Unraveling the structure and chemical mechanisms of highly oxygenated intermediates in oxidation of organic compounds.

Decades of research on the autooxidation of organic compounds have provided fundamental and practical insights into these processes; however, the structure of many key autooxidation intermediates and the reactions leading to their formation still remain unclear. This work provides additional experimental evidence that highly oxygenated intermediates with one or more hydroperoxy groups are prevalent in the autooxidation of various oxygenated (e.g., alcohol, aldehyde, keto compounds, ether, and ester) and nonoxygenated (e.g., normal alkane, branched alkane, and cycloalkane) organic compounds. These findings improve our understanding of autooxidation reaction mechanisms that are routinely used to predict fuel ignition and oxidative stability of liquid hydrocarbons, while also providing insights relevant to the formation mechanisms of tropospheric aerosol building blocks. The direct observation of highly oxygenated intermediates for the autooxidation of alkanes at 500-600 K builds upon prior observations made in atmospheric conditions for the autooxidation of terpenes and other unsaturated hydrocarbons; it shows that highly oxygenated intermediates are stable at conditions above room temperature. These results further reveal that highly oxygenated intermediates are not only accessible by chemical activation but also by thermal activation. Theoretical calculations on H-atom migration reactions are presented to rationalize the relationship between the organic compound's molecular structure (n-alkane, branched alkane, and cycloalkane) and its propensity to produce highly oxygenated intermediates via extensive autooxidation of hydroperoxyalkylperoxy radicals. Finally, detailed chemical kinetic simulations demonstrate the influence of these additional reaction pathways on the ignition of practical fuels.

Identification of a 3-Alkylpyridinium Compound from the Red Sea Sponge Amphimedon chloros with In Vitro Inhibitory Activity against the West Nile Virus NS3 Protease.

Viruses are underrepresented as targets in pharmacological screening efforts, given the difficulties of devising suitable cell-based and biochemical assays. In this study we found that a pre-fractionated organic extract of the Red Sea sponge Amphimedon chloros was able to inhibit the West Nile Virus NS3 protease (WNV NS3). Using liquid chromatography⁻mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, the identity of the bioactive compound was determined as a 3-alkylpyridinium with m/z = 190.16. Diffusion Ordered Spectroscopy (DOSY) NMR and NMR relaxation rate analysis suggest that the bioactive compound forms oligomers of up to 35 kDa. We observed that at 9.4 µg/mL there was up to 40⁻70% inhibitory activity on WNV NS3 protease in orthogonal biochemical assays for solid phase extracts (SPE) of A. chloros. However, the LC-MS purified fragment was effective at inhibiting the protease up to 95% at an approximate amount of 2 µg/mL with negligible cytotoxicity to HeLa cells based on a High-Content Screening (HCS) cytological profiling strategy. To date, 3-alkylpyridinium type natural products have not been reported to show antiviral activity since the first characterization of halitoxin, or 3-alkylpyridinium, in 1978. This study provides the first account of a 3-alkylpyridinium complex that exhibits a proposed antiviral activity by inhibiting the NS3 protease. We suggest that the here-described compound can be further modified to increase its stability and tested in a cell-based assay to explore its full potential as a potential novel antiviral capable of inhibiting WNV replication.

Synthesis and evaluation of modified chalcone based p53 stabilizing agents.

