Important Chemical Markers Research Articles

Rapid onsite detection of bacterial spores of biothreat importance by paper-based colorimetric method using erbium-pyrocatechol violet complex.

Dipicolinic acid (DPA) is an important chemical marker for the detection of bacterial spores. In this study, complexes of lanthanide series elements such as erbium, europium, neodymium, and terbium were prepared with pyrocatechol violet and effectively immobilized the pyrocatechol violet (PV)-metal complex on a filter paper using polyvinyl alcohol. These filter paper strips were employed for the onsite detection of bacterial spores. The test filter papers were evaluated quantitatively with different concentrations of DPA and spores of various bacteria. Among the four lanthanide ions, erbium displayed better sensitivity than the other ions. The limit of detection of this test for DPA was 60 μM and 5 × 10(6) spores. The effect of other non-spore-forming bacteria and interfering chemicals on the test strips was also evaluated. The non-spore-forming bacteria did not have considerable effect on the test strip whereas chemicals such as EDTA had significant effects on the test results. The present test is rapid and robust, capable of providing timely results for better judgement to save resources on unnecessary decontamination procedures during false alarms.

Study on effects of sulfur fumigation on chemical constituents of Chrysanthemum morifolium cv.Boju

A comprehensively comparison of the chemical profiles between sun-drying BJ (NBJ) and sulfur-fumigated BJ (SBJ) was conducted by HPLC analysis and the discrepant peaks were identified or tentatively assigned by HPLC-ESI-MSn. A total of 32 chemical components were used for qualitative comparison. Meanwhile, a quantitative comparison of BJwere conducted by HPLC analysis and determining seven compounds from 3 NBJ and 3 SBJ samples dramatic chemical changes were found. After sulfur fumigation, the contents of flavonoids glycosides and phenolic acids were remarkably reduced, but the contents of flavonoids aglycones were significantly increased. Multivariate statistics, including principle component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares discriminate analysis (PLS-DA) were used to investigate the potential damaging effect of sulfur-fumigating process. The PCA score plots showed six samples were clearly classified into the sun-drying and sulfur-fumigating groups. And according to VIP >1, the most important chemical markers were apigenin, luteolin and 3,5-dicaffeoylquninic acid which could be used to distinguish NBJ and SBJ samples. Combining the results of qualitative and quantitative analysis, it showed that the sulfur fumigation has a significant effect on BJ.

Chemical fingerprint of Ganmaoling granule by double-wavelength ultra high performance liquid chromatography and ultra high performance liquid chromatography with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

A method incorporating double-wavelength ultra high performance liquid chromatography with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry was developed for the investigation of the chemical fingerprint of Ganmaoling granule. The chromatographic separations were performed on an ACQUITY UPLC HSS C18 column (2.1 × 50 mm, 1.8 μm) at 30°C using gradient elution with water/formic acid (1%) and acetonitrile at a flow rate of 0.4 mL/min. A total of 11 chemical constituents of Ganmaoling granule were identified from their molecular weight, UV spectra, tandem mass spectrometry data, and retention behavior by comparing the results with those of the reference standards or literature. And 25 peaks were selected as the common peaks for fingerprint analysis to evaluate the similarities among 25 batches of Ganmaoling granule. The results of principal component analysis and orthogonal projection to latent structures discriminant analysis showed that the important chemical markers that could distinguish the different batches were revealed as 4,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid, 3,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid, and 4-O-caffeoylquinic acid. This is the first report of the ultra high performance liquid chromatography chemical fingerprint and component identification of Ganmaoling granule, which could lay a foundation for further studies of Ganmaoling granule.

Chemical quality of Chrysanthemum morifolium cv.‘Hangju’(HJ) induced by sulfur fumigation processing

Eight compounds from six Chrysanthemum morifolium cv. 'Hangju' were determined and multivariate statistics, including principle component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares discriminate analysis (PLS-DA) were used to investigate the potential damaging effect of sulfr-fumigating process. Meanwhile, S, Mn, Fe, Cu, Pb were also detected by using ICP-MS and ICP-OES. In this study, dramatic chemical changes were found that the contents of flavonoid aglycones remarkably increased while those of glycosides and hydroxycinnamoylquinic acids were significantly reduced. The PCA score plots showed six samples were clearly classified into the non-fumigated and sulfur-fumigated types. And according to VIP > 1, the most important chemical markers were luteolin, apigenin and luteolin-7-O-glucoside which indicated that the extracted three components might have a marked effect on the discrimination among different group samples. And then, it was found that the residue of sulfur of SHJ were significantly higher than NHJ (P < 0.05). The established approach was applied to rapidly discriminate sulfur-fumigated HJ with combining the quantitative chemical analysis and multivariate statistical analysis, and then the result will provide some evidence to evaluat the quality of HJ and control its processing.

