Chiral separation of 2,3-allenoic acid by capillary zone electrophoresis using cyclodextrin derivatives

In this paper, five of six samples of 2,3-allenoic acid enantiomers were separated by capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) using hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HP-beta-CD) and hydroxypropyl-gamma-cyclodextrin (HP-gamma-CD) as chiral selectors. Using HP-beta-CD for chiral separation, three of the six enantiomers were separated. Five experimental conditions including HP-beta-CD concentration, pH, buffer concentration, temperature, and running voltage were investigated for their influence on separation and migration using enantiomers of 2-methyl-4-phenyl-2,3-butadienoic acid (A) and 2-(n-propyl)-4-phenyl-2,3-butadienoic acid (B) as samples. Good separation results were observed when [HP-beta-CD] = 3-12 mmol/L and pH = 7-9 for samples A and B. The temperature range of 15-25 degrees C can be selected for convenience. According to the chiral separation results, HP-beta-CD and HP-gamma-CD should be valuable selectors to separate 2,3-allenoic acids and HP-gamma-CD was suggested to separate the 2,3-allenoic acid samples with a group at 4-position bulkier than phenyl.     

Preparative Enantioseparation of β‐Substituted‐2‐Phenylpropionic Acids by Countercurrent Chromatography With Substituted β‐Cyclodextrin as Chiral Selectors

Preparative enantioseparation of four β‐substituted‐2‐phenylpropionic acids was performed by countercurrent chromatography with substituted β‐cyclodextrin as chiral selectors. The two‐phase solvent system was composed of n‐hexane‐ethyl acetate‐0.10 mol L‐1 of phosphate buffer solution at pH 2.67 containing 0.10 mol L^‐1 of hydroxypropyl‐β‐cyclodextrin (HP‐β‐CD) or sulfobutylether‐β‐cyclodextrin (SBE‐β‐CD). The influence factors, including the type of substituted β‐cyclodextrin, composition of organic phase, concentration of chiral selector, pH value of the aqueous phase, and equilibrium temperature were optimized by enantioselective liquid–liquid extraction. Under the optimum separation conditions, 100 mg of 2‐phenylbutyric acid, 100 mg of tropic acid, and 50 mg of 2,3‐diphenylpropionic acid were successfully enantioseparated by high‐speed countercurrent chromatography, and the recovery of the (±)‐enantiomers was in the range of 90–91% for (±)‐2‐phenylbutyric acid, 91–92% for (±)‐tropic acid, 85–87% for (±)‐2,3‐diphenylpropionic acid with purity of over 97%, 96%, and 98%, respectively. The formation of 1:1 stoichiometric inclusion complex of β‐substituted‐2‐phenylpropionic acids with HP‐β‐CD was determined by UV spectrophotometry and the inclusion constants were calculated by a modified Benesi‐Hildebrand equation. The results showed that different enantioselectivities among different racemates were mainly caused by different enantiorecognition between each enantiomer and HP‐β‐CD, while it might be partially caused by different inclusion capacity between racemic solutes and HP‐β‐CD. Chirality 27:795–801, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

β‐cyclodextrin encapsulated polyphenols as effective antioxidants

Formation of dityrosine (DT) cross‐linkages in proteins is one of the most widely used markers of oxidative stress. Ribonuclease A (RNase A) has 6 Tyr residues and shows a characteristic DT fluorescence peak upon oxidation in addition to major changes in its secondary structure. DT formation can be prevented by using polyphenols (GA, ECG, and EGCG) which are known to have strong antioxidant activity. However, it has been observed that ECG and EGCG initiate protein oligomerization due to protein‐polyphenol cross‐linkages. To prevent the formation of such cross‐linkages we have used β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD) to encapsulate the polyphenols and studied its antioxidant properties along with that of free polyphenols. The polyphenol/β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD) inclusion complexes not only prevent DT formation but also reduce protein oligomerization. This may be attributed to the fact that the quinone forming rings of ECG and EGCG become encapsulated in the cavity of β‐CD and are no longer available for protein cross‐linking.     