Tumor suppressor protein p53 induces cell cycle arrest and apoptotic cell death in response to various cellular stresses thereby preventing cancer development. Activation and stabilization of p53 through small organic molecules is, therefore, an attractive approach for the treatment of cancers retaining wild-type p53. In this context, a series of nineteen chalcones with various substitution patterns of functional groups including chloro, fluoro, methoxy, nitro, benzyloxy, 4-methyl benzyloxy was prepared using Claisen-Schmidt condensation. The compounds were characterized using NMR, HRMS, IR and melting points. Evaluation of synthesized compounds against human colorectal (HCT116) and breast (CAL-51) cancer cell lines revealed potent antiproliferative activities. Nine compounds displayed GI50 values in the low micromolar to submicromolar range; for example (E)-1-phenyl-3-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)prop-2-en-1-one (SSE14108) showed GI50 of 0.473±0.043µM against HCT116 cells. Further analysis of these compounds revealed that (E)-3-(4-chlorophenyl)-1-phenylprop-2-en-1-one (SSE14105) and (E)-3-(4-methoxyphenyl)-1-phenylprop-2-en-1-one (SSE14106) caused rapid (4 and 8-h post-treatment) accumulation of p53 in HCT116 cells similar to its induction by positive control, Nutlin-3. Such activities were absent in 3-(4-methoxyphenyl)propiophenone (SSE14106H2) demonstrating the importance of conjugated ketone for antiproliferative and p53 stabilizing activity of the chalcones. We further evaluated p53 levels in the presence of cycloheximide (CHX) and the results showed that the p53 stabilization was regulated at post-translational level through blockage of its degradation. These chalcones can, therefore, act as fragment leads for further structure optimization to obtain more potent p53 stabilizing agents with enhanced anti-proliferative activities.

The formation of [M-H]+ ions in N-alkyl-substituted thieno[3,4-c]-pyrrole-4,6-dione derivatives during atmospheric pressure photoionization mass spectrometry.

RATIONALE: The formation of ions during atmospheric pressure photoionization (APPI) mass spectrometry in the positive mode usually provides radical cations and/or protonated species. Intriguingly, during the analysis of some N-alkyl-substituted thieno[3,4-c]pyrrole-4,6-dione (TPD) derivatives synthesized in our laboratory, unusual [M-H](+) ion peaks were observed. In this work we investigate the formation of [M-H](+) ions observed under APPI conditions. METHODS: Multiple experimental parameters, including the type of ionization source, the composition of the solvent, the type of dopant, the infusion flow rate, and the length of the alkyl side chain were investigated to determine their effects on the formation of [M-H](+) ions. In addition, a comparison study of the gas-phase tandem mass spectrometric (MS/MS) fragmentation of [M + H](+) vs [M-H](+) ions and computational approaches were used. RESULTS: [M-H](+) ions were observed under APPI conditions. The type of dopant and the length of the alkyl chain affected the formation of these ions. MS/MS fragmentation of [M-H](+) and [M + H](+) ions exhibited completely different patterns. Theoretical calculations revealed that the loss of hydrogen molecules from the [M + H](+) ions is the most favourable condition under which to form [M-H](+) ions. CONCLUSIONS: [M-H](+) ions were detected in all the TPD derivatives studied here under the special experimental conditions during APPI, using a halogenated benzene dopant, and TPD containing substituted N-alkyl side chains with a minimum of four carbon atoms. Density functional theory calculations showed that for [M-H](+) ions to be formed under these conditions, the loss of hydrogen molecules from the [M + H](+) ions is proposed to be necessary.

Chromosome-scale pearl millet genomes reveal CLAMT1b as key determinant of strigolactone pattern and Striga susceptibility.

The yield of pearl millet, a resilient cereal crop crucial for African food security, is severely impacted by the root parasitic weed Striga hermonthica, which requires host-released hormones, called strigolactones (SLs), for seed germination. Herein, we identify four SLs present in the Striga-susceptible line SOSAT-C88-P10 (P10) but absent in the resistant 29Aw (Aw). We generate chromosome-scale genome assemblies, including four gapless chromosomes for each line. The Striga-resistant Aw lacks a 0.7 Mb genome segment containing two putative CARLACTONOIC ACID METHYLTRANSFERASE1 (CLAMT1) genes, which may contribute to SL biosynthesis. Functional assays show that P10CLAMT1b produces the SL-biosynthesis intermediate methyl carlactonoate (MeCLA) and that MeCLA is the precursor of P10-specific SLs. Screening a diverse pearl millet panel confirms the pivotal role of the CLAMT1 section for SL diversity and Striga susceptibility. Our results reveal a reason for Striga susceptibility in pearl millet and pave the way for generating resistant lines through marker-assisted breeding or direct genetic modification.

Development of a piezoelectric inkjet dopant delivery device for an atmospheric pressure photoionization source with liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry.

