Stearidonic acid combined with alpha-linolenic acid improves lipemic and neurological markers in a rat model subject to a hypercaloric diet.

In this study, we hypothesized that terrestrial plant oils, rich in alpha linolenic acid (ALA) and stearidonic acid (SDA) relative to fish oil, rich in eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), prevent negative effects on cardiovascular and neurological function using a rat model fed a hypercaloric diet. Results showed effects on the FA profile, namely, eicosapentaenoic, EPA, and docosahexaenoic, DHA, levels. There were also effects on neural aspects (cAMP response element-binding protein, CREB, gene expression, at least, doubled) and the pro-inflammatory/anti-inflammatory balance (TNF-α, tumor necrosis factor alpha reduced by 30-50%).

Highly Efficient Rubrene-Graphene Charge-Transfer Interfaces as Phototransistors in the Visible Regime.

Atomically thin materials such as graphene are uniquely responsive to charge transfer from adjacent materials, making them ideal charge-transport layers in phototransistor devices. Effective implementation of organic semiconductors as a photoactive layer would open up a multitude of applications in biomimetic circuitry and ultra-broadband imaging but polycrystalline and amorphous thin films have shown inferior performance compared to inorganic semiconductors. Here, the long-range order in rubrene single crystals is utilized to engineer organic-semiconductor-graphene phototransistors surpassing previously reported photogating efficiencies by one order of magnitude.

Betaine and arginine supplementation of low protein diets improves plasma lipids but does not affect hepatic fatty acid composition and related gene expression profiling in pigs.

Background: The individual and combined effects of betaine and arginine supplemented to reduced protein diets were investigated on plasma metabolites, hepatic fatty acid composition and mRNA levels of lipid-sensitive factors in commercial pigs. Betaine has previously been shown to reduce carcass fat deposition and arginine improves meat quality of finishing pigs. Forty male crossbred pigs were randomly assigned to one of five diets (n = 8): 160 g kg of crude protein (NPD), 130 g kg of crude protein (RPD), RPD with 3.

Anti-Inflammatory Effect of Erythropoietin in the TNBS-induced Colitis.

Erythropoietin is a potent stimulator of erythroid progenitor cells, which is able to inhibit NF-kB activation, due to its pleiotropic properties, thus promoting an anti-inflammatory effect. As inflammatory bowel disease is a chronic disease with reduced quality of life, and the current pharmacotherapy only induces or maintains the patient in remission, there is a crucial need of new pharmacological approaches. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of erythropoietin in the TNBS-induced colitis model in mice with a normal intestinal flora.

Docosahexaenoic acid at the sn-2 position of structured triacylglycerols improved n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid assimilation in tissues of hamsters.

In this study, we hypothesized that the incorporation of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in tissues will be higher when it is ingested as triacylglycerols (TAG) structured at the sn-2 position, which enhances efficacy and health benefits of dietary DHA n-3 supplementation. Ten-week-old Golden Syrian male hamsters were randomly allocated into 4 dietary groups with 10 animals in each: linseed oil (LSO; control group), fish oil (FO), fish oil ethyl esters (FO-EE), and structured DHA at the sn-2 position of TAG (DHA-SL). After 12 weeks, there were no variations in the hamsters' body composition parameters across dietary groups.

Restriction of dietary protein does not promote hepatic lipogenesis in lean or fatty pigs.

The influence of genotype (lean v. fatty) and dietary protein level (normal v. reduced) on plasma metabolites, hepatic fatty acid composition and mRNA levels of lipid-sensitive factors is reported for the first time, using the pig as an experimental model.

Impact of Molecular Organization on Exciton Diffusion in Photosensitive Single-Crystal Halogenated Perylenediimides Charge Transfer Interfaces.

The efficiency of organic photodetectors and optoelectronic devices is strongly limited by exciton diffusion, in particular for acceptor materials. Although mechanisms for exciton diffusion are well established, their correlation to molecular organization in real systems has received far less attention. In this report, organic single-crystals interfaces were probed with wavelength-dependent photocurrent spectroscopy and their crystal structure resolved using X-ray diffraction.

Effect of Molecular Stacking on Exciton Diffusion in Crystalline Organic Semiconductors.

