The kinetics of oxidation of bilirubin and ascorbic acid in solution

The results of a comparative study of the oxidation of bilirubin, ascorbic acid, and their mixture in aqueous solutions under the action of air oxygen and hydrogen peroxide are presented. The observed and true rate constants for the oxidation reactions were determined. It was shown that the oxidation of tetrapyrrole pigment occurred under these conditions bypassing the stage of biliverdin formation to monopyrrole products. Simultaneous oxidation of bilirubin and ascorbic acid was shown to be accompanied by the inhibition of ascorbic acid oxidation by bilirubin, whereas ascorbic acid itself activated the oxidation of bilirubin.     

在非质子溶剂中竹红菌甲素敏化光氧化胆红素

胆红素IX_α(胆红素)是哺乳动物体内血红素的代谢产物,由于它与小儿黄疸病光疗的直接关系,以及近来发现它在体内可能作为生物抗氧剂,所以一直受到科学家的重视。在非质子溶剂中胆红素的光氧化可以生成胆绿素IX_α(胆绿素)及一系列单吡咯、双吡咯的衍生物。对于生成单、双吡咯小分子衍生物,用类型Ⅱ(¹O₂为中间体)的光氧化机制很好解释,但对胆绿素的生成到底是经过单重态氧途径,还是离子自由基途径尚不完全清楚。     

Study of the mechanism of the photoisomerization and photooxidation of bilirubin using a model for the phototherapy of hyperbilirubinemia

Liquid chromatography was employed for a study of photochemical degradation of bilirubin in the complex with human albumin, using a model system in the presence of riboflavin. The concentrations of bilirubin, the photoisomers and biliverdin were monitored. The reaction mechanism was verified using a quantified mathematical model and was represented by a reaction scheme. Photoisomerization is the initial process, followed by photooxidation to degradation products of the tetrapyrrole skeleton, with formation of biliverdin as an intermediate. The blood of newborns that were irradiated for treatment of hyperbilirubinemia was studied for the sake of comparison. The effect of some biochemically important substances was followed, in view of possible inhibition of the processes. The experimental results demonstrate that riboflavin acts as a catalyst, even at the concentrations typical for its occurrence in blood. The results are discussed from the point of view of the mechanism of bilirubin degradation during phototherapy.     

Electrolysis of water in the diffusion layer: first-principles molecular dynamics simulation

With Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics simulations the elementary reaction steps of the electrolysis of bulk water are investigated. To simulate the reactions occurring near the anode and near the cathode, electrons are removed or added, respectively. The study focuses on the reactions in pure water. Effects depending on a particular electrode surface or a particular electrolyte are ignored. Under anodic conditions, the reaction continues till molecular oxygen is formed, under cathodic conditions the formation of molecular hydrogen is observed. In addition the formation of hydrogen peroxide is observed as an intermediate of the anodic reaction. The simulations demonstrate that the electrochemistry of oxygen formation without direct electrode contact can be explained by radical reactions in a solvent. These reactions may involve the intermediate formation of ions. The hydrogen formation is governed by rapid proton transfers between water molecules.     

Study of the mechanism of the photochemical oxidation of bilirubin by high-performance liquid chromatography

The photochemical degradation of bilirubin was studied in vitro using high-performance liquid chromatography and spectrophotometry. Attention was centered on the formation of biliverdin, which is produced as an intermediate in the photooxidation catalysed by riboflavin. approximate values of the overall and partial relative rate constants were calculated using the physiochemical criteria for a pseudo-monomolecular reaction. A more precise evaluation was made by non-linear regression programmes on a Hewlett-Packard 9835 A computer. In addition to the formation of biliverdin, attention was also paid to accompanying processes affecting the reaction mechanism, which were explained as aggregation and dimerization of bilirubin and biliverdin. It was also found that during phototherapy of newborn babies suffering from hyperbilirubinaemia the level of biliverdin in the plasma increased. The results are discussed from the point of view of phototherapy.     

