Difference in taste of Japanese sugars

Japanese traditional cuisine “Washoku” was registered as one of the intangible cultural heritages in December 2013. “Washoku” contains and requires large amount of sugar, therefore, sugar is an important seasoning in taste. Japanese have been using many kinds of sugar such as Granulated sugar, White soft sugar, Brown soft sugar, White crystal sugar and Light brown crystal sugar according to application, for both home cooking and processed foods. Mitsui Sugar is focusing on the difference in taste of sugars to develop new attractive sugar products. With a sensory evaluation method, trained panelists could recognize the difference between these sugars though it is quite difficult to explain. Therefore one attempte624-627d to detect the taste difference in these sugars by using a taste sensing system. The system comes with a human taste model membrane and can analyze the density and balance of several tastes such as sweetness, bitterness, umami** and saltiness. The accuracy of the sensing system was evaluated by comparing the results against the sensory evaluation method by trained panelists. The sensing system was able to detect the difference in taste of Japanese sugars, and the results from the sensing system seemed to match with the ones from the sensory evaluation method. The results were plotted on a taste map. This map will be helpful not only in showing the difference between the sugars, but also in explaining the characteristics of the new products.

SYNTHESIS OF 6-NITRO VERATRYL ALCOHOL AND 6-NITRO VERATRALDOXIM FROM VANILIN AS INTERMEDIATES FOR THE PREPARATION OF C-9154 ANTIBIOTIC DERVATIVES

The synthesis of 6-nitro veratryl alcohol and 6-nitro veratraldoxim from vanilin which was required as intermediates for the preparation of C-9154 antibiotic derivatives was carried out. C-9154 antibiotic is a sufficiently potent antibiotic, but so far this is produced only in low yields through microbiological processes. The reaction steps performed were (1) methylation of vanilin, (2) nitration of the methylation product, (3) reduction of the corresponding nitro compound and (4) reaction of the nitration product with HO-NH2.HCl. Methylation of vanilin was conducted using dimethylsulfate and NaOH at 60 oC for 2 hours. Nitration of the methylation product was performed in 2 methods, i.e. using neat HNO3 and using a mixture of HNO3 and H2SO4 both at 5 oC for 2 hours. Reduction of the nitration product was conducted using NaBH4 either at room temperature and at reflux. Reaction of the nitration product with HO-NH2.HCl was carried out in ethanol 95% at 50 oC for 2 hours. The products were analyzed by means of TLC, GC, IR, 1H NMR and GC-MS spectrometers. The methylation of vanilin gave 87.7% yield of veratraldehyde which was found as a white crystal (m.p 43 oC). The nitration of veratraldehyde produced 6-nitro veratraldehyde observed as a yellow crystal having of m.p. 130 oC. Nitration using neat HNO3 gave a smaller yield (50.35%) of 6-nitro veratraldehyde than nitration with a mixture of HNO3 and H2SO4 (93.63%). Reduction of 6-nitro veratraldehyde using NaBH4 at room temperature and at reflux afforded 6-nitro veratryl alcohol which was found as brown crystal (m.p 123-127 oC) respectively in 13.47% and 56.61%. This reduction also produced 6-amino veratryl alcohol and 3,4-dimethoxy benzoic zcid as by products. 6-Nitro veratraldehyde reacts with HO-NH2.HCl to give 6-nitro veratraldoxim in 48.27% yield. Keywords: antibiotics, veratril alcohol, veratraldoxim vanilin

Adsorption of water-soluble organic dyes on ferrofluid-modified sawdust

A magnetically responsive composite material based on lignocellulose and magnetic nanoparticles has been prepared. Spruce sawdust was magnetically modified by contact with water-based magnetic fluid stabilised with perchloric acid. Electron spin resonance and transmission electron microscopy measurements indicated the presence of both individual magnetic nanoparticles and clusters precipitated on the surface of sawdust particles. The material prepared was used to study the adsorption of selected water-soluble organic dyes. The adsorption isotherms followed Langmuir, generalised Freundlich, generalised Langmuir, and Langmuir-Freundlich adsorption patterns. Maximum adsorption capacities for acridine orange, Bismarck brown, crystal violet, malachite green, methyl green, Nile blue, safranin O and Saturn blue LBRR 200 ranged between 34 and 59 mg g-1 dry adsorbent. A change in pH value can increase the dye adsorption. Ferrofluid-modified sawdust is thus an interesting material for further study and potential applications.

N-Chlornitrenokomplexe des Wolframs: WCl4 (NCl) und [CH3CN-WCl4 (NCl)] / N-Chloro-Nitrene Complexes of Tungsten:WCl4 (NCl) and [CH3CN-WCl4 (NCl)]

WCl4(NCl) has been prepared as a red-brown crystal powder by the reaction of tungsten hexacarbonyl with excess nitrogen trichloride in boiling CCl4. The complex is associated via chloro bridges, forming dimeric units, according to the IR spectrum. Thermal decomposition at 200 °C leads to tungsten nitride trichloride, WNCl3,. With acetonitrile, WCl4(NCl) reacts with formation of the monomeric complex [CH,CN-WCl4(NCl)], which was characterized by its IR spectrum as well as by an X-ray structure determination. Crystal data: space group P21/m, Z = 2 (1387 independent observed reflexions, R = 0.07). Lattice dimensions at 20 °C: a = 590.4(3), b = 729.0(3), c = 1124.6(4) pm, β = 100.63(2)°. The complex forms monomeric molecules, in which the tungsten atom has a distorted octahedral environment of four chlorine atoms in equatorial positions, and the acetonitrile molecule in trans-position to the group. Bond lengths WN = 172 and NCI = 161 pm; bond angle WNCl = 175.5°.