Exciton diffusion is at the heart of most organic optoelectronic devices' operation, and it is currently the most limiting factor to their achieving high efficiency. It is deeply related to molecular organization, as it depends on intermolecular distances and orbital overlap. However, there is no clear guideline for how to improve exciton diffusion with regard to molecular design and structure.

The mechanism of pyrolysis of benzyl azide: spectroscopic evidence for benzenemethanimine formation.

We study the gas-phase pyrolysis of benzyl azide (BA, C6H5CH2N3) using ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UVPES) and matrix-isolation infrared (IR) spectroscopy, together with electronic structure calculations and Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus (RRKM) calculations. It is found that BA decomposes via N2 elimination at ca. 615 K, primarily yielding benzenemethaninime.

Influence of feeding graded levels of canned sardines on the inflammatory markers and tissue fatty acid composition of Wistar rats.

Canned sardines are a ready-to-use fish product with excellent nutritional properties owing to its high n-3 long-chain PUFA content, mainly EPA (20 : 5n-3) and DHA (22 : 6n-3). The present study aimed to assess the effect of two dosages of canned sardines, recommended for the primary and secondary prevention of human CVD, on the inflammatory marker concentrations and fatty acid composition of erythrocytes and key metabolic tissues (liver, muscle, adipose tissue and brain) in the rat model. Wistar rats were fed a diet containing 11 % (w/w) of canned sardines (low-sardine (LS) diet) and a diet containing 22 % (w/w) of canned sardines (high-sardine (HS) diet) for 10 weeks.

Is hepatic lipid metabolism of beef cattle influenced by breed and dietary silage level?

Background: In ruminants, unsaturated dietary fatty acids are biohydrogenated in the rumen and are further metabolised in various tissues, including liver, which has an important role in lipid and lipoprotein metabolism. Therefore, manipulation of muscle fatty acid composition should take into account liver metabolism. In the present study, the influence of breed and diet on liver lipid composition and gene expression was investigated in order to clarify the role of this organ in the lipid metabolism of ruminants.

Steroidal 5α-reductase and 17α-hydroxylase/17,20-lyase (CYP17) inhibitors useful in the treatment of prostatic diseases.

The role of steroidal inhibitors of androgen biosynthesis as potential weapons in the treatment of prostatic diseases, such as benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostatic cancer will be reviewed. Two enzymes have been targeted in the development of inhibitors that potentially could be useful in the management of such conditions. 5α-Reductase is primarily of interest in benign prostatic disease, though some role in the chemoprevention of prostatic carcinoma have been considered, whereas the 17α-hydroxylase/17,20-lyase (CYP17) enzyme is of interest in the treatment of malignant disease.

Photoconductive response in organic charge transfer interfaces with high quantum efficiency.

Organic semiconductors have unique optical, mechanical and electronic properties that can be combined with customized chemical functionality. In the crystalline form, determinant features for electronic applications, such as molecular purity, the charge mobility or the exciton diffusion length, reveal a superior improved performance when compared with materials in a more disordered form. However, the use of organic single crystals in devices is still limited to a few applications, such as field-effect transistors.

Bismuth compounds in medicinal chemistry.

In recent years, the chemical potential of bismuth and bismuth compounds has been actively exploited. Bismuth salts are known for their low toxicity, making them potential valuable reagents for large-scale synthesis, which becomes more obvious when dealing with products such as active pharmaceutical ingredients or synthetic intermediates. Conversely, bismuth compounds have been widely used in medicine.

Efficient oxidation of oleanolic acid derivatives using magnesium bis(monoperoxyphthalate) hexahydrate (MMPP): A convenient 2-step procedure towards 12-oxo-28-carboxylic acid derivatives.

A new, straightforward and high yielding procedure to convert oleanolic acid derivatives into the corresponding δ-hydroxy-γ-lactones, by using the convenient oxidizing agent magnesium bis(monoperoxyphthalate) hexahydrate (MMPP) in refluxing acetonitrile, is reported. In addition, a two-step procedure for the preparation of oleanolic 12-oxo-28-carboxylic acid derivatives directly from Δ(12)-oleananes, without the need for an intermediary work-up, and keeping the same reaction solvent in both steps, is described as applied to the synthesis of 3,12-dioxoolean-28-oic acid.

Contrasting cellularity and fatty acid composition in fat depots from Alentejana and Barrosã bovine breeds fed high and low forage diets.