Model compound studies on the cleavage of glycosidic bonds by ozone in aqueous solution

Kinetic expressions have been developed for the initial phase of the reactions between ozone and methyl-β-D-glucopyranoside, a model compound for cellulose, in aqueous solutions at moderately low pH (pH 3) and ambient temperature. Ozone is reasonably stable under these conditions. The reaction is first order in the glucoside and ozone, second order overall. Kinetic and analytical data suggest that the glucoside is directly attacked by ozone to form polyoxide intermediates. The α-glucoside was more stable and was attacked by ozone exclusively at the acetal oxygen in the initial phase of the reaction. In contrast, the β-anomer was ozonized nearly twice as fast, and was attacked by ozone mainly at the C-H bond of the anomeric carbon. The latter reaction resulted in the formation of δ-gluconolactone, probably by way of a hydrotrioxide intermediate. The fragmentation of the intermediate could be assisted by properly oriented non-bonding orbitals of the two acetal oxygens. These stereoelectronic rules were previously proposed by Deslongchamp and coworkers on the ozonolysis of acetals in non-aqueous media. The activation energy for the reaction was 69.5 kJ/mole in both acetic and sulfuric acid solutions at pH 3. The presence of transition metal-ion, in particular Co(II) and Fe(II) ions, resulted in enhancement of both ozone decomposition and degradation of the glycoside, apparently caused by free radical reactions. In some cases, addition of acetic acid led to substantial suppression of the degradation of the glucoside.     

THE PHOTOCHEMISTRY OF p-AMINOBENZOIC ACID

We have studied the photoreactions occurring when p-aminobenzoic acid (PABA), a component of some sunscreens, is irradiated in aqueous solution. These studies were carried out in the presence and absence of oxygen, using light of lambda = 254 nm as well as light of wavelengths greater than 290 nm. In deoxygenated solution between pH 7.5 and 11.0, we found two photoproducts that were identified as 4-(4'-aminophenyl)aminobenzoic acid (I) and 4-(2'-amino-5'-carboxyphenyl)aminobenzoic acid (V); we used 1H and 13C NMR, electron impact mass spectrometry and synthesis by an independent route to identify each of these compounds. Rapid discoloration of the photolyzed sample was observed when PABA was irradiated in aerated solution. Although a number of products were detected under these conditions, the three most abundant stable compounds have been isolated and identified as 4-amino-3-hydroxybenzoic acid, 4-aminophenol and 4-(4'-hydroxyphenyl)aminobenzoic acid (IV). The latter compound was shown to result from rapid photo-induced oxidation of I in the presence of oxygen. Even in the presence of trace amounts of oxygen, the yield of I was significantly reduced in favor of IV. Studies of the thermal oxidation of I, coupled with evidence gathered from studies of the photochemistry of incompletely deoxygenated PABA solutions, indicate that 4-(2,5-cyclohexadien-4-one)iminobenzoic acid (III) is an intermediate on the pathway between I and IV. Qualitatively, we found that the photochemical reactions resulting from irradiation of PABA solutions with lambda = 254 nm light and light with lambda greater than 290 nm were the same. The quantum yields for formation of I and V are highly pH dependent, both being less than 10(-4) at pH 7 and rising steadily to values greater than 10(-3) at pH 11. The detailed pH dependence suggests that the deprotonated PABA radical cation may be an important intermediate entering into the reactions forming I and IV.     

Kinetics of the formation of biliverdin during the photochemical oxidation of bilirubin monitored by column liquid chromatography

In the photochemical oxidation of bilirubin, biliverdin is formed as the primary product and is further degraded. This photooxidation is especially significant in the presence of riboflavin. Column liquid chromatography was used to monitor the kinetics of this reaction. The biliverdin concentration amounts to a maximum of ca. 38% of the total loss of bilirubin in experiments in vitro. It is probable that this mechanism is also operative during phototherapy. The formation of a product of the photooxidation of biliverdin that has not yet been identified has been observed; the product behaves as a dimer. A method for the determination of biliverdin in the blood of newborn infants has been developed. It has been found that the biliverdin content increases during hyperbilirubinaemia.     

