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Polygala species are frequently used worldwide in the treatment of various diseases, such as inflammatory and autoimmune disorders as well as metabolic and neurodegenerative diseases, due to the large number of secondary metabolites they contain. The present study was performed on Polygala inexpectata , which is a narrow endemic species for the flora of Turkey, and resulted in the isolation of nine known compounds, 6,3'-disinapoyl-sucrose ( 1 ), 6- O -sinapoyl,3'- O -trimethoxy-cinnamoyl-sucrose (tenuifoliside C) ( 2 ), 3'- O -( O -methyl-feruloyl)-sucrose ( 3 ), 3'- O -(sinapoyl)-sucrose ( 4 ), 3'- O -trimethoxy-cinnamoyl-sucrose (glomeratose) ( 5 ), 3'- O -feruloyl-sucrose (sibiricose A5) ( 6 ), sinapyl alcohol 4- O -glucoside (syringin or eleutheroside B) ( 7 ), liriodendrin ( 8 ), and 7,4'-di- O -methylquercetin-3- O -β-rutinoside (ombuin 3- O -rutinoside or ombuoside) ( 9 ). The structures of the compounds were determined by the spectroscopic methods including 1D-NMR ( 1 H NMR, 13 C NMR, DEPT-135), 2D-NMR (COSY, NOESY, HSQC, HMBC), and HRMS. The isolated compounds were shown in an in silico setting to be accommodated well within the inhibitor-binding pockets of myeloperoxidase and inducible nitric oxide synthase and anchored mainly through hydrogen-bonding interactions and π-effects. It is therefore plausible to suggest that the previously established anti-inflammatory properties of some Polygala -derived phytochemicals may be due, in part, to the modulation of pro-inflammatory enzyme activities.

The root of plant Polygala arillata has been used in the Oriental medicine as a tonic and for the treatment of certain diseases. Our current research on phytochemical profile of the roots of P. arillata led to the isolation of a new oligosaccharide ester ( 1 , polygaloside), a new glucose ester ( 7 , arillatoside), along with five known sucrose esters ( 2 - 6 ). Their structures were elucidated on the basis of extensive chemical and spectroscopic methods as well as comparison with those reported in the literature. The occurence of various oligosaccharide esters in P. arillata including unique compounds plays taxonomical impact and suggests potential in medicinal uses of the title plant.

We report on a potential method to separate sugars by using the specific interaction between fullerenes and saccharides in liquid chromatography (LC). Aromatic rings with high electron density are believed to interact strongly with saccharides due to CH-π and/or OH-π interactions. In this study, the fullerene-bonded columns were used to separate saccharides by LC under aqueous conditions. As a result, 2-aminobenzamide-labeled glucose homopolymer (Glcs) was effectively separated by both C60 and C70 columns in the range of Glc-1 to Glc-20 and high blood glucose level being retained in greater quantity. Furthermore, similar separations were identified by LC-mass spectrometry with non-labeled glucose homopolymers. Theoretical study based on molecular dynamics and DFT calculation demonstrated that a supramolecular complex of saccharide-fullerene was formed through CH-π and/or OH-π interactions, and that the interactions between saccharide and fullerene increase with the increase units of the saccharide. Additionally, the C60 column retained disaccharides containing maltose, trehalose, and sucrose. In this case, it was assumed that the retention rates were determined by the difference of the dipole moment in each saccharide. These results suggest that the dipole-induced dipole interaction was dominant, and that maltose-with the higher dipole moment-was more strongly retained compared to other disaccharides having lower dipole moment.

Honey maturity is an important factor in evaluating the quality of honey. We established a method for the identification of natural mature acacia honey with eighteen physicochemical parameters combined with chemometric analysis. The analysis of variance showed significant differences between mature and immature acacia honey in physicochemical parameters. The principal component analysis explained 82.64% of the variance among samples, and indicated that total phenolic content, total protein content, and total sugar (glucose, fructose, sucrose) were the major variables. The cluster analysis and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis demonstrated that samples were grouped in relation to the maturity coinciding with the results of the principal component analysis. Meanwhile, the 35 test samples were classified with 100% accuracy with the method of multi-physicochemical parameters combined with chemometric analysis. All the results presented above proved the possibility of identifying mature acacia honey and immature acacia honey according to the chemometric analysis based on the multi-physicochemical parameters.

