Extraction and purification of solanesol from tobacco(I). Extraction and silica gel column chromatography separation of solanesol

Optimisation and in-vivo evaluation of extracted Karanjin loaded liposomal topical formulation for treatment of psoriasis in tape-stripped mouse model

AIM

The present work is focus on development of anti-psoriasis activity of Karanjin (isolated from Pongamia pinnata seed oil) loaded liposome based lotion for enhancement of skin permeation and retention.

METHOD

Karanjin was isolated using liquid-liquid extraction method and characterised by HPLC analysis and partition coefficient. Further, isolated Karanjin was loaded into liposomes using thin-film hydration technique and optimised by Box-Behnken design. Selected optimised batch was characterised their mean diameter, PDI, zeta potential, and entrapment efficiency, morphology (by TEM), FTIR and ex-vivo skin retention. Additionally, Karanjin loaded liposomes were formulated into lotion and characterise their rheological, spreadability, texture, ex-vivo skin permeation & retention, stability and anti-psoriatic activity in mouse tail model.

RESULT

The yield of Karanjin from seed oil was 0.1% w/v and have lipophilic nature. The optimised liposomal formulation showed 195 ± 1.8 nm mean diameter, 0.271 ± 0.02 PDI, -27.0 ± 2.1 mV zeta potential and 61.97 ± 2.5% EE. TEM image revel the spherical shap of liposome surrounded by single phospholipid bilayer and no interection between drug and excipients. Further, lotion was prepared by 0.1% w/v carbopol and found to 615 mPa.sec viscosity, good thixotropic behaviour, spreadability and texture. There was 22.44% increase in drug permeation for Karanjin loaded liposomal lotion compared to pure Karanjin lotion, confirm by ex-vivo permeation and retention. While, in-vivo study revel the liposomal lotion of Karanjin was found to have 16.09% higher drug activity then 5% w/w conventional Karanjin lotion.

CONCLUSION

Karanjin loaded liposomal lotion have an effective anti-psoriatic agent and showed better skin permeation and retention than the conventional Karanjin lotion.

Nicotine sensing behavior of nickel(II) complexes catalyzed oxidation and coupling reactions

One of the main source of demise during the next ten years will be coronary heart disease and stroke, which are brought on by smoking (nicotine). To identify the percentage (%) of nicotine consumption by electrocatalytic sensor towards nicotine for target-specific prevent stroke, four uninuclear Ni2+ complexes of substituted butanimidamide Schiff base ligands [H2L1-4] was prepared. All the complexes were thoroughly analyzed by using several spectroscopic techniques such as CHNS analysis, FT-IR, NMR (1H & 13C) UV-Vis and NMR. The analyses showed tetradentate binding mode of ligand around nickel(II) metal ion leads to the structure of square planar with N2X2 (X = O, S) donor fashion. In addition, the well-defined nickel(II) complexes were utilized for oxidation of various alcohols such as cyclohexanol, and benzyl alcohol were produced to the assorted oxidized products with high yield respectively using greener co-oxidant (molecular oxygen). In addition, Nickel(II) complexes was further utilized as catalyst for aryl-aryl coupling reaction via Suzuki-Mayura method to obtain biphenyl compound. Furthermore, nickel(II) complexes were exploited for electrochemical detection of nicotine sensing in μM concentration.

Low-cost modular chromatography column rack and vial holders

Gravity-driven chromatography columns are used in scientific, engineering, medical, and industrial fields to separate desired compounds from solutions. Running multiple columns simultaneously saves time and improves procedural consistency. Though column chromatography is widely used, to meet their laboratory needs many investigators must resort to designing and fabricating custom racks for holding their chromatography columns. We have created a robust column rack design, with collection vial holders, that is easily made, inexpensive to build, and may be easily adapted to fit experimental needs. The column holder can be made to hold various sizes of columns (and can be interchanged as necessary); the height of columns above collection vials can be precisely set; and the design is modular, so the rack and vial holders can be expanded to accommodate the desired numbers of columns and the numbers and sizes of vials used to collect fractions eluted from each column. Importantly, the rack is made of inexpensive, readily-available materials and the fabrication is straightforward. Here we present details of the rack's features, a list of materials, and instructions for making it. We hope our design will help investigators who perform gravity-driven column chromatography.