Sulfur radical cation-peptide bond complex in the one-electron oxidation of S-methylglutathione

Neighboring group participation was investigated in the *OH-induced oxidation of S-methylglutathione in aqueous solutions. Nanosecond pulse radiolysis was used to obtain the spectra of the reaction intermediates and their kinetics. Depending on the pH, and the concentration of S-methylglutathione, pulse irradiation leads to different transients. The transients observed were an intramolecularly bonded [>S thereforeNH2]+ intermediate, intermolecularly S thereforeS-bonded radical cation, alpha-(alkylthio)alkyl radicals, alpha-amino-alkyl-type radical, and an intramolecularly (S thereforeO)+-bonded intermediate. The latter radical is of particular note in that it supports recent observations of sulfur radical cations complexed with the oxygen atoms of peptide bonds and thus has biological and medical implications. This (S thereforeO)+-bonded intermediate had an absorption maximum at 390 nm, and we estimated its formation rate to be >or=6x10(7) s(-1). It is in equilibrium with the intermolecularly S thereforeS-bonded radical cation, and they decay together on the time scale of a few hundred microseconds. The S thereforeS-bonded radical cation is formed from the monomeric sulfur radical cation (>S*+) and an unoxidized S-methylglutathione molecule with the rate constant of 1.0x10(9) M(-1) s(-1). The short-lived [>S thereforeNH2]+ intermediate is a precursor of decarboxylation, absorbs at approximately 390 nm, and decays on the time scale of hundreds of nanoseconds. Additional insight into the details of the association of sulfur radical cations with the oxygen atoms of the peptide bonds was gained by comparing the behavior of the S-methylglutathione (S thereforeO+-bonded five-membered ring) with the peptide gamma-Glu-Met-Gly (S thereforeO+-bonded six-membered ring). Conclusions from experimental observations were supported by molecular modeling calculations.     

氢醌对胆红素氧化过程的促进作用及其分析意义

研究了氢醌与胆红素的作用过程，发现氢醌在碱性条件下可促使胆红素氧化，且胆红素被氧化成胆绿素，此反应过程被证实为自由基反应，考察了介质条件，抗氧化剂等反应过程的影响及其它酚类物质对胆红素氧化的作用情况。     

胆红素,胆绿素与金属离子的作用机制初探

用电化学方法和光谱方法对胆红素、胆绿素与金属离子在碱性水溶液中的作用机制进行了研究。发现它们与金属离子的作用情况依金属离子种类和反应条件不同而异。在有氧情况下，碱土、稀土等金属离子不与它们发生作用，Ｈｇ＾２＋、Ａｇ＾＋、Ｔｌ＾＋、Ｈｇ＾２＋２等则可与它们发生直接氧化还原或催化氧化反应；而在除氧的条件下，胆红素、胆绿素则可与Ｆｅ＾３＋、Ｃｕ＾２＋、Ｚｎ＾２＋、Ｃｄ＾２＋等形成配合物，而无催化氧化反…     

The extra-weak chemiluminescence generated during oxidation of some tetracycline antibiotics. II. Peroxidation.

This study was undertaken to establish the mechanism of chemiluminescence during the oxidation reaction of tetracycline antibiotics in the presence of molecular oxygen and H2O2. The spectral distribution of chemiluminescence and fluorescence and the quantum yields of chemiluminescence were measured. The chemiluminescence spectrum measured with cut-off filters revealed one broad blue-green band and bands with maxima at 580, 640 and 700 nm. The bands at 580, 640 and 700 nm were similar to those observed for singlet molecular oxygen. The effect of superoxide radical, hydroxyl radical inhibitors, singlet oxygen quenchers and D2O as solvent on the light emission was also studied. The formation of singlet oxygen during the oxidation of the investigated tetracyclines was also checked using the spectrophotometric method based on the bleaching of p-nitrosodimethylaniline. A mechanism for the reactions generating electronically excited compounds is proposed.     

