Fridericia speciosa (Bignoniaceae) is a liana that occurs in humid to dry vegetation in eastern and southeastern Brazil. Species belonging to the genus Fridericia are employed as medicinal plants. This study evaluates the antipromastigote and cytotoxic activities of the crude extract, fractions, and compounds isolated from F. speciosa, and an HPLC (High-Performance Liquid Chromatography) analytical method was used to quantify the bioactive flavonoids. The flavonoids alpinetin (1), luteolin (2), diosmetin (3), and apigenin (4) were isolated from the active EtOAc-soluble fraction (EAF) of the crude ethanol extract (LCE) obtained from F. speciosa leaves. Both LCE and EAF were active against the normal human lung fibroblast cell line GM07492A (IC50 of 460.7 µg mL-1 and 381.4 µg mL-1, respectively). Only EAF showed activity against Leishmania amazonensis (80.4% at 50 µg mL-1). Compounds 1 and 2 were quantified by HPLC-DAD in both LCE (1: 6.21%; 2: 1.11%) and EAF (1: 45.32%; 2: 2.00%). At 100 µM, compounds1-4 inhibited L. amazonensis flagellar motility by 40.2%, 26.8%, 1.0%, and 24.8%, respectively, while their toxicities (IC50) to the normal cell were > 1000, 353.0, 766.2, and >1000 µg mL-1, respectively. Therefore, F. speciosa leaves are a prolific source of bioactive flavonoids.

In this work, CdTe quantum dots (QDs) were controllably grown onto the surface of layered double hydroxide (LDH) aiming to develop a sensitive and selective method for the electrochemical detection of ciprofloxacin (CPX). Emission and absorption spectroscopy results as well as high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) images evidenced the formation of LDH/QD hybrid material. Unmodified carbon paste electrodes (CPE) as well as CPE chemically modified (MCPE) with native LDH and with the LDH/QD hybrid were prepared for CPX detection, revealing that MCPE-LDH/QD had the highest sensitivity for the detection of ciprofloxacin. Optimum detection conditions included a modifier dosage of 20% in MCPE, Britton-Robinson (BR) buffer (pH 6.0) as analytical medium, 300 s accumulation time and a scanning rate of 20 mV s-1. Linear current versus concentration curve was observed from 2.5 × 10-8-1.2 × 10-5 mol L-1 (coefficient of determination (R2) = 0.995), with sensitivity (limit of detection (LOD) = 4.2 × 10-8 mol L-1; limit of quantification (LOQ) = 1.3 × 10-7 mol L-1), precision (relative standard deviation (RSD) = 3.0%), accuracy (94.0%) and satisfactory selectivity in the presence of Zn2+, Fe2+, Cu2+, citric acid and ascorbic acid. Tests of CPX determination in commercial 500 mg ciprofloxacin tablets evidenced the applicability of the method.

A new nanocomposite based on ZnCdTe semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) synthesized in situ on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) was obtained. The heterostructure was characterized using UV-Vis emission and absorption spectroscopies, which provided evidences of the growth of the nanocrystals onto the rGO matrix. To evaluate the electrochemical performance, carbon paste electrodes modified with the nanocomposite (QD-rGO/CPE) were prepared, showing high sensitivity in the electroanalytical detection of the pesticide carbendazim. Under optimal operational conditions a calibration curve was constructed with a linear behavior in the range of 9.98 × 10-8 to 1.18 × 10-5 mol L-1, with a correlation coefficient of 0.997. The limit of detection (LOD) and the limit of quantification (LOQ) for carbendazim were 9.16 × 10-8 and 2.78 × 10-7 mol L-1, respectively. The electrode is successfully applied for the determination of carbendazim in orange juice samples.

Estudos dos complexos Pd2(dppm)2Cl2, Pd2(dppm)(SnCl3)Cl e Pd2(dppm)2(SnCl3) (dppm = bis[diphenylphosphino(methane)], (C6H5)2PCH2P(C6H5)2) por análise termogravimétrica (TG), no estado sólido e imobilizados no vidro poroso Vycor, são descritos. Os mecanismos de decomposição dos complexos no estado sólido e imobilizados no vidro poroso Vycor são similares e apenas uma ligeira estabilização é observada mediante a imobilização. Os produtos de decomposição foram caracterizados por difração de raios-X, espectroscopias Raman e de Refletância difusa no infravermelho, indicando a presença de uma mistura de paládio metálico e espécies oxidadas tais como PdO, fosfatos condensados, SnO2 e SnP2O7. Os produtos de decomposição dos complexos imobilizados no PVG apresentaram quantidades mais elevadas de PdO do que os resíduos no estado sólido, segundo a difração de raios-X, em virtude provavelmente da ocorrência de reações com grupamentos da superfície do vidro, bem como pelo fato de que as moléculas adsorvidas se encontram isoladas umas em relação às outras.

Thermal behavior of the complexes Pd2(dppm)2Cl2, Pd2(dppm)2(SnCl3)Cl and Pd2(dppm)2(SnCl3)2 (dppm = bis[diphenylphosphino(methane)], ((C6H5)2PCH2P(C6H5)2) in the solid state and immobilized onto porous Vycor glass was studied. Similar decomposition mechanisms were observed for the solid and immobilized complexes, with a small thermal stabilization upon immobilization. The decomposition products were characterized by X-ray diffractometry, Raman and diffuse reflectance infrared spectroscopy, which indicated the presence of a mixture of metallic palladium and oxidized species such as PdO,condensed phosphates, SnO2 and SnP2O7. According to X-ray diffractometry, the decomposition products of the immobilized complexes presented higher amounts of PdO than the solid-state residues, probably as an effect of interactions with silanol groups present in the glass surface.

Este trabalho focaliza a obtenção de um novo nanocompósito, formado mediante a polimerização in situ de monômeros de pirrol na superfície dos poros de vitrocerâmicas porosas com esqueleto LiTi2(PO4)3, após troca-iônica com cobre.

This work is concerned with evidences of a new composite system, formed by in situ polimerization of pyrrole moieties in the copper-exchanged pore surface of LiTi2(PO4)3 glass ceramic.