Tamarind seed mucilage (TSM) was extracted and obtained by spray drying. The power law model well described the rheological behavior of the TSM dispersions with determination coefficients R 2 higher than 0.93. According to power law model, non-Newtonian shear thinning behavior was observed at all concentrations (0.5%, 1%, 1.5% and 2%) and temperatures (25, 30, 40, and 60°C) studied. Increasing temperature decreased the viscosity and increased the flow behavior index, opposite effect was observed when increasing the concentration. The temperature effect was more pronounced at 2.0% TSM concentration with an activation energy of 20.25kJ/mol. A clear dependence of viscosity on pH was observed, as pH increased from acidic to alkaline conditions, the viscosity increased. It was found that the rheological properties of TSM were affected by the sucrose and salts and their concentrations as well due to the addition of ions (or sucrose) decreases repulsion and allows molecule expansion promoting a significant reduction in viscosity. These results suggest that TMS could be applied in the production of foods that require additives with thickening capacity., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The juice from sweet sorghum cultivar SIL-05 (harvested at physiological maturity) was extracted, and the component sucrose and reducing sugars (such as glucose and fructose) were subjected to a membrane separation process to purify the sucrose for subsequent sugar refining and to obtain a feedstock for repeated bioethanol production. Nanofiltration (NF) of an ultrafiltration (UF) permeate using an NTR-7450 membrane (Nitto Denko Corporation, Osaka, Japan) concentrated the juice and produced a sucrose-rich fraction (143.2 g L -1 sucrose, 8.5 g L -1 glucose, and 4.5 g L -1 fructose). In addition, the above NF permeate was concentrated using an ESNA3 NF membrane to provide concentrated permeated sugars (227.9 g L -1 ) and capture various amino acids in the juice, enabling subsequent ethanol fermentation without the addition of an exogenous nitrogen source. Sequential batch fermentation using the ESNA3 membrane concentrate provided an ethanol titer and theoretical ethanol yield of 102.5-109.5 g L -1 and 84.4-89.6%, respectively, throughout the five-cycle batch fermentation by Saccharomyces cerevisiae BY4741. Our results demonstrate that a membrane process using UF and two types of NF membranes has the potential to allow sucrose purification and repeated bioethanol production.

Four new flavonol glycosides (1-4), two oligosaccharides (5, 6), one α-ionone (7), and three triterpenoid saponins (8-10), together with four known secondary metabolites (11-14), were isolated from the aerial parts of Polygala flavescens ssp. flavescens. All structures were elucidated on the basis of their spectroscopic and spectrometric data. The isolates were assayed for their inhibitory activity against isoform 5 of human lactate dehydrogenase, and compound 11 (3,6'-di-O-sinapoylsucrose) showed an IC 50 value of 90.4 μM. Modeling studies were carried out to suggest the putative interaction mode of compound 11 in the enzyme active site.

Metabolic flux analysis is particularly complex in plant cells because of highly compartmented metabolism. Analysis of free sugars is interesting because it provides data to define fluxes around hexose, pentose, and triose phosphate pools in different compartment. In this work, we present a method to analyze the isotopomer distribution of free sugars labeled with carbon 13 using a liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry, without derivatized procedure, adapted for Metabolic flux analysis. Our results showed a good sensitivity, reproducibility and better accuracy to determine isotopic enrichments of free sugars compared to our previous methods [5, 6]., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Quantitative determination of multiple effective components in a given plant usually requires a very large amount of authentic natural products. In this study, we proposed a rapid and non-destructive method for the simultaneous determination of echinacoside, verbascoside, mannitol, sucrose, glucose and fructose in Cistanche tubulosa by near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Near infrared diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were conducted on 116 batches of C. tubulosa samples. The DRS data were processed using standard normal variety (SNV) and multiplicative scatter correction (MSC) methods. Partial least squares regression (PLSR) was utilized to build calibration models for components-of-interest in C. tubulosa. All models were then assessed by calculating the root mean square error of calibration (RMSEC), correlation coefficient of calibration (r). The r values of all six calibration models were determined to be greater than 0.94, suggesting each model is reliable. Therefore, the quantitative NIR models reported in this study can be qualified to accurately quantify the contents of six medicinal components in C. tubulosa., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.

Sucralose is a non-nutritive artificial sweetener used in a broad range of foods and beverages. In the present study, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens WZS01 was isolated, identified, and used as a catalyst both in regioselective acylation and deacetylation for sucralose preparation. Bacterial cells were immobilized on polyurethane foam and utilized to synthesize sucrose-6-acetate regioselectively. The yield of sucrose-6-acetate was >95% with 60 mM sucrose after 22 h of reaction. Free cells could hydrolyze 75 mM sucralose-6-acetate to produce sucralose with >99% yield after 24 h of reaction. B. amyloliquefaciens WZS01 could be considered a potential biocatalyst for sucralose preparation., (Copyright © 2016 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Ten new sucrose esters, physakengoses A-J (1-10), were isolated from the aerial parts of Physalis alkekengi var. franchetii under the guidance of 1 H NMR spectroscopy. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic analyses (HRESIMS, 1D and 2D NMR, and ESIMS) and chemical methods. These new compounds were tested for antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli. Among them, compounds 2 and 5-8 showed potent inhibitory effects against test strains with MIC values ranging from 3.5 to 14.9μg/mL. These findings may indicate that the P. alkekengi var. franchetii has potential application as an ingredient in pharmaceuticals., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Advances in glucose/fructose-selective ethanol production have successfully enhanced raw sugar extraction from sugarcane juice by converting inhibitory substances (i.e., glucose/fructose) into ethanol, which is removed by subsequent operations in cane sugar mills. However, the commercial implementation of this breakthrough process in existing cane sugar mills requires a yeast strain that (i) can be used in food production processes, (ii) exhibits stable saccharometabolic selectivity, and (iii) can be easily separated from the saccharide solution. In this study, we developed a suitable saccharometabolism-selective and flocculent strain, Saccharomyces cerevisiae GYK-10. We obtained a suitable yeast strain for selective fermentation in cane sugar mills using a yeast mating system. First, we crossed a haploid strain defective in sucrose utilization with a flocculent haploid strain. Next, we performed tetrad dissection of the resultant hybrid diploid strain and selected GYK-10 from various segregants by investigating the sucrose assimilation and flocculation capacity phenotypes. Ten consecutive fermentation tests of the GYK-10 strain using a bench-scale fermentor confirmed its suitability for the implementation of practical selective fermentation in a commercial sugar mill. The strain exhibited complete saccharometabolic selectivity and sustained flocculation, where it maintained a high ethanol yield and conversion rate throughout the test., (Copyright © 2016 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