In vitro & in vivo assessment of a herbal formula used topically for bone fracture treatment

Aim of the study A novel topical paste used for fracture healing (FH), consisting of the extracts of six herbs, Radix Dipsaci, Ramulus Sambucus Williamsii, Rhizoma Notoginseng, Flos Carthami, Rhizoma Rhei and Fructus Gardeniae, was developed according to the classical theory of traditional Chinese medicine. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of this formula, and some of its important chemical components in the promotion of fracture healing. The transdermal transport of FH was also examined. Materials and methods The osteogenic, angiogenic and nitric oxide suppressing effects of FH and its important chemical marker components were assessed by using osteoblastosacroma UMR-106 cells, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and murine macrophage RAW264.7 cells, respectively. The bone healing effects of the FH paste and its transdermal absorption were determined using a rabbit fracture model. The callus sizes, bone specific alkaline phosphatase levels and biomechanical properties of the healed bone were assessed. Results FH significantly increased the cell proliferation in UMR-106 and HUVEC cells and inhibited the nitric oxide production in murine macrophage in dose-dependent manner. Its important chemical components asperosaponin VI, ginsenoside Rg1 and emodin were shown to be acting positively in the respective in vitro studies. FH paste significantly improved the bone healing in the rabbit fracture model, as was indicated by the increases in callus size at weeks 2–5, and the elevations in bone specific alkaline phosphatase activities at weeks 5–6. The analysis using LC/MS/MS also showed the presence of important chemical marker components of the FH formula in the plasma after 8 weeks of topical treatment. Conclusion This study presents the first scientific evidence of the efficacy of a herbal paste in the promotion of fracture healing. There were evidences of transdermal transport of the chemical components, control the inflammation through nitric oxide inhibition, promotion of angiogenesis, and bone healing in the in vitro tests, as well as in the experimental animal.

Determination of Grape Quality at Harvest Using Fourier-Transform Mid-Infrared Spectroscopy and Multivariate Analysis

A rapid method for the simultaneous measurement of gluconic acid and glycerol, two important chemical markers of grape infection, was developed using Fourier-transform mid-infrared (FT-MIR) spectroscopy. The method used a combination of FT-MIR with partial-least squares (PLS) regression and compositional data of Trebbiano and Sangiovese grapes obtained with high performance ion-exchange chromatography (HPLC). A total of 320 grape samples were analyzed, including grapes hand picked in the vineyards (200 samples) and mechanically sampled from trucks upon arrival at the wineries (120 samples). Gluconic acid and glycerol increased with increasing percentage of grape infection assessed by visual inspection (<i>r</i> = 0.928). The best result was obtained for gluconic acid (<i>R</i>² = 0.979; RMSECV = 0.63; RPD = 7.0), indicating that FT-MIR was suitable for process control.

Volatile Components from Selected Mexican, Ecuadorian, Greek, German and Japanese Liverworts

Twenty-one liverworts from Mexico, Ecuador, Greece, Germany and Japan were extracted with diethyl ether and the crude extracts analyzed by TLC and GC/MS. Several volatile sesqui- and diterpenoids, and also bibenzyls were identified. Many of these compounds are important chemical markers of liverworts genus or family. Sacculatane-type diterpene dialdehydes occur in the Pelliaceae family, while bibenzyls, especially with a prenyl group are characteristic of the Japanese Radula perrottetii. Eudesman-type sesquiterpene lactones and pinguisane-type sesquiterpenoids are significant markers of Frullania tamarisci and Trocholejeunea sandvicensis, respectively. The Greek Fossombronia angulosa contained exactly the same compounds previously found in brown algae. Such chemical similarity suggests that some families of liverworts and algae may have an evolutionary relationship.

Chapter Five: Distribution of Terpenoids and Aromatic Compounds in Selected Southern Hemispheric Liverworts

Bryophytes contain a large number of terpenoids and aromatic compounds. In this article, the chemical constituents of selected liverworts collected in New Zealand, Malaysia, Madagascar, Argentina, Ecuador, and other southern hemispheric countries are discussed. The southern hemisphere is a region of extraordinarily high liverwort diversity. Many of compounds isolated from these liverworts have been represented by novel carbon skeletons and are important chemical markers of a liverwort's genus or family. Many of these compounds also have interesting biological activity.

Rapid analysis of pseudolaric acids in Cortex Pseudolaricis and related medicinal products by high performance liquid chromatography

A simple, rapid, reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatographic method was developed for the quantitative analysis of pseudolaric acids in Cortex Pseudolaricis and its related medicinal products. With a C 18 analytical column (4.6 mm × 150 mm i.d.), five pseudolaric acids, namely pseudolaric acids A–C, pseudolaric acid A- O-β- d-glucopyranoside and pseudolaric acid B- O-β- d-glucopyranoside, were well separated within 7 min. Acetonitrile and 0.10% acetic acid were used as the mobile phase in a gradient program. The UV detection wavelength was set at 260 nm. The detection limits and quantification limits ranged in 8.26–16.66 ng/ml and 27.54–55.53 ng/ml, respectively. The intra- and inter-day variations were less than 1% for all five compounds. The recovery of all spiked pseudolaric acids ranged from 99.1% to 101.9%. Compared to existing analytical methods, this new method not only used two more important chemical markers but also provided a fivefold reduction in analysis time. In addition, the extraction method of herb sample was also modified by an orthogonal array experiment on three variable parameters: extraction time, solvent volume, and extraction cycles. The optimized extraction method was much simpler and could be efficiently used to analyse large set of herbal materials and related medicinal products. Nineteen herb samples collected from different regions of China and five related products were examined with this new analytical method. The results showed that this method is effective in distinguishing adulterants and unqualified products.

