Purification and Biochemical Characterization of Two Xylanases from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aspergillus sydowii</Emphasis> SBS 45

Two xylanases were isolated and purified from crude culture filtrate of Aspergillus sydowii SBS 45 after 9 days of growth on wheat bran containing 0.5% (w/v) birch wood xylan as the carbon source under solid-state fermentation. After a three-step purification scheme involving ammonium sulfate precipitation, gel filtration chromatography (Sephadex G-200), and anion exchange chromatography (DEAE-Sephadex A-50), xylanase I was purified 93.41 times, and xylanase II was purified 77.40 times with yields of 4.49 and 10.46, respectively. Molecular weights of xylanase I and II were 20.1 and 43 kDa, respectively, in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Optimum temperature was 50 degrees C, and optimum pH was 10.0 for both xylanase I and II. The Km value of xylanase I for birch wood xylan was 3.18 mg ml(-1) and for oat spelt xylan 6.45 mg ml(-1), while the Km value of xylanase II for birch wood xylan was 6.51 mg ml(-1) and for oat spelt xylan 7.