It was shown phenotypic changes in the root system of seedlings Arabidopsis thaliana in transgenic lines with overexpression and suppressed gene expression of serine-threonine protein kinase KIN10 in conditions of energy shortage and under normal conditions. The normal growth and development of KIN10 overexpressing plants with in energy deficiency conditions were detected. The significant inhibition of the plant development under normal conditions for these plant lines was obsereved. The levels of KIN10 gene expression under normal conditions in different organs A. thaliana, particularly in the roots, stems, leaves and flowers were analyzed. The highest level expression of the gene was fixed in the leaves.

Four withanolides (1-4) and two sucrose esters (5, 6) were isolated from the aerial parts of Physalis neomexicana. The structures of 1-6 were elucidated through a variety of spectroscopic techniques. Cytotoxicity studies of the isolates revealed that 2 inhibited human breast cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7) with IC50 values of 1.7 and 6.3 μM, respectively.

A High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) method was developed and validated to quantify sucrose (non-reducing sugar), glucose, and fructose (reducing sugars) in raw tubers of Solanum tuberosum Group Phureja. Chromatographic analysis was performed using an AMINEX HPX 87H column, at 18 °C, linked to a refraction index detector, at 35 °C. The eluent was 10mM sulfuric acid. The conditions established for the method provided an optimum separation of sugars, citric acid, and malic acid, with resolution values higher or equal to one. Among the four sugar extraction methods tested, the double 50% (v/v) aqueous methanol extraction gave the highest level of analytes. Recovery of this extraction method ranged between 94.14 and 99.77%. The HPLC method was validated for repeatability, reproducibility, linearity, and limits of detection, and quantification. Relative standard deviation was found to be lower than five, when testing repeatability and reproducibility, which is suitable considering a range of acceptability from 5.3 to 7.3. Additionally, the regression analyses supported the method linearity in a range of quantification from 3 to 100 mg/L with regression coefficients values greater than 0.998 for the three analytes. Limits of detection were 3.0 mg/L for the three sugars and limits of quantification were 2.0 mg/L for sucrose and 3.0 mg/L for glucose and fructose. Four Colombian commercial cultivars (Criolla Guaneña, Criolla Paisa, Criolla Galeras, and Criolla Colombia) and five landrace accessions from the Colombian Core Collection of Group Phureja were grown in the district of Usme (Bogotá) fields to analyze their sugar contents. Sucrose, glucose, and fructose contents were found ranging from 0.93 to 3.11 g/100 g tuber dried weight (DW), from 0.25 to 4.53 g/100 g tuber DW, and from 0.10 to 1.49 g/100 g tuber DW, respectively. Therefore, a high range in the variability of sugar contents was found among genotypes. However, the variability was low among technical replicates of the same genotype, revealing an accurate quantification of sugars in Group Phureja. This method can be used to assess the amount of reducing and non-reducing sugars accumulation in potato germplasm., (Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Physalis peruviana is a native plant from the South American Andes and is widely used in traditional Colombian medicine of as an anti-inflammatory medicinal plant, specifically the leaves, calyces, and small stems in poultice form. Previous studies performed by our group on P. peruviana calyces showed potent anti-inflammatory activity in an enriched fraction obtained from an ether total extract. The objective of the present study was to obtain and elucidate the active compounds from this fraction and evaluate their anti-inflammatory activity in vivo and in vitro. The enriched fraction of P. peruviana was purified by several chromatographic methods to obtain an inseparable mixture of two new sucrose esters named peruviose A (1) and peruviose B (2). Structures of the new compounds were elucidated using spectroscopic methods and chemical transformations. The anti-inflammatory activity of the peruvioses mixture was evaluated using λ-carrageenan-induced paw edema in rats and lipopolysaccharide-activated peritoneal macrophages. Results showed that the peruvioses did not produce side effects on the liver and kidneys and significantly attenuated the inflammation induced by λ-carrageenan in a dosage-dependent manner, probably due to an inhibition of nitric oxide and prostaglandin E2, which was demonstrated in vitro. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the presence of sucrose esters in P. peruviana that showed a potent anti-inflammatory effect. These results suggest the potential of sucrose esters from the Physalis genus as a novel natural alternative to treat inflammatory diseases., (Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)

In this study, a very thin film of biocompatible gelatin B (GB) fabricated onto indium tin oxide (ITO)-coated glass substrate for electrochemical catalytic activity towards different metabolites has been investigated. The optical and electrochemical properties of bare GB/ITO electrode and with different metabolites were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and electrochemical techniques. The optical properties clearly indicate the structural and surface morphological changes on electrode surface. FTIR spectra showed displacement of the IR peaks towards smaller wave numbers, indicating possible existence of hydrogen bonding between the GB and metabolites. The catalytic behaviour of GB/ITO electrode towards ascorbic acid (AA), citric acid (CA), oxalic acid (OA), glucose (Glu), sucrose (Suc), lactose (Lac) and fructose (Fru) has been investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV). The electrochemical response studies of GB/ITO electrode have been monitored with different metabolites in the range of 10-500 mg/dl. The sensitivity of GB/ITO electrode for AA and OA was found as 0.156 and 0.108 μA/(mg/dl cm(-2)) respectively. The results indicate that the GB/ITO electrode has higher specificity towards the AA and OA. The attractive properties of GB/ITO electrode provide the potential applications in the simultaneous detection of AA and OA. The excellent electrocatalytic behaviour of GB/ITO electrode may be useful towards the construction of electrochemical biosensors.

