisic acid to benzoquinone acetic acid underlies this color change, which is accelerated by the addition of alkali. In an attempt to develop a facile screening test for alkaptonuria, we added alkali to urine samples obtained from patients with alkaptonuria and measured the absorbance spectra in the visible light region. We evaluated the characteristics of the absorption spectra of urine samples obtained from patients with alkaptonuria (n = 2) and compared them with those of urine specimens obtained from healthy volunteers (n = 5) and patients with phenylketonuria (n = 3), and also of synthetic homogentisic acid solution after alkalization. Alkalization of the urine samples and HGA solution was carried out by the addition of NaOH, KOH or NH4OH. The sample solutions were incubated at room temperature for 1 min, followed by measurement of the absorption spectra. Addition of alkali to alkaptonuric urine yielded characteristic absorption peaks at 406 nm and 430 nm; an identical result was obtained from HGA solution after alkalization. The absorbance values at both 406 nm and 430 nm increased in a time-dependent manner. In addition, the absorbance values at these peaks were greater in strongly alkaline samples (NaOH- KOH-added) as compared with those in weakly alkaline samples (NH4OH-added). In addition, the peaks disappeared following the addition of ascorbic acid to the samples. We found two characteristic peaks at 406 nm and 430 nm in both alkaptonuric urine and HGA solution after alkalization. This new quick and easy method may pave the way for the development of an easy method for the diagnosis of alkaptonuria.

  8. Oxidation of the odorous compound 2,4,6-trichloroanisole by UV activated persulfate: Kinetics, products, and pathways.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, Congwei; Jiang, Jin; Ma, Jun; Pang, Suyan; Liu, Yongze; Song, Yang; Guan, Chaoting; Li, Juan; Jin, Yixin; Wu, Daoji

    2016-06-01

    The transformation efficiency and products of an odorous compound 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA) at the wavelength of 254 nm in the presence of persulfate were investigated for the first time. The effects of water matrix (i.e., natural organic matter (NOM), pH, carbonate/bicarbonate (HCO3(-)/CO3(2-)), and chloride ions (Cl(-))) were evaluated. The second order rate constant of TCA reacting with sulfate radical (SO4(-)) was determined to be (3.72 ± 0.10) × 10(9) M(-1) s(-1). Increasing dosage of persulfate increased the observed pseudo-first-order rate constant for TCA degradation (kobs), and the contribution of SO4(-) to TCA degradation was much higher than that of HO at each experimental condition. Degradation rate of TCA decreased with pH increasing from 4.0 to 9.0, which could be explained by the lower radical scavenging effect of dihydrogen phosphate than hydrogen phosphate in acidic condition (pH kinetic results could be described by a steady-state kinetic model. Furthermore, liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry at powerful precursor ion scan approach was used to selectively detect oxidation products of TCA. It was found that 2,4,6-trichorophenol (TCP) was the major oxidation product (i.e., the initial yield of TCP was above 90%). The second order rate constant between TCP and SO4(-) was estimated to be (4.16 ± 0.20) × 10(9) M(-1) s(-1). In addition, three products (i.e., 2,6-dichloro-1,4-benzoquinone and two aromatic ring-opening products) were detected in the reaction of TCP with SO4(-), which also appeared in the oxidation of TCA in the UV/persulfate process. A tentative pathway was proposed, where the initial one-electron oxidation of TCA by SO4(-) and further reactions (e.g., ipso-hydroxylation and aromatic ring-cleavage) of the formed cation intermediate TCA were involved. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  9. The role of nitrite and nitrate ions as photosensitizers in the phototransformation of phenolic compounds in seawater

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Calza, P.; Vione, D.; Novelli, A.; Pelizzetti, E.; Minero, C.

    2012-01-01

    Nitrite and nitrate are known to be involved in photochemical processes occurring in natural waters. In this study we have investigated the role played by these photosensitizers towards the transformation of xenobiotic organic matter in marine water, with the goal of assessing the typical transformation routes induced in seawater by irradiated nitrite/nitrate. For this purpose, phenol was chosen as model molecule. Phenol transformation was investigated under simulated solar radiation in the presence of nitrite (in the range of 1 × 10 −5 –1 × 10 −2 M) or nitrate ions, in pure water at pH 8, in artificial seawater (containing same dissolved salts as seawater but no organic matter), and in natural seawater. In all experiments, phenol degradation rate and formation of intermediates were assessed. As expected, phenol disappearance rate decreased with decreasing nitrite concentration and was slightly reduced by the presence of chloride. Other salts present in artificial seawater (e.g. HCO 3 − , CO 3 2− and Br − ) had a more marked effect on phenol transformation. Analysis of intermediates formed in the different matrices under study showed generation of hydroxyl-, nitro- and chloroderivatives of phenol, to a different extent depending on experimental conditions. 1,4-Benzoquinone prevailed in all cases, nitroderivatives were only formed with nitrite but were not detected in nitrate-spiked solutions. Competition was observed between halogenation and nitration of phenol, with variable outcome depending on nitrite concentration. The most likely reason is competition between nitrating and halogenating species for reaction with the phenoxyl radical. A kinetic model able to justify the occurrence of different intermediates under the adopted conditions is presented and discussed. -- Highlights: ► Nitrite and nitrate-mediated solar-driven transformations of pollutant in seawater were studied. ► Phenol degradation rate and formation of intermediates were assessed

  10. Superoxide radical-mediated photocatalytic oxidation of phenolic compounds over Ag{sup +}/TiO{sub 2}: Influence of electron donating and withdrawing substituents

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xiao, Jiadong [National Engineering Laboratory for Hydrometallurgical Cleaner Production Technology, Beijing Engineering Research Center of Process Pollution Control, Key Laboratory of Green Process and Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190 (China); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Xie, Yongbing, E-mail: ybxie@ipe.ac.cn [National Engineering Laboratory for Hydrometallurgical Cleaner Production Technology, Beijing Engineering Research Center of Process Pollution Control, Key Laboratory of Green Process and Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190 (China); Han, Qingzhen [State Key Laboratory of Multi-phase Complex Systems, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190 (China); Cao, Hongbin [National Engineering Laboratory for Hydrometallurgical Cleaner Production Technology, Beijing Engineering Research Center of Process Pollution Control, Key Laboratory of Green Process and Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190 (China); Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Tianjin 300072 (China); Wang, Yujiao [Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing (China); Nawaz, Faheem; Duan, Feng [National Engineering Laboratory for Hydrometallurgical Cleaner Production Technology, Beijing Engineering Research Center of Process Pollution Control, Key Laboratory of Green Process and Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190 (China); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China)