Separation and Purification of Hydroxyl-α-Sanshool from Zanthoxylum armatum DC. by Silica Gel Column Chromatography

Hydroxyl-α-sanshool is the main alkylamide produced by Zanthoxylum armatum DC., and it is responsible for numbness after consuming Z. armatum-flavored dishes or food products. The present study deals with the isolation, enrichment, and purification of hydroxyl-α-sanshool. The results indicated that the powder of Z. armatum was extracted with 70% ethanol and then filtrated; the supernatant was concentrated to get pasty residue. Petroleum ether (60-90 °C) and ethyl acetate at a 3:2 ratio, with an Rf value of 0.23, were chosen as the eluent. Petroleum ether extract (PEE) and ethyl acetate-petroleum ether extract (E-PEE) were used as the suitable enriched method. Afterward, the PEE and E-PEE were loaded onto silica gel for silica gel column chromatography. Preliminary identification was carried out by TLC and UV. The fractions containing mainly hydroxyl-α-sanshool were pooled and dried by rotary evaporation. Lastly, all of the samples were determined by HPLC. The yield and recovery rates of hydroxyl-α-sanshool in the p-E-PEE were 12.42% and 121.65%, respectively, and the purity was 98.34%. Additionally, compared with E-PEE, the purity of hydroxyl-α-sanshool in the purification of E-PEE (p-E-PEE) increased by 88.30%. In summary, this study provides a simple, rapid, economical, and effective approach to the separation of high-purity hydroxyl-α-sanshool.

2D MXene/graphene nanocomposite preparation and its electrochemical performance towards the identification of nicotine level in human saliva

The quantitative analysis of neurological drugs is critical since the kinetics of body fluids is strongly dependent on the dosage of the drug levels. Thus, the study of neurological medicines is significant because of the major diseases connected to it, for instance, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Herein, a 2D hybrid MXene/graphene (MX/Gr) film was synthesized through a top-down approach and utilized to prepare an electrochemical transducer for the electrochemical sensing of nicotine. The X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) confirmed the successful incorporation of MX with Gr sheets. The high-resolution scanning electron microscopy (HR-SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) have been used to confirm the formation of MX, graphene sheets and the MX/Gr hybrid film. Furthermore, the MX/Gr hybrid film composite modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was prepared to selectively detect the nicotine in phosphate buffer medium (0.1 M PBS, pH~7.4). Under the optimized condition, the MX/Gr/GCE based sensor provided a linear response against nicotine from 1 to 55 µM and 30 nM - 600 nM with the lowest limit of detections (LOD) of 290 nM and 0.28 nM by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and amperometry, respectively. This newly developed MX/Gr hybrid film modified electrode displayed a remarkable selectivity, sensitivity, and reproducibility for accurate detection of nicotine. Finally, this new sensor was applied to detect nicotine in human/artificial saliva samples with high accuracy.

Proteomics and Co-expression Network Analysis Reveal the Importance of Hub Proteins and Metabolic Pathways in Nicotine Synthesis and Accumulation in Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.)

Nicotine is a unique alkaloid present in tobacco that is widely used in cigarettes and in the agricultural, chemical, and pharmaceutical industries. However, the research on nicotine is mostly limited to its synthesis pathways, and only a few studies have explored the effects of other metabolic pathways on nicotine precursors. Regulating the nicotine content in tobacco can greatly promoting the application of nicotine in other fields. In this study, we performed global data-independent acquisition proteomics analysis of four tobacco varieties. Of the four varieties, one had high nicotine content and three had a low nicotine content. A total of 31,259 distinct peptides and 6,018 proteins across two samples were identified. A total of 45 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) co-existed in the three comparison groups and were mainly involved in the transport and metallic processes of the substances. Most DEPs were enriched in the biosynthesis of secondary metals, glutathione metabolism, carbon metabolism, and glycolysis/gluconeogenesis. In addition, the weighted gene co-expression network analysis identified an expression module closely related to the nicotine content (Brown, r = 0.74, P = 0.006). Gene Ontology annotation and Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis showed that the module proteins were mainly involved in the synthesis and metabolism of nicotine precursors such as arginine, ornithine aspartate, proline, and glutathione. The increased levels of these precursors lead to the synthesis and accumulation of nicotine in plants. More importantly, these proteins regulate nicotine synthesis by affecting the formation of putrescine, which is the core intermediate product in nicotine anabolism. Our results provide a reference for tobacco variety selection with a suitable nicotine content and regulation of the nicotine content. Additionally, the results highlight the importance of other precursor metabolism in nicotine synthesis.