To search for novel cytotoxic constituents against cancer cells as lead structures for drug development, four new 3-phenylpropanoid-triacetyl sucrose esters, named tomensides A-D (1-4), and three known analogs (5-7) were isolated from the leaves of Prunus tomentosa. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analyses (1D, 2D NMR, CD and HRESIMS). The cytotoxic activities of all isolates against four human cancer cell lines (MCF-7, A549, HeLa and HT-29) were assayed, and the results showed that these isolates displayed stronger inhibitory activities compared with positive control 5-fluorouracil. Tomenside A (1) was the most active compound with IC50 values of 0.11-0.62 μM against the four tested cell lines. The structure-activity relationship (SAR) of the isolates was also discussed. The primary screening results indicated that these 3-phenylpropanoid-triacetyl sucrose esters might be valuable source for new potent anticancer drug candidates., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The influence of sucrose combustion products on smoking and nicotine addiction is still controversial because the presence of the sucrose may be treated as a source of aldehydes and organic acids. In e-liquids used as refills for electronic cigarettes, which are made primarily of poly(propylene glycol), glycerine and ethanol, sucrose may be present at trace levels, and its impact on mainstream smoke formation, and hence on human health and smoking/nicotine addiction is unknown. An analytical method was developed where high-performance liquid chromatography in hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography mode and tandem mass spectrometry were used for fast and simple determination of sucrose and other saccharides in e-liquids for electronic cigarettes. Minimal effort was required in the sample preparation step, and satisfactory results were obtained, and the sample matrix had an insignificant impact. The chromatographic separation was done using an Ascentis Express OH5 column (150 mm × 2.1 mm, 2.7 μm). The coefficients of variation for within-day precision for three concentrations were 2.4 %, 1.6 % and 2.3 %, and the between-day coefficients of variation for a single concentration were 2.1 %, 2.5 % and 1.7 % measured on the next 3 days. The detection limit was 0.73 μg/g, and the sucrose content in e-liquids ranged from 0.76 to 72.93 μg/g among 37 samples. Moreover, with the method presented it is possible to determine the presence of other saccharides such as fructose, glucose, maltose and lactose. However, only sucrose was found in all samples of e-liquids. The proposed method is rapid, simple and reliable in terms of high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry.

A halotolerant bacterium, Planococcus maritimus VITP21 isolated from a saltern region in Kumta along the Arabian Sea Coast of India was found to have increased cellular levels of sugars (up to 2.3-fold) under osmotic stress when grown in minimal medium with glucose as the sole carbon and energy source supplemented with 10% w/v NaCl. The major sugar osmolyte which increased with the concentration of NaCl in the growth medium was purified and characterized using various nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy techniques. The sugar was found to be similar to sucrose but with the C-2 hydroxyl group of the glucose ring substituted with acetamido group, which is not previously reported for its natural synthesis by any other organism. This novel sugar, (2-acetamido-2-deoxy-α-d-glucopyranosyl)-(1→2)-β-d-fructofuranose, exhibited stabilizing effect on a model protein α-amylase by increasing the apparent midpoint transition, onset temperature of denaturation, and free energy of thermal unfolding., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Steady state (13)C-MFA is classically used to measure fluxes in complex metabolic networks. However, the modeling of steady state labeling allows the quantification of internal fluxes only and requires the estimation, by other methods, of the external fluxes, corresponding to substrate uptake (carbon input into the network) and to the production rate of compounds that accumulate within plant cells (network output). Additionally, it is not always possible to discriminate between different pathways that lead to the same label distribution. Methods to measure fluxes, based on direct measurements of pool size and on (14)C short-time labeling experiments, are described in this chapter. To illustrate this approach, we focus on the quantification of sucrose and starch turnovers.

Sucrose esters (SEs) were successfully extracted from Oriental tobacco leaves using a new methodology based on accelerated solvent extraction followed by hydrophilic-lipophilic balanced cartridge cleanup step. The SEs were detected by HPLC with ion-trap MS detection using an electrospray interface operated in the positive ion mode. This methodology combines the high efficiency of extraction provided by a pressurized fluid and the highly sensitive characterization offered by ion-trap MS. Under the optimized conditions, 14 SEs were first identified among a total of 23 SEs found in Oriental tobacco leaves. Under the same conditions, only four new SEs were extracted by using traditional ultrasound-assisted extraction and liquid-solid extraction methods. The present method might be potentially useful in high-efficiency extraction and sensitive characterization of SEs from complex matrices such as tobacco leaves., (© 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