    2016-03-05

    Highlights: • A weak EWG benefited photocatalytic oxidation of phenols the most. • Phenolic compounds were dominantly oxidized by ·O{sub 2}{sup −}, rather than ·OH, {sup 1}O{sub 2} or h{sup +}. • ·O{sub 2}{sup −} preferred to nucleophilically attack EDG substituted phenols. • ·O{sub 2}{sup −} more likely electrophilically attacked EWG substituted phenols. • ·O{sub 2}{sup −} simultaneously nucleophilically and electrophilically assaulted p-chlorophenol. - Abstract: A comparative study was constructed to correlate the electronic property of the substituents with the degradation rates of phenolic compounds and their oxidation pathways under UV with Ag{sup +}/TiO{sub 2} suspensions. It was verified that a weak electron withdrawing substituent benefited photocatalytic oxidation the most, while an adverse impact appeared when a substituent was present with stronger electron donating or withdrawing ability. The addition of p-benzoquinone dramatically blocked the degradation, confirming superoxide radicals (·O{sub 2}{sup −}) as the dominant photooxidant, rather than hydroxyl radicals, singlet oxygen or positive holes, which was also independent of the substituent. Hammett relationship was established based on pseudo-first-order reaction kinetics, and it revealed two disparate reaction patterns between ·O{sub 2}{sup −} and phenolic compounds, which was further verified by the quantum chemical computation on the frontier molecular orbitals and Mulliken charge distributions of ·O{sub 2}{sup −} and phenolic compounds. It was found that electron donating group (EDG) substituted phenols were more likely nucleophilically attacked by ·O{sub 2}{sup −}, while ·O{sub 2}{sup −} preferred to electrophilically assault electron withdrawing group (EWG) substituted phenols. Exceptionally, electrophilic and nucleophilic attack by ·O{sub 2}{sup −} could simultaneously occur in p-chlorophenol degradation, consequently leading to its highest rate

  11. Organic anodes and sulfur/selenium cathodes for advanced Li and Na batteries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, Chao

    To address energy crisis and environmental pollution induced by fossil fuels, there is an urgent demand to develop sustainable, renewable, environmental benign, low cost and high capacity energy storage devices to power electric vehicles and enhance clean energy approaches such as solar energy, wind energy and hydroenergy. However, the commercial Li-ion batteries cannot satisfy the critical requirements for next generation rechargeable batteries. The commercial electrode materials (graphite anode and LiCoO 2 cathode) are unsustainable, unrenewable and environmental harmful. Organic materials derived from biomasses are promising candidates for next generation rechargeable battery anodes due to their sustainability, renewability, environmental benignity and low cost. Driven by the high potential of organic materials for next generation batteries, I initiated a new research direction on exploring advanced organic compounds for Li-ion and Na-ion battery anodes. In my work, I employed croconic acid disodium salt and 2,5-Dihydroxy-1,4-benzoquinone disodium salt as models to investigate the effects of size and carbon coating on electrochemical performance for Li-ion and Na-ion batteries. The results demonstrate that the minimization of organic particle size into nano-scale and wrapping organic materials with graphene oxide can remarkably enhance the rate capability and cycling stability of organic anodes in both Li-ion and Na-ion batteries. To match with organic anodes, high capacity sulfur and selenium cathodes were also investigated. However, sulfur and selenium cathodes suffer from low electrical conductivity and shuttle reaction, which result in capacity fading and poor lifetime. To circumvent the drawbacks of sulfur and selenium, carbon matrixes such as mesoporous carbon, carbonized polyacrylonitrile and carbonized perylene-3, 4, 9, 10-tetracarboxylic dianhydride are employed to encapsulate sulfur, selenium and selenium sulfide. The resulting composites exhibit

  12. In vitro investigation of the effect of matrix molecules on the behavior of colon cancer cells under the effect of geldanamycin derivative.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vural, Kamil; Kosova, Funda; Kurt, Feyzan Özdal; Tuğlu, İbrahim

    2017-10-01

    The chaperone-binding drug, 17-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin, has recently come into clinical use. It is a derivative of geldanamycin, an ansamycin benzoquinone antibiotic with anti-carcinogenic effect. Understanding the effect of this drug on the cancer cells and their niche is important for treatment. We applied 17-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin to colon cancer cell line (Colo 205) on matrix molecules to investigate the relationship of apoptosis with terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling immunocytochemistry and related gene expression. We used laminin and collagen I for matrix molecules and vascular endothelial growth factor for angiogenic structure. We also examined apoptosis-related signaling pathway including mitochondrial proteins, cytochrome c, Bcl-2, caspase-9, Apaf-1 expression using real-time polymerase chain reaction. There was clear effect of 17-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin that killed more cells on tissue culture plastic compared to matrix molecules. The IC 50 value was 0.58 µg/mL for tissue culture plastic compared with 0.64 µg/mL for laminin and 0.75 µg/mL for collagen I. The analyses showed that more cells on matrix molecules underwent apoptosis compared to that on tissue culture plastic. Apoptosis-related gene expression was similar in which Bcl-2 expression decreased and proapoptotic gene expression of the cells on matrix molecules increased compared to that on tissue culture plastic. However, the application of 17-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin was more effective for the cells on collagen I compared to the cells on laminin. There was also a decrease in angiogenesis as shown by the vascular endothelial growth factor staining. This was more pronounced by coating of the tissue culture plastic with matrix molecules. Our results supported the anti-cancer effect of 17-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin, and this effect depended on matrix molecules. This effect occurs through apoptosis, and related

  13. Localization of proteins in paint cross-sections by scanning electrochemical microscopy as an alternative immunochemical detection technique

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sciutto, Giorgia; Prati, Silvia [Microchemistry and Microscopy Art Diagnostic Laboratory, University of Bologna, Via Guaccimanni 42, Ravenna 48121 (Italy); Department of Chemistry “G. Ciamician”, University of Bologna, Via Selmi, Bologna 2 40126 (Italy); Mazzeo, Rocco, E-mail: rocco.mazzeo@unibo.it [Microchemistry and Microscopy Art Diagnostic Laboratory, University of Bologna, Via Guaccimanni 42, Ravenna 48121 (Italy); Department of Chemistry “G. Ciamician”, University of Bologna, Via Selmi, Bologna 2 40126 (Italy); Zangheri, Martina; Roda, Aldo; Bardini, Luca; Valenti, Giovanni; Rapino, Stefania [Department of Chemistry “G. Ciamician”, University of Bologna, Via Selmi, Bologna 2 40126 (Italy); Marcaccio, Massimo, E-mail: massimo.marcaccio@unibo.it [Department of Chemistry “G. Ciamician”, University of Bologna, Via Selmi, Bologna 2 40126 (Italy)

    2014-06-01

    Highlights: • Advanced immuno-electrochemical detection of proteins in paint samples by SECM. • Analysis performed directly on cross-section with high spatial resolution. • Identification of HRP catalytic activity for a selective location of analyte. • Satisfactory results were obtained for aged real samples. • The way forward for an extensive application of SECM in conservation science is shown. - Abstract: The qualitative identification of proteinaceous substances, as well as their location within a complex paint stratigraphy, is one of the most challenging issues in the characterization of painting materials. Nevertheless, information on paint components represent a crucial task for studies concerning both the ancient painting techniques adopted and the state of conservation, being fundamental investigations for the selection of appropriate conservation actions. The present research was aimed at developing a new detection approach for the immunochemical localization of ovalbumin in paint cross-sections based on the use of scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM). The immunochemical analyses were performed using an anti-ovalbumin primary antibody and a secondary antibody labelled with horseradish peroxidase (HRP). SECM measurements were performed in feedback mode using benzoquinone (BQ)/hydroquinone (H{sub 2}Q) redox couple. In presence of hydrogen peroxide (H{sub 2}O{sub 2}), HRP catalyzes the re-oxidation of H{sub 2}Q to BQ and the increment of BQ concentration in correspondence of the target protein was detected by SECM through the electrochemical reduction of the regenerated BQ at the microelectrode. Indeed, the localization of ovalbumin was possible thanks to a clear discrimination of SECM currents, achieved by the comparison of the measurements recorded before and after H{sub 2}O{sub 2} administration, based on the HRP on/off approach. The method was evaluated both on samples from standard mocks-up and on a historical sample, collected from a

