Correction: Immobilized Ni on TMEDA@ßSiO2@αSiO2@Fe3O4: as a novel magnetic nanocatalyst for preparation of pyrido[2,3-d:6,5-d']dipyrimidines.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1039/D3RA01720F.].

Immobilized Ni on TMEDA@ßSiO2@αSiO2@Fe3O4: as a novel magnetic nanocatalyst for preparation of pyrido[2,3-d:6,5-d']dipyrimidines.

In the current body of research, a very quick and effectual procedure for the synthesis of pyrido[2,3-d:6,5-d']dipyrimidines has been developed. This method is accomplished through the one-pot multi-component reaction of 2-thiobarbituric acid, NH4OAc and aldehydes utilizing Ni-TMEDA@ßSiO2@αSiO2@Fe3O4 as a novel mesoporous nanomagnetic catalyst at room temperature. This protocol is one of the few reports of the preparation of these derivatives without the use of conventional heating as well as energies such as microwave and ultrasound radiation. The characterization of the prepared catalyst was well accomplished by different techniques such as FT-IR, ICP-OES, SEM, TEM, BET, XRD, VSM, TGA, EDX and Elemental mapping. This organometallic catalyst was reusable for seven times with negligible decrement in its catalytic performance. In addition, all of the products were produced with high TON and TOF values, which demonstrates that our catalyst has a very high level of activity in the preparation of pyrido[2,3-d:6,5-d']dipyrimidines.

Classification of Andrographis paniculata extracts by solvent extraction using HPLC fingerprint and chemometric analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Andrographis paniculata, widely used as an antidiabetic in Indonesian traditional medicines (jamu), contains chemical compounds whose concentration is related to its therapeutic effects. The concentration of solvents used for extraction will also affect the number of compounds extracted. Therefore, a quality control method is needed to ensure consistency in quantifying these compounds in A. paniculata to improve its therapeutic application. High-performance liquid chromatography fingerprint analysis combined with chemometrics was used to evaluate extracts from different solvent extraction treatments. The content of andrographolide, the main bioactive compound in A. paniculata, and the level of α-glucosidase inhibition activity, an indicator of its antidiabetic activity, were also determined. RESULTS: Fingerprint chromatograms of A. paniculata extracts from different treatments exhibited a similar pattern with several peaks in common, only differing in area and intensity value. The A. paniculata extracts were classified using HPLC fingerprint and principal component analysis to allow grouping according to their respective solvent extraction treatments. The highest andrographolide content and α-glucosidase inhibition activity occurred in the 50% ethanol extract and the lowest in the water extract. HPLC fingerprint analysis could be used for identifying A. paniculata extracts based on solvent extraction, thus improving quality control for their therapeutic application.

Molecularly imprinted polymers for cleanup and selective extraction of curcuminoids in medicinal herbal extracts.

This paper describes the synthesis of novel molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs), prepared by a noncovalent imprinting approach, for cleanup and preconcentration of curcumin (CUR) and bisdemethoxycurcumin (BDMC) from medicinal herbal extracts and further analysis by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD). Two molecular mimics, a mixture of reduced BDMCs and 4-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2-butanone (HPB), have been synthesized and applied as templates for MIP synthesis. The polymers were prepared using N-(2-aminoethyl) methacrylamide (EAMA) as functional monomer, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EDMA) as the cross-linker (in a 1:5 molar ratio), and a mixture of acetonitrile/dimethylsulfoxide (90%, v/v) as porogen. MIPs prepared using a mixture of reduced BDMCs as template showed higher selectivity for CUR and BDMC than those obtained with HPB, with imprinting factors of 3.5 and 2.7 for CUR and BDMC, respectively, using H2O/acetonitrile (65:35, v/v) as mobile phase. The adsorption isotherms for CUR in the MIP and the nonimprinted polymer (NIP) were fitted to the Freundlich isotherm model, and the calculated average binding affinities for CUR were (17 ± 2) and (8 ± 1) mM(-1) for the MIP and the NIP, respectively. The polymers were packed into solid-phase extraction (SPE) cartridges, and the optimized molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction (MISPE-HPLC) with fluorescence detection (FLD) method allowed the extraction of both curcuminoids from aqueous samples (50 mM NH4Ac, pH 8.8) followed by a selective washing with acetonitrile/NH4Ac, 50 mM at pH 8.8 (30:70%, v/v), and elution with 3 × 1 mL of MeOH. Good recoveries and precision ranging between 87 and 92%, with relative standard deviation (RSD) of <5.3% (n = 3), were obtained after the preconcentration of 10-mL solutions containing both CUR and BDMC at concentrations in the range of 0-500 µg L(-1). The optimized method has been applied to the analysis of both curcuminoids in medicinal herbal extracts.

