Determination of Carbon and Nitrogen Isotope Fractions in Asparagine, Aspartic Acid, Threonine and Methionine

The nomenclature for compounds that are modified with isotopes is growing every day. Compounds can be modified with isotopes either individually, in a functional group or groups, or completely with all atomic centers of the element. This diversity of isotope-modified compounds increases the range of researches that can be studied using them. Compounds modified with isotopes of carbon-13 or nitrogen-15 can be converted into carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and molecular nitrogen. Currently, only the average value of carbon-13 or nitrogen-15 isotopes can be determined. However, by directly determining the atomic share of these isotopes in organic compounds modified with isotopes, information about the isotopic centers of the element can be obtained. The atomic fraction of an element is defined as a single carbon or nitrogen isotope-modified center or centers, or all centers that are isotope-modified with that element at the same time. Carbon-13 or nitrogen-15 isotopes’ atomic fraction can be determined molecularly or with fragment ions of different elemental content, or both. This makes the method self-verifying, increasing the accuracy and reliability of the results obtained. Amino acids, such as asparagine, aspartic acid, methionine, and threonine, are essential for the human body. This proposed method of isotopic analysis will increase the possibilities for scientific research using these compounds.

Microwave-assisted Synthesis of Modified Polyaspartic Acid in Solvent

Polyaspartic acid(PASP)is suitable for the inhibition of scale deposition from water.To enhance its in- hibition efficiency,PASP was modified by reacting aspartic acid(Asp)with glutamic acid(Glu)to provide Asp-Glu copolymer under microwave irradiation.The influence of reaction parameters on conversion,molecular weight and inhibition of CaCO3 precipitation was investigated Infra-red.(IR), 1H nuclear magnetic resonance( 1H NMR)and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance( 13C NMR)spectroscopies were used to characterize the copolymer.The results show that copolymerization of aspartic acid and glutamic acid is catalyzed by a small amount of phosphorous acid (H3PO4)in solvent,the product conversion is 98.05%under the following conditions:the molar ratio of glutamic acid to reactant[Glu/(Asp+Glu)]is 0.3 and that of catalyst(Cat)to reactant[Cat/(Glu+Asp)]is 0.05(0.65ml H3PO4),the volume of solvent dimethylformamide is 16ml,the microwave power used is 720W and the reaction for 3 min.The weight average molecular weight of copolymer synthesized under these conditions is 2709 and the inhi- bition rate for CaCO3 is 97.75%.

Metal ion-binding properties of L-glutamic acid and L-aspartic acid, a comparative investigation

A comparative research has been developed for acidity and stability constants of M(Glu)1, M(Asp)2 and M(Ttr)3 complexes, which have been determined by potentiometric pH titration. Depending on metal ion-binding properties, vital differences in building complex were observed. The present study indicates that in M(Ttr) com-plexes, metal ions are arranged to the carboxyl groups, but in M(Glu) and M(Asp), some metal ions are able to build chelate over amine groups. The results mentioned-above demonstrate that for some M(Glu) and M(Asp) complexes, the stability constants are also largely determined by the affinity of metal ions for amine group. This leads to a kind of selectivity of metal ions, and transfers them through building complexes accompanied with glutamate and aspartate. For heavy metal ions, this building complex helps the absorption and filtration of the blood plasma, and consequently, the excursion of heavy metal ions takes place. This is an important method in micro-dialysis. In this study the different as-pects of stabilization of metal ion complexes regarding to Irving-Williams sequence have been investigated.

Poly(ethylenimine)-grafted-poly[(aspartic acid)-co-lysine]: A Non-viral Polymer with Potential for DNA Delivery

A biodegradable gene transfer vector, poly(ethylenimine)-grafted-poly[(aspartic acid)-co-lysine] has been developed by thermal polycondensation of aspartic acid and lysine, and branch poly(ethylenimine) (Mw less than 600) was grafted to the backbone. The polymer was characterized by 1H NMR. It appeared lower cytotoxity compared to poly(ethylenimine) (25KDa), which was quantified by MTT assay. Electrophoresis indicated that the polymer could retardate DNA at N/P ratio 1.2-1.8 (w/w). Transfection efficiency of the complexes was studied in NT2 cell lines. It was 1.5 fold higher than molecular weight PEI (Mw = 25KDa).