  14. Accessible reactive surface area and abiotic redox reactivity of iron oxyhydroxides in acidic brines

    Science.gov (United States)

    Strehlau, Jennifer H.; Toner, Brandy M.; Arnold, William A.; Penn, R. Lee

    2017-01-01

    The reactivity of iron oxyhydroxide nanoparticles in low pH and high ionic strength solutions was quantified to assess abiotic contributions to oxidation-reduction chemistry in acidic brine environments, such as mine groundwater seepage, lakes in Western Australia, and acid mine drainage settings, which are of global interest for their environmental impacts and unique geomicrobiology. Factors expected to influence accessible and reactive surface area, including Fe(II) adsorption and aggregate size, were measured as a function of pH and CaCl2 concentration and related to the kinetics of redox reactions in aqueous suspensions of synthetic goethite (α-FeOOH), akaganeite (β-FeOOH), and ferrihydrite (Fe10O14(OH)2) nanoparticles. Aqueous conditions and iron oxyhydroxides were chosen based on characterization of natural iron-rich mine microbial mats located in Soudan Underground Mine State Park, Minnesota, USA. Quinone species were used as redox sensors because they are well-defined probes and are present in natural organic matter. Fe(II) adsorption to the iron oxyhydroxide mineral surfaces from aqueous solution was measurable only at pH values above 4 and either decreased or was not affected by CaCl2 concentration. Concentrations at or above 0.020 M CaCl2 in acetate buffer (pH 4.5) induced particle aggregation. Assessment of Fe(II) adsorption and particle aggregation in acidic brine suggested that accessible reactive surface area may be limited in acidic brines. This was supported by observations of decreasing benzoquinone reduction rate by adsorbed Fe(II) at high CaCl2 concentration. In contrast, the hydroquinone oxidation rate increased at high CaCl2 concentrations, which may be due to suppressed adsorption of Fe(II) generated by the reaction. Results suggest that iron geochemical cycling in acidic brine environments will be substantially different than for iron oxyhydroxides in low-saline waters with circumneutral pH. These findings have implications for acidic

  15. Chemoselective reduction of 1,4,6-cholestatrien-3-one and 1,4,6-androstatriene-3,17-dione by various hydride reagents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Eunjeong; Ma, Eunsook

    2007-04-01

    The chemoselectivity of rigid cyclic alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl group on the reducing agents was influenced by the ring size and steric factor. Cholesterol (cholest-5-en-3beta-ol) and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) were oxidized with 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone to form 1,4,6-cholestatrien-3-one and 1,4,6-androstatriene-3,17-dione. They were reduced with NaBH(4), lithium tri-sec-butylborohydride (l-Selectride), LiAlH(4), 9-borabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane (9-BBN), lithium triethylborohydride (Super-hydride), and BH(3) x (CH(3))(2)S in various conditions, respectively. Reduction of 1,4,6-cholestatrien-3-one and 1,4,6-androstatriene-3,17-dione by NaBH(4) (4 equiv.) produced 4,6-cholestadien-3beta-ol and 4,6-androstadiene-3beta,17beta-diol, respectively. Reduction by l-Selectride (12 equiv.) afforded 4,6-cholestadien-3alpha-ol and 4,6-androstadiene-3alpha,17beta-diol, chemoselectively. Reaction with Super-hydride (12 equiv.) produced 4,6-cholestadien-3-one and 3-oxo-4,6-androstadien-17beta-ol. Reduction of 1,4,6-cholestatrien-3-one by 9-BBN (14 equiv.) produced 1,4,6-cholestatrien-3alpha-ol, but 1,4,6-androstatriene-3,17-dione was not reacted with 9-BBN in the reaction conditions. Reaction of LiAlH(4) (6 equiv.) formed 4,6-cholestadien-3beta-ol and 3-oxo-1,4,6-androstatrien-17beta-ol. Reduction of 1,4,6-cholestatrien-3-one by BH(3) x (CH(3))(2)S (11 equiv.) gave cholestane as major compound and unlike reactivity of cholesterol, 1,4,6-androstatriene-3,17-dione by 8 equiv. of BH(3) x (CH(3))(2)S formed 3-oxo-1,4,6-androstatrien-17beta-ol. LiAlH(4) and BH(3) x (CH(3))(2)S showed relatively low chemoselectivity.

  16. Evidence of superoxide radical contribution to demineralization of sulfamethoxazole by visible-light-driven Bi{sub 2}O{sub 3}/Bi{sub 2}O{sub 2}CO{sub 3}/Sr{sub 6}Bi{sub 2}O{sub 9} photocatalyst

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ding, Shiyuan; Niu, Junfeng, E-mail: junfengn@bnu.edu.cn; Bao, Yueping; Hu, Lijuan

    2013-11-15

    Highlights: • Bi{sub 2}O{sub 3}/Bi{sub 2}O{sub 2}CO{sub 3}/Sr{sub 6}Bi{sub 2}O{sub 9} can degrade SMX efficiently using visible light. • 36% of TOC reduction was achieved after 120 min treatment. • The main mineralization products were confirmed. • Formation of O{sub 2}·{sup −} was evidenced by using ESR and a chemiluminescent probe. -- Abstract: Photocatalytic degradation of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) was investigated using Bi{sub 2}O{sub 3}/Bi{sub 2}O{sub 2}CO{sub 3}/Sr{sub 6}Bi{sub 2}O{sub 9} (BSO) photocatalyst under visible light (>420 nm) irradiation. The photochemical degradation of SMX followed pseudo-first-order kinetics. The reaction kinetics was determined as a function of initial SMX concentrations (5–20 mg L{sup −1}), initial pH (3–11) and BSO concentrations (6–600 mg L{sup −1}). Approximately, 90% of SMX (10 mg L{sup −1}) degradation and 36% of TOC reduction were achieved at pH 7.0 after 120 min irradiation. The main mineralization products, including NH{sub 4}{sup +}, NO{sub 3}{sup −}, SO{sub 4}{sup 2−} and CO{sub 2}, as well as intermediates 3-amino-5-methylisoxazole (AMI), p-benzoquinone (BZQ), and sulfanilic acid (SNA) were detected in aqueous solution. The formation of O{sub 2}·{sup −} radical was evidenced by using electron spin resonance and a chemiluminescent probe, luminal. A possible degradation mechanism involving excitation of BSO, followed by charge injection into the BSO conduction band and formation of reactive superoxide radical (O{sub 2}·{sup −}) was proposed for the mineralization of SMX. During the reaction, the O{sub 2}·{sup −} radical attacks the sulfone moiety and causes the cleavage of the S-N bond, which leads to the formation of two sub-structure analogs, AMI and SNA.

