Extraction of Pr(III), Nd(III), and Dy(III) from HTFSA Aqueous Solution by TODGA/Phosphonium-Based Ionic Liquids

The extraction behavior of rare earth (RE) elements using N,N,N′,N′-tetraoctyl diglycolamide (TODGA) in an ionic liquid (IL) system was investigated by slope analyses. Metallic salts of Pr(III), Nd(III), and Dy(III) with bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)amide (TFSA) were synthesized and studied for their extraction mechanism. The selected concentration of TODGA was diluted with triethylpentylphosphonium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)amide ([P₂₂₂₅][TFSA]) to prepare an extracting phase for the slope analyses. The stoichiometry of RE(III) was determined in order to estimate the extracted species. Furthermore, the complexation state of the extracted species was evaluated by spectroscopic analyses, including Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy. The FT-IR and Raman spectra were estimated using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Thorough analysis of the FT-IR spectrum was carried out in order to assign the TODGA group that mainly coordinated the metal ion. The solvation of the [TFSA]^? anion in the coordination sphere of [Nd(TODGA)_(2–3)]³⁺ was investigated by Raman spectroscopic analysis. The coordination ability of TODGA was investigated from the peak shift of the hypersensitive transition (⁴I_9/2→²G_7/2) in UV–Vis spectroscopic measurements. From electrochemical analysis, the extracted [Nd(TODGA)₃]³⁺ complex in [P₂₂₂₅][TFSA] was found to be reduced as per the following reaction: [Nd(TODGA)₃]³⁺ + 3e^? → Nd(0) + 3[TODGA] at ?3.0 V, and the diffusion coefficient of [Nd(TODGA)₃]³⁺ was calculated to be 1.6 × 10^?11 m² s^?1 at 373 K. The direct electrodeposition of the extracted [Nd(TODGA)₃]³⁺ in [P₂₂₂₅][TFSA] at 373 K allowed us to conclude that the middle layer of Nd electrodeposits was the metallic state, while a part of the top surface was the oxidation state by XPS analysis.     

The Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 Inhibitor Teneligliptin Attenuates Hepatic Lipogenesis via AMPK Activation in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Model Mice

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which is strongly associated with metabolic syndrome, is increasingly a major cause of hepatic disorder. Dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP)-4 inhibitors, anti-diabetic agents, are expected to be effective for the treatment of NAFLD. In the present study, we established a novel NAFLD model mouse using monosodium glutamate (MSG) and a high-fat diet (HFD) and investigated the effects of a DPP-4 inhibitor, teneligliptin, on the progression of NAFLD. Male MSG/HFD-treated mice were divided into two groups, one of which received teneligliptin in drinking water. Administration of MSG and HFD caused mice to develop severe fatty changes in the liver, but teneligliptin treatment improved hepatic steatosis and inflammation, as evaluated by the NAFLD activity score. Serum alanine aminotransferase and intrahepatic triglyceride levels were significantly decreased in teneligliptin-treated mice (p < 0.05). Hepatic mRNA levels of the genes involved in de novo lipogenesis were significantly downregulated by teneligliptin (p < 0.05). Moreover, teneligliptin increased hepatic expression levels of phosphorylated AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) protein. These findings suggest that teneligliptin attenuates lipogenesis in the liver by activating AMPK and downregulating the expression of genes involved in lipogenesis. DPP-4 inhibitors may be effective for the treatment of NAFLD and may be able to prevent its progression to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.     

Liquid‐Crystalline Electrolytes for Lithium‐Ion Batteries: Ordered Assemblies of a Mesogen‐Containing Carbonate and a Lithium Salt

Thermotropic liquid‐crystalline (LC) electrolytes for lithium‐ion batteries are developed for the first time. A rod‐like LC molecule having a cyclic carbonate moiety is used to form self‐assembled two‐dimensional ion‐conductive pathways with lithium salts. Electrochemical and thermal stability, and efficient ionic conduction is achieved for the liquid crystal. The mixture of the carbonate derivative and lithium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide is successfully applied as an electrolyte in lithium‐ion batteries. Reversible charge–discharge for both positive and negative electrodes is observed for the lithium‐ion batteries composed of the LC electrolyte.     

Preliminary investigation of the supply of chemical species to an aqueous solution using a hydrogen-oxygen flame

A new method of supplying radical species to aqueous solutions using a hydrogen-oxygen flame is investigated. When a hydrogen-oxygen flame is directed on the surface of an aqueous solution, hydroxyl radicals (*OH) produced in the flame are extracted into the aqueous phase. The presence of *OH in the aqueous solution was confirmed by electron paramagnetic resonance with spin trapping using 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide. The extraction of *OH into the aqueous solution was monitored using a quantitative analysis of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The effects of the hydrogen and oxygen gas flow rates, hydrogen/oxygen ratio, and atmosphere on H2O2 formation were studied. When the hydrogen-oxygen flame blew on a phosphate buffer solution (pH 6.7) under an Ar atmosphere, the concentration of H2O2 increased with the blowing time of the flame and the flow rate of hydrogen gas. Under air, nitrate and nitrite ions were formed in the aqueous phase in addition to H2O2, and the H2O2 concentration was lower than that under argon. The application of this new method to an aqueous solution of Cu(II)-ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) caused a remarkable decrease in the concentration of Cu(II)-EDTA and total organic carbon.     