Current advances of functional phytochemicals in Nicotiana plant and related potential value of tobacco processing waste: A review

Tobacco is grown in large quantities worldwide as a widely distributed commercial crop. From the harvest of the field to the process into the final product, a series of procedures generate enormous amount of waste materials that are rarely recycled. In recent years, numerous potential bioactive compounds have been isolated from tobacco, and the molecular regulatory mechanisms related to the performance of some functionalities have been identified. This review describes the source of tobacco waste and expounds a large amount of biomass during the tobacco processing, and the necessity of exploring the reuse of tobacco waste. In addition, the review summarizes the bioactive compounds from tobacco that have been discovered so far, and links them to various functions from tobacco extracts, including anti-inflammatory, antitumor, antibacterial, and antioxidant, thus proving the potential value from tobacco waste reuse. In this regard, nornicotine in tobacco is the culprit of many health issues, while the polyphenols and polysaccharides often contribute to the health benefits of tobacco extract. In addition, it is hard to ignore that realization of these functions of tobacco extracts require the involvement of intestinal flora metabolism, which should be considered in the development of new product dosage forms.

Facile Fabrication of a Functional Filter Tip for Highly Efficient Reduction of Nicotine Content in Mainstream Smoke

The nicotine addiction problem is of great concern, particularly in adolescents. Notably, nicotine addiction drives humans to continue smoking. Notably, several diseases and disorders are caused by smoking. To date, various adsorbents have been proposed to develop a functionalization filter tip for reducing nicotine content in mainstream smoke. However, the nicotine adsorption efficiencies of most of the reported functionalization filter tips were not satisfactory, and their preparation process was complex and time-consuming. Herein, we demonstrate a highly active and adsorbing filter tip for cigarettes, fabricated by decorating polydopamine (PDA) on the surface of a commercial filter tip in situ. The PDA coating on the filter tip was obtained by the self-polymerization of dopamine (DA) within 16 h, which was quicker and easier than the preparation processes of other reported functionalized filter tips. Significantly, the PDA-decorated filter tip had a nicotine adsorption efficiency as high as ∼95%, which was much higher than most of the commercial filter tips.

Separation of alkaloids and their analogs in HPLC using rosin-based polymer microspheres as stationary phases

Rosin-based polymer microspheres (RPMs) as stationary phases in HPLC, and an RPM chromatographic column show good performance.

Preparation of hexagonal boron nitride doped graphene film modified sensor for selective electrochemical detection of nicotine in tobacco sample

The selective detection of nicotine is necessary in biological and biomedical samples to screen the patients who has the neurodegenerative diseases due to tobacco addiction. For this purpose, we have synthesized a hybrid binary composite made of 2D hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets (BN) doped graphene film via a scalable top-down technique for the electrochemical detection of nicotine. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images showed that layered graphene sheets bounded with BN nanosheets. Moreover, Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR), UV-visible (UV-vis), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies (XPS) confirmed successful integration of BN within graphene. In addition, the electrical conductivity of the nanocomposite was tested using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), which showed high electrical conductivity of BN/graphene coated electrode with low charge transfer resistance. To develop a selective nicotine sensor, glassy carbon electrode (GCE) surface was coated with BN/graphene hybrid film and tested its electro-catalytic activity against nicotine. It was found that BN/graphene/GCE based sensor exhibited excellent electro-catalytic activity for nicotine oxidation at lower potential of +0.97 V in phosphate buffer solution (PBS, pH 7.0) and the linear response was observed from 1 to 1000 μM. The limit of detection (LOD) was estimated as 0.42 μM. The common interferent compounds such as uric acid (UA), paracetamol (PA), glucose (Glu), melamine (Mel), cysteine (Cys) and dopamine (DA) did not interfere on the sensor selectivity. Furthermore, BN/graphene/GCE exhibited high stability and reproducibility. Finally, BN/graphene/GCE-based sensor was successfully applied to detect nicotine in a tobacco sample with high recovery.