Detection of Serine Octamer by Desorption Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry in Resultant Mixture of Aspartic Acid Exposed to Sunshine Under Natural Conditions

Serine, one of the nonessential amino acids, is of principal interest because of its capability to form magic-number ionic clusters, which provide a remarkable preference for homochirality. With L-aspartic acid as the precursor, this study provides experimental evidence for serine formation in weak acidified aqueous solutions in the presence of iron, with exposure to sunlight, which simulates the natural conditions of the prebiotic aqueous environment. The resultant mixture is directly analyzed via desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry（ DESI-MS）, without any sample preseparation. The serine monomer is successfully detected as protonated molecules, giving a peak at m/z 106, which is confirmed by the MS/MS fragments. Protonated serine octamer（ m/z 841 ） is also observed with significant abundance in the MS spectra and is confirmed by the MS/MS data, which shows the formation of the serine octamer by a synthesized serine in the resultant mixture. It is also found that the serine octamer yielded equivalent abundance in the DESI mass spectra in a wide pH range（pH = 1-5 ）, and that existence of ferrous salt and sunshine are essential for the conversion of aspartic acid to serine in the acidic water solution.

Synthesis,Characterization and Antibacterial Properties of Rare Earth (Ce^(3+) ,Pr^(3+) ,Nd^(3+) ,Sm^(3+) ,Er^(3+) ) Complexes with L-Aspartic Acid and o-Phenanthroline

Five novel ternary complexes of rare earth ions with L-Aspartic acid (Asp) and o-phenanthroline (Phen) were synthesized in ethanol aqueous solution. Their compositions were characterized by elemental analysis, molar conductance, FT-IR, Raman, UV-VIS and TG-DTA. The compositions of the complexes were confirmed to be: RE( Asp)3PhenCl3·3H2O (RE: Ce3+ , Pr3+ , Nd3+ , Sm3+ , Er3+ ). The antibacterial activity test shows that all these complexes exhibit excellent antibacterial ability against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans. The antimicrobial spectrum of the complexes are broad.

Inhibition mechanism of aspartic acid on crystal growth of hydroxyapatite

The effects of aspartic acid on the crystal growth, morphology of hydroxyapatite(HAP) crystal were investigated, and the inhibition mechanism of aspartic acid on the crystal growth of hydroxyapatite was studied. The results show that the crystal growth rate of HAP decreases with the increase of the aspartic acid concentration, and the HAP crystal is thinner significantly compared with that without amino acid, which is mainly due to the (1 010) surface of HAP crystal being inhibited by the aspartic acids. The calculation analysis indicates that the crystal growth mechanism of HAP, following surface diffusion controlled mechanism, is not changed due to the presence of aspartic acid. AFM result shows that the front of terrace on vicinal growth hillocks is pinned, which suggests that the aspartic acid is adsorbed onto the (1 010) surface of HAP and interacts with the Ca2+ ions of HAP surface, so as to block the growth active sites and result in retarding of the growth of HAP crystal.

Effect of Xingnaojing Injection(醒脑静注射液)on Hippocampal N-methyl-D-aspartic Acid Receptors of Focal Cerebral Ischemia in Rats

Objective: To observe and elucidate the neuroprotective effect of Xingnaojing (XNJ) injection on hippocampal N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptors of focal cerebral ischemia in rats. Methods: Cerebral ischemia was established by occluding the middle cerebral artery with an intraluminal suture technique in rats. Neurological deficit score, infarct volume and quantity of NMDA receptors were estimated in all groups and compared. Results: After being treated with XNJ, the score decreased in the initial 6 hours and infarct volume decreased in 24 hours. And within 24 hours, the quantity of NMDA receptors obviously decreased compared with the model group (P<0. 01) It indicated that XNJ could ameliorate neurological behavior of middle cerebral artery occlusion rats and down-regulate the expression of hippocampal NMDA receptors. Conclusion: The neuroprotective effect of XNJ on focal cerebral ischemia is possibly related to down-regulating the expression of NMDA receptors in rats.