  17. Detection of novel visible-light region absorbance peaks in the urine after alkalization in patients with alkaptonuria.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yasunori Tokuhara

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Alkaptonuria, caused by a deficiency of homogentisate 1,2-dioxygenase, results in the accumulation of homogentisic acid (2,5-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, HGA in the urine. Alkaptonuria is suspected when the urine changes color after it is left to stand at room temperature for several hours to days; oxidation of homogentisic acid to benzoquinone acetic acid underlies this color change, which is accelerated by the addition of alkali. In an attempt to develop a facile screening test for alkaptonuria, we added alkali to urine samples obtained from patients with alkaptonuria and measured the absorbance spectra in the visible light region. METHODS: We evaluated the characteristics of the absorption spectra of urine samples obtained from patients with alkaptonuria (n = 2 and compared them with those of urine specimens obtained from healthy volunteers (n = 5 and patients with phenylketonuria (n = 3, and also of synthetic homogentisic acid solution after alkalization. Alkalization of the urine samples and HGA solution was carried out by the addition of NaOH, KOH or NH4OH. The sample solutions were incubated at room temperature for 1 min, followed by measurement of the absorption spectra. RESULTS: Addition of alkali to alkaptonuric urine yielded characteristic absorption peaks at 406 nm and 430 nm; an identical result was obtained from HGA solution after alkalization. The absorbance values at both 406 nm and 430 nm increased in a time-dependent manner. In addition, the absorbance values at these peaks were greater in strongly alkaline samples (NaOH- KOH-added as compared with those in weakly alkaline samples (NH4OH-added. In addition, the peaks disappeared following the addition of ascorbic acid to the samples. CONCLUSIONS: We found two characteristic peaks at 406 nm and 430 nm in both alkaptonuric urine and HGA solution after alkalization. This new quick and easy method may pave the way for the development of an easy method for the

  18. Digallane with redox-active diimine ligand: dualism of electron-transfer reactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fedushkin, Igor L; Skatova, Alexandra A; Dodonov, Vladimir A; Chudakova, Valentina A; Bazyakina, Natalia L; Piskunov, Alexander V; Demeshko, Serhiy V; Fukin, Georgy K

    2014-05-19

    The reactivity of digallane (dpp-Bian)Ga-Ga(dpp-Bian) (1), which consists of redox-active ligand 1,2-bis[(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imino]acenaphthene (dpp-Bian), has been studied. The reaction of 1 with I2 proceeds via one-electron oxidation of each of two dpp-Bian ligands to a radical-anionic state and affords complex (dpp-Bian)IGa-GaI(dpp-Bian) (2). Dissolution of complex 2 in pyridine (Py) gives monomeric compound (dpp-Bian)GaI(Py) (3) as a result of a solvent-induced intramolecular electron transfer from the metal-metal bond to the dpp-Bian ligands. Treatment of compound 3 with B(C6F5)3 leads to removal of pyridine and restores compound 2. The reaction of compound 1 with 3,6-di-tert-butyl-ortho-benzoquinone (3,6-Q) proceeds with oxidation of all the redox-active centers in 1 (the Ga-Ga bond and two dpp-Bian dianions) and results in mononuclear catecholate (dpp-Bian)Ga(Cat) (4) (Cat = [3,6-Q](2-)). Treatment of 4 with AgBF4 gives a mixture of [(dpp-Bian)2Ag][BF4] (5) and (dpp-Bian)GaF(Cat) (6), which both consist of neutral dpp-Bian ligands. The reduction of benzylideneacetone (BA) with 1 generates the BA radical-anions, which dimerize, affording (dpp-Bian)Ga-(BA-BA)-Ga(dpp-Bian) (7). In this case the Ga-Ga bond remains unchanged. Within 10 min at 95 °C in solution compound 7 undergoes transformation to paramagnetic complex (dpp-Bian)Ga(BA-BA) (8) and metal-free compound C36H40N2 (9). The latter is a product of intramolecular addition of the C-H bond of one of the iPr groups to the C═N bond in dpp-Bian. Diamagnetic compounds 3, 5, 6, and 9 have been characterized by NMR spectroscopy, and paramagnetic complexes 2, 4, 7, and 8 by ESR spectroscopy. Molecular structures of 2-7 and 9 have been established by single-crystal X-ray analysis.

  19. The Study of NADPH-Dependent Flavoenzyme-Catalyzed Reduction of Benzo[1,2-c]1,2,5-oxadiazole N-Oxides (Benzofuroxans

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jonas Šarlauskas

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available The enzymatic reactivity of a series of benzo[1,2-c]1,2,5-oxadiazole N-oxides (benzofuroxans; BFXs towards mammalian single-electron transferring NADPH:cytochrome P-450 reductase (P-450R and two-electron (hydride transferring NAD(PH:quinone oxidoreductase (NQO1 was examined in this work. Since the =N+ (→OO− moiety of furoxan fragments of BFXs bears some similarity to the aromatic nitro-group, the reactivity of BFXs was compared to that of nitro-aromatic compounds (NACs whose reduction mechanisms by these and other related flavoenzymes have been extensively investigated. The reduction of BFXs by both P-450R and NQO1 was accompanied by O2 uptake, which was much lower than the NADPH oxidation rate; except for annelated BFXs, whose reduction was followed by the production of peroxide. In order to analyze the possible quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSARs of the enzymatic reactivity of the compounds, their electron-accepting potency and other reactivity indices were assessed by quantum mechanical methods. In P-450R-catalyzed reactions, both BFXs and NACs showed the same reactivity dependence on their electron-accepting potency which might be consistent with an “outer sphere” electron transfer mechanism. In NQO1-catalyzed two-electron (hydride transferring reactions, BFXs acted as more efficient substrates than NACs, and the reduction efficacy of BFXs by NQO1 was in general higher than by single-electron transferring P-450R. In NQO1-catalyzed reactions, QSARs obtained showed that the reduction efficacy of BFXs, as well as that of NACs, was determined by their electron-accepting potency and could be influenced by their binding mode in the active center of NQO1 and by their global softness as their electronic characteristic. The reductive conversion of benzofuroxan by both flavoenzymes yielded the same reduction product of benzofuroxan, 2,3-diaminophenazine, with the formation of o-benzoquinone dioxime as a putative primary

  20. Degradation of Acid Orange 7 Dye in Two Hybrid Plasma Discharge Reactors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, Yongjun; Lei, Lecheng; Zhang, Xingwang; Ding, Jiandong

    2014-11-01

    To get an optimized pulsed electrical plasma discharge reactor and to increase the energy utilization efficiency in the removal of pollutants, two hybrid plasma discharge reactors were designed and optimized. The reactors were compared via the discharge characteristics, energy transfer efficiency, the yields of the active species and the energy utilization in dye wastewater degradation. The results showed that under the same AC input power, the characteristics of the discharge waveform of the point-to-plate reactor were better. Under the same AC input power, the two reactors both had almost the same peak voltage of 22 kV. The peak current of the point-to-plate reactor was 146 A, while that of the wire-to-cylinder reactor was only 48.8 A. The peak powers of the point-to-plate reactor and the wire-to-cylinder reactor were 1.38 MW and 1.01 MW, respectively. The energy per pulse of the point-to-plate reactor was 0.2221 J, which was about 29.4% higher than that of the wire-to-cylinder reactor (0.1716 J). To remove 50% Acid Orange 7 (AO7), the energy utilizations of the point-to-plate reactor and the wire-to-cylinder reactor were 1.02 × 10-9 mol/L and 0.61 × 10-9 mol/L, respectively. In the point-to-plate reactor, the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in pure water was 3.6 mmol/L after 40 min of discharge, which was higher than that of the wire-to-cylinder reactor (2.5 mmol/L). The concentration of liquid phase ozone in the point-to-plate reactor (5.7 × 10-2 mmol/L) was about 26.7% higher than that in the wire-to-cylinder reactor (4.5 × 10-2 mmol/L). The analysis results of the variance showed that the type of reactor and reaction time had significant impacts on the yields of the hydrogen peroxide and ozone. The main degradation intermediates of AO7 identified by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GCMS) were acetic acid, maleic anhydride, p-benzoquinone, phenol, benzoic acid, phthalic anhydride, coumarin and 2-naphthol. Proposed degradation pathways were