Neuroprotective potential of solanesol in a combined model of intracerebral and intraventricular hemorrhage in rats

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) may be caused by trauma, aneurysm and arteriovenous malformation, as can any bleeding within the intracranial vault, including brain parenchyma and adjacent meningeal spaces (aneurism and atreovenous malformation). ICH is the cerebral stroke with the least treatable form. Over time, intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) is associated with ICH, which contributes to hydrocephalus, and the major cause of most hemorrhagic death (Due to the cerebral hemorrhage and post hemorrhagic surgeries). Most patients suffer from memory impairment, grip strength, posture, and cognitive dysfunctions attributable to cerebral hemorrhage or post-brain hemorrhagic surgery. Nevertheless, a combined model of ICH based IVH is not present pre-clinically. Autologous blood (ALB) injection (20 μl/5 min) in the rat brain triggers hemorrhage, such as factors that further interfere with the normal functioning of neuroinflammatory cytokines, oxidative stress, and neurotransmitter dysfunction, such as CoQ10 insufficiency and dysregulation of mitochondrial ETC-complexes. For the prevention of post-brain hemorrhagic behavioral and neurochemical dysfunctions, there is no specific drug treatment available, only available therapy used to provide symptomatic relief. The current study reveals that long-term administration of Solanesol (SNL) 40 and 60 mg/kg alone and in combination with available drug therapy Donepezil (DNP) 3 mg/kg, Memantine (MEM) 20 mg/kg, Celecoxib (CLB) 20 mg/kg, Pregabalin (PGB) 30 mg/kg, may provide the neuroprotective effect by improving behavioral and neurochemical deficits, and gross pathological changes in ALB induced combined experimental model of ICH-IVH in post brain hemorrhagic conditions in rats. Thus, SNL can be a potential therapeutic approach to improve neuronal mitochondrial dysfunction associated with post brain hemorrhagic behavioral and neurochemical alterations.

A facile approach for rapid on-site screening of nicotine in natural tobacco

Nicotine (Nic) exposed to the environment which comes from tobacco products is the main addictive agent and specific classes of hazardous compound that merit concern. In this study, we have established a fast and reliable method to achieve specific detection of Nic in natural nicotiana tabacum within 30 s through a miniaturized platform based on screen printed gold electrode (SPE). A simple electrochemical pretreatment mean was employed on gold surface that led to the exposure of Au (111) facet and a convenient sample pretreatment method was adopted to realize the extraction of Nic in tobacco. The present electrochemical sensor exhibits an ample range of sensing from 10 μg/g to 200 μg/g, which is able to compliance with tobacco industry testing standards of actual samples. Over 60 sampling points from different origins in China or other countries were performed with direct analysis using this method and satisfactory results have been obtained. The proposed approach was demonstrated to be a very promising platform for significantly improving analytical efficiency in laboratories as well as for monitoring the source reduction control of Nic in the environment.

A Facile Approach for On-Site Evaluation of Nicotine in Tobacco and Environmental Tobacco Smoke

Nicotine is highly addictive and harmful. It is one of the main active ingredients in tobacco and a major pollutant in environmental tobacco smoke. Thus, it is important to detect the nicotine content in tobacco and to monitor the nicotine content in environmental tobacco smoke. However, until present, there still has been no effective device for on-site determination of nicotine content in tobacco and environmental tobacco smoke. In this work, a portable device is fabricated for sensitive on-site evaluation of nicotine in tobacco and environmental tobacco smoke based on surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). The weight of the entire device is less than 1 kg, and it uses a chargeable battery to drive both the pump and the Raman spectrometer. The total analysis time can be completed within 3-5 min. Thus, it has great potential for on-site analysis of nicotine in tobacco and environmental tobacco smoke.

A benign process for the recovery of solanesol from tomato leaf waste

Solanesol, the precursor for the synthesis of coenzyme Q10, is currently recovered from tobacco leaves by conventional extraction techniques that require multiple purification steps and a large amount of organic solvents. We recently identified tomato leaves as an alternative source of solanesol and hypothesized that a high-pressure CO₂ extraction could be used as a clean extraction process. The effect of CO₂ pressure and temperature on the extraction of solanesol was determined to achieve high yield and purity. It was found that solanesol could be extracted efficiently by subcritical CO₂ at 25 °C from tomato leaves. The extract contained 40% solanesol and other active compounds such as vitamin K1. A higher level of purity of 93% was achieved using a secondary purification step. Different conventional methods for solanesol extraction was compared to determine the most efficient technique for production of solanesol from tomato leaf. The highest yield of solanesol was achieved at nearly 1% dry weight with using subcritical CO₂, which was superior to conventional methods.