Electron and oxygen transfer in polyoxometalate, H(5)PV(2)Mo(10)O(40), catalyzed oxidation of aromatic and alkyl aromatic compounds: evidence for aerobic Mars-van Krevelen-type reactions in the liquid homogeneous phase

The mechanism of aerobic oxidation of aromatic and alkyl aromatic compounds using anthracene and xanthene, respectively, as a model compound was investigated using a phosphovanadomolybdate polyoxometalate, H(5)PV(2)Mo(10)O(40), as catalyst under mild, liquid-phase conditions. The polyoxometalate is a soluble analogue of insoluble mixed-metal oxides often used for high-temperature gas-phase heterogeneous oxidation which proceed by a Mars-van Krevelen mechanism. The general purpose of the present investigation was to prove that a Mars-van Krevelen mechanism is possible also in liquid-phase, homogeneous oxidation reactions. First, the oxygen transfer from H(5)PV(2)Mo(10)O(40) to the hydrocarbons was studied using various techniques to show that commonly observed liquid-phase oxidation mechanisms, autoxidation, and oxidative nucleophilic substitution were not occurring in this case. Techniques used included (a) use of (18)O-labeled molecular oxygen, polyoxometalate, and water; (b) carrying out reactions under anaerobic conditions; (c) performing the reaction with an alternative nucleophile (acetate) or under anhydrous conditions; and (d) determination of the reaction stoichiometry. All of the experiments pointed against autoxidation and oxidative nucleophilic substitution and toward a Mars-van Krevelen mechanism. Second, the mode of activation of the hydrocarbon was determined to be by electron transfer, as opposed to hydrogen atom transfer from the hydrocarbon to the polyoxometalate. Kinetic studies showed that an outer-sphere electron transfer was probable with formation of a donor-acceptor complex. Further studies enabled the isolation and observation of intermediates by ESR and NMR spectroscopy. For anthracene, the immediate result of electron transfer, that is formation of an anthracene radical cation and reduced polyoxometalate, was observed by ESR spectroscopy. The ESR spectrum, together with kinetics experiments, including kinetic isotope experiments and (1)H NMR, support a Mars-van Krevelen mechanism in which the rate-determining step is the oxygen-transfer reaction between the polyoxometalate and the intermediate radical cation. Anthraquinone is the only observable reaction product. For xanthene, the radical cation could not be observed. Instead, the initial radical cation undergoes fast additional proton and electron transfer (or hydrogen atom transfer) to yield a stable benzylic cation observable by (1)H NMR. Again, kinetics experiments support the notion of an oxygen-transfer rate-determining step between the xanthenyl cation and the polyoxometalate, with formation of xanthen-9-one as the only product. Schemes summarizing the proposed reaction mechanisms are presented.     

Boron doped diamond and glassy carbon electrodes comparative study of the oxidation behaviour of cysteine and methionine

The electrochemical oxidation behaviour at boron doped diamond and glassy carbon electrodes of the sulphur-containing amino acids cysteine and methionine, using cyclic and differential pulse voltammetry over a wide pH range, was compared. The oxidation reactions of these amino acids are irreversible, diffusion-controlled pH dependent processes, and occur in a complex cascade mechanism. The amino acid cysteine undergoes similar three consecutive oxidation reactions at both electrodes. The first step involves the oxidation of the sulfhydryl group with radical formation, that undergoes nucleophilic attack by water to give an intermediate species that is oxidized in the second step to cysteic acid. The oxidation of the sulfhydryl group leads to a disulfide bridge between two similar cysteine moieties forming cysteine. The subsequent oxidation of cystine occurs at a higher potential, due to the strong disulfide bridge covalent bond. The electro-oxidation of methionine at a glassy carbon electrode occurs in two steps, corresponding to the formation of sulfoxide and sulfone, involving the adsorption and protonation/deprotonation of the thiol group, followed by electrochemical oxidation. Methionine undergoes a one-step oxidation reaction at boron doped diamond electrodes due to the negligible adsorption, and the oxidation also leads to the formation of methionine sulfone.     

