Detonation nanodiamond particles modified by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in vitro examination

Most recently it has been found that nanodiamond particles have very interesting properties. There are number of research communications that detonation nanodiamond particles (NDPs) are fairly reactive and their surface can be effectively modified by chemical methods. The hydroxyl-modified NDPs were obtained by Fenton reaction, amine-functionalized NDPs were obtained by chemical reduction of the nitro- -functionalized surface and carboxyl-modified NDPs by oxidation by using H2O2 under acidic conditions. NDPs functionalized by hydroxyl- and amine- groups and amino groups were used for covalent binding of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory pharmaceuticals (aspirin, ketoprofen, ibuprofen, naproxen) via ester or amide bonds. These results of the studies proved the activity of the conjugates of active substance-NDP and study the rate of release of active substance from the NDPs surface by in vitro examinations with mouse fibroblasts. The progress of the reaction and the characteristics of the products were determined by using FT-IR. Chemical and physical structures of materials were also investigated by Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Fourier Transform Spectroscopy (DRIFTS). DRIFT spectra show the modification of nanodiamond by ketoprofen, naproxen, ibuprofen and aspirin

Crystal structures of thymidylate synthase from nematodes, Trichinella spiralis and Caenorhabditis elegans, as a potential template for species specific drug design

Abstract Crystal structures were solved of the binary complexes Trichinella spiralis and Caenorhabditis elegans thymidylate synthases with deoxyuridine monophosphate (dUMP), with crystals obtained by the vapor diffusion method in hanging drops. For the T. spiralis thymidylate synthase-dUMP complex, the diffraction data were collected at the BESSY Synchrotron to 1.9 Å resolution. The crystal belongs to the space group P1 with two dimers in the asymmetric unit (ASU). For the C. elegans TS-dUMP complex crystal, the diffraction data were collected at the BESSY Synchrotron to 2.48 Å resolution, and the crystal belongs to the space group P 32 2 1, with two monomers (one dimer) in the ASU. Structural comparisons were made of both structures and each of them with the corresponding mouse thymidylate synthase complex.</jats:p

Butanol Synthesis Routes for Biofuel Production: Trends and Perspectives

Butanol has similar characteristics to gasoline, and could provide an alternative oxygenate to ethanol in blended fuels. Butanol can be produced either via the biotechnological route, using microorganisms such as clostridia, or by the chemical route, using petroleum. Recently, interest has grown in the possibility of catalytic coupling of bioethanol into butanol over various heterogenic systems. This reaction has great potential, and could be a step towards overcoming the disadvantages of bioethanol as a sustainable transportation fuel. This paper summarizes the latest research on butanol synthesis for the production of biofuels in different biotechnological and chemical ways; it also compares potentialities and limitations of these strategies