  1. A Novel Therapeutic Strategy for the Treatment of Glioma, Combining Chemical and Molecular Targeting of Hsp90α

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mehta, Adi; Shervington, Leroy; Munje, Chinmay; Shervington, Amal

    2011-01-01

    Hsp90α's vital role in tumour survival and progression, together with its highly inducible expression profile in gliomas and its absence in normal tissue and cell lines validates it as a therapeutic target for glioma. Hsp90α was downregulated using the post-transcriptional RNAi strategy (sihsp90α) and a post-translational inhibitor, the benzoquinone antibiotic 17-AAG. Glioblastoma U87-MG and normal human astrocyte SVGp12 were treated with sihsp90α, 17-AAG and concurrent sihsp90α/17-AAG (combined treatment). Both Hsp90α gene silencing and the protein inhibitor approaches resulted in a dramatic reduction in cell viability. Results showed that sihsp90α, 17-AAG and a combination of sihsp90α/17-AAG, reduced cell viability by 27%, 75% and 88% (p < 0.001), respectively, after 72 h. hsp90α mRNA copy numbers were downregulated by 65%, 90% and 99% after 72 h treatment with sihsp90α, 17-AAG and sihsp90α/17-AAG, respectively. The relationship between Hsp90α protein expression and its client Akt kinase activity levels were monitored following treatment with sihsp90α, 17-AAG and sihsp90α/17-AAG. Akt kinase activity was downregulated as a direct consequence of Hsp90α inhibition. Both Hsp90α and Akt kinase levels were significantly downregulated after 72 h. Although, 17-AAG when used as a single agent reduces the Hsp90α protein and the Akt kinase levels, the efficacy demonstrated by combinatorial treatment was found to be far more effective. Combination treatment reduced the Hsp90α protein and Akt kinase levels to 4.3% and 43%, respectively, after 72 h. hsp90α mRNA expression detected in SVGp12 was negligible compared to U87-MG, also, the combination treatment did not compromise the normal cell viability. Taking into account the role of Hsp90α in tumour progression and the involvement of Akt kinase in cell signalling and the anti-apoptotic pathways in tumours, this double targets treatment infers a novel therapeutic strategy

  2. Crystal structures of two 1:2 dihydrate compounds of chloranilic acid with 2-carboxypyridine and 2-carboxyquinoline

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kazuma Gotoh

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available The crystal structure of the 1:2 dihydrate compound of chloranilic acid (systematic name: 2,5-dichloro-3,6-dihydroxy-1,4-benzoquinone with 2-carboxypyridine (another common name: picolinic acid; systematic name: pyridine-2-carboxylic acid, namely, 2C6H5.5NO20.5+·C6HCl2O4−·2H2O, (I, has been determined at 180 K, and the structure of the 1:2 dihydrate compound of chloranilic acid with 2-carboxyquinoline (another common name: quinaldic acid; systematic name: quinoline-2-carboxylic acid, namely, 2C10H7NO2·C6H2Cl2O4·2H2O, (II, has been redetermined at 200 K. This determination presents a higher precision crystal structure than the previously published structure [Marfo-Owusu & Thompson (2014. X-ray Struct. Anal. Online, 30, 55–56]. Compound (I was analysed as a disordered structure over two states, viz. salt and co-crystal. The salt is bis(2-carboxypyridinium chloranilate dihydrate, 2C6H6NO2+·C6Cl2O42−·2H2O, and the co-crystal is bis(pyridinium-2-carboxylate chloranilic acid dihydrate, 2C6H5NO2·C6H2Cl2O4·2H2O, including zwitterionic 2-carboxypyridine. In both salt and co-crystal, the water molecule links the chloranilic acid and 2-carboxypyridine molecules through O—H...O and N—H...O hydrogen bonds. The 2-carboxypyridine molecules are connected into a head-to-head inversion dimer by a short O—H...O hydrogen bond, in which the H atom is disordered over two positions. Compound (II is a 1:2 dihydrate co-crystal of chloranilic acid and zwitterionic 2-carboxyquinoline. The water molecule links the chloranilic acid and 2-carboxyquinoline molecules through O—H...O hydrogen bonds. The 2-carboxyquinoline molecules are connected into a head-to-tail inversion dimer by a pair of N—H...O hydrogen bonds.

  3. Degradation of Acid Orange 7 Dye in Two Hybrid Plasma Discharge Reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shen Yongjun; Ding Jiandong; Lei Lecheng; Zhang Xingwang

    2014-01-01

    To get an optimized pulsed electrical plasma discharge reactor and to increase the energy utilization efficiency in the removal of pollutants, two hybrid plasma discharge reactors were designed and optimized. The reactors were compared via the discharge characteristics, energy transfer efficiency, the yields of the active species and the energy utilization in dye wastewater degradation. The results showed that under the same AC input power, the characteristics of the discharge waveform of the point-to-plate reactor were better. Under the same AC input power, the two reactors both had almost the same peak voltage of 22 kV. The peak current of the point-to-plate reactor was 146 A, while that of the wire-to-cylinder reactor was only 48.8 A. The peak powers of the point-to-plate reactor and the wire-to-cylinder reactor were 1.38 MW and 1.01 MW, respectively. The energy per pulse of the point-to-plate reactor was 0.2221 J, which was about 29.4% higher than that of the wire-to-cylinder reactor (0.1716 J). To remove 50% Acid Orange 7 (AO7), the energy utilizations of the point-to-plate reactor and the wire-to-cylinder reactor were 1.02 × 10 −9 mol/L and 0.61 × 10 −9 mol/L, respectively. In the point-to-plate reactor, the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in pure water was 3.6 mmol/L after 40 min of discharge, which was higher than that of the wire-to-cylinder reactor (2.5 mmol/L). The concentration of liquid phase ozone in the point-to-plate reactor (5.7 × 10 −2 mmol/L) was about 26.7% higher than that in the wire-to-cylinder reactor (4.5 × 10 −2 mmol/L). The analysis results of the variance showed that the type of reactor and reaction time had significant impacts on the yields of the hydrogen peroxide and ozone. The main degradation intermediates of AO7 identified by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GCMS) were acetic acid, maleic anhydride, p-benzoquinone, phenol, benzoic acid, phthalic anhydride, coumarin and 2-naphthol. Proposed degradation

  4. Reduction of Pu(V) and Np(V) by leonardite humic acids and their quinonoid-enriched derivatives

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shcherbina, N.S.; Kalmykov, St.N.; Perminova, I.V.; Kovalenko, A.N.