Effect of Chronic Noise Exposure on Expression of N-Methyl-D-Aspartic Acid Receptor 2B and Tau Phosphorylation in Hippocampus of Rats

Objective To study the effect of chronic noise exposure on expression of N-methyI-D-aspartic acid receptor 2B （NR2B） and tau phosphorylation in hippocampus of rats. Methods Twenty-four male SD rats were divided in control group and chronic noise exposure group. NR2B expression and tau phosphorylation in hippocampus of rats were detected after chronic noise exposure （100 dB SPL white noise, 4 h/dx30d） and their mechanisms underlying neuronal apoptosis in hippocampus of rats with TUNEL staining. Results The NR2B expression decreased significantly after chronic noise exposure which resulted in tau hyperphosphorylation and neural apoptosis in hippocampus of rats. Immunohistochemistry showed that the tau hyperphosphorylation was most prominent in dentate gyrus （DG） and CA1 region of rat hippocampus. Conclusion The abnormality of neurotransmitter system, especially Glu and NR2B containing NMDA receptor, and tau hyperphosphorylation in hippocampus of rats, may play a role in chronic noise-induced neural apoptosis and cognition impairment.

Microwave-Assisted Synthesis of Poly(Aspartic Acid-Itaconic Acid) Copolymer and Its Characterization

Poly(aspartic acid-itaconic acid) copolymer was synthesized from aspartic acid(Asp) and itaconic acid(Ita) under microwave irradiation. The effects of microwave power, microwave irradiation time, molar ratio of itaconic acid and aspartic acid, catalyst type, catalyst and organic solvent content on copolymer yield, and the performance for inhibition of CaCO_3 fouling were investigated. It was found that the product yield achieved a highest record of 95% when the amount of catalyst Na H_2PO_4 was 0.012 mol, the amount of organic solvent propylene carbonate was 16 m L, the molar ratio of Asp/Ita was 3:1, the microwave output power was 1200 W and the irradiation time was 5.5 min. And the product performance for inhibition of calcium carbonate also reached a highest value of 94.38%. Structural characterization of the product showed that the product was the aspartic acid-itaconic acid copolymer.

PREPARATION OF N－t－BUTYLOXYCARBONYL－O~α－9－FLUORENYLMETHYL ESTER OF ASPARTIC ACID

The preparation of the a carboxyl 9-fluorenylmethyl(FM) ester of Boc-aspartic acid is described.This new protected amino acid linked to the polymeric support by βcarboxyl group offers a convenient strategy for the synthesis of head-to-tail cyclopeptides while the peptides remained attached to the polymeric support.

INTRAMOLECULAR β-CARBOXYLIC ACTIVATING OF N-PHOSPHORYL ASPARTIC ACID

The β-carboxylic group plays an important role in the peptide formation,esterification and the ester exchange at the phosphoryl group of N-phosphorylated aspartic acid.

Fabrication of Poly(Aspartic Acid)-Nanogold Modified Electrode and Its Application for Simultaneous Determination of Dopamine, Ascorbic Acid, and Uric Acid

A nanostructured polymer film incorporated gold nanoparticles modified electrode was fabricated. The fabrication process involved a previous electropolymerization of aspartic acid and followed by the eletrodeposition of gold nano-particles on the glassy carbon electrode. The resulting poly (aspartic acid)-nanogold modified electrode (PAA- nano-Au/GCE) was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electrochemical impedance spectros-copy (EIS). A higher catalytic activity was obtained to electrocatalytic oxidation of dopamine (DA), ascorbic acid (AA) and uric acid (UA) due to the enhanced peak current and well-defined peak separations compared with three, bare GCE, PAA/GCE and nano-Au/GCE. Simultaneous determination of DA, AA, and UA were studied by voltammetry. The linear range of 5.0 × 10-7 - 1.0 × 10-4 M for DA, 5.0 × 10-6 - 2.0 × 10-3 M for AA and 5.0 × 10-6 - 1.0 × 10-3 M for UA was obtained. The detection limit was calculated for DA, AA and UA as being 6.5 × 10-8 M, 5.6 × 10-7 M and 3.0 × 10-7 M, respectively (S/N = 3). The practical application of the present modified electrode was demonstrated by the determination of DA, AA and UA in calf serum and fetal calf serum samples.