This paper describes a simple, robust and integrated piezoelectric actuated printhead as a dopant delivery system for atmospheric pressure photoionization with liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. The newly designed dopant delivery system avoids problems associated with traditional liquid delivery systems such as solvent immiscibility, backpressure and increased post-column dead volume issues. The performance of the new device was tested and evaluated using chlorobenzene as a dopant with a test mixture consisting of 18 different polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The results show that the new system works robustly at low dopant consumption level (1.6 uL min(-1)), consuming only approximately 5% of the amount used by conventional sources. The low dopant consumption has resulted in up to a 20-fold reduction in signal intensity of tested PAH molecules, but has led to less presence of background cluster ions and dopant trace contaminant background ions in the source area. Consequently, all tested PAHs were detected with excellent signal-to-noise ratio with at least two- to ten-fold improvements in the limit of detection and quantification compared to those obtained with traditional dopant assistance using a post-column addition method.

Investigation of the ionization mechanism of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons using an ethanol/bromobenzene/chlorobenzene/anisole mixture as a dopant in liquid chromatography/atmospheric pressure photoionization mass spectrometry.

RATIONALE: An ethanol-based multicomponent dopant consisting of ethanol/chlorobenzene/bromobenzene/anisole (98.975:0.1:0.9:0.025, v/v/v/v) has been used as a dopant for atmospheric pressure photoionization (APPI) of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). In this study the mechanism of ionization of PAHs assisted by the ethanol-based multicomponent dopant is investigated. METHODS: The reactant background cluster ions of the ethanol-based multicomponent dopant observed in the positive ion APPI were studied. These studies were performed to investigate the mechanism behind the generation of a molecular radical cation (M(+•)) for PAHs by APPI assisted by the ethanol-based multicomponent dopant. Full scan and MS/MS analyses were conducted using an LTQ Orbitrap mass spectrometer. The effect of acidification of the mobile phase on the dopant cluster ion formation was also investigated. RESULTS: With the ethanol-based multicomponent dopant, a single type of molecular radical cation M(+•) was observed for the studied PAHs. The characteristic ion signal of the multicomponent dopant mixture consisted of mainly anisole photoions at m/z 108.05697 and its adduct ions at m/z 124.05188 and 164.07061. The anisole ion response at m/z 108.05697 was stable in the presence of acetonitrile, methanol, water and 0.1% formic acid mobile phase composition. CONCLUSIONS: The abundance formation of anisole photoions shows the universality of this multicomponent dopant in ionizing compounds with ionization energy ranging from 7.1-8.2 eV. Since the ionization energy of anisole is 8.2 eV and is lower than those of chlorobenzene (9.07 eV) and bromobenzene (9.0 eV), the mechanism of formation of anisole photoions even with its very minute amounts was not only governed by its photoionization by the krypton lamp photon energy (10.0 eV and 10.6 eV), but also by charge transfer from bromobenzene and chlorobenzene radical cations. PAH molecules were mainly ionized by charge transfer reaction from photoionized anisole and oxidized anisole radical cations as well as by the krypton lamp.

Multicomponent mixed dopant optimization for rapid screening of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons using ultra high performance liquid chromatography coupled to atmospheric pressure photoionization high-resolution mass spectrometry.

RATIONALE: To enhance the ionization efficiencies in atmospheric pressure photoionization mass spectrometry a dopant with favorable ionization energy such as chlorobenzene is typically used. These dopants are typically toxic and difficult to mix with water-soluble organic solvents. In order to achieve a more efficient and less toxic dopant, a multicomponent mixed dopant was explored. METHODS: A multicomponent mixed dopant for non-targeted rapid screening of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was developed and optimized using ultra high performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) coupled to atmospheric pressure photoionization high-resolution mass spectrometry. Various single and multicomponent mixed dopants consisting of ethanol, chlorobenzene, bromobenzene, anisole and toluene were evaluated. RESULTS: Fourteen out of eighteen PAHs were successfully separated and detected at low pg/µL levels within 5 min with high mass accuracy ≤4 ppm. The optimal mixed multicomponent dopant consisted of ethanol/chlorobenzene/bromobenzene/anisole (98.975:0.1:0.9:0.025, v/v %) and it improved the limit of detection (LOD) by 2- to 10-fold for the tested PAHs compared to those obtained with pure chlorobenzene. CONCLUSIONS: A novel multicomponent dopant that contains 99% ethanol and 1% mixture of chlorobenzene, bromobenzene and anisole was found to be an effective dopant mixture to ionize PAHs. The developed UPLC multicomponent dopant assisted atmospheric pressure photoionization high-resolution mass spectrometry offered a rapid non targeted screening method for detecting the PAHs at low pg/µL levels within a 5 min run time with high mass accuracy ≤4 ppm.