Non-aqueous capillary electrophoresis chiral separations with sulfated β-cyclodextrin

This paper reports the application of an anionic cyclodextrin (CD), sulfated β-cyclodextrin with a degree of substitution of four (β-CD-(SO₄⁻)₄, in chiral separations of pharmaceutical enantiomers by non-aqueous capillary electrophoresis (NACE). Upon complexation with the anionic CD, electrophoretic mobilities of the basic enantiomers decreased, however, both separation selectivity and resolution were enhanced. The advantage of NACE chiral separations over the aqueous CE with the charged CD is that higher electric field strength and higher ionic strength could be applied due to the characteristics of the solvent formamide. The higher ionic strength leads to stacking of peaks and reduces the electrodispersion caused by the mobility mismatch between β-CD-(SO₄⁻)₄–analyte complexes and the co-ions in the running buffer. As a result, better peak shapes and higher separation efficiency were obtained. Comparing with NACE chiral separations with neutral CDs, lower concentration of β-CD-(SO₄⁻)₄ was needed due to the fact that the electrostatic attraction caused stronger binding between β-CD-(SO₄⁻)₄ and the enantiomers. The effects of the experimental parameters, such as concentration of the CD, apparent pH (pH*), degree of substitutions of the CDs, percentage of water in mixed solvent systems, and type of solvents were also studied.     

Enantiodifferentiation of α‐hydroxyalkanephosphonic acids in 31P NMR with application of α‐cyclodextrin as chiral discriminating agent

α‐Cyclodextrin was shown to be convenient chemical shift reagent for determination of the enantiomeric composition of α‐hydroxyphosphonic acids by means of ³¹P NMR. The developed methodology appeared to be reliable, repetitive, easy to perform and simple for interpretation. Enantiomeric discrimination in the ³¹P NMR spectra for 12 of 13 studied hydroxyphosphonates was achieved, with baseline separation of resonances obtained for eight compounds. In those cases, the chemical nonequivalence values ranged from 0.069 to 0.313 ppm. The studies showed that enantioselectivity is strongly influenced by the solution pD and the optimal condition was found at pD 2 or 10 depending on the guest structure. On the basis of the ROESY spectra the complexation modes of selected hydroxyphosphonates with α‐cyclodextrin was postulated. Chirality 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Comparison of three S‐β‐CDs with different degrees of substitution for the chiral separation of 12 drugs in capillary electrophoresis

Three kinds of sulfated β‐cyclodextrin (S‐β‐CD), including a single isomer, heptakis‐6‐sulfato‐β‐cyclodextrin (HS‐β‐CD), degree of substitution (DS) of 7, which was synthesized in our laboratory and another two commercialized randomly substituted mixtures, a sulfated β‐cyclodextrin with DS of 7 to 11, as well as a highly sulfated‐β‐cyclodextrin with DS of 12 to 15, were used for the enantioresolution of 12 drugs (the β‐blockers, phenethylamines, and anticholinergic agents) in capillary electrophoresis. The enantioseparation under varying concentrations of S‐β‐CD and background electrolyte pH were systematically investigated and compared. Based on the experimental results, the effect of the nature of S‐β‐CD and analyte structure on the enantioseparation is discussed.     

Enantioseparation of ketoconazole and miconazole by capillary electrophoresis and a study on their inclusion interactions with β‐cyclodextrin and derivatives

A chiral separation method coupled with capillary electrophoresis (CE) analysis for ketoconazole and miconazole enantiomers using chiral selectors such as β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD) and hydroxypropyl‐β‐CD (HP‐β‐CD) was developed in this study, which included the optimisation, validation and application of the method on the antifungal cream samples. The formation of inclusion complex between the hosts (β‐CD and HP‐β‐CD) and guests (ketoconazole and miconazole) were compared and analysed using ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometry, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and molecular docking methods. Results from the study showed that in a concentration that ranged between 0.25 and 50 mg L^?1, the linear calibration curves of each enantiomer had a high coefficient of regression (R² > 0.999), low limit of detection (0.075 mg L^?1) and low limit of quantification (0.25 mg L^?1). The relative standard deviation (RSD) of the intraday and interday analyses ranged from 0.79% to 8.01% and 3.30% to 11.43%, respectively, while the recoveries ranged from 82.0% to 105.7% (RSD < 7%, n = 3). The most probable structure of the inclusion complexes was proposed based on the findings from the molecular docking studies conducted using the PatchDock server.     