Radiolysis of paracetamol in dilute aqueous solution

Using radiolytic experiments hydroxyl radical (main reactant in advanced oxidation processes) was shown to effectively destroy paracetamol molecules. The basic reaction is attachment to the ring. The hydroxy-cyclohexadienyl radical produced in the further reactions may transform to hydroxylated paracetamol derivatives or to quinone type molecules and acetamide. The initial efficiency of aromatic ring destruction in the absence of dissolved O₂ is c.a. 10%. The efficiency is 2–3 times higher in the presence of O₂ due to its reaction with intermediate hydroxy-cyclohexadienyl radical and the subsequent ring destruction reactions through peroxi radical. Upon irradiation the toxicity of solutions at low doses increases with the dose and then at higher doses it decreases. This is due to formation of compounds with higher toxicity than paracetamol (e.g. acetamide, hidroquinone). These products, however, are highly sensitive to irradiation and degrade easily.     

Absolute rate coefficient determination and reaction mechanism investigation for the reaction of Cl atoms with CH2I2 and the oxidation mechanism of CH2I radicals

The gas-phase reaction of atomic chlorine with diiodomethane was studied over the temperature range 273-363 K with the very low-pressure reactor (VLPR) technique. The reaction takes place in a Knudsen reactor at pressures below 3 mTorr, where the steady-state concentration of both reactants and stable products is continuously measured by electron-impact mass spectrometry. The absolute rate coefficient as a function of temperature was given by k = (4.70 +/- 0.65) x 10-11 exp[-(241 +/- 33)/T] cm3molecule-1s-1, in the low-pressure regime. The quoted uncertainties are given at a 95% level of confidence (2sigma) and include systematic errors. The reaction occurs via two pathways: the abstraction of a hydrogen atom leading to HCl and the abstraction of an iodine atom leading to ICl. The HCl yield was measured to be ca. 55 +/- 10%. The results suggest that the reaction proceeds via the intermediate CH2I2-Cl adduct formation, with a I-Cl bond strength of 51.9 +/- 15 kJ mol-1, calculated at the B3P86/aug-cc-pVTZ-PP level of theory. Furthermore, the oxidation reactions of CHI2 and CH2I radicals were studied by introducing an excess of molecular oxygen in the Knudsen reactor. HCHO and HCOOH were the primary oxidation products indicating that the reactions with O2 proceed via the intermediate peroxy radical formation and the subsequent elimination of either IO radical or I atom. HCHO and HCOOH were also detected by FT-IR, as the reaction products of photolytically generated CH2I radicals with O2 in a static cell, which supports the proposed oxidation mechanism. Since the photolysis of CH2I2 is about 3 orders of magnitude faster than its reactive loss by Cl atoms, the title reaction does not constitute an important tropospheric sink for CH2I2.     

A comparative study on gamma irradiation of unconjugated bilirubin in aqueous and non-aqueous solutions

Dilute aqueous and non-aqueous solutions of bilirubin were exposed to gamma radiation to examine the effects of ionizing radiation on the concentrations of a specimen of this nature. The ionising radiation emanated from a (137)Cs source, and was applied to 5.2 x 10(-2) mmol L(-1) solutions of the unconjugated specimen in 0.05 mol L(-1) aqueous NaOH and chloroform. Depletion of bilirubin after exposure was common to both solvents. Complete degradation was accomplished with doses in excess of 100 Gy. In the case of NaOH, it was found that the presence of molecular oxygen contributed more efficiently to the degradation process, than irradiation in air. When the experimental conditions were changed to nitrogen, the degradation process was suppressed. The sole by-product of merit originating from the NaOH work was the short-wavelength isomer of biliverdin, at 330 nm. In the case of chloroform, the exclusive product of interest was characterised as the long-wavelength isomer of biliverdin that absorbs in the broad region commencing from about 620 nm. The non-aqueous study was conducted in the presence and absence of molecular oxygen, with no significant changes in the results. Optimum production of the isomers in question occurred at a gamma dose of about 80 Gy. The general species of interest were monitored spectrophotometrically, and the results were treated mathematically to facilitate evaluation of the data. Our work represents the development of a facile gamma-ray method for the exclusive production of specific isomers of biliverdin, which are useful components in biosynthetic research.     