    2005-01-01

    Full text of publication follows: Humic substances (HS) are natural poly-electrolytes ubiquitous in aquatic environment responsible for complexation of metal ions. The presence of phenolic and quinonoid moieties in the structure of HS provide for their ability to take part in redox interactions. Capability of HS to reduce plutonium from higher oxidation states (Pu(V) and Pu(VI)) to tetravalent state was reported in several studies. However, the disparate results were reported for Np(V). The contradicting results on the redox behavior of HS could originate from the structural differences of the humic materials tested, in particular, from varying content of the redox-active quinonoid moieties. To test this hypothesis, the goal of this research was to evaluate reducing performance of leonardite humic acids and of their quinonoid-enriched derivatives with respect to Pu(V) and Np(V). The quinonoid-enriched humic derivatives were obtained using the reaction of formaldehyde co-poly-condensation between parent humic material - leonardite humic acid - and model dihydroxybenzenes - hydroquinone, catechol and 1,4-benzoquinone. The humic material: quinonoid monomer ration of 1 g per 250 mg was used. The reduction of Np(V) was studied at micro- and macro-concentration level: 10 -7 M and 10 -4 M, respectively. In case of Pu(V) the concentration was about 10 -10 M. The HS concentrations varied from 1 to 100 ppm, while ionic strength was zero. All experiments were conducted in anaerobic conditions and in the darkness. The kinetics of Pu(V) reduction was studied using solvent extraction (TTA in toluene); to monitor Np(V) reduction two independent techniques were used: solvent extraction and VIS-NIR spectrophotometry. The latter allows measuring absorbance of NpO 2 + and Np-humate complexes at 981.3 and 987.4 nm, respectively. Fast reduction of Pu(V) by the parent humic material was observed and the reduction rate increased with a decrease in pH. In case of Np(V), there was no

  5. Characterisation of recombinant pyranose oxidase from the cultivated mycorrhizal basidiomycete Lyophyllum shimeji (hon-shimeji

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yamabhai Montarop

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The flavin-dependent enzyme pyranose 2-oxidase (P2Ox has gained increased attention during the last years because of a number of attractive applications for this enzyme. P2Ox is a unique biocatalyst with high potential for biotransformations of carbohydrates and in synthetic carbohydrate chemistry. Recently, it was shown that P2Ox is useful as bioelement in biofuel cells, replacing glucose oxidase (GOx, which traditionally is used in these applications. P2Ox offers several advantages over GOx for this application, e.g., its much broader substrate specificity. Because of this renewed interest in P2Ox, knowledge on novel pyranose oxidases isolated from organisms other than white-rot fungi, which represent the traditional source of this enzyme, is of importance, as these novel enzymes might differ in their biochemical and physical properties. Results We isolated and over-expressed the p2ox gene encoding P2Ox from the ectomycorrhizal fungus Lyophyllum shimeji. The p2ox cDNA was inserted into the bacterial expression vector pET21a(+ and successfully expressed in E. coli Rosetta 2. We obtained active, flavinylated recombinant P2Ox in yields of approximately 130 mg per L of medium. The enzyme was purified by a two-step procedure based on anion exchange chromatography and preparative native PAGE, yielding an apparently homogenous enzyme preparation with a specific activity of 1.92 U/mg (using glucose and air oxygen as the substrates. Recombinant P2Ox from L. shimeji was characterized in some detail with respect to its physical and catalytic properties, and compared to the well-characterised enzymes from Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Trametes multicolor. Conclusion L. shimeji P2Ox shows properties that are comparable to those of P2Ox from white-rot fungal origin, and is in general characterised by lower Km and kcat values both for electron donor (sugar as well as electron acceptor (ferrocenium ion, 1,4-benzoquinone, 2

  6. Timely resolved measurements on CdSe nanoparticles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Holt, B.E. von

    2006-01-01

    By means of infrared spectroscopy the influence of the organic cover on structure and dynamics of CdSe nanoparticles was studied. First a procedure was developed, which allows to get from the static infrared spectrum informations on the quality of the organic cover and the binding behaviour of the ligands. On qualitatively high-grade and well characterized samples thereafter the dynamics of the lowest-energy electron level 1S e was time-resolvedly meausred in thew visible range. As reference served CdSe TOPO, which was supplemented by samples with the ligands octanthiole, octanic acid, octylamine, naphthoquinone, benzoquinone, and pyridine. The studied nanoparticles had a diameter of 4.86 nm. By means of the excitation-scanning or pump=probe procedure first measurements in the picosecond range were performed. The excitation wavelengths were thereby spectrally confined and so chosen that selectively the transitions 1S 3/2 -1S-e and 1P 3/2 -1P e but not the intermediately lyingt transition 2S 3/2 -1S e were excited. The excitation energies were kept so low that the excitation of several excitons in one crystal could be avoided. The scanning wavelength in the infrared corresponded to the energy difference between the electron levels 1S e and 1P e . The transients in the picosecond range are marked by a steep increasement of the signal, on which a multi-exponential decay follows. The increasement, which reproduces the popiulation of the excited state, isa inependent on the choice of the ligands. The influence of the organic cover is first visible in the different decay times of the excited electron levels. the decay of the measurement signal of CdSe TOPO can be approximatively described by three time constants: a decay constant in the early picosecond region, a time constant around hundert picoseconds, and a time constant of some nanoseconds. At increasing scanning wavelength the decay constants become longer. By directed excitation of the 1S 3/2 -1S e and the 1P 3

  7. Timely resolved measurements on CdSe nanoparticles; Zeitaufgeloeste Messungen an CdSe Nanopartikeln

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Holt, B.E. von

    2006-06-06

    By means of infrared spectroscopy the influence of the organic cover on structure and dynamics of CdSe nanoparticles was studied. First a procedure was developed, which allows to get from the static infrared spectrum informations on the quality of the organic cover and the binding behaviour of the ligands. On qualitatively high-grade and well characterized samples thereafter the dynamics of the lowest-energy electron level 1S{sub e} was time-resolvedly meausred in thew visible range. As reference served CdSe TOPO, which was supplemented by samples with the ligands octanthiole, octanic acid, octylamine, naphthoquinone, benzoquinone, and pyridine. The studied nanoparticles had a diameter of 4.86 nm. By means of the excitation-scanning or pump=probe procedure first measurements in the picosecond range were performed. The excitation wavelengths were thereby spectrally confined and so chosen that selectively the transitions 1S{sub 3/2}-1S-e and 1P{sub 3/2}-1P{sub e} but not the intermediately lyingt transition 2S{sub 3/2}-1S{sub e} were excited. The excitation energies were kept so low that the excitation of several excitons in one crystal could be avoided. The scanning wavelength in the infrared corresponded to the energy difference between the electron levels 1S{sub e} and 1P{sub e}. The transients in the picosecond range are marked by a steep increasement of the signal, on which a multi-exponential decay follows. The increasement, which reproduces the popiulation of the excited state, isa inependent on the choice of the ligands. The influence of the organic cover is first visible in the different decay times of the excited electron levels. the decay of the measurement signal of CdSe TOPO can be approximatively described by three time constants: a decay constant in the early picosecond region, a time constant around hundert picoseconds, and a time constant of some nanoseconds. At increasing scanning wavelength the decay constants become longer. By directed excitation

