In-house validation for analytical methods and quality control for risk evaluation of chlordecone in food

Chlordecone was used until 1993 as a pesticide in the banana plantation of Martinique and Guadeloupe (French Antilles) against the root borer. This organochlorine pesticide was lipophilic, remnant, and toxic for human beings with both acute and chronic effects. Chlordecone was strongly absorbed and stored in soil and weakly decomposed in environment. Surveys conducted in 2001 revealed its presence in soil, rivers, and domestic food products. Local food (fruits and vegetables, cattle, poultry, and fish) was growing on soils, widely contaminated by chlordecone, used in the past as banana plantations. In 2003, French Administration asked for a risk evaluation for the Antilles population. The French Agency for Food Safety, proposed a Provisional Tolerable Daily Intake of 0.0005?mg?kg^?1?b.w.?day^?1, and an Acute Reference Dose of 0.01?mg?kg^?1?b.w.?day^?1, based on a toxicological risk assessment. The French National Reference Laboratory for pesticides has carried out two analytical methods, one for food of animal origin and another for food of fruit and vegetable origin. These methods were validated in the reference laboratory and dispatched to 13 laboratories for a proficiency test before the launch of two studies on Martinique and Guadeloupe food. About 900 samples from Martinique were sent to the network of laboratories for analysis of chlordecone. Performance parameters obtained through the proficiency test were briefly reported. The quality control test proposed in this study was discussed to shed light on the true variability achievable by intra-laboratory and inter-laboratory analysis. The limits of conventional quality-control procedures were discussed, and a process was proposed in order to get better confidence in analytical results.     

Development of a Diamond Nanoparticles-based Nanosensor for Detection and Determination of Antiviral Drug Favipiravir

This study developed a nanosensor for the detection and determination of favipiravir, a presumed drug that has potential therapeutic efficacy in treating COVID-19 patients, from tablets and serum samples. This nanosensor was obtained by adding the optimum amount of diamond nanoparticles into carbon paste. For the determination of favipiravir adsorptive stripping differential pulse (AdSDPV) and adsorptive stripping square wave voltammetry (AdSSWV) were used. Limit of detection values were found as 4.83×10⁻⁹ M and 2.44×10⁻⁷ M for bulk and 5.18×10⁻⁸ M and 4.38×10⁻⁸ M for serum samples using AdSDPV and AdSSWV, respectively. Recovery studies made of the tablet and serum produced satisfactory results.     

Nafion-graphene composite film modified glassy carbon electrode for voltammetric determination of p-aminophenol

A Nafion-graphene (Nafion-GR) nanocomposite film modified glassy carbon electrode was fabricated by a simple drop-casting method, and used in the electrochemical detection of p-aminophenol (4-AP). Owing to the large surface area, good conductivity of GR and good affinity of Nafion, the sensor exhibited excellent electrocatalytic activity for the oxidation of 4-AP. The electrochemical behaviors of 4-AP on Nafion/GR film modified glassy carbon electrodes were investigated by cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry. A calibration curve is constructed in the same matrix, urine, as the unknown samples to be analyzed. The Nafion-GR film modified electrode was linearly dependent on the 4-AP concentration and the linear analytical curve was obtained in the ranges of 0.5–200 μM with differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and the detection limit was 0.051 μM. The Nafion-graphene nanocomposite modified electrode exhibited good reusability than pure graphene modified GCE. This procedure can be used for the determination of p-aminophenol in the presence of its degradation products and paracetamol. Finally, the proposed method was successfully used to determine p-aminophenol in local tap water samples in urine samples and pharmaceutical preparations.     

Novel anhydrous proton conducting copolymers of 1‐vinyl‐1,2,4‐triazole and diisopropyl‐p‐vinylbenzyl phosphonate

Phosphonic acid functional polymers are currently of interest because of their high proton conductivity in humidified and anhydrous systems. In addition, heterocyclic compounds are used in anhydrous proton conducting polymer membranes. In that study, a new copolymer based on 1‐vinyl‐1,2,4‐triazole (VTri) and diisopropyl‐p‐vinylbenzyl phosphonate (VBP) was synthesized, and their thermal, chemical, and proton conducting properties were investigated. The copolymers were synthesized by free radical copolymerization of the corresponding monomers at several monomer feed ratios to obtain P(VTri‐co‐VBP) copolymers. The copolymer samples were then hydrolyzed to produce poly(vinyl triazole‐co‐vinyl phosphonic acid) copolymers. The composition of the copolymers was determined by elemental analysis. The copolymerization and hydrolysis reactions were verified by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and ion exchange capacity measurements. Thermogravimetry analysis indicates that the copolymers are thermally stable up to 300°C. In order to increase the proton conductivity, the copolymers were doped with H₃PO₄ at several stoichometric ratios. The proton conductivity increases with triazole and phosphoric acid content. In the absence of humidity, the copolymer electrolyte, P(VTri‐co‐VBPA)1:0.5 X = 2, showed a proton conductivity of 0.005 S/cm at 150°C. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Spectroscopy and X-ray studies of {{6,6′-dimethoxy-2,2′-[ethane-1,2-diyl-bis-(nitrilomethylidyne)]diphenolato}(aqua)-dioxouranium(VI)} dehydrate

The C₁₈H₂₀N₂O₇U · 2H₂O (I) complex has been prepared and characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction properties (CIF file CCDC no. 913243). The title compound crystallizes in the orthorhombic system, space group Pbca with a = 19.542(5), b = 9.916(5), c = 21.940(5) Å, V = 4252(3) ų and Z = 8. In complex I, the U atom has a distorted pentagonal-bipyramidal geometry with a tetradentate Schiff base ligand and water molecule in the equatorial plane and oxo atoms in the axial positions. The crystal packing occurs intra-inter molecular hydrogen bonds.     