The methanolic extract from the flower buds of Prunus mume, cultivated in Zhejiang Province, China, showed an inhibitory effect on melanogenesis in theophylline-stimulated B16 melanoma 4A5 cells. From the methanolic extract, five acylated sucroses, mumeoses A-E, and three acylated quinic acid analogs, 5-O-(E)-p-coumaroylquinic acid ethyl ester, and mumeic acid-A and its methyl ester, were isolated together with 13 known compounds. The chemical structures of the compounds were elucidated on the basis of chemical and physicochemical evidence. Inhibitory effects of the isolated compounds on melanogenesis in theophylline-stimulated B16 melanoma 4A5 cells were also investigated. Acylated quinic acid analogs substantially inhibited melanogenesis. In particular, 5-O-(E)-feruloylquinic acid methyl ester exhibited a potent inhibitory effect [inhibition (%): 21.5±1.0 (P<0.01) at 0.1 μM]. Moreover, its biological effect was much stronger than that of the reference compound, arbutin [inhibition (%): 10.6±0.6 (P<0.01) at 10 μM]. Interestingly, the obtained acylated quinic acid analogs displaying melanogenesis inhibitory activity showed no cytotoxicity [cell viability >97% at 10 μM]. It is concluded that acylated quinic acid analogs are promising therapeutic agents for the treatment of skin disorders., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has been applied for the first time to the analysis of the sucrose esters from the surface of Nicotiana L. leaves. The profiles obtained for the model plant N. tabacum were similar to those from the gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID) analysis. The most reproducible results were obtained using a dihydroxybenzoic acid (DHB) matrix. The main advantage of this method is that crude plant extracts can be analysed without sample clean-up. GC-MS analysis of Aztec tobacco (N. rustica) extracts revealed the presence of three types of sucrose esters. All identified compounds had three C4-C8 acyl chains substituting the glucose moiety, while the fructose part of the molecule was substituted with 0, 1, or 2 acetyl groups. MALDI-TOF MS analysis of the sucrose ester fraction revealed the presence of compounds not eluting from a GC column. Combining the data from both GC-MS and MALDI-TOF MS experiments, we obtained a full sucrose ester profile, which is based on the molecular weight of the compounds and on the number of acyl chains in the molecule.

An automated multiresidue method consisting of an online solid-phase extraction step coupled to a high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometer (online-SPE-HPLC-MS/MS method) was developed for the determination of 88 polar organic micropollutants with a broad range of physicochemical properties (logD(OW) (pH 7): -4.2 to 4.2). Based on theoretical considerations, a single mixed-bed multilayer cartridge containing four different extraction materials was composed for the automated enrichment of water samples. This allowed the simultaneous analysis of pesticides, biocides, pharmaceuticals, corrosion inhibitors, many of their transformation products, and the artificial sweetener sucralose in three matrices groundwater, surface water, and wastewater. Limits of quantification (LOQs) were in the environmentally relevant concentration range of 0.1-87 ng/L for groundwater and surface water, and 1.5-206 ng/L for wastewater. The majority of the compounds could be quantified below 10 ng/L in groundwater (82%) and surface water (80%) and below 100 ng/L in wastewater (80%). Relative recoveries were largely between 80 and 120%. Intraday and inter-day precision, expressed as relative standard deviation, were generally better than 10% and 20%, respectively. 50 isotope labeled internal standards were used for quantification and accordingly, relative recoveries as well as intraday and inter-day precision were better for compounds with corresponding internal standard. The applicability of this method was shown during a sampling campaign at a riverbank filtration site for drinking water production with travel times of up to 5 days. 36 substances of all compound classes investigated could be found in concentrations between 0.1 and 600 ng/L. The results revealed the persistence of carbamazepine and sucralose in the groundwater aquifer as well as degradation of the metamizole metabolite 4-acetamidoantipyrine., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The methodology for separations of saccharides in standard electrophoretic systems has been transferred to the short-capillary electrophoresis format. The laboratory-designed apparatus used employs a quartz capillary with an internal diameter of 10 μm, a total length of 10 cm, and an effective length of 4 cm, in combination with contactless conductivity detection. It has been applied to separations of neutral mono- and disaccharides. The saccharides are separated in the anionic form, in solutions of alkali hydroxides, namely, KOH, NaOH, and LiOH. The separation of a model mixture of five saccharides (sucrose, lactose, glucose, fructose, and ribose) takes less than 1 min, the LOD equaling 15, 35, 19, 17, and 24 mg L(-1) and the LOQ equaling 52, 117, 63, 53, and 79 mg L(-1) for sucrose, lactose, glucose, fructose, and ribose, respectively. The technique developed has been used to determine sucrose, glucose and fructose in high-energy drinks. The separation is finished within less than 50 s; the saccharide contents determined are identical with the declared values within the reliability interval in most cases, the RSD value being mostly less than 2%. In general, the separation system developed is very convenient for rapid analyses of large sets of similar samples, e.g., in product quality control or environmental monitoring.