The role of calcium in apoptosis induced by 7β‐hydroxycholesterol and cholesterol‐5β,6β‐epoxide

Oxysterols, such as 7β‐hydroxy‐cholesterol (7β‐OH) and cholesterol‐5β,6β‐epoxide (β‐epoxide), may have a central role in promoting atherogenesis. This is thought to be predominantly due to their ability to induce apoptosis in cells of the vascular wall and in monocytes/macrophages. Although there has been extensive research regarding the mechanisms through which oxysterols induce apoptosis, much remains to be clarified. Given that experimental evidence has long associated alterations of calcium (Ca²⁺) homeostasis to apoptotic cell death, the aim of the present study was to determine the influence of intracellular Ca²⁺ changes on apoptosis induced by 7β‐OH and β‐epoxide. Ca²⁺ responses in differentiated U937 cells were assessed by epifluorescence video microscopy, using the ratiometric dye fura‐2. Over 15‐min exposure of differentiated U937 cells to 30 μM of 7β‐OH induced a slow but significant rise in fura‐2 ratio. The Ca²⁺ channel blocker nifedipine and the chelating agent EGTA blocked the increase in cytoplasmic Ca²⁺. Moreover, dihydropyridine (DHP) binding sites identified with BODIPY‐FLX‐DHP were blocked following pretreatment with nifedipine, indicating that the influx of Ca²⁺ occurred through L‐type channels. However, following long‐term incubation with 7β‐OH, elevated levels of cytoplasmic Ca²⁺ were not maintained and nifedipine did not provide protection against apoptotic cell death. Our results indicate that the increase in Ca²⁺ may be an initial trigger of 7β‐OH–induced apoptosis, but following chronic exposure to the oxysterol, the influence of Ca²⁺ on apoptotic cell death appears to be less significant. In contrast, Ca²⁺ did not appear to be involved in β‐epoxide–induced apoptosis. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biochem Mol Toxicol 23:324–332, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/jbt.20295     

Revealing interaction between sulfobutylether‐β‐cyclodextrin and reserpine by chemiluminescence and site‐directed molecular docking

The host–guest interaction between sulfobutylether‐β‐cyclodextrin (SBE‐β‐CD) and reserpine (RSP) is described using flow injection‐chemiluminescence (FI‐CL) and site‐directed molecular docking methods. It was found that RSP could inhibit the CL intensity produced by a luminol/SBE‐β‐CD system. The decrease in CL intensity was logarithmic over an RSP concentration range of 0.03 to 700.0 nM, giving a regression equation of ?I = 107.1lgC_RES + 186.1 with a detection limit of 10 pM (3σ). The CL assay was successfully applied in the determination of RSP in injection, saliva and urine samples with recoveries in the range 93.5–106.1%. Using the proposed CL model, the binding constant (K_CD‐R) and the stoichiometric ratio of SBE‐β‐CD/RSP were calculated to be 7.4 × 10⁶ M^‐1 and 1 : 1, respectively. Using molecular docking, it was confirmed that luminol binds to the small cavity of SBE‐β‐CD with a nonpolar interaction, while RSP targeted the larger cavity of SBE‐β‐CD and formed a 1 : 1 complex with hydrogen bonds. The proposed new CL method has the potential to become a powerful tool for revealing the host–guest interaction between CDs and drugs, as well as monitoring drugs with high sensitivity. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

HPLC‐method for determination of permethrin enantiomers using chiral β‐cyclodextrin‐based stationary phase

The liquid chromatographic separation of permethrin enantiomers on chiral β‐cyclodextrin‐based stationary phase has been investigated. All four enantiomers are obtained by using simple methanol and water mobile phase, under gradient mode. The method was optimized and validated. The relationship between temperature and chromatographic parameters: k′ (capacity factor), α (separation factor) and Rs (resolution factor) was studied. Van't Hoff's curves for each enantiomer were plotted for temperature range 288–318 K. It was noticed that the response factor ratio of permethrin isomers differ and calculated value is found to be 1.66 (cis/trans, for n = 5). This method has been used for determining permethrin enantiomer ratio for a few samples of working standards and one formulation. Chirality 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Optical resolution and mechanism using enantioselective cellulose,sodium alginate and hydroxypropyl‐β‐cyclodextrin membranes

Chiral solid membranes of cellulose, sodium alginate, and hydroxypropyl‐β‐cyclodextrin were prepared for chiral dialysis separations. After optimizing the membrane material concentrations, the membrane preparation conditions and the feed concentrations, enantiomeric excesses of 89.1%, 42.6%, and 59.1% were obtained for mandelic acid on the cellulose membrane, p ‐hydroxy phenylglycine on the sodium alginate membrane, and p ‐hydroxy phenylglycine on the hydroxypropyl‐β‐cyclodextrin membrane, respectively. To study the optical resolution mechanism, chiral discrimination by membrane adsorption, solid phase extraction, membrane chromatography, high‐pressure liquid chromatography ultrafiltration were performed. All of the experimental results showed that the first adsorbed enantiomer was not the enantiomer that first permeated the membrane. The crystal structures of mandelic acid and p ‐hydroxy phenylglycine are the racematic compounds. We suggest that the chiral separation mechanism of the solid membrane is “adsorption – association – diffusion,” which is able to explain the optical resolution of the enantioselective membrane. This is also the first report in which solid membranes of sodium alginate and hydroxypropyl‐β‐cyclodextrin were used in the chiral separation of p ‐hydroxy phenylglycine.     