Protocol for characterizing strigolactones released by plant roots.

The plant hormone strigolactones (SLs) are secreted by plant roots to act as rhizospheric signals. Here, we present a protocol for characterizing plant-released SLs. We first outline all necessary steps required for collection, processing, and analysis of plant root exudates using the C18 column for SL extraction, followed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) for SL quantification. We then describe image processing by SeedQuant, an open-source artificial-intelligence-based software, for measuring the biological activity of SLs in inducing root parasitic plant seed germination. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Wang et al. (2019) and Braguy et al. (2021).

New Liquid Crystal Assemblies Based on Cyano-Hydrogen Bonding Interactions.

A new selection of supramolecular liquid crystal complexes based on complementary molecules formed via hydrogen-bonding interactions is reported. All prepared complexes were prepared from 4-n-alkoxybenzoic acid (An) and N-4-cyanobenzylidene-4-n-(hexyloxy)benzenamine (I). FT-IR, temperature gradient NMR, Mass Spectrometer and Chromatography spectroscopy were carried out to confirm the -CN and -COOH H-bonded complexation by observing their Fermi-bands and the effects of the 1H-NMR signals as well as its elution signal from HPLC. Moreover, binary phase diagrams were established for further confirmation. All formed complexes (I/An) were studied by the use of differential scanning calorimetry and their phase properties were validated through the use of polarized optical microscopy Results of mesomorphic characterization revealed that all presented complexes exhibited enantiotropic mesophases and their type was dependent on the terminal lengths of alkoxy chains. Also, the mesomorphic temperature ranges decreased in the order I/A6 > I/A8 > I/A10 > I/A16 with linear dependency on the chain length. Finally, the density functional theory computational modeling has been carried out to explain the experimental findings. The relation between the dimensional parameters was established to show the effect of the aspect ratio on the mesophase range and stability. The normalized entropy of the clearing transitions (∆S/R) was calculated to illustrate the molecular interaction enhancements with the chain lengths.

Determination of distinctive carbohydrate signatures obtained from the Aeromonas hydrophila (chemotype II) core oligosaccharide pinpointing the presence of the 4-O-phosphorylated 5-O-linked Kdo reducing end group using electrospray ionization quadrupole orthogonal time-of-flight mass spectrometry and tandem mass spectrometry.

The electrospray quadrupole orthogonal time-of-flight mass spectrometric (ESI-QqTOF-MS) structural elucidation of the core oligosaccharide of Aeromonas hydrophila (chemotype II) lipopolysaccharide has been investigated and it was demonstrated that it contained an 4-O-phosphorylated Kdo reducing end group, which was glycosylated by the remaining outer core oligosaccharide through its O-5 position. After releasing the core oligosaccharide from the native LPS with acid, the phosphorylated Kdo residue eliminated phosphoric acid, to produce a core oligosaccharide containing a mixture of diastereomeric 4,8- and 4,7-anhydro-alpha-keto acids and an open-chain olefinic Kdo residue. The characteristic glycone sequence was elucidated by collision-induced dissociation tandem mass spectrometry (CID-MS/MS) of the protonated molecule of the native core oligosaccharide. In addition, the analysis of the Hakomori permethylated core oligosaccharide was carried out by electrospray ionization quadrupole orthogonal time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ESI-QqTOF-MS) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI)-QqTOF-MS analyses. The presence of more than nine isobaric isomers of this core was detected. The CID-MS/MS analysis of the various protonated permethylated core oligosaccharide molecules showed a similar and diagnostic fragmentation pattern. The over-methylation of the permethylated core oligosaccharide containing either the 4,7- or the 4,8-anhydro-alpha-keto acid unit and the open-chain olefinic Kdo unit was reported. It was realized that the extra minor satellite signals obtained in the ESI-QqTOF-MS and MALDI-TOF-MS analyses were dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) stable covalent addition products, which have occurred by a Michael addition on the 4,8-Kdo exocyclic double bond. The occurrence of this series of covalent addition products during the MS analysis of a permethylated core oligosaccharide should be considered as 'carbohydrate-distinctive signatures' establishing and confirming the presence of a 4-O-phosphorylated-5-O-linked Kdo reducing end group.