Kinetics and Mechanism of Bilirubin Oxidation by Benzoyl Peroxide in Dimethyl Sulfoxide

The kinetics of the redox reaction of bilirubin by the action of benzoyl peroxide in dimethyl sulfoxide was analyzed. It is shown that the first reaction product is biliverdin, which oxidizes to purpurin and further to choletelin. The kinetic and activation parameters of the oxidation reactions were obtained. A kinetic model of the process was proposed. An assumed route of the reaction is related to the exchange interaction of CH protons of methylene and methine spacers with free radicals in the rate‐limiting step with the further destruction of the “ridge‐tile” pigment conformation. The mechanism steps are confirmed by quantum‐chemical calculations and HPLC. It is found that in organic solvents the end products of bilirubin oxidation are not monopyrrolic derivatives. The data obtained will be useful in constructing antioxidant action models of the pigment.     

Parallel screening of homogeneous copper catalysts for the oxidation of benzylic alcohols with molecular oxygen in aqueous solutions

A simple and efficient parallel screening method to evaluate the catalytic activities of homogeneous copper complexes for the oxidation of benzylic alcohols in aqueous solutions with molecular oxygen is reported. Copper(II) sulfate was treated in situ with 22 nitrogen donor ligands, and the catalytic activities of these combinations were studied at four different pH values with two substrates (benzyl alcohol and 3,4-dimethoxy benzyl alcohol (veratryl alcohol)), resulting in 176 oxidation experiments in the primary screening stage. Copper complexes based on N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl ethylenediamine (TMEDA), 9,10-diaminephenanthrene (DAPHEN), and 1,2-diaminocyclohexane (DACH) were determined to be the most active catalysts. In the second screenings, the influence of reaction conditions on Cu(DACH)-, Cu(TMEDA)-, and Cu(DAPHEN)-catalyzed reactions were investigated in more detail. It was found that highly basic reaction conditions favor the reaction with the exception of Cu(TMEDA), which is active at a lower pH range. Under optimized conditions, Cu(DAPHEN) catalyzes the transformation of veratryl alcohol to the corresponding aldehyde with 100% conversion.     

Effect of pH on one-electron oxidation chemistry of organoselenium compounds in aqueous solutions

Pulse radiolysis coupled with absorption detection has been employed to study one-electron oxidation of selenomethionine (SeM), selenocystine (SeCys), methyl selenocysteine (MeSeCys), and selenourea (SeU) in aqueous solutions. Hydroxyl radicals (*OH) in the pH range from 1 to 7 and specific one-electron oxidants Cl2*- (pH 1) and Br2*- (pH 7) have been used to carry out the oxidation reactions. The bimolecular rate constants for these reactions were reported to be in the range of 2 x 10(9) to 10 x 10(9) M(-1) s(-1). Reactions of oxidizing radicals with all these compounds produced selenium-centered radical cations. The structure and stability of the radical cation were found to depend mainly on the substituent and pH. SeM, at pH 7, produced a monomer radical cation (lambdamax approximately 380 nm), while at pH 1, a dimer radical cation was formed by the interaction between oxidized and parent SeM (lambdamax approximately 480 nm). Similarly, SeCys, at pH 7, on one-electron oxidation, produced a monomer radical cation (lambdamax approximately 460 nm), while at pH 1, the reaction produced a transient species with (lambdamax approximately 560 nm), which is also a monomer radical cation. MeSeCys on one-electron oxidation in the pH range from 1 to 7 produced monomer radical cations (lambdamax approximately 350 nm), while at pH < 0, the reaction produced dimer radical cations (lambdamax approximately 460 nm). SeU at all the pH ranges produced dimer radical cations (lambdamax approximately 410 nm). The association constants of the dimer radical cations of SeM, MeSeCys, and SeU were determined by following absorption changes at lambdamax as a function of concentration. From these studies it is concluded that formation of monomer and dimer radical cations mainly depends on the substitution, pH, and the heteroatoms like N and O. The availability of a lone pair on an N or O atom at the beta or gamma position results in monomer radical cations having intramolecular stabilization. When such a lone pair is not available, the monomer radical cation is converted into a dimer radical cation which acquires intermolecular stabilization by the other selenium atom. The pH dependency confirms the role of protonation on stabilization. The oxidation chemistry of these selenium compounds is compared with that of their sulfur analogues.