Effect of 2‐hydroxypropyl‐β‐cyclodextrin on thermal stability and aggregation of glycogen phosphorylase b from rabbit skeletal muscle

The study of the kinetics of thermal aggregation of glycogen phosphorylase b (Phb) from rabbit skeletal muscles by dynamic light scattering at 48°C showed that 2‐hydroxypropyl‐β‐cyclodextrin (HP‐β‐CD) accelerated the aggregation process and induced the formation of the larger protein aggregates. The reason of the accelerating effect of HP‐β‐CD is destabilization of the protein molecule under action of HP‐β‐CD. This conclusion was supported by the data on differential scanning calorimetry and the kinetic data on thermal inactivation of Phb. It is assumed that destabilization of the Phb molecule is due to preferential binding of HP‐β‐CD to intermediates of protein unfolding in comparison with the original native state. The conclusion regarding the ability of the native Phb for binding of HP‐β‐CD was substantiated by the data on the enzyme inhibition by HP‐β‐CD. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 93: 986–993, 2010.     

β‐Catenin and Rho GTPases as downstream targets of TGF‐β1 during pulp repair

TGF‐β1 (transforming growth factor‐β1) plays a central role in regulating proliferation, migration and differentiation of dental pulp cells during the repair process after tooth injury. Our previous study showed that p38 mitogen‐activated protein kinase may act downstream of TGF‐β1 signalling to effect the differentiation of dental pulp cells. However, the molecular mechanisms that trigger and regulate the process remain to be elucidated. TGF‐β1 interacts with signalling pathways such as Wnt/β‐catenin and Rho to induce diverse biological effects. TGF‐β1 activates β‐catenin signalling, increases β‐catenin nuclear translocation and interacts with LEF/TCF to regulate gene expression. Morphologic changes in response to TGF‐β1 are associated with activation of Rho GTPases, but are abrogated by inhibitors of Rho‐associated kinase, a major downstream target of Rho. These results suggest that the Wnt/β‐catenin and Rho pathways may mediate the downstream events of TGF‐β1 signalling.     

An efficient and enantioselective Michael addition of aromatic oximes to α,β‐unsaturated aldehydes promoted by a chiral diamine catalyst derived from α,α‐diphenyl prolinol

Chiral diamine catalysts 11a–e derived from α ,α ‐diphenyl prolinol were prepared and successfully applied to the Michael addition of aromatic oximes to α ,β ‐unsaturated aldehydes in mediocre to good yields (up to 78%) and good to high enantioselectivities (up to 93% ee ).     

The stress response neuropeptide CRF increases amyloid‐β production by regulating γ‐secretase activity

The biological underpinnings linking stress to Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk are poorly understood. We investigated how corticotrophin releasing factor (CRF), a critical stress response mediator, influences amyloid‐β (Aβ) production. In cells, CRF treatment increases Aβ production and triggers CRF receptor 1 (CRFR1) and γ‐secretase internalization. Co‐immunoprecipitation studies establish that γ‐secretase associates with CRFR1; this is mediated by β‐arrestin binding motifs. Additionally, CRFR1 and γ‐secretase co‐localize in lipid raft fractions, with increased γ‐secretase accumulation upon CRF treatment. CRF treatment also increases γ‐secretase activity in vitro, revealing a second, receptor‐independent mechanism of action. CRF is the first endogenous neuropeptide that can be shown to directly modulate γ‐secretase activity. Unexpectedly, CRFR1 antagonists also increased Aβ. These data collectively link CRF to increased Aβ through γ‐secretase and provide mechanistic insight into how stress may increase AD risk. They also suggest that direct targeting of CRF might be necessary to effectively modulate this pathway for therapeutic benefit in AD, as CRFR1 antagonists increase Aβ and in some cases preferentially increase Aβ42 via complex effects on γ‐secretase.     