Three new sucrose esters (1-3) along with several known compounds were isolated from the fruits of Physalis solanaceus. The structural elucidation of the isolates was based on their spectroscopic characteristics mainly those of MS and NMR., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The neuroprotective effects of 3,6'-disinapoyl sucrose (DISS) from Radix Polygala against glutamate-induced SH-SY5Y neuronal cells injury were evaluated in the present study. SH-SY5Y neuronal cells were pretreated with glutamate (8 mM) for 30 min followed by cotreatment with DISS for 12 h. Cell viability was determined by (3,4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenylte-trazolium bromide (MTT) assay, and apoptosis was confirmed by cell morphology and flow cytometry assay, evaluated with propidium iodide dye. Treatment with DISS (0.6, 6, and 60 μmol/L) increased cell viability dose dependently, inhibited LDH release, and attenuated apoptosis. The mechanisms by which DISS protected neuron cells from glutamate-induced excitotoxicity included the downregulation of proapoptotic gene Bax and the upregulation of antiapoptotic gene Bcl-2. The present findings indicated that DISS exerts neuroprotective effects against glutamate toxicity, which might be of importance and contribute to its clinical efficacy for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

Mucosal integrity may be objectively assessed by determination of the absorption of exogenous substances such as sucrose. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC/MS) have been reported for the accurate quantification of low concentrations of sucrose in serum. LC/MS offered the advantage of high sensitivity and mass selectivity without the need for extensive sample derivatization required for GC/MS methods. However, the high polarity and non-volatile nature of the sucrose molecule renders LC/MS techniques challenging. Previously published reports lacked sufficient detail to permit replication of methodology. Problems encountered with existing protocols included poor peak resolution and weak fragmentation of the parent molecule. This communication describes a LC/MS protocol developed to provide improved resolution and product detection., (Crown Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To study the chemical constituents of the aerial part of Ligusticum jeholense., Methods: The constituents were isolated by sillica gel column chromatography, Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography and their structures were elucidated by spectral analysis., Results: Seven compounds were separated from the EtOH extracts. Their structures were identified as psoralen (1), beta-sitosterol (2), daucosterol (3), kaempferol-3-O-(2",4"-di-E-p-coumaroyl)-alpha-L-rhamnoside (4), kaempferol-3-O-beta-D-galactoside (5), quercetin-3-O-beta-D-galactoside (6), sucrose (7)., Conclusion: Compounds 1, 4, 5 and 6 are isolated from the genus for the first time. Compounds 2, 3 and 7 are isolated from the aerial part of the plant for the first time.

Objective: To study the chemical constituents from the bulbs of Zephyranthes candida., Methods: The chemical constituents were separated and purified by means of several chromatographies and their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods., Results: Six compounds were isolated and identified as trisphaeridine (I), p-hydroxybenzaldehyde (II), sucrose (III), (-)-amarbellisine (IV), lycorine (V), (+)-haemanthamine (VI)., Conclusion: Compounds I - IV are obtained from this genus for the first time.

Objective: To separate and identify the chemical constituents of n-BuOH extraction from the roots of Rhodiola rosea in Xinjiang., Methods: The column chromatography was used to separate consituents. The structures were elucidated by chemical reactions and MS, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, and 2D-NMR spectral data., Results: Six compounds were isolated and identified as salidroside (I), kaempferol-7-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranoside(II), herbacetin-7-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyr-anoside(III), herbace-tin-7-0-(3"-O-beta-D-glucopyran-oside)-alpha-L-rhamnopyranoside(IV), 5, 7, 3', 5'-tetrahydroxy-flavanone(V), sucrose(VI)., Conclusion: Compound V is isolated from this plant for the first time.

Eight new compounds, labdanes 2-4, homoergostane 10, and sucrose esters 12-15, were isolated from aerial parts of Physalis sordida together with several known compounds. Structures of the new compounds were elucidated using spectroscopic evidence and chemical transformations. The structure of 10 was confirmed by X-ray crystallographic analysis of its methyl ester. Anti-inflammatory activity of compounds 1, 2, 4, 5, and 12-15 was evaluated using the TPA-induced mouse ear edema test. Compounds 12 (IC(50) 0.26 mumol/ear) and 15 (IC(50) 0.24 mumol/ear) showed anti-inflammatory activity similar to that of indomethacin (IC(50) 0.24 mumol/ear).

Sucrose content in soybean seeds is desired to be high because as a sweetness-imparting component, it helps in wider acceptance of soy-derived food products. Conversely, galactosyl derivatives of sucrose, that is, raffinose and stachyose, which are flatulence-inducing components, need to be in low concentration in soybean seeds not only for augmenting utilization of the crop in food uses but also for delivering soy meal with improved metabolizable energy for monogastric animals. In the present study, analysis of 148 soybean genotypes for sucrose and total raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFOs) contents revealed a higher variation (4.80-fold) for sucrose than for RFOs content (2.63-fold). High-performance liquid chromatography analyses revealed ranges of 0.64-2.53 and 2.09-7.1 mmol/100 g for raffinose and stachyose contents, respectively. As information concerning the environmental effects on the sucrose and RFOs content in soybean seeds is not available, we also investigated a set of seven genotypes raised at widely different geographical locations for these quality traits. Sucrose content was found to be significantly higher at cooler location (Palampur); however, differences observed for raffinose and stachyose contents across the growing locations were genotype-dependent. The results suggest that soybean genotypes grown at cooler locations may be better suited for processing soy food products with improved taste and flavor.

Objective: To study the chemical constituents of Fructus Broussonetiae., Methods: Column chromatography with silic gel was employed to isolate and purify the 80% alcohol extract of Fructus Broussonetia, and the constituents were identified by spectral methods., Results: Six compounds were isolated from 80% ethanol extract. Their structures were identified as Isoterihanine (1), Chelerythrine (2), Trillin (3), Sucrose (4), beta-sitosterol (5) and Fucosterol (6)., Conclusion: These compounds are isolated from Fructus Broussonetiae for the first time.

