Studies on Glycosaminoglycans Isolated from Bivalves Molluscs Tridacna maxima and Perna viridis

The glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) in two marine invertebrate molluscs such as Tridacna maxima and Perna viridis were analyzed. Both the species was found to contain variable amounts of GAGs in the form of heparin biomolecules as identified by metachromatic activity and agarose gel electrophoresis analysis. Anticoagulant property of the biomolecules was assessed by anti factor Xa activity. Their molecular weight was estimated as 15000 and 9000 Daltons through GPC-HPLC. The 1HNMR analysis of heparin was used to predict binding sites of the heparin. Structural characterization studies clearly demonstrated that heparin is the major GAGs constituents in the test animals. Key words: Anticoagulant, Bivalves molluscs, Glycosaminoglycans, Heparin, InvertebratesDOI: 10.3126/on.v7i1.2548Our Nature (2009) 7:10-17  

Biosurfactant production by Azotobacter chroococcum isolated from the marine environment

Preliminary characterization of a biosurfactant-producing Azotobacter chroococcum isolated from marine environment showed maximum biomass and biosurfactant production at 120 and 132 h, respectively, at pH 8.0, 38 degrees C, and 30 per thousand salinity utilizing a 2% carbon substrate. It grew and produced biosurfactant on crude oil, waste motor lubricant oil, and peanut oil cake. Peanut oil cake gave the highest biosurfactant production (4.6 mg/mL) under fermentation conditions. The biosurfactant product emulsified waste motor lubricant oil, crude oil, diesel, kerosene, naphthalene, anthracene, and xylene. Preliminary characterization of the biosurfactant using biochemical, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and mass spectral analysis indicated that the biosurfactant was a lipopeptide with percentage lipid and protein proportion of 31.3:68.7.

Use of benthic biodiversity for assessing the impact of shrimp farming on environment

An attempt was made to find out the impact of shrimp farm discharges on benthic diversity in the discharge point of a shrimp farm. The duration of the study was one culture period right from stocking to harvest. The results revealed that the values of environmental entities were in the safe levels. As regards nutrients, maximum value of TOC and phosphorus were recorded in the sample collected after harvest and minimum in the sample collected during culture. BIO-ENV method revealed that nitrogen, sediment salinity and TOC were manifested as best variable combination explaining faunal distribution. Polychaetes are the dominant group (50%) with 13 species followed by crustaceans (32%) with 10 species, gastropods (10%) with 2 species and bivalves (8%) with 3 species. The faunal density was found to vary in relation to months as observed in the samples which were collected during various seasons in the other areas of estuary. In line with this, diversity values were also paralleled to the faunal density. In a nut shell, the study revealed no negative impact of shrimp farming to the estuarine benthic biota.

Bis(4-amino-pyridinium) bis(hydrogen oxalate) monohydrate

In the title compound, 2C₅H₇N₂⁺·2C₂HO₄⁻·H₂O, the asymmetric unit consists of an amino­pyridinium cation, an oxalic actetate anion and a half-molecule of water, which lies on a two-fold rotation axis. The crystal packing is consolidated by inter­molecular O—H⋯O, N—H⋯O and C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds. The mol­ecules are linked into an infinite one dimensional chain along [010].

Bis(2-amino-thia-zolium) succinate succinic acid

In the title compound, 2C(3)H(5)N(2)S(+)·C(4)H(4)O(4) (2-)·C(4)H(6)O(4), the thia-zolium ring is almost planar, with the maximum deviation from planarity being 0.0056 (8) Å for the C atom carrying the amine substituent. The N atom of the 2-amino-thia-zole mol-ecule is protonated. Both the anion and the acid lie across inversion centres. The crystal packing is consolidated by inter-molecular O-H⋯O, N-H⋯O and C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds. Mol-ecules are stacked down the b axis.

4-Amino-pyridinium hydrogen succinate

In the title salt, C₅H₇N₂⁺·C₄H₅O₄⁻, the asymmetric unit comprises an amino­pyridinium cation and a hydrogen succinate anion as protonation of the aromatic N atom of the 4-amino­pyridine mol­ecule has occurred. The crystal packing is stabilized by inter­molecular O—H⋯O and N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds that lead to a two-dimensional array. Short C—H⋯O contacts are also present.