During the finishing phase of bovines, large amounts of subcutaneous and visceral fats are deposited leading to production inefficiencies with major impact on meat quality. A better understanding of the cellularity features of the main fat depots could provide strategies for adipose tissue manipulation. This study assessed the effect of feeding diets with distinct forage to concentrate ratios on the cellularity of two fat depots of beef cattle and their implications on the fatty acid profile.

Bismuth(III) reagents in steroid and terpene chemistry.

Steroid and terpene chemistry still have a great impact on medicinal chemistry. Therefore, the development of new reactions or "greener" processes in this field is a contemporaneous issue. In this review, the use of bismuth(III) salts, as "ecofriendly" reagents/catalysts, on new chemical processes involving steroids and terpenes as substrates will be focused.

Serum adipokine profile and fatty acid composition of adipose tissues are affected by conjugated linoleic acid and saturated fat diets in obese Zucker rats.

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) has been reported as having body fat lowering properties and the ability to modulate the inflammatory system in several models. In the present study, the effects of CLA added to saturated fat diets, from vegetable and animal origins, on the serum adipokine profile of obese Zucker rats were assessed. In addition, the fatty acid composition of epididymal and retroperitoneal adipose tissues was determined and a principal component analysis (PCA) was used to assess possible relationships between fatty acids and serum metabolites.

Bismuth(III) triflate-catalyzed direct conversion of corticosteroids into highly functionalized 17-ketosteroids by cleavage of the C17-dihydroxyacetone side chain.

The use of bismuth(III) triflate as catalyst for the direct conversion of corticosteroids into highly functionalized 17-ketosteroids by cleavage of the C17-dihydroxyacetone side chain is reported. This catalytic process is very chemoselective, since functionalities of the starting corticosteroids, such as Delta(4)-3-keto, Delta(1,4)-3-keto, 11beta-hydroxyl, and 9beta,11beta-epoxide, remained intact.

Bismuth triflate-catalyzed Wagner-Meerwein rearrangement in terpenes. Application to the synthesis of the 18alpha-oleanane core and A-neo-18alpha-oleanene compounds from lupanes.

The use of bismuth(III) salts as catalysts for the Wagner-Meerwein rearrangement of lupane derivatives with expansion of ring E and formation of an additional O-containing ring is reported. This process has also been extended to other terpenes, such as the sesquiterpene (-)-caryophyllene oxide. When the reaction was performed with oleanonic acid, 28,13beta-lactonization occurred, without Wagner-Meerwein rearrangement.

5Beta,6beta-epoxy-17-oxoandrostan-3beta-yl acetate and 5beta,6beta-epoxy-20-oxopregnan-3beta-yl acetate.

In the title compounds, C(21)H(30)O(4), (I), and C(23)H(34)O(4), (II), respectively, which are valuable intermediates in the synthesis of important steroid derivatives, rings A and B are cis-(5beta,10beta)-fused. The two molecules have similar conformations of rings A, B and C. The presence of the 5beta,6beta-epoxide group induces a significant twist of the steroid nucleus and a strong flattening of the B ring.

Bismuth(III) salt-catalyzed Westphalen and "backbone" rearrangements of 5 beta,6 beta-epoxysteroids synthesis and structural elucidation of new olefinic 19-nor and 18,19-dinorsteroids.

A new process using the "ecofriendly" bismuth(III) salts as catalysts for the Westphalen and "backbone" rearrangements of 5 beta,6 beta-epoxysteroids is reported. This method is particularly sensitive to changes on solvent, temperature, stereochemistry of starting epoxysteroid, and its substituent at C17. Depending on the reaction conditions, either Westphalen-type or "backbone" rearranged products were obtained, all being 3 beta-acetoxy-6 beta-hydroxy-substituted.

6β-Chloro-5α-hydr-oxy-20-oxopregnan-3β-yl acetate.

The title steroid, C(23)H(35)ClO(4), is a pregnane derivative prepared by ring opening of the corresponding 5α,6α-ep-oxy steroid with BiCl(3). There are two symmetry-independent mol-ecules in the asymmetric unit that show no significant differences concerning bond lengths and angles. The conformation of the six-membered rings in both mol-ecules is close to a chair form, while the five-membered ring adopts an envelope conformation.