N-terminal amino acid sequences of troponin T fragments, including 30 kDa one, produced during postmortem aging of bovine longissimus muscle

We have determined the amino (N)-terminal amino acid (AA) sequences of five troponin T (TnT) fragments produced during postmortem aging of bovine longissimus muscle. Western blot analysis showed that 32.1, 28.8, 27, and 25.8 kDa anti-fast-type TnT (fTnT)-positive fragments and a 31 kDa anti-slow-type TnT (sTnT)-positive fragment were present at 14 d postmortem. The N-terminal AA sequences of the 32.1, 28.8 (conventional 30 kDa), 27, and 25.8 kDa fragments were APPPPAEV, EVHEPEEK, EKPRPRLT, and APKIPEGE, respectively, and they were mapped to the N-terminal region of bovine fTnT isoforms. The N-terminal sequences of the 31 kDa fragment, EAPEEPEP, were mapped to the sTnT isoforms. These findings indicate that the two isoform types of fTnT predominantly expressed in the longissimus muscle are cleaved specifically at Glu(21)-Ala(22) and Glu(15)-Ala(16), His(37)-Glu(38) and His(31)-Glu(32), Glu(43)-Glu(44) and Glu(37)-Glu(38), and/or Thr(51)-Ala(52) and Thr(45)-Ala(46), respectively, and that a sTnT isoform is cleaved specifically at Glu(23)-Glu(24).     

Preparation of Monodisperse Food-Grade Oleuropein-Loaded W/O/W Emulsions Using Microchannel Emulsification and Evaluation of Their Storage Stability

W/O/W emulsion is an emerging system in developing new functional and low-calorie food products. The aim of this study is to produce food-grade monodisperse water-in-oil-in-water (W/O/W) emulsions loaded with a hydrophilic bioactive oleuropein. W/O/W emulsions were prepared via high-pressure homogenization and subsequent microchannel (MC) emulsification. The internal aqueous phase was a 5-mM sodium phosphate buffer containing d(+)-glucose (5 wt.%) and oleuropein (0.1–0.7 wt.%). The oil phase consisted of soybean oil and tetraglycerin monolaurate condensed ricinoleic acid esters (TGCR; 3–8 wt.%). The external aqueous phase was a 5-mM sodium phosphate buffer containing d(+)-glucose (5 wt.%) and decaglycerol monolaurate (1 wt.%). Oleuropein-loaded submicron W/O emulsions with average droplet diameters as small as 0.15 μm and monomodal droplet size distributions were prepared by high-pressure homogenization when applying high TGCR concentrations of 5–8 wt.% and low oleuropein concentrations of 0.1–0.3 wt.%. Monodisperse oleuropein-loaded W/O/W emulsions with average W/O droplet diameters of around 27 μm and coefficients of variation of below 5 % were successfully prepared when using a silicon MC array plate with wide channels of 5-μm depth and 18-μm width. The monodisperse W/O/W emulsions prepared at high TGCR concentrations and low oleuropein concentrations were the most stable during 40 days of storage. The adsorption behavior of oleuropein at the internal aqueous–oil interface was relevant to W/O/W emulsions microstructure and stability. The results are believed to provide useful information for successfully preparing stable monodisperse W/O/W emulsions loaded with hydrophilic functional compounds. The surface activity of the loaded material seems to be a key parameter in optimizing the formulation of W/O/W food emulsion.     

Detection of a new Fusarium masked mycotoxin in wheat grain by high-resolution LC-Orbitrap™ MS

A new Fusarium mycotoxin glucoside, fusarenon X-glucoside (FUXGlc), is reported for the first time in wheat grain that was artificially infected with Fusarium fungi. This new glucoside was identified using LC Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-Orbitrap MS) analysis on the basis of accurate mass measurement of characteristic ions and MS/MS fragmentation patterns. Although the absolute structure of FUXGlc was not clarified by LC-MS, 3-OH glucosylation seems to be the most probable structure based on the fragment profile and considering that deoxynivalenol-3-glucoside (DON3Glc) was reported as the predominant glucosylated derivative of the structurally similar mycotoxin, deoxynivalenol (DON). Another mycotoxin glucoside, nivalenol-glucoside (NIVGlc) was also found in the same grain sample. According to the semi-quantification by LC-Orbitrap MS, more than 15% of FUX and NIV were estimated to be converted into respective glucosides. The existence of these masked mycotoxins should be taken into account in risk assessment, since they could be transformed back to the corresponding mycotoxins under certain conditions; for example, through various food processing operations or in the digestive tract of mammals after ingestion.