Subcellular distribution of N-methyl-D-aspartic acid receptor subunit 1 in neural stem cells within subventricular zone of adult rats

The subcellular localization of N-methyI-D-aspartic acid receptor subunit 1 in neural stem cells of the subventricular zone of adult rats was detected using electron microscopy, following immunohistochemistry and immunogold-silver double staining. Results confirmed the presence of neural stem cells in the subventricular zone, which is a key neurogenic region in the central nervous system of adult mammals. The expression of N-methyI-D-aspartic acid receptor subunit 1 was higher than that of nestin and mainly distributed in the cell membrane, cytoplasm, rough endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi complex of neural stem cells.

Water-soluble lipopolymer delivery of N-methyl-D-aspartic acid receptor 2B siRNA relieves chronic neuropathic pain in rats

Spinal dorsal horn N-Methyl-D-aspartic acid receptor 2B （NR2B） overexpression plays an important role in the production and maintenance of neuropathic pain. Because small interfering RNA （siRNA） can inhibit NR2B expression, siRNA may provide a novel approach to treat neuropathic pain and possibly nerve injury. However, an efficient and safe vector for NR2B siRNA has not been discovered. This study shows that a water soluble lipopolymer （WSLP） comprised of low molecular weight polyethyleneimine （PEI） and cholesterol can deliver siRNA targeting NR2B for the treatment of neuropathic pain. Results show that intrathecal injection of WSLP/siRNA complexes for 3 days inhibit NR2B gene expression with reductions in mRNA and protein levels by 59% and 54%, respectively, compared with control rats （P 〈 0.01）. Injection of WSLP complexed with scrambled siRNA, or PEI with siRNA did not show this inhibitory effect. Moreover, injection of WSLP/siRNA complexes significantly relieved neuropathic pain at 3, 7, 12, and 21 days, while injection of WSLP with scrambled siRNA or PEI with siRNA did not. These results demonstrate that WSLP can efficiently deliver siRNA targeting NR2B in vivo and relieve neuropathic pain.

The calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II inhibitor KN-93 protects rat cerebral cortical neurons from N-methyl-D-aspartic acid-induced injury

In this study, primary cultured cerebral cortical neurons of Sprague-Dawley neonatal rats were treated with 0.25, 0.5, and 1.0 μM calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II inhibitor KN-93 after 50 μM N-methyI-D-aspartic acid-induced injury. Results showed that, compared with N-methyi-D- aspartic acid-induced injury neurons, the activity of cells markedly increased, apoptosis was significantly reduced, leakage of lactate dehydrogenase decreased, and intracellular Ca2＋ concentrations in neurons reduced after KN-93 treatment. The expression of caspase-3, phosphorylated calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II and total calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II protein decreased after KN-93 treatment. And the effect was apparent at a dose of 1.0 pM KN-93. Experimental findings suggest that KN-93 can induce a dose-dependent neuroprotective effect, and that the underlying mechanism may be related to the down-regulation of caspase-3 and calmodulin- dependent protein kinase II expression.

Preparation and Characterization of Orally Fast-Disintegrating Mini-Tablets Containing Diphenhydramine Hydrochloride and Aspartic or Glutamic Acid as an Umami Amino Acid