  8. Stabilization of oxidovanadium(IV) by organic radicals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kundu, Suman; Maity, Suvendu; Maity, Amarendra Nath; Ke, Shyue-Chu; Ghosh, Prasanta

    2013-04-07

    o-Imino-p-R'-benzosemiquinone anion radical (L(R')(IS)(˙-)) complexes of oxidovanadium(IV) of type [(L(1)(R-))(VO(2+))(L(R')(IS)(˙-))] (R = H, R' = H, 1; R = H, R' = -CMe(3), 2; R = -CMe(3), R' = H, 3 and R = -CMe(3), R' = -CMe(3), 4) incorporating the redox-innocent tridentate NNO-donor L(1)(R-) ligands (L(1)(R)H = 2,4-di-R-6-{(2-(pyridin-2-yl)hydrazono)methyl}phenol) were isolated and substantiated by elemental analyses, IR, mass, NMR and UV-vis spectra including the single crystal X-ray structure determinations. The V-O(phenolato) (cis to the V=O) lengths spanning 1.905(3)-1.9355(15) Å in 1-4 are consistent with the coordination to the [VO](2+) state. The V-O(IS) (trans to the V=O) lengths, 2.1505(17)-2.1869(15) Å, in 1-4 are longer due to the trans influence of the V=O bond. The V-N(IS) lengths, 1.906(3)-1.924(2) Å, in 1-4 are comparatively shorter due to the higher affinity of the paramagnetic [VO](2+) ion towards the L(R')(IS)(˙-) anion radicals. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations using B3LYP, B3PW91 and PBE1PBE functionals on 1 and 2 authenticated that the closed shell singlet (CSS) solutions (dianionic o-amido-p-R'-phenolates (L(R')(AP)(2-)) coordinated to VO(3+), Type I) of 1-4 are unstable with respect to the open shell singlet (OSS) perturbations. Broken symmetry, BS (1,1) M(s) = 0 (L(R')(IS)(˙-) coordinated to the VO(2+) ion, Type III) solutions of 1-4 are stable and reproduce the experimental bond parameters. Frozen glasses EPR spectra of [1-4](+) ions (e.g. g(||) = 1.948, g(⊥) = 1.978, A(||) = 184 (22 G), A(⊥) = 62(15 G) for [2](+)) and unrestricted DFT calculations on [1](+), [2](+), [1](-) and [2](-) ions using doublet spin state elucidated that the reversible anodic waves at [0.15-0.31] V of 1-4 complexes are due to the oxidation of L(R')(IS)(˙-) generating [(L(1)(R-))(VO(2+))(L(R')(IQ))]+ complexes (L(R')(IQ) = o-imino-p-R'-benzoquinone) coordinated to the [VO](2+) ion (Type V) while the irreversible cathodic waves at -[1

  9. Design and synthesis of polymer, carbon and composite electrodes for high energy and high power supercapacitors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arcila Velez, Margarita Rosa

    ordered structure of the VACNTs showed superior performance compared to randomly oriented CNTs. To increase the energy density, the second approach was taken, by combining pre-synthesized conducting polymers (CPs) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) using a facile scalable dispersion filtration method to produce free-standing electrodes. Composites with the three main CPs were prepared, analyzed in various electrolytes, and their performance was comparable with polymer/ CNT films prepared with more complex techniques such as in-situ polymerization and pellet pressing. Then, based on the idea that the quinone molecules present in lignin store charge by undergoing a 2 proton, 2 electron redox reaction, a composite between polypyrrole, a stable conducting polymer, and the prototypical molecule p-benzoquinone was fabricated by electropolymerization of pyrrole in the presence of the redox molecule. A significant increase in capacitance and capacity was obtained with respect to polypyrrole films. Furthermore, an important obstacle in the application of CPs in SCs is the lack of easily reduced (n-dopable) polymers. Poly(aminoanthraquinone) (PAQ) is a conjugated polymer that shows electroactivity in the negative potential range of 0 to -2 V, due to the redox moieties of the polymer. PAQ was electropolymerized on free-standing CNT films and its performance as anode for SCs was studied. The materials and processing techniques described in this dissertation are useful to further develop high power/high energy electrodes for SCs.

  10. New Class of Flow Batteries for Terrestrial and Aerospace Energy Storage Applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bugga, Ratnakumar V.; West, William C.; Kindler, Andrew; Smart, Marshall C.

    2013-01-01

    Future sustainable energy generation technologies such as photovoltaic and wind farms require advanced energy storage systems on a massive scale to make the alternate (green) energy options practical. The daunting requirements of such large-scale energy systems such as long operating and cycle life, safety, and low cost are not adequately met by state-of-the-art energy storage technologies such as vanadium flow cells, lead-acid, and zinc-bromine batteries. Much attention is being paid to redox batteries specifically to the vanadium redox battery (VRB) due to their simplicity, low cost, and good life characteristics compared to other related battery technologies. NASA is currently seeking high-specific- energy and long-cycle-life rechargeable batteries in the 10-to-100-kW range to support future human exploration missions, such as planetary habitats, human rovers, etc. The flow batteries described above are excellent candidates for these applications, as well as other applications that propose to use regenerative fuel cells. A new flow cell technology is proposed based on coupling two novel electrodes in the form of solvated electron systems (SES) between an alkali (or alkaline earth) metal and poly aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), separated by an ionically conducting separator. The cell reaction involves the formation of such SES with a PAH of high voltage in the cathode, while the alkali (or alkaline earth metal) is reduced from such an MPAH complex in the anode half-cell. During recharge, the reactions are reversed in both electrodes. In other words, the alkali (alkaline earth) metal ion simply shuttles from one M-PAH complex (SES) to another, which are separated by a metal-ion conducting solid or polymer electrolyte separator. As an example, the concept was demonstrated with Li-naphthalene//Li DDQ (DDQ is 2,3-Dichloro-5,6-dicyano- 1,4-benzoquinone) separated by lithium super ion conductor, either ceramic or polymer (solid polymer or gel polymer) electrolytes. The

  11. Coupling of the 4f Electrons in Lanthanide Molecules

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kazhdan, Daniel [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)

    2008-09-01

    ;-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine) and (C5Me5)2Yb(6-methyl-2,2'-bipyridine), the valence, as measured by XANES, changes as a function of temperature. In general, the magnetism in complexes of the type (C5Me5)2Yb(bipy.-), where bipyo represents 2,2'-bipyridine and substituted 2,2'-bipyridine ligands, is described by a multiconfiguration model, in which the ground state is an open-shell singlet composed of two configurations: Yb(III, f13)(bipy.-) and Yb(II, f14)(bipyo). The relative contributions of the two configurations depends on the substituents on the bipyridine ligand.[(C5Me5)3Ln]2(L) (Ln = Ce, Tb; L = 4,4'-bipyridine, 1,4-benzoquinone) are synthesized in order to study the effect of these ligands on the oxidation states of the metal as well as to study intramolecular coupling between two lanthanides fragments.