Bis[2,4-diamino-5-(3,4,5-trimethoxybenzyl)pyrimidin-1-ium] DL-malate

Racemic malic acid and trimethoprim [5-(3,4,5-trimethoxybenzyl)pyrimidine-2,4-diamine] form a 1:2 salt (monoclinic, P2(1)/c), 2C(14)H(19)N(4)O(3)(+).C(4)H(4)O(5)(2-), in which the malate component is disordered across a centre of inversion. The crystal structure of the salt consists of protonated trimethoprim residues and a malate dianion. The carboxylate group of the malate ion interacts with the trimethoprim cation in a linear fashion through pairs of N-H...O hydrogen bonds to form a cyclic hydrogen-bonded motif. This is similar to the carboxylate-trimethoprim cation interaction observed earlier in the complex of dihydrofolate reductase with trimethoprim. The structure of the salt of trimethoprim with racemic DL-malic acid reported here is the first of its kind. The present study investigates the conformations and the hydrogen-bonding interactions, which are very important for biological functions. The pyrimidine plane makes a dihedral angle of 78.08 (7) degrees with the benzene ring of the trimethoprim cation. The cyclic hydrogen-bonded motif observed in this structure is self-organized, leading to novel types of hydrogen-bonding motifs in supramolecular patterns.

Bis(2-amino-pyridine-κN)silver(I) nitrate

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, [Ag(C₅H₆N₂)₂]NO₃, consists of one and a half each of both cations and anions, the other halves being generated by crystallographic inversion centres. One of the Ag^I atoms lies on an inversion center and one of the nitrate ions is disordered across an inversion center. Each Ag^I atom is bicoordinated in a linear geometry by two N atoms from two 2-amino­pyridine ligands. In the crystal structure, the cations and anions are linked into a two-dimensional network parallel to (001) by N—H⋯O and C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds.

Role for the urinary bladder in pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome in Wistar rats

INTRODUCTION

Perfusion of rat urinary bladder with uric acid (UA) or 1-methyl uric acid (1-MUA) solution was reported to produce features of metabolic syndrome, viz. hyperglycaemia, hyperinsulinaemia, hypertriglyceridaemia and hypercholesterolaemia. The present study was carried out to confirm that UA or 1-MUA in the bladder can produce insulin resistance, and to demonstrate that an unknown humoral factor from the bladder is possibly involved in producing features of metabolic syndrome.

METHODS

Wistar rats weighing 200-300 g were used. Two sets of protocols, perfusion study and cross-over study, were followed. For the perfusion study, urinary bladders were perfused with distilled water or solution of UA or 1-MUA, and serum levels of glucose and insulin and insulin resistance during perfusion were compared between groups. For the cross-over study, serum from distilled water or UA perfused rats (donors) was infused intravenously into rats (recipients), and serum levels of glucose, insulin, true triglyceride and total cholesterol and insulin resistance were compared.

RESULTS

Perfusion of bladder with UA or 1-MUA solution resulted in an increase in serum levels of glucose and insulin, and insulin resistance, on comparison with distilled water perfused. Infusion of serum from donors perfused with UA resulted in hyperglycaemia, hyperinsulinaemia, hypertriglyceridaemia and hypercholesterolaemia and increase in insulin resistance in recipients when compared with recipients infused with serum from donors perfused with distilled water.

CONCLUSION

The present study confirms that UA and 1-MUA in the bladder produce features of metabolic syndrome and could be the result of an unknown humoral factor released from the bladder mucosa.

Fabrication of GaN doped ZnO nanocrystallines by laser ablation

Here, we present the fabrication of pure and GaN doped ZnO nanocrystallines on Si(111) substrates by KrF excimer laser. The targets for the ablation have been prepared by conventional ceramic method. The fabricated nanocrystallines have been investigated by X-ray diffraction, photoluminescence and atomic force microscopy. The X-ray diffraction analysis shows that the crystalline size of pure ZnO is 36 nm and it is 41 nm while doped with 0.8 mol% of GaN due to best stoichiometry between Zn and O. Photoluminescence studies reveal that intense deep level emissions have been observed for pure ZnO and it has been suppressed for the GaN doped ZnO structures. The images of atomic force microscope show that the rms surface roughness is 27 nm for pure ZnO and the morphology is improved with decrease in rms roughness, 18 nm with fine crystallines while doped with 1 mol% GaN. The improved structural, optical and morphological properties of ZnO nanocrystalline due to GaN dopant have been discussed in detail.

