Los fondos manuscritos lulianos de Mallorca

A facile route towards the synthesis of the first examples of cholesterol-conjugated distamycin analogues is described. These compounds retain their strong binding capacity to double-stranded (ds)-DNA. Aqueous suspensions of these analogues exhibited closed, vesicle-like structures under transmission electron microscope

Emerging trends at the interface of chemistry and biology: applications to the design of human therapeutics

This article describes recent developments in the design and implementation of various strategies towards the development of novel therapeutics using first principles from biology and chemistry. Strategies for multi-target therapeutics and network analysis with a focus on cancer and HIV are discussed. Methods for gene and siRNA delivery are presented along with challenges and opportunities for siRNA therapeutics. Advances in protein design methodology and screening are described, with a focus on their application to the design of antibody based therapeutics. Future advances in this area relevant to vaccine design are also mentioned

Remarkably facile heck and suzuki reactions in water using a simple cationic surfactant and ligand-free palladium catalysts

A facile surfactant mediated Heck and Suzuki coupling procedure in water has been developed using ligand-free Pd-catalysts. The procedure which involves nanometric palladium colloids, is operationally simple, environmentally benign and synthetically as efficient as conventional procedures using organic solvents

Biological and materials properties of various cholesterol based systems

Liposomes composed of cationic lipids have become very popular gene delivery vehicles. A great deal of research is being pursued to make efficient vectors by varying their molecular architecture. Cholesterol being ubiquitous component in most of the animal cell membranes is increasingly being used as a hydrophobic segment of synthetic cationic lipids. In this review we describe various cholesterol based cationic lipids and focus on the effect of modifying various structural segments like linker and the head group of the cationic lipids on gene transfection efficiency with a special emphasis on the importance of ether linkage between cholesteryl backbone and the polar head group. Interaction of cationic cholesteryl lipids with dipalmitylphosphatidycholine membranes is also discussed here. Apart from cholesterol being an attractive scaffold in the drug/gene delivery vehicles, certain cholesteryl derivatives have also been shown to be attractive room temperature liquid-crystalline materials

Investigation of heat-acid induced coagulation behaviour of whole milk systems employing front-face fluorescence spectroscopy

The heat-acid-induced coagulation behaviour of whole milk system (buffalo, cow and mixed milk) was studied by steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy exploiting tryptophan as a marker molecule. The varied molecular environment of tryptophan residues in the raw milk systems exerted different fluorescence properties. During the coagulation process, cow milk exhibited significant quenching and bathochromic shift in the emission spectra which was attributed to the low buffering ability and high hydration capacity of cow milk caseins. The results indicated that tryptophan residues of cow milk experienced more dynamic environment throughout the reaction as compared to buffalo milk

STUDIES ON THE EFFECTS OF KOPSIA FRUTICOSA ON MEAN ARTERIAL BLOOD PRESSURE OF ANAESTHETIZED CATS

Introduction: Kopsia fruticosa,a member of the Apocynaceae family contains four indole alkaloids whose pharmacological effects have not been extensively studied (Fig. 1-3). Drugs bearing indole alkaloids are known to produce important pharmacological effects. It has been reported that most of the indigenous plant having indole alkaloids exhibit varieties of pharmacological actions on the CVS like hypotension, dilatation of both peripheral and coronary vessels and antileukaemic effect etc. Materials and methods: Hence it was conceived that the compounds of Kopsia fruticosa (KF) may produce some interesting pharmacological actions especially on the cardio-vascular system. The crude extract was prepared from the dried leaves in laboratory and the chief objective of this study was to evaluate the possible effects of both the propylene glycolic (KF1) and the aqueous solution (KF2) of the crude extract of dried leaves of Kopsia fruticosa. Results: Kopsine, one of the alkaloids obtained from the plant Kopsia fruticosa, possesses cholinergic action. This study on the mean arterial blood pressure and respiration of anaesthetized cats consistently revealed that both KF1 and KF2 induce a dose dependent fall in blood pressure, with slight bradycardia and little stimulatory effect on the respiration. Conclusion: Both the solutions, KF1 and KF2 had potent depressor effect on the mean arterial blood pressure of anaesthetized cats