Effects of pyrolysis temperature on the physicochemical properties of empty fruit bunch and rice husk biochars.

Biochar has received great attention recently due to its potential to improve soil fertility and immobilize contaminants as well as serving as a way of carbon sequestration and therefore a possible carbon sink. In this work, a series of biochars were produced from empty fruit bunch (EFB) and rice husk (RH) by slow pyrolysis at different temperatures (350, 500, and 650°C) and their physicochemical properties were analysed. The results indicate that porosity, ash content, electrical conductivity (EC), and pH value of both EFB and RH biochars were increased with temperature; however, yield, cation exchange capacity (CEC), and H, C, and N content were decreased with increasing pyrolysis temperature. The Fourier transform IR spectra were similar for both RH and EFB biochars but the functional groups were more distinct in the EFB biochar spectra. There were reductions in the amount of functional groups as pyrolysis temperature increased especially for the EFB biochar. However, total acidity of the functional groups increased with pyrolysis temperature for both biochars.

Gasification of oil palm empty fruit bunches: a characterization and kinetic study.

Empty fruit bunches (EFBs), a waste material from the palm oil industry, were subjected to pyrolysis and gasification. A high content of volatiles (>82%) increased the reactivity of EFBs, and more than 90% decomposed at 700°C; however, a high content of moisture (>50%) and oxygen (>45%) resulted in a low calorific value. Thermogravimetric analysis demonstrated that the higher the heating rate and the smaller the particle size, the higher the peak and final reaction temperatures. The least squares estimation for a first-order reaction model was used to study the degradation kinetics. The values of activation energy increased from 61.14 to 73.76 and from 40.06 to 47.99kJ/mol when the EFB particle size increased from 0.3 to 1.0mm for holocellulose and lignin degradation stages, respectively. The fuel characteristics of EFB are comparable to those of other biomasses and EFB can be considered a good candidate for gasification.

Prediction of functional outcome in patients with primary intracerebral hemorrhage by clinical-computed tomographic correlations.

BACKGROUND: Primary intracerebral hemorrhage (PICH) remains the deadliest and most disabling form of stroke. The aim of our study was to determine the potential predictors for survival and neurological recovery in PICH patients by clinical-computed tomographic (CT) correlation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective study conducted among PICH patients at a tertiary care hospital. The clinical and CT scan findings were correlated with the functional outcome using modified Rankin scores (mRS) of 0-5 at discharge and during six months follow-up. RESULTS: The clinical and CT findings in 160 (93 male and 67 female) eligible adult patients with age range from 25 to 85 years (mean age 58.30 ± 11.44 years) were analyzed. The mean Glasgow Coma Scale [GCS] score was significantly higher among survivors. (12.8 ± 0.4 vs. 8.5 ± 0.5, P < 0.001) Based upon the pattern of the CT findings, the best outcome in terms of survival was for the patients with ICH in basal ganglia/internal capsule region (86.7 %), followed by lobar hemorrhage (67.1%). Good functional outcome was associated with a hematoma volume of less than 30 ml. At discharge majority of the survivors were functionally dependent 76 (70.4%) and only 32 (29.6%) achieved functional independence. The significant independent predictors of in- hospital survival were GCS score > 9 (OR 10.8; 95% CI 4.061 to 28.719), basal ganglia/internal capsule bleed (OR 9.750; 95% CI 2.122 to 45.004), hematoma volume <30 ml (OR 11.476; 95% CI 4. 810 to 27.434), no mid line shift (OR 4.901; 95% CI 2.405 to 9.987) and no intraventricular extension of hemorrhage (OR 7.040; 95% CI 3.358 to 14.458). CONCLUSION: Outcome and functional status at discharge were well correlated with the initial CT scan findings and GCS score.

