Nowadays, microwave-assisted procedures using closed vessels with thermal, chemical, and mechanical resistance are the state-of-the-art for efficient digestion of samples. Safety issues related to sample reactivity should be considered and analytical throughput is also a critical parameter. The choice of a specific vessel for a target application is not trivial and simple experiments are presented here for rice flour and bovine liver samples to illustrate effects of vessel design on digestion performance. Despite using the same heating program, the residual carbon contents varied from 22 to 67% to bovine liver digests and from 7 to 96% to rice flour digests. Quantitative recoveries were obtained for most analytes. Low recoveries were observed mainly for Ca and Fe. Analytical performance is related to different sizes, shapes and the gradient of temperature for each model of digestion vessel. It was demonstrated that taller vessels improved regeneration of nitric acid.

The genus Lippia comprises approximately 200 species of herbs, shrubs and small trees, distributed throughout the South and Central America and tropical Africa. The species Lippia gracilis Schauer is an endemic aromatic plant of the Brazilian Northeast normally found in the states of Bahia, Sergipe and Piauí. The traditional communities of Caatinga, a semi-arid region of the Brazilian Northeast, use its leaves to treat throat and mouth infections, cutaneous diseases, ulcers, vagina disorders, acne, Pityriasis alba, dandruff, burns, wounds, sinusitis, bronchitis, nasal congestion, headache, jaundice and paralysis. Considering that the main investigations into the L. gracilis Schauer species are focused on its volatile constituents, in this report, we describe the isolation, by liquid chromatography with diode array detector-solid phase extraction/nuclear magnetic resonance (LC-DAD-SPE/NMR), of five flavonoids besides free and glycosidically bound carvacrol from an infusion of the leaves of a genotype of this species.

O fungo fitopatogênico Lasiodiplodia theobromae, isolado de goiaba, foi cultivado em arroz por 32 dias à temperatura ambiente. Extração com CH2Cl2:MeOH (3:7), seguido de fracionamento cromatográfico do extrato forneceu o esteróide ergosterol. Da cultura fúngica em meio de Czapeck por 40 dias à temperatura ambiente, foram isolados a isocumarina cis-4-hidroximeleína e um sesquiterpeno do tipo eremofilano. O sesquiterpeno eremofilano está sendo descrito pela primeira vez na literatura. Este é o primeiro relato do isolamento de um sesquiterpeno eremofilano para o gênero Lasiodiplodia.

The phytopatogenic fungus Lasiodiplodia theobromae, isolated from guava, was cultivated in rice for 32 days at room temperature. Extraction with CH2Cl2:MeOH (3:7), followed by chromatography fractionation of the extract provided ergosterol. From the fungus culture in Czapeck medium for 40 days at room temperature, were isolated isocoumarin cis-4-hydroxymeleine and an eremophilane-type sesquiterpene. The latter compound is being reported for the first time in the literature. Also, this is the first time that an eremophilane sesquiterpene is described for Lasiodiplodia genus.

Do extrato hidroetanólico das partes aéreas de Acanthospermum australe (Asteraceae) foram identificados uma lactona diterpênica, o acetato de acantoaustralida (1) e dois flavonoides: quercetina (2) e crisosplenol D (3). As estruturas foram identificadas através de técnicas espectroscópicas de RMN de ¹H e 13C, gHSQC, gHMBC, TOCSY, gNOESY, EM e pela comparação com dados da literatura.

From the hydroethanolic extract of the aerial parts of Acanthospermum australe (Asteraceae) a diterpene lactone, acanthoaustralide-1-O-Acetate (1) and two flavonoids: quercetin (2) and chrysosplenol D (3) were identified. The structures were determined though the use of spectroscopic techniques such as NMR (¹H, 13C{¹H}, gHSQC, gHMBC, TOCSY, gNOESY), MS and compared with the literature data.

Nickel nanoparticles supported on amorphous silica ceramic matrix were synthesized by the polymeric precursor method. The nanostructure was characterized by NMR, BET, XRD, SEM, TEM, and flame atomic absorption spectrometry techniques. It was observed a dependence of the crystallite size on the thermal annealing, under a N2 atmosphere. The materials presented a high catalytic activity and selectivity upon the beta-pinene hydrogenation reaction. The magnetic hystereses were also correlated with the morphology of the processed material.

As porfirinas aniônicas 5,10,15-tris(4-carboxifenil), 20-mono(2-nitrofenil) porfirina (1), 5,10(ou 15)-bis(4-carboxifenil), 15(or 10),20-bis(2-nitrofenil)porfirina (2) and 5-mono(4-carboxifenil), 10,15,20-tris(2-nitrofenil)porfirina (3), foram sintetizadas diretamente através da reação de pirrol com os benzaldeídos substituídos em meio de ácido propiônico/nitrobenzeno. A relação molar dos benzaldeídos foi controlada para otimizar a síntese e purificação das porfirinas desejadas. Esta nova série de porfirinas foi caracterizada por cromatografia em camada delgada, espectrometria de massas (FAB MS), RMN ¹H, UV/Vis, IV e eletroquímica. As porfirinas 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-carboxifenil)porfirina (4) e 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(2-nitrofenil)porfirina (5) também foram estudadas para comparação, tornando a série completa. A redução eletroquímica das porfirinas base livre e correspondentes ferro(III) porfirinas foi investigada em eletrodos de carbono e mercúrio. Os potenciais de redução mostraram a dependência esperada do número de grupos nitro, fortemente retirador de elétrons, presentes no anel porfirínico, fornecendo evidências adicionais para a caracterização dos compostos sintetizados.

The anionic 5,10,15-tris(4-carboxyphenyl), 20-mono(2-nitrophenyl) porphyrin (1), 5,10(or 15)-bis(4-carboxyphenyl), 15(or 10),20-bis(2-nitrophenyl)porphyrin (2) and 5-mono(4-carboxyphenyl), 10,15,20-tris(2-nitrophenyl)porphyrin (3) were sinthesized directly by reaction of pyrrole with substituted benzaldehydes in nitrobenzene/propionic acid media. The benzaldehydes molar ratio was controlled to optimize the synthesis and purification of the desired porphyrins. This new series of porphyrins was characterised by TLC, mass spectrometry (FAB MS), ¹H NMR, UV/Vis, IR and electrochemistry. 5,10,15,20-Tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin (4) and 5,10,15,20-Tetrakis(2-nitrophenyl)porphyrin (5) were also characterised for comparative purposes, completing the series The electrochemical reduction was investigated for the free base and corresponding iron(III) porphyrins on glassy carbon and mercury electrodes. The reduction potentials showed the expected dependence on the number of electron-withdrawing nitro groups present on the porphyrin ring providing additional evidences for the characterisation of the synthesised compounds.