Natural Mixture (natural + mixture)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Par j 1 and Par j 2, the two major allergens in Parietaria judaica, bind preferentially to monoacylated negative lipids

FEBS JOURNAL, Issue 6 2009
Roberto González-Rioja
Par j 1 and Par j 2 proteins are the two major allergens in Parietaria judaica pollen, one of the main causes of allergic diseases in the Mediterranean area. Each of them contains eight cysteine residues organized in a pattern identical to that found in plant nonspecific lipid transfer proteins. The 139- and 102-residue recombinant allergens, corresponding respectively to Par j 1 and Par j 2, refold properly to fully functional forms, whose immunological properties resemble those of the molecules purified from the natural source. Molecular modeling shows that, despite the lack of extensive primary structure homology with nonspecific lipid transfer proteins, both allergens contain a hydrophobic cavity suited to accommodate a lipid ligand. In the present study, we present novel evidence for the formation of complexes of these natural and recombinant proteins from Parietaria pollen with lipidic molecules. The dissociation constant of oleyl-lyso-phosphatidylcholine is 9.1 ± 1.2 ,m for recombinant Par j 1, whereas pyrenedodecanoic acid shows a much higher affinity, with a dissociation constant of approximately 1 ,m for both recombinant proteins, as well as for the natural mixture. Lipid binding does not alter the secondary structure content of the protein but is very efficient in protecting disulfide bonds from reduction by dithiothreitol. We show that Par j 1 and Par j 2 not only bind lipids from micellar dispersions, but also are able to extract and transfer negative phospholipids from bilayers. [source]


INCREASING WATER SUPPLY BY MIXING OF FRESH AND SALINE GROUND WATERS,

JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN WATER RESOURCES ASSOCIATION, Issue 5 2003
Zekai Sen
ABSTRACT: The quality of ground water in any aquifer takes its final form due to natural mixture of waters, which may originate from different sources. Water quality varies from one aquifer to another and even within the same aquifer itself. Different ground water quality is obtained from wells and is mixed in a common reservoir prior to any consumption. This artificial mixing enables an increase in available ground water of a desired quality for agricultural or residential purposes. The question remains as to what proportions of water from different wells should be mixed together to achieve a desired water quality for this artificial mixture. Two sets of laboratory experiments were carried out, namely, the addition of saline water to a fixed volume of fresh water. After each addition, the mixture volume and the electric conductivity value of the artificially mixed water were recorded. The experiments were carried out under the same laboratory temperature of 20°C. A standard curve was developed first experimentally and then confirmed theoretically. This curve is useful in determining either the volume or discharge ratio from two wells to achieve a predetermined electrical conductivity value of the artificial mixture. The application of the curve is given for two wells within the Quaternary deposits in the western part of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. [source]


Response of workers of Atta sexdens rubropilosa (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) to mandibular gland compounds of virgin males and females

PHYSIOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 3 2007
J. MAURÍCIO S. BENTO
Abstract The secretion from the mandibular glands of males of the leaf-cutting ant Atta sexdens rubropilosa is responsible for the reaction of workers outside the nest at the time of sexual swarming. Workers respond with excitability and aggression when presented with the natural mixture of 4-methyl-3-heptanol and 4-methyl-3-heptanone, which is contained in the secretion of the male mandibular glands. Workers respond quickly to fractional amounts of one male equivalent. 4-Methyl-3-heptanone, from the virgin female mandibular glands causes much less response in workers, whereas an equimolar mixture of male and female pheromones gives a still less clear response. The male pheromone plays the most important part in the communication of workers outside the nest at this time. [source]


Orthogonality of silver-ion and non-aqueous reversed-phase HPLC/MS in the analysis of complex natural mixtures of triacylglycerols

JOURNAL OF SEPARATION SCIENCE, JSS, Issue 21 2009
Michal Hol
Abstract The goal of this work is the study of possibilities of two basic separation modes used in the analysis of complex triacylglycerol (TG) samples of plant oils and animal fats, i.e. non-aqueous reversed-phase (NARP) and silver-ion HPLC coupled with atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry (APCI-MS). The orthogonality of both separation modes is tested for complex TG mixtures containing fatty acids (FAs) with different acyl chain lengths, different number, positions and geometry of double bonds (DBs) and different regioisomeric positions of FAs on the glycerol skeleton. The retention in NARP mode is governed by the equivalent carbon number, while the retention in silver-ion chromatography increases with the increasing number of DBs with a clear differentiation between cis - and trans- FAs. Moreover, silver-ion mode enables at least the partial resolution of regioisomeric TG mixtures including cis -/trans -regioisomers, as illustrated on two examples of randomization mixtures. Off-line 2D coupling of both complementary modes (NARP in the first dimension and silver-ion in the second dimension) yields the superior chromatographic selectivity resulting in the highest number of identified TGs ever reported for studied samples. Off-line 2D chromatograms are processed with the home-made software providing various ways of data visualization. [source]


Identification of taxanes in extracts from leaves of Taxus baccata L. using 13C-NMR spectroscopy

PHYTOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS, Issue 3 2009
Emilie Duquesnoy
Abstract Introduction The study of taxanes is a hot topic worldwide because of their potential activity against cancer. Analysis of taxanes in extracts of various Taxus species is generally achieved using HPLC. Objective The aim of the current work was to identify taxanes in different fractions of extracts from Taxus baccata L. using the computer-aided analysis of their 13C-NMR spectra. Methodology A computerised procedure, based on 13C-NMR spectroscopy using literature data, has been developed in order to identify taxoids in natural mixtures. Leaves and twigs of T. baccata were extracted with various solvents and the extracts were fractionated according to rapid fractionation schemes described in the literature. Results The computer-assisted analysis of the 13C-NMR spectra of the fractions of chromatography led to the identification of 16 taxanes belonging to the taxine, taxicine, taxinine and taxuspine families. Conclusion It has been shown that 13C-NMR is a powerful alternative tool for the identification of taxanes in extracts of leaves and twigs of various Taxus species after a rapid fractionation step. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]