Preparative Separation of High-Purity Dihydroartemisinic Acid from Artemisinin Production Waste by Combined Chromatography

In order to make full use of artemisinin production waste and thus to reduce the production cost of artemisinin, we developed an efficient and scalable method to isolate high-purity dihydroartemisinic acid from artemisinin production waste by combining anion-exchange resin with silica-gel column chromatography. The adsorption and desorption characteristics of dihydroartemisinic acid on 10 types of anion-exchange resin were investigated, and the results showed that the 717 anion-exchange resin exhibited the highest capacity of adsorption and desorption to dihydroartemisinic acid. Adsorption isotherms were established for the 717 anion-exchange resin and they fitted well with both Langmuir and Freundlich model. Dynamic adsorption and desorption properties of 717 anion-exchange resin were characterized to optimize the chromatographic conditions. Subsequently, the silica-gel column chromatography was performed and dihydroartemisinic acid with a purity of up to 98% (w/w) was obtained. Finally, the scale-up experiments validated the preparative separation of high-purity dihydroartemisinic acid from industrial waste developed in the present work. This work presented for the first time an isolation of dihydroartemisinic acid with a purity of 98% from Artemisia annua (A. annua) by-product, which adds more value to this crop and has the potential to lower the prices of anti-malarial drugs.

Solanesol extraction from tobacco leaves by Flash chromatography based on molecularly imprinted polymers

A novel solanesol extraction method based on molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) as the Flash chromatography stationary phase was established and evaluated. Spherical MIP particles in a size range of 250-350 μm (d (0.5)=320 μm) for solanesol were synthesized by suspension polymerization, with imprinting factor of 3.9. The MIP particles (5.5 g) were packed in common Teflon column as the stationary phase while the sample solution and elution solvent were confirmed as methanol and methanol/acetic acid solution (80/20, v/v), loading at 4 ml/min and eluting 8 ml/min, respectively. Under the optimal chromatographic conditions, the adsorption capacity of the MIP-Flash column was determined as 107.3 μmol/g, and in each process, 370.8 mg purified solanesol (98.4%) could be obtained from the extract (20 mM, 40 ml) of tobacco leaves (14.7 g), and the yield of solanesol was 2.5% of the dry weight of tobacco leaves. The results reported here confirm the feasibility to extract highly purified active ingredients directly from natural products on a large scale by MIP-Flash chromatography.

Identification of multiple constituents from seed of Vaccaria segetalis with an adsorbent-separation strategy based on liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry

RATIONALE

Seeds of Vaccaria segetalis (Wang-Bu-Liu-Xing in Chinese) are mainly used in traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of amenorrhea, breast infections, and edema. The study was designed to identify the components and metabolites of Wang-Bu-Liu-Xing.

METHODS

A novel methodology combining an adsorbent-separation strategy with analysis by liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (LC/QTOF-MS/MS) was established to identify the components of Wang-Bu-Liu-Xing. The adsorbent-separation technique was applied on macroporous resin (adsorbents). Different concentrations of ethanol (30%, 60%, and 95%), which covered high-to-low polarity ranges, were chosen as the elution solvent, respectively. The QTOF mass spectrometer was operated in negative ion mode with an electrospray ionization source.

RESULTS

A total of 52 components were successfully identified in the Wang-Bu-Liu-Xing decoction based on the fragmentation pathways and QTOF high-accuracy mass spectral analysis. To the best of our knowledge, several new saponins were reported for the first time. A total of 20 compounds, which included 10 prototypes and 10 metabolites, were also identified in rat plasma and urine after oral administration of Wang-Bu-Liu-Xing decoction.

CONCLUSIONS

An integrated adsorbent-separation strategy is powerful and reliable for global detection and identification of complex components in herbal prescriptions. The components identified in rat biofluids may also provide helpful chemical information for further pharmacology and active mechanism study on this herb.

Continuous counter current extraction, isolation and determination of solanesol in Nicotiana tobacum L. by non-aqueous reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography

A method of continuous counter current extraction in a large-scale production of solanesol from tobacco leaves was developed. The crude extract containing 15-20% solanesol was subjected to a series of steps, viz., saponification, solvent recrystallization and column chromatography. The pure material was characterized by FT-IR, ESI-MS, 1H NMR and 13C NMR spectrometry. The analysis was carried out by a simple and rapid non-aqueous reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatographic method on a Hypersil BDS C18 column (250 mm x 4.6mm, particle size 5 microm) with isopropyl alcohol-methanol (60:40, v/v) as mobile phase and detection at 215 nm. The product purity was between 95 and 98% (w/w) as determined by HPLC.