  12. Radiation Polymerization of Acetylene Hydrocarbons. Special Features; Particularites de la polymerisation radiochimique des hydrocarbures acetyleniques; Radiatsionnaya polimerizatsiya atsetilenovykh proizvodnykh; Particularidades de la radiopolimerizacion de los hidrocarburos acetilenicos

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Barkalov, I. M.; Gol' danskij, V. I.; Go, Min' -Gao

    1963-11-15

    The synthesis and study of the properties of polymers with conjugated bond systems offers new and extremely promising prospects in the chemistry of high molecular compounds. A high degree of de-localization of p-electrons in the macromolecule is characteristic of such polymer systems. The decrease in the energy excited in the triplet state, just like the diminished ionization potential with large conjugated bonds, conditions the semiconductor and specific magnetic properties of such compounds. In addition, polymer systems with conjugated bonds have proved to be extremely effective stabilizers in the thermo- and photo-oxidation destruction of polymers. The radiation polymerization of acetylene derivatives offers one suitable method of obtaining such polymers and is the only one which ensures that the polymers obtained are free of contamination from initiators at low temperatures. The kinetics of the radiation polymerization of ethynyl benzene and other acetylene derivatives have a number of features typical of ion polymerization quite rare in radical polymerization (speed of polymerization linearly proportional to speed of initiation: very low activation energy; no oxygen inhibition). Nevertheless this polymerization is obviously radical. We reached that conclusion on the basis of a study of polymerization initiation for acetylene hydrocarbons by typical radical initiators - benzoyl peroxide and the dinitrile of azoisobutyric acid. They investigated the kinetic features and mechanism of peroxide decomposition in the presence of acetylene hydrocarbons (e.g. ethynyl benzene, deutero-ethynyl benzene and phenylpropyne). The kinetics of radiation co-polymerization of ethynyl benzene with different vinyl monomers and the composition of copolymers in different initial mixtures were also studied. These data and the results of a study of the kinetics of inhibited ethynyl benzene polymerization (benzoquinone initiator) indicate a small reactivity capacity of the ethynyl

  13. Catalytic Oxidation of Phenol over Zeolite Based Cu/Y-5 Catalyst: Part 1: Catalyst Preparation and Characterization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    K. Maduna Valkaj

    2015-01-01

    -Mead method of nonlinear regression. On the basis of the obtained results of characterization process and conducted catalytic tests, the following can be observed. Zeolite structure of the prepared catalyst was confirmed through powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and adsorption techniques. Their catalytic performance was monitored in terms of phenol and total organic carbon (TOC conversions, hydrogen peroxide decomposition, by-product distribution and degree of copper leached into the aqueous solution. The obtained experimental results indicate that in the space of 180 minutes, the use of these catalysts allows almost total elimination of phenol and significant removal of total organic carbon content with the use of small amounts of catalyst (0.1 g dm–3 and substoichiometric level (71.4 % of oxidant required for complete oxidation of organic pollutant. The main product among aromatics was catechol, followed by hydroquinone and benzoquinone, which exhibited the typical pattern for a series reaction scheme. The distribution of carboxylic acids was as follows: maleic, fumaric, acetic and oxalic acids. These low-molecular carboxylic acids and aromatic compounds were responsible for the TOC that remained after almost complete removal of phenol. Moreover, one of the most interesting options was to use CWPO as a pre-treatment prior to biological treatment, for simple organic acids that are highly biodegradable. During the reactions, destabilization of the catalyst was observed in terms of leaching of copper from zeolite into the reaction mixture, but the previous investigations of similar catalytic systems showed that the activity of the solid catalyst was not due to the homogeneous contribution of the copper leached from the catalyst, but was more likely due to the activity of the heterogeneous catalyst. Further investigations on the mechanism of catalyst destabilization and methods of stabilization are the subject of the following article in the series. The

  14. Applications of hydrogen peroxide in electrochemical technology

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alvarez Gallegos, Alberto Armando

    1998-12-01

    It is demonstrated that hydrogen peroxide can be produced with a current efficiency of 40-70% by the cathodic reduction of oxygen at a reticulated vitreous carbon electrode in a divided flow-cell using catholytes consisting of aqueous chloride or sulphate media, pH >>{sub 2}. The supporting electrolyte does not influence either the current efficiency for H{sub 2}O{sub 2} or its rate of production. The current efficiency for H{sub 2}O{sub 2} is not a strong function of the potential and this suggests that 2e- and 4e- reduction of oxygen occurs in parallel at different sites on the carbon surface. Voltammetry experiments showed that (a) the I-E response for oxygen reduction at pH >>{sub 2} is a function of the electrode surface and/or the supporting electrolyte; (b) both H{sub 2} evolution and oxygen reduction are retarded on carbon with increasing ionic strength; (c) the presence of ferrous ions lead to the homogeneous decomposition of H{sub 2}O{sub 2} away from the cathode surface but their effectiveness as a catalyst for this decomposition depends on their speciation in solution which changes during an electrolysis. The use of a three-dimensional electrode fabricated from reticulated vitreous carbon allows Fenton`s reagent to be electroproduced at a practical rate which makes possible the removal of organics in slightly acidic aqueous media. A wide range of highly toxic organic molecules (phenol, catechol, hydroquinone, p-benzoquinone, oxalic acid, aniline, cresol and amaranth) have been oxidised in mild conditions and a significant fraction of the organic carbon is evolved as CO{sub 2}. In all cases studied the initial chemical oxygen demand (COD) was depleted to levels higher than 85%, indicating a complete mineralisation of the organic pollutants. The life-time of the reticulated vitreous carbon cathode was demonstrated to be over 1000 hours during two and a half years of experiments. During this time the cathode performance was very good, leading to

  15. Interventions for paracetamol (acetaminophen) overdose.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chiew, Angela L; Gluud, Christian; Brok, Jesper; Buckley, Nick A

    2018-02-23

    benefits and underestimation of harms). We used Trial Sequential Analysis to control risks of random errors (i.e. play of chance) and GRADE to assess the quality of the evidence and constructed 'Summary of findings' tables using GRADE software. We identified 11 randomised clinical trials (of which one acetylcysteine trial was abandoned due to low numbers recruited), assessing several different interventions in 700 participants. The variety of interventions studied included decontamination, extracorporeal measures, and antidotes to detoxify paracetamol's toxic metabolite; which included methionine, cysteamine, dimercaprol, or acetylcysteine. There were no randomised clinical trials of agents that inhibit cytochrome P-450 to decrease the activation of the toxic metabolite N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine.Of the 11 trials, only two had two common outcomes, and hence, we could only meta-analyse two comparisons. Each of the remaining comparisons included outcome data from one trial only and hence their results are presented as described in the trials. All trial analyses lack power to access efficacy. Furthermore, all the trials were at high risk of bias. Accordingly, the quality of evidence was low or very low for all comparisons. Interventions that prevent absorption, such as gastric lavage, ipecacuanha, or activated charcoal were compared with placebo or no intervention and with each other in one four-armed randomised clinical trial involving 60 participants with an uncertain randomisation procedure and hence very low quality. The trial presented results on lowering plasma paracetamol levels. Activated charcoal seemed to reduce the absorption of paracetamol, but the clinical benefits were unclear. Activated charcoal seemed to have the best risk:benefit ratio among gastric lavage, ipecacuanha, or supportive treatment if given within four hours of ingestion. There seemed to be no difference between gastric lavage and ipecacuanha, but gastric lavage and ipecacuanha seemed more