The mass chromatographic fingerprints of the water extracts of Atractylodes rhizome and Atractylodes lancea rhizome were analyzed by LC-MS. Three new acylsucrose derivatives [2,6,3',6'-tetra(3-methylbutanoyl)sucrose (1), 2,4,3',6'-tetra(3-methylbutanoyl)sucrose (2), and a mixture of 3',4',6'-tris(3-methylbutanoyl)-1'-(2-methylbutanoyl)sucrose and 1',3',4',6'-tetra(3-methylbutanoyl)sucrose (6)), along with three known acylsucroses (2,6,3',4'-tetra(3-methylbutanoyl)sucrose (3), 2,4,3',4'-tetra(3-methylbutanoyl)sucrose (4) and a mixture of 2,3',6'-tris(3-methylbutanoyl)-1'-(2-methylbutanoyl)sucrose and 2,1',3',6'-tetra(3-methylbutanoyl)sucrose (5)] were isolated as the marker compounds of Atractylodes rhizome and Atractylodes lancea rhizome. The structures of the compounds were elucidated by MS/MS analyses and NMR experiments.

Purification of seven regio-isomers of O-decanoyl sucrose, 2-O-, 3-O-, 4-O-, 6-O-, 3'-O-, 4'-O- and 6'-O-decanoyl sucrose, were performed by LC followed by preparative RP-HPLC with ELSD. Using an optimized gradient of acetonitrile in water 2-O-, 3-O-, 6-O- and 3'-O-decanoyl sucrose were purified in yields (w/w) of 52.5%, 34.7%, 45.0% and 36.9%, respectively. In the purified preparations of the 2-O- and 3'-O-decanoyl sucrose respectively, acyl migration was observed as a result of the drying process. Lyophilization resulted in the highest purities (w/w) of 96% and 100% for the 2-O- and the 3'-O-decanoyl sucrose, respectively.

Objective: To study the chemical constituents of the root and rhizoma of Ligusticum jeholense., Methods: The constituents were isolated by silica gel column chromatography, Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography and their structures were elucidated through spectral analysis., Results: Seven compounds were separated from the EtOH extracts. Their structures were identified as levistolide A (1), xiongterpene (2), linoleic acid (3), sucrose (4), daucosterol (5), ferulic acid (6) and beta-sitosterol (7)., Conclusion: Compounds 1-5 are isolated from the genus for the first time.

Purpose: Novel agents that target multiple aspects of androgen receptor (AR) signaling are desirable for chemoprevention and treatment of prostate cancer (PCa). We aimed to identify compounds isolated from medicinal herbs as such drug candidates., Methods: In the LNCaP human androgen sensitive PCa cell model, we tested five compounds purified from Lindera fruticosa Hemsley in the range of 10-50 microM for growth inhibition and AR-prostate specific antigen (PSA) suppressing potency. We determined the relationship between these activities and P53 tumor suppressor protein activation and apoptotic cleavage of PARP. We compared these compounds to the anti-androgen drug Casodex/bicalutamide to identify mechanistic novelty., Results: Among 3 sucrose compounds, beta-D-(3,4-di-sinapoyl)fructofuranosyl-alpha-D-(6-sinapoyl)glucopyranoside decreased AR and PSA mRNA and protein levels in LNCaP cells and inhibited androgen-stimulated AR translocation from the cytosol to the nucleus. This compound also increased P53 Ser(15) phosphorylation and PARP cleavage in LNCaP cells, but required higher dosage than for suppressing AR-PSA. Interestingly, this compound did not inhibit the growth of RWPE-1 non-transformed prostate epithelial cells. The benzophenone compound 2-methoxy-3,4-(methylenedioxy)benzophenone suppressed PSA and AR in LNCaP cells without apoptosis., Conclusions: Our data support novel anti-AR actions of these herbal compounds distinct from Casodex and merit further investigation as drug candidates.

A new sucrose ester named beta-D-(1-O-acetyl-3-O-cis-feruloyl)fructofuranosyl alpha-D-2',3',6'-O-triacetylglucopyranoside 1 and a novel phenylpropanoid glycerol named 1-O-cis-feruloyl-3-O-trans-p-coumaroylglycerol 2, have been isolated from Sparganium stoloniferum. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods.

Objective: To study the chemical constituents of Botrychium lanuginosum., Method: Various chromatographic techniques were used to isolate and purify the constituents. The structures were elucidated by chemical evidence and spectroscopic methods., Result: Ten compounds were isolated from the 95% ethanol extract of the herb of B. lanuginosum and their structures were elucidated as 30-nor-21beta-hopan-22-one (1), beta-sitosterol (2), luteolin (3), thunberginol A (4), apigenin (5), (6'-O-palmitoyl)-sitosterol-3-O-beta-D-glucoside (6), daucosterol (7), 1-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(2S, 3R, 4E, 8Z)-2-[(2R-hydroxy hexadecanoyl) amino]-4, 8-octadecadiene-1, 3-diol (8), luteolin-7-O-glucoside (9), sucrose (10)., Conclusion: Compounds 1-10 were isolated from this genus for the first time.

Phytochemical investigation of Trigonotis peduncularis resulted in the isolation of three aryldihydronaphthalene-type lignan sucrose diesters named trigonotins A-C (1-3). These lignans showed a strong yellow-green fluorescence emission under basic conditions. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated by means of spectroscopic methods, and the nature of their fluorescence was examined.

