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During production of diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA), process waste water is generated in several production stages. Process wastewater is usually disposed of via waste water treatment plants. However, due to low biodegradability of DTPA in conventional waste water treatment, incineration constitutes the current method of choice. The main disadvantage of incineration is high consumption of primary energy sources leading to substantial emission of carbon dioxide (CO2). Thus, an alternative method of process waste water treatment was investigated, which consists of an initial application of ozone and a subsequent biological treatment. In 2009, preliminary laboratory experiments were conducted to evaluate the elimination of DTPA in process waste water. Based on the initial results, the responsible authorities granted approval for large-scale ozonation of DTPA-containing wastewater in 2011. Additional laboratory scale experiments were carried out to assess the elimination of the target compound and the generation of its main transformation products using liquid chromatography – high resolution mass spectrometry. Through application of the postulated method, the concentration of DTPA and its derivatives can be reduced to levels assuring safe discharge into the receiving water. Additionally, a comparison of CO2 emissions showed that ozonation is an ecological alternative to incineration and, most likely, an economical as well, based on the local prices of primary energy sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical investigation of the root of Zanthoxylum paracanthum afforded 1 new alkamide derivative, (2E,4E)-6-oxo-N-isobutyldeca-2,4-dienamide (1) together with 10 known congeners including one phenolic amide (2), four benzophenanthridines (3 − 6), three indolonaphthyridines (7 − 9) and two lignans (10 and 11). Their structures were elucidated by a combination of spectroscopic and spectrometric data. Using resazurin reduction assay, the crude extract (10 µg/mL) and isolates (10 µM) were screened for their cytotoxic activities against the drug-sensitive (CCRF-CEM) leukemia cell line and its multidrug-resistant counterpart (CEM/ADR5000). Compounds 3, 4 and 6 showed cytotoxicity against CCRF-CEM with IC50 values of 2.00 ± 0.33, 2.31 ± 0.20 and 0.11 ± 0.04 µM, respectively. Only compound 6 exhibited strong cytotoxic activity against CEM/ADR5000 with an IC50 value of 2.34 ± 0.34 µM in comparison with the standard drug doxorubicin which showed IC50 values of 0.01 ± 0.14 (CCRF-CEM) and 26.78 ± 3.30 µM (CEM/ADR5000). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new flavone, named hildeflavone (1) along with 7 other known flavonoids were isolated from the aerial parts of Tephrosia hildebrandtii Vatke. Their characterisation was based on NMR and MS data analysis. The anti-inflammatory properties of the crude extract, isolated compounds and combination of the compounds were investigated in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Treatment of the LPS-stimulated PBMCs with the isolated flavonoids at a concentration of 100 µM significantly reduced the production of interleukins (IL-1β, IL-2 and IL-6), interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α). It was also found that the combination of a flavone and flavanones exhibited remarkable synergistic anti-inflammatory effects on the production of the cytokines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The methanol stem bark extract of A. boonei and methanol seed extract of P. nitida , were subjected to purification using chromatographic techniques. A. boonei yielded loganic acid ( 1 ), sweroside ( 2 ) and secoxyloganin ( 3 ), while P. nitida afforded (1) , akuammidine ( 4 ), akuammicine ( 5 ) and alstonine ( 6 ). The structures of the compounds were elucidated based on their nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) profiles and comparison with literature data. The antibacterial activities of the compounds were evaluated using the disc diffusion assay with chloramphenicol as the positive control. Alstonine ( 6 ) demonstrated weak activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Streptococcus agalactiae with zones of inhibition of 9.3 ± 0.6 and 10.0 ± 0.0 mm, respectively. This is the first report of sweroside ( 2 ) and secoxyloganin ( 3 ) in A. boonei .