In vitro antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities of leaves and flowers extracts from Lippia alba.

The research was conducted to investigate the in vitro antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities of leaves and flowers extract extracted from Lippia alba. Disc diffusion technique was used for in vitro antibacterial and antifungal screening. Zones of inhibition were observed in disc diffusion for antibacterial screening against 4 Gram-positive pathogenic and 6 Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria. Among crude extracts chloroform extract showed good activity against all test organisms. A Large zone of inhibition was observed (18 mm) against Vibrio parahaemolyticus. In antifungal screening, the compound showed mild to moderate zones of inhibition against four tested organisms. A Large zone of inhibition was observed against Aspergillus niger (13 mm). Cytotoxic activities of crude extracts were determined using Brine shrimp lethality Bioassay and LC50 values of standard Vincristin sulphate as positive control, n-hexane and crude ethanol extracts were found to be 5, 15 and 20 microg mL(-1), respectively.

Edwardsiella tarda septicemia with underlying multiple liver abscesses.

Edwardsiella tarda has recently been described as a member of the family Enterobacteriaceae. The genus Edwardsiella contains three species; E. hoshinae, E. ictaluri and E. tarda. Edwardsiella tarda is the only species which has been recognised as pathogenic to humans, especially in those with an underlying disease. The most common presentation is watery diarrhoea. Extra intestinal infections have been reported infrequently. Humans seem to be infected or colonised with Edwardsiella through ingestion or inoculation of a wound. This report is of a patient with multiple liver abscesses due to E. tarda who later developed bacterial peritonitis and septicaemic shock.

Antimicrobial, antioxidant, antitumour-promoting and cytotoxic activities of different plant part extracts of Garcinia atroviridis griff. ex T. anders.

Crude extracts (methanol) of various parts, viz. the leaves, fruits, roots, stem and trunk bark, of Garcinia atroviridis were screened for antimicrobial, cytotoxic, brine shrimp toxic, antitumour-promoting and antioxidant activities. The crude extracts exhibited predominantly antibacterial activity with the root extract showing the strongest inhibition against the test bacteria at a minimum inhibitory dose (MID) of 15.6 microg/disc. Although all the extracts failed to inhibit the growth of most of the test fungi, significant antifungal activity against Cladosporium herbarum was exhibited by most notably the fruit (MID: 100 microg), and the leaf (MID: 400 microg) extracts. None of the extracts were significantly cytotoxic, and lethal towards brine shrimps. The root, leaf, trunk and stem bark extracts (except for the fruits) showed strong antioxidant activity exceeding that of the standard antioxidant, alpha-tocopherol. Antitumour-promoting activity (>95% inhibition) was shown by the fruit, leaf, stem and trunk bark extracts.

Screening of Zingiberaceae extracts for antimicrobial and antioxidant activities.

Dichloromethane and methanol extracts of 13 Zingiberaceae species from the Alpinia, Costus and Zingiber genera were screened for antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. The antimicrobial activity of most of the extracts was antibacterial with only the methanol extract of Costus discolor showing very potent antifungal activity against only Aspergillus ochraceous (MID, 15.6 microg per disc). All the extracts showed strong antioxidant activity comparable with or higher that of alpha-tocopherol.