Metabolically engineered recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae for the production of 2-Deoxy-scyllo-inosose (2-DOI).

Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a versatile industrial host for chemical production and has been engineered to produce efficiently many valuable compounds. 2-Deoxy-scyllo-inosose (2-DOI) is an important precursor for the biosynthesis of 2-deoxystreptamine-containing aminoglycosides antibiotics and benzenoid metabolites. Bacterial and cyanobacterial strains have been metabolically engineered to generate 2-DOI; nevertheless, the production of 2-DOI using a yeast host has not been reported. Here, we have metabolically engineered a series of CEN.PK yeast strains to produce 2-DOI using a synthetically yeast codon-optimized btrC gene from Bacillus circulans. The expression of the 2-Deoxy-scyllo-inosose synthase (2-DOIS) gene was successfully achieved via an expression vector and through chromosomal integration at a high-expression locus. In addition, the production of 2-DOI was further investigated for the CEN.PK knockout strains of phosphoglucose isomerase (Δpgi1), D-glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (Δzwf1) and a double mutant (Δpgi1, Δzwf1) in a medium consisting of 2% fructose and 0.05% glucose as a carbon source. We have found that all the recombinant strains are capable of producing 2-DOI and reducing it into scyllo-quercitol and (-)-vibo-quercitol. Comparatively, the high production of 2-DOI and its analogs was observed for the recombinant CEN.PK-btrC carrying the multicopy btrC-expression vector. GC/MS analysis of culture filtrates of this strain showed 11 times higher response in EIC for the m/z 479 (methyloxime-tetra-TMS derivative of 2-DOI) than the YP-btrC recombinant that has only a single copy of btrC expression cassette integrated into the genomic DNA of the CEN.PK strain. The knockout strains namely Δpgi1-btrC and Δpgi1Δzwf1-btrC, that are transformed with the btrC-expression plasmids, have inactive Pgi1 and produced only traces of the compounds. In contrast, Δzwf1-btrC recombinant which has intact pgi1 yielded relatively higher amount of the carbocyclic compounds. Additionally, 1H-NMR analysis of samples showed slow consumption of fructose and no accumulation of 2-DOI and the quercitols in the culture broth of the recombinant CEN.PK-btrC suggesting that S. cerevisiae is capable of assimilating 2-DOI.

Suaeda vermiculata Aqueous-Ethanolic Extract-Based Mitigation of CCl4-Induced Hepatotoxicity in Rats, and HepG-2 and HepG-2/ADR Cell-Lines-Based Cytotoxicity Evaluations.