Strong ionic interactions in noncovalent complexes between poly(ethylene imine), a cationic electrolyte,and Cibacron Blue,a nucleotide mimic – implications for oligonucleotide vectors

Cationic polymers can bind DNA to form polyplexes, which are noncovalent complexes used for gene delivery into the targeted cells. For more insight on such biologically relevant systems, the noncovalent complexes between the cationic polymer poly(ethylene imine) (PEI) and the nucleotide mimicking dye Cibacron Blue F3G‐A (CB) were investigated using mass spectrometry methods. Two PEIs of low molecular weight were utilized (M_n ≈ 423 and 600 Da). The different types of CB anions produced by Na⁺/H⁺ exchanges on the three sulfonic acid groups of CB and their dehydrated counterparts were responsible for complex formation with PEI. The CB anions underwent noncovalent complex formation with protonated, but not with sodiated PEI. A higher proportion of cyclic oligomers were detected in PEI423 than PEI600, but both architectures formed association products with CB. Tandem mass spectrometry studies revealed a significantly stronger noncovalent interaction between PEI and dehydrated CB than between PEI and intact CB. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A new type of monodisperse porous, hydrophilic microspheres with reactive chloroalkyl functionality: synthesis and derivatization properties

A seeded polymerization method based on a new functional monomer, 3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyl methacrylate (HPMA-Cl), was proposed for the synthesis of a new type of monodisperse porous, hydrophilic microspheres with reactive character. By applying the method, poly(3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyl methacrylate-co-ethylene dimethacrylate) (poly(HPMA-Cl-co-EDMA)) microspheres in the range of 4–7 μm, with specific surface areas between 2 and 146 m²/g, were obtained. The microspheres are hydrophilic in nature due to the hydroxyl groups and are easily derivatizable due to the reactive chloropropyl moiety. Ligands in the form of small molecules carrying hydrophobic alkyl or hydrophilic ion exchanger groups were covalently attached onto the microspheres via simple and one-pot reactions via their chloropropyl functionality. Using the same functionality, click chemistry and surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization were also applied for the generation of triazole ring and zwitterionic molecular brushes on the microspheres, respectively. Poly(HPMA-Cl-co-EDMA) microspheres seem to be a promising hydrophilic reactive material particularly for the synthesis of ion exchanger resins and chromatographic stationary phases.     

Synthesis, characterization and aggregation behaviour of novel peripherally tetra-substituted octacationic water soluble metal-free and metallophthalocyanines

In this study, a new phthalonitrile derivative 3 bearing 1,3-bis[3(dimethylamino)phenoxy]propan-2-ol 1, metal-free phthalocyanine (Pc) 4, metallophthalocyanines (MPcs) 5–7 and their quaternized derivatives 4a–7a were synthesized. Metal-free Pc 4 was prepared by cyclotetramerization of phthalonitrile derivate 3 and MPcs 5–7 were synthesized by heating 3 with NiCl₂, CoCl₂ and CuCl₂ in n-pentanol in the presence of 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene, respectively. Quaternization of the dimethylamino functionality produced quaternized octacationic water soluble metal-free, Ni, Co and Cu Pcs which were soluble in water, DMF, DMSO. The aggregation behaviour of these compounds were investigated in different concentrations of chloroform for metal-free, Ni, Co and Cu Pcs. The effect of solvents on absorption spectra were studied in various organic solvents. The novel compounds were characterized using IR, ¹H-, ¹³C NMR, UV–vis and MS spectral data.     

Kinetic,isothermal and thermodynamic studies on Th(IV) adsorption by different modified activated carbons

In this study, the performance of modified adsorbents obtained from activated carbon for the adsorption of thorium(IV) ions from aqueous media was investigated. The analytical and spectroscopic methods such as FT-IR, BET, SEM and UV–Vis were used to examine the properties of the modified materials. According to the analysis results, the both adsorbents had large surface areas after modification. Then, temperature, pH, mixing time and solution concentration parameters were observed to determine optimum thorium adsorption conditions on modified materials. The obtained results from the experiments were applied different three kinetic models and adsorption isotherms and thermodynamic parameters were calculated and then all of the results were interpreted. The adsorption process for both adsorption systems was observed to be compatible with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The adsorption equilibrium data were best described by the Langmuir model for modified adsorbent with KMnO₄ and by the Freundlich model for modified adsorbent with NaOH. Furthermore, the calculated thermodynamic parameters (ΔG°, ΔH° and ΔS°) showed that the both adsorption processes were endothermic and spontaneous. The data show that modified adsorbents can be used as influential and low-cost adsorbents to remove thorium ion. Modified new adsorbents were highly selective for thorium ion in competitive adsorption studies.

     

Inhibitor design for 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA reductase enzyme; molecular docking and determination of molecular and electronic properties of ligands by density functional theory method

Designing new inhibitors having less side effects is a need which also could reduce cholesterol levels. To fulfill this aim, we have carried out a molecular docking study toward 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA (HMG-CoA) reductase. A set of designed structural derivatives of statin drugs, eight ligands which are used as HIV-1 integrase inhibitor candidates, a set of terpenoids, and ligands downloaded from Zinc15 database were docked to HMG-CoA reductase enzyme which contains atorvastatin in crystal structure. The analysis of docking studies revealed that statin derivative ligands are more appropriate for inhibition of HMG-CoA reductase. To define the contribution of the molecular properties to the binding of ligands to enzyme structure; the highest occupied molecular orbitals-lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals, hardness, electronegativity, and chemical potential properties of ligands have best score in their sets calculated by quantum mechanical tools.