The aim of this study was to prepare diphenhydramine hydrochloride (DPH)-loaded orally fast-disintegrating mini-tablets (OFDMTs) containing either L-aspartic acid (Asp) or L-glutamic acid (Glu) as bitterness-suppressant, to characterize the prepared tablets and to evaluate their bitterness under conditions mimicking those of the oral cavity. The preparation of five formulation batches of the OFDMTs involved mixing DPH, with or without two different concentrations of Asp or Glu, and a premix containing a disintegrating agent. When all ingredients were well mixed, the mixture was directly compacted to form small (4 mm diameter) DPH-loaded OFDMTs. There were only small differences between the tablets with respect to mass, diameter, width and hardness. The disintegration times of the five formulation batches of DPH-loaded OFDMTs were measured using the OD-mate, a disintegration test apparatus in which conditions resemble those of the oral cavity. The disintegration times were all within 10 s of exposure to a medium representing the inside of the oral cavity. Rapid release profiles were observed for DPH, Asp and Glu in these dissolution tests. The taste sensor outputs of samples taken at different times (5 - 30 s) from the dissolution test solutions of the four DPH-loaded OFDMTs containing Asp or Glu were significantly inhibited compared with those of control DPH-loaded OFDMT. These results suggest that the inclusion of Asp or Glu in DPH-loaded OFDMTs is sufficient to mask bitterness in the oral cavity for the first 30 s after the tablet is placed in the mouth. It is anticipated that swallowing will have taken place within 30 s.

Electrocatalytic oxidation and determination of dopamine at a carbon ionic liquid electrode modified with nafion-L-aspartic acid composite film

The electrocatalytic oxidation of dopamine(DA)was studied by electrochemical approaches at a carbon ionic liquid electrode(CILE)modified with the composite film of nafion and L-aspartic acid(NL-CILE).The CILE was fabricated by replacing non-conductive organic binders with a room-temperature hydrophobic ionic liquid,1-butyl-3-methyl-imidazolium hexafluorophosphate.The composite film of NL was used as matrix to adsorb DA and catalyze the oxidation of DA in phosphate buffer solution(PBS).The electrochemical response of DA was investigated at the NL-CILE,the traditional carbon paste electrode(TCPE),CILE and the nafion modified CILE(N-CILE)in 0.1M PBS(pH 7.4),respectively.The results showed the superiority of NL-CILE to N-CILE,CILE and TCPE in terms of provision of higher sensitivity,faster electron transfer and better reversibility.Under optimum condition,the oxidation peak current was rectilinear with DA concentration range from 0.1μM to 0.1mM,with a detection limit of 0.03μM(S/N=3)by differential pulse voltammetry.The proposed method was applied to determine DA in samples successfully.

Synthesis and Crystal Structure of a New Ternary Complex of Nickel(II) with L-Aspartic Acid and 1,10-Phenanthroline

A new ternary complex of nickel(II) with L-aspartate (L-Asp) and 1, 10-phenan- throline(Phen), [Ni3(L-Asp)(Phen)5(H2O)3](ClO4)4?4.75H2O, has been synthesized in a mixed sol- vent of H2OC2H5OH at the pH value of 3. It crystallizes in triclinic, space group P1 with a = 11.861(2), b = 18.384(4), c = 19.746(3) ?, α = 107.68(1), β = 105.94(1), γ = 103.41(2)°, V = 3703.6(11) ?3, Mr = 1745.66, Z = 2, Dc =1.565 g/cm3, μ = 0.989 mm-1, F(000) = 1791, R = 0.0643 and wR = 0.1611. The complex contains two cations, binuclear [Ni2(L-Asp)(Phen)3(H2O)]2+ and mononu- clear [Ni(Phen)2(H2O)2]2+. All the nickel ions in the complex are six-coordinated with a distorted octahedral geometry, but the coordination environments for them are different. There exist hydrogen bonds and π-π stacking interactions in the complex.

Studies on the cyclization reaction of D-aspartic acid

The cyclization reaction of D-aspartic acid was studied, the carboxyl groups of D-aspartic acid were protected by benzyl alcohol to give compound D-dibenzyl aspartate. Then （4R）-benzyl azetidine-2-one-4-carboxylate and meso-3,6-disubstituted piperazine-2,5-diones were synthesized via intramolecular cyclization and intermolecular cycfization of D-dibenzyl aspartate, respectively, and their structures were confirmed by ^1 H NMR and MS. Both cyclization reaction conditions were also investigated in detail.