Objective: To study the chemical constituents of the flowers of Chrysanthemum indicum., Methods: Chemical constituents were isolated and purified by silica gel and Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography. The structures were identified by means of physico-chemical and spectral data., Results: From the 80% ethanol extract of the material, seven compounds were isolated. Their structures were identified as acacetin(1), acacetin-7-O-(6"-O-acetyl) beta-D-glucopyranoside (2), linarin (3), apigenin-7-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside(4), chlorogenic acid (5), vanillic acid(6) and sucrose(7), respectively., Conclusion: Compounds 2, 4, 6 and 7 are isolated from C. indicum for the first time.

Two new sucrose esters, beta-d-(1-O-acetyl-3-O-trans-feruloyl)fructofuranosyl-alpha-d-2',4',6'-O-triacetylglucopyranoside (1) and beta-d-(1-O-acetyl-3-O-trans-feruloyl)fructofuranosyl-alpha-d-2',3',6'-O-triacetylglucopyranoside (2), together with two known sucrose esters have been isolated from Sparganium stoloniferum. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods.

Objective: To study the chemical constituents from the leaves of Cassia angustifolia., Methods: Compounds were isolated and repeatedly purified by chromatographic techniques on silica gel column. Their structures were elucidated by chemical and spectral methods., Results: eight compounds were isolated from the leaves of Cassia angustifolia, and identified as tinnevellin glycoside(I), isorhamnetin-3-O-beta-gentiobioside(II), apigenin-6,8-di-C-glycoside(III), emodin-8-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside(IV), kaempferol(V), aloe emodin(VI), D-3-O-methylinositol(VII), sucrose(VIII)., Conclusion: Compounds III, VII and VIII are isolated from the plant for the first time.

Objective: To study the chemical constituents of Suregada glomeruldata., Method: Isolation and purification were carried out on silica gel, sephardex LH -20, ODS column chromatography etc. Constituents were identified by physicochemical properties and spectral analysis., Result: Nine compounds, Jolkinolide B (1), 8alpha, 14-dihydro-7-oxo-jolkinolide E (2), helioscopinolide B (3), ent-kauran-16beta, 17-diol (4), 7-oxo-beta-sitosterol (5), scopoletin (6), adenosine (7), 1'-sinapoylglucose (8), sucrose (9), were obtained and identified., Conclusion: Compounds 2-9 were isolated from S. glomerulata for the first time.

Polygala hongkongensis Polycalaceae is mostly distributed in southern China, such as Guangdong, Jiangxi, Fujian and Sichuan provinces. And its herbs is used as a remedy of heat-clearing and detoxicating, removing food retention, promoting blood flow and expelling phlegm to arrest coughing in the folk medicine. Previous phytochemical investigations on Polygala plants have reported that the main chemical constituents are sapaonins, xanthones and oligosaccharide esters. To the best of our knowledge, there is no chemical report on the Polygala hongkongensis Hemsl. yet. In order to search and make use of natural resources from Polygala and to find the bioactive compounds and new compounds, we carried out studies on chemical constituents of this plant. The herbs of P. hongkongensis were extracted with 70% MeOH. The extract was combined and evaporated in vacuum to residue, which was suspended in water and successively partitioned with EtOAc and n-BuOH. Part of the n-BuOH extract was isolated and purified by various column chromatographs such as a macroporous resin, silica gel, Sephadex LH-20 column and semipreparative HPLC. The structures of isolated and purified compounds were determined by spectral analysis such as UV, IR, HRESI-MS, ESI-MS, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, HMQC, HMBC, H-H COSY, NOESY and physico-chemical property. Six compounds were identified as polyhongkonggaline (1), 3, 6'-di-O-sinapoyl-sucrose (2), tenuifoliside A (3), glomeratose D (4), cis-syringin (5), syringaresinol-4'-O-beta-D-monoglucoside (6). Compounds 1 is new compound, and 2-6 were isolated from this plant for the first time. Farther studies on the chemical constituents and pharmacological activities of P. hongkongensis will be carried out.

Human plasma protein complement factor H (FH) is an inhibitor of the spontaneously activated alternative complement pathway. An allotypic variant of FH, 402His, has been associated with age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in the elderly. Crystals of FH domains 6-8 (FH678) containing 402His have been grown in the presence of a polyanionic sucrose octasulfate ligand (an analogue of the natural glycosaminoglycan ligands of FH) using both native and selenomethionine-derivatized protein. Native data sets diffracting to 2.3 A and SeMet data sets of up to 2.8 A resolution have been collected. An anomalous difference Patterson map reveals self- and cross-peaks from two incorporated Se atoms. The corresponding selenium substructure has been solved.

Two new phenolic compounds, gastrodin A (1) and gastrol A (2), together with 7 known ones (3-9) have been isolated from the EtOH extract of the rhizomes of Gastrodia elata Blume (Orchidaceae), and their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis and comparison of their spectral data with those reported previously.

An early endothermic peak at approximately 150 degrees C was observed for crystalline sucrose by differential scanning calorimetry. The enthalpy at this temperature was found to vary with recrystallised sucrose from different sources. The addition of mineral salts to recrystallisation solutions decreased the enthalpy of the peak at around 150 degrees C, whereas the absence of salts increased it. The presence of organic solvents and polysaccharides in solution had a minor effect compared to the inorganic impurities. The peak was also depleted by increasing the amount of stirring and temperature at which recrystallisation was performed.