TMAH thermochemolysis characterization of marine sedimentary organic matter in a Newfoundland fjord

Marine sedimentary organic matter of Trinity Bay and its associated fjord, the Northwest Arm (Newfoundland), was characterized by “batch-wise” tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide (TMAH) thermochemolysis. TMAH thermochemolysis products were characterized using GC/MS, and they included aromatic and aliphatic compounds determined as methyl esters and ethers. The dominant aliphatic compounds are fatty acids that ranged from C 14 to C 28, with a predominance of even carbon numbered species, and are either saturated, mono-unsaturated or branched. The aromatic compounds are phenols, of which the most abundant is 3,4-dimethoxybenzoic acid methyl ester, an important chemical marker in evaluating the terrestrial contribution to the organic carbon pool. The spatial variation of the thermochemolysates shows expected higher abundances of fatty acids and phenols in the near-shore sediments of the Northwest Arm compared to those of the offshore sediment cores. 210Pb dates of sediments of two near-shore cores enabled calculation of annual preserved fluxes of organic carbon, total fatty acids and phenols. The temporal and spatial input of phenols appear to be significantly influenced by saw-milling and logging activities of the local communities in the surrounding watershed.

Screening of citrus rootstocks for salt tolerance in semi-arid climates - A review

Generally, Citrus species are grown in tropical and sub-tropical climates where the rainfall is limited, so irrigation is required to sustain the plant growth, creating salinity problems. Citrus species are very sensitive to salinity. Salinity affects seed germination, plant growth, fruit yield and it causes nutrient imbalances in the plants. The most harmful constituent of saline soils is NaCl. Under saline conditions, Na+ and Cl- ions increase in the plant and K+ and Mn2+ decrease. To select salt tolerant rootstocks for citrus, screening of germplasm is required. Both in vivo and in vitro techniques have been used for screening. NaCl is the principal salt used for the screening experiments. The plants tolerate salinity either by exclusion or less transportation of Na+ and Cl- to aerial plant parts. Na+, Cl- and Na:K ratio are important chemical markers, which can be used for approximating the salt tolerance in citrus rootstocks. Callus browning can also be considered as an index for screening purposes. Cleopatra mandarin, Rangpur lime, Citrus macrophylla, Sunki mandarin and Shekwasha mandarin are rootstocks tolerant to salinity and rough lemon and trifoliate orange are sensitive. However, variation in salt tolerance exists among the strains of various citrus rootstocks.

Sesquiterpenoids from Chiloscyphus, Clasmatocolea and Frullania species

Eight liverworts, Chiloscyphus polyanthus and Clasmatocolea vermicularis (Lophocoleaceae), Frullania apiculata, F. clavata, F. folciloba, F. gaudichaudii, F. serrata and F. ternatensis (Frullaniaceae) were chemically investigated. ent-7,8-Eudesmanolides are important chemical markers of C. polyanthos and C. vermicularis. The latter species also produces 6,7-eudesmanolides which are the chemical markers of Frullania species. C. polyanthos and C. vermicularis are chemically quite close to some Diplophyllum species belonging to Scapaniaceae. The structure of 5β-hydroxydiplophyllolide previously isolated from C. polyanthos was revised to ent-7α-hydroxydiplophyllolide by analysis of its 1H NMR spectrum. From the chemical constituents, the six Frullania species are classified to three chemotypes.

Aromatic esters and terpenoids of the liverworts in the genera Trichocolea, Neotrichocolea and Trichocoleopsis

Three liverworts, Trichocolea tomentella, Neotrichocolea bissethii and Trichocoleopsis sacculata belonging to Jungermanniales were chemically investigated. Isoprenyl benzoates are the important chemical markers of Trichocolea tomentella. Neotrichocolea bissethii elaborates sesquiterpenes as the major components. The sacculatane-type diterpenes and pinguisane-type sesquiterpenes are the significant chemosystematic markers of Trichocoleopsis sacculata. These three species are chemically quite different. Trichocoleopsis sacculata is chemically rather close to Porella species. The present chemical results support the recent morphological classification of the above three species proposed by Schuster. Some species of Jungermanniales are chemically identical to those of Metzgeriales and these results also support the phylogenetic classification in which the two orders have been united within the subclass Jungermanniae.