Suaeda vermiculata, an edible halophytic plant, used by desert nomads to treat jaundice, was investigated for its hepatoprotective bioactivity and safety profile on its mother liquor aqueous-ethanolic extract. Upon LC-MS (Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry) analysis, the presence of several constituents including three major flavonoids, namely quercetin, quercetin-3-O-rutinoside, and kaempferol-O-(acetyl)-hexoside-pentoside were confirmed. The aqueous-ethanolic extract, rich in antioxidants, quenched the DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) radicals, and also showed noticeable levels of radical scavenging capacity in ABTS (2,2'-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) assay. For the hepatoprotective activity confirmation, the male rat groups were fed daily, for 7 days (n = 8/group, p.o.), either carboxyl methylcellulose (CMC) 0.5%, silymarin 200 mg/kg, the aqueous-ethanolic extract of the plant Suaeda vermiculata (100, 250, and 500 mg/kg extract), or quercetin (100 mg/kg) alone, and on day 7 of the administrations, all the animal groups, excluding a naïve (250 mg/kg aqueous-ethanolic extract-fed), and an intact animal group were induced hepatotoxicity by intraperitoneally administering carbon tetrachloride (CCl4). All the animals were sacrificed after 24 h, and aspartate transaminase and alanine transaminase serum levels were observed, which were noted to be significantly decreased for the aqueous-ethanolic extract, silymarin, and quercetin-fed groups in comparison to the CMC-fed group (p < 0.0001). No noticeable adverse effects were observed on the liver, kidney, or heart's functions of the naïve (250 mg/kg) group. The aqueous-ethanolic extract was found to be safe in the acute toxicity (5 g/kg) test and showed hepatoprotection and safety at higher doses. Further upon, the cytotoxicity testings in HepG-2 and HepG-2/ADR (Adriamycin resistant) cell-lines were also investigated, and the IC50 values were recorded at 56.19±2.55 µg/mL, and 78.40±0.32 µg/mL (p < 0.001, Relative Resistance RR 1.39), respectively, while the doxorubicin (Adriamycin) IC50 values were found to be 1.3±0.064, and 4.77±1.05 µg/mL (p < 0.001, RR 3.67), respectively. The HepG-2/ADR cell-lines when tested in a combination of the aqueous-ethanolic extract with doxorubicin, a significant reversal in the doxorubicin's IC50 value by 2.77 folds (p < 0.001, CI = 0.56) was noted as compared to the cytotoxicity test where the extract was absent. The mode of action for the reversal was determined to be synergistic in nature indicating the role of the aqueous-ethanolic extract.

Extraction, Characterization, and Anticoagulant Activity of a Sulfated Polysaccharide from Bursatella leachii Viscera.

Bioactive compounds for drug discovery are increasingly extracted and purified from natural sources including marine organisms. Heparin is a therapeutic agent that has been used for several decades as an anticoagulant. However, heparin is known to cause many undesirable complications such as thrombocytopenia and risk of hemorrhage. Hence, there is a need to find alternatives to current widely used anticoagulant drugs. Here, we extract a sulfated polysaccharide from sea hare, that is, Bursatella leachii viscera, by enzymatic digestion. Several analytical approaches including elemental analysis, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance, and high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis show that B. leachii polysaccharides have chemical structures similar to glycosaminoglycans. We explore the anticoagulant activity of the B. leachii extract using the activated partial thromboplastin time and the thrombin time. Our results demonstrate that the extracted sulfated polysaccharide has heparin-like anticoagulant activity, thus showing great promise as an alternative anticoagulant therapy.

Gas-phase fragmentation study of biotin reagents using electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry on a quadrupole orthogonal time-of-flight hybrid instrument.

In this study, we evaluated, by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and collision-induced dissociation tandem mass spectrometry (CID-MS/MS) using a quadrupole orthogonal time-of-flight (QqToF)-MS/MS hybrid instrument, the gas-phase fragmentations of some commercially available biotinyl reagents. The biotin reagents used were: psoralen-BPE 1, p-diazobenzoyl biocytin (DBB) 2, photoreactive biotin 3, biotinyl-hexaethyleneglycol dimer 4, and the sulfo-SBED 5. The results showed that, during ESI-MS and CID-MS/MS analyses, the biotin reagents followed a similar gas-phase fragmentation pattern and the cleavages usually occurred at either end of the spacer arm of the biotin reagents. In general we have observed that the CID-MS/MS fragmentation routes of the five precursor protonated molecules obtained from the biotin linkers 1-5 afforded a series of product ions formed essentially by similar routes. The genesis and the structural identities of all the product ions obtained from the biotin linkers 1-5 have been assigned. All the exact mass assignments of the protonated molecules and the product ions were verified by conducting separate CID-MS/MS analysis of the deuterium-labelled precursor ions.

Anti-cancer agents in Saudi Arabian herbals revealed by automated high-content imaging.