Nanofiber formation of amphiphilic cyclic tri‐β‐peptide

A novel amphiphilic cyclic peptide composed of two β‐glucosamino acids and one trans‐2‐aminocyclohexylcarboxylic acid was synthesized and investigated on assembly formation. The cyclic tri‐β‐peptide was self‐assembled into rodlike crystals or nanofibers depending on preparative conditions. The rodlike crystals showed a layer spacing of 4.8 Å along the long axis, and columnar spacings of 10.8 and 21.5 Å by electron diffraction analysis along the short axis. The former confirms the columnar structure upon molecular stacking, and the latter indicates triple bundle formation of the columnar assemblies. Fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR) measurement of the fibrous assembly showed formation of homogeneous hydrogen bonds among amide groups, also supporting the molecular stacking of cyclic β‐peptides. Straight nanofibers with uniform diameter were also uniquely obtained. Copyright © 2010 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Conformations of peptides containing a chiral cyclic α, α‐disubstituted α‐amino acid within the sequence of Aib residues

A single chiral cyclic α,α‐disubstituted amino acid, (3S,4S)‐1‐amino‐(3,4‐dimethoxy)cyclopentanecarboxylic acid [(S,S)‐Ac₅c^dOM], was placed at the N‐terminal or C‐terminal positions of achiral α‐aminoisobutyric acid (Aib) peptide segments. The IR and ¹H NMR spectra indicated that the dominant conformations of two peptides Cbz‐[(S,S)‐Ac₅c^dOM]‐(Aib)₄‐OEt ( 1) and Cbz‐(Aib)₄‐[(S,S)‐Ac₅c^dOM]‐OMe (2) in solution were helical structures. X‐ray crystallographic analysis of 1 and 2 revealed that a left‐handed (M) 3₁₀‐helical structure was present in 1 and that a right‐handed (P) 3₁₀‐helical structure was present in 2 in their crystalline states. Copyright © 2010 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Characterization of an Importin α/β‐recognized nuclear localization signal in β‐dystroglycan

β‐dystroglycan (β‐DG) is a widely expressed transmembrane protein that plays important roles in connecting the extracellular matrix to the cytoskeleton, and thereby contributing to plasma membrane integrity and signal transduction. We previously observed nuclear localization of β‐DG in cultured cell lines, implying the existence of a nuclear targeting mechanism that directs it to the nucleus instead of the plasma membrane. In this study, we delineate the nuclear import pathway of β‐DG, characterizing a functional nuclear localization signal (NLS) in the β‐DG cytoplasmic domain, within amino acids 776–782. The NLS either alone or in the context of the whole β‐DG protein was able to target the heterologous GFP protein to the nucleus, with site‐directed mutagenesis indicating that amino acids R⁷⁷⁹ and K⁷⁸⁰ are critical for NLS functionality. The nuclear transport molecules Importin (Imp)α and Impβ bound with high affinity to the NLS of β‐DG and were found to be essential for NLS‐dependent nuclear import in an in vitro reconstituted nuclear transport assay; cotransfection experiments confirmed the dependence on Ran for nuclear accumulation. Intriguingly, experiments suggested that tyrosine phosphorylation of β‐DG may result in cytoplasmic retention, with Y⁸⁹² playing a key role. β‐DG thus follows a conventional Impα/β‐dependent nuclear import pathway, with important implications for its potential function in the nucleus. J. Cell. Biochem. 110: 706–717, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Spectrofluorimetric determination of the antineoplastic agent lomustine based on the sensitizing effect of β‐cyclodextrin

The effects of solvent dipolarity/polarizability and solvent–solute hydrogen bonding on the photophysical properties of the antineoplastic drug lomustine were analysed by means of the linear solvation energy relationship (LSER) concept proposed by Kamlet and Taft. The LSER method enabled the overall solvent effects to be quantitatively estimated and separated into specific and non‐specific contributions. The molecular encapsulation of lomustine by β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD) has been studied using fluorescence spectroscopy. The results are discussed in terms of the binding parameter and the effect of the solvent used. It was concluded that β‐CD forms a 1:1 inclusional complex with lomustine in acetonitrile solution and its association constant was calculated to be 500 M^?1. In addition, and for the first time, a simple, rapid and high sensitive fluorimetric method for the determination of lomustine was developed based upon the enhancement effect produced through complex formation with β‐CD. The new approach for the quantification of lomustine in the presence of β‐CD was described in aqueous and organic solutions. Better limits of detection (0.31 µg ml^?1) and quantification (1.05 µg ml^?1) were obtained in aqueous solution with respect to those obtained in organic solvent. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.