4,4'-Dimethoxy-benzophenone: a triclinic polymorph

The title compound, C(15)H(14)O(3), has been found to crystallize as a new triclinic polymorph. The asymmetric unit of the present structure, as in the previously reported monoclinic structure [Norment & Karle (1962 ▶). Acta Cryst. 15, 873-878], contains two independent mol-ecules, which differ slightly in the orientations of the two benzene rings. The crystal packing of the triclinic polymorph is stabilized by inter-molecular C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds and C-H⋯π inter-actions.

catena-Poly[[aqua-glycolatocopper(II)]-μ-chlorido]

In the crystal structure of the title compound, [Cu(C(2)H(3)O(3))Cl(H(2)O)](n), the Cu(II) ion is five-coordinate in a distorted square-pyramidal geometry. Two O atoms from a chelating glycolate anion, an O atom from a coordinated water mol-ecule and a chloride anion comprise the basal plane. A chloride ion from a neighbouring unit occupies the apical position and these Cu-Cl-Cu bridges link the aqua-glycolatocopper(II) units into one-dimensional chains along the [001] direction. These chains are connected by O-H⋯O and O-H⋯Cl hydrogen bonds, forming an infinite three-dimensional polymeric network.

Bis[1-(2-hydroxy-ethyl)-2-methyl-5-nitro-1H-imidazole-κN]silver(I) nitrate

In the title compound, [Ag(C(6)H(9)N(3)O(3))(2)]NO(3), the Ag atom is bicoordinated in a distorted linear configuration by two 1-(2-hydroxy-ethyl)-2-methyl-5-nitro-imidazole ligands through one of the N atoms. The dihedral angle between the two imidazole rings is 16.1 (2)°. The O atoms of the nitrate anion are disordered over two positions; the site occupancy factors are 0.8 and 0.2. The ions are -connected by C-H⋯O inter-actions, while two weak intra-molecular C-H⋯O inter-actions producing an S(6) ring motif are observed. The nitrate anion is linked to the hydroxyl groups of two neighbouring cations by O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds. The ions are packed into infinite chains along the [100] direction.

2-Amino-pyridinium (2-amino-pyridine)trichloridonickelate(II)

In the title compound, (C(5)H(7)N(2))[NiCl(3)(C(5)H(6)N(2))], the Ni(II) atom is four-coordinated by three chloride anions and one N atom of a 2-amino-pyridine ligand, forming a distorted tetra-hedral coordination. In the crystal structure, cations and complex anions are linked into chains along the a, b and c axes by N-H⋯Cl hydrogen bonds, leading to the formation of a three-dimensional framework.

Intramolecular charge transfer effects on 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde

The absorption and fluorescence spectral characteristics of 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde (HMB) have been studied in different solvents, pH and beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD) and compared with 4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzaldehyde (HDMB). The inclusion complex of HMB with beta-CD is analysed by UV-vis, fluorimetry, FT-IR, (1)H NMR, SEM and AM1 methods. In HMB, the normal emission (B band) is originates from a locally excited state and the longer emission (A band) is due to intramolecular charge transfer state (ICT). The OH group of HMB is present in the interior part of the beta-CD cavity and aldehyde group present in the upper part of the beta-CD cavity.

Dual fluorescence of syringaldazine

The absorption and fluorescence spectra of syringaldazine (SYAZ) has been recorded in solvents of different polarity, pH and beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD) and compared with syringaldehyde (SYAL). The inclusion complex of SYAZ with beta-CD is investigated by UV-vis, fluorimetry, AM 1, FT-IR, (1)H NMR and scanning electron microscope (SEM). DeltaG value suggests the inclusion process is an exothermic and spontaneous. In all solvents a dual fluorescence is observed for SYAZ, whereas, SYAL shows a dual luminescence only in polar solvents. The excitation spectra for the 410 nm is different from 340 nm indicate two different species present in this molecule. In pH solutions: (i) a large red shifted maxima is observed in the dianion and is due to large interactions between the aromatic ring and (ii) the large blue shift at pH approximately 4.5, is due to dissociation of azine group and formation of aldehyde. beta-CD studies reveal that, SYAZ forms a 1:2 complex from 1:1 complex with beta-CD.