Natural products have been used for medical applications since ancient times. Commonly, natural products are structurally complex chemical compounds that efficiently interact with their biological targets, making them useful drug candidates in cancer therapy. Here, we used cell-based phenotypic profiling and image-based high-content screening to study the mode of action and potential cellular targets of plants historically used in Saudi Arabia's traditional medicine. We compared the cytological profiles of fractions taken from Juniperus phoenicea (Arar), Anastatica hierochuntica (Kaff Maryam), and Citrullus colocynthis (Hanzal) with a set of reference compounds with established modes of action. Cluster analyses of the cytological profiles of the tested compounds suggested that these plants contain possible topoisomerase inhibitors that could be effective in cancer treatment. Using histone H2AX phosphorylation as a marker for DNA damage, we discovered that some of the compounds induced double-strand DNA breaks. Furthermore, chemical analysis of the active fraction isolated from Juniperus phoenicea revealed possible anti-cancer compounds. Our results demonstrate the usefulness of cell-based phenotypic screening of natural products to reveal their biological activities.

Synthesis of Fluoroalkoxy Substituted Arylboronic Esters by Iridium-Catalyzed Aromatic C-H Borylation.

The preparation of fluoroalkoxy arylboronic esters by iridium-catalyzed aromatic C-H borylation is described. The fluoroalkoxy groups employed include trifluoromethoxy, difluoromethoxy, 1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethoxy, and 2,2-difluoro-1,3-benzodioxole. The borylation reactions were carried out neat without the use of a glovebox or Schlenk line. The regioselectivities available through the iridium-catalyzed C-H borylation are complementary to those obtained by the electrophilic aromatic substitution reactions of fluoroalkoxy arenes. Fluoroalkoxy arylboronic esters can serve as versatile building blocks.

Bioequivalence assessment of two formulations of ibuprofen.

BACKGROUND: This study assessed the relative bioavailability of two formulations of ibuprofen. The first formulation was Doloraz(®), produced by Al-Razi Pharmaceutical Company, Amman, Jordan. The second forumulation was Brufen(®), manufactured by Boots Company, Nottingham, UK. METHODS AND RESULTS: A prestudy validation of ibuprofen demonstrated long-term stability, freeze-thaw stability, precision, and accuracy. Twenty-four healthy volunteers were enrolled in this study. After overnight fasting, the two formulations (test and reference) of ibuprofen (100 mg ibuprofen/5 mL suspension) were administered as a single dose on two treatment days separated by a one-week washout period. After dosing, serial blood samples were drawn for a period of 14 hours. Serum harvested from the blood samples was analyzed for the presence of ibuprofen by high-pressure liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection. Pharmacokinetic parameters were determined from serum concentrations for both formulations. The 90% confidence intervals of the ln-transformed test/reference treatment ratios for peak plasma concentration and area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) parameters were found to be within the predetermined acceptable interval of 80%-125% set by the US Food and Drug Administration. CONCLUSION: Analysis of variance for peak plasma concentrations and AUC parameters showed no significant difference between the two formulations and, therefore, Doloraz was considered bioequivalent to Brufen.

Quantification of Greenland halibut serum vitellogenin: a trip from the deep sea to the mass spectrometer.

This paper focuses on the sequential steps involved in developing a technique for quantifying Greenland halibut vitellogenin, a serum protein biomarker, using a comprehensive mass spectrometric approach. In the first phase of this study, in-gel trypsin digestions of serum proteins separated by sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) were analyzed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS). A characteristic band around a molecular mass of 185 kDa, present in the mature female specimens, but absent in the male samples, was identified as vitellognin according to the peptide mass fingerprint obtained by MALDI-MS. Subsequently, MALDI and electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS) analyses were performed on the digest of the vitellogenin band for de novo sequencing. From these studies, a characteristic 'signature' peptide (sequence: FFGQEIAFANIDK) was selected from a list of candidate peptides as a surrogate analytical standard used for quantification purposes. Sample preparation for vitellogenin quantification consisted of a simple one-step overnight trypsin digestion. Samples were spiked with an isotopologue signature peptide standard and analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled in-line to an electrospray quadrupole-hexapole-quadrupole tandem mass spectrometer, operated in selective reaction monitoring mode. Transitions [(m/z 750.0 --> 1020.4 and 750.0 --> 1205.4) and (754.8 --> 1028.6 and 754.8 --> 1213.2)] were monitored for the signature peptide and the internal standard, respectively. Samples obtained from the field showed that vitellogenin levels were in accordance with fish maturity determined by macroscopic examination of the gonad, proving this technique suitable for measuring vitellogenin as a serum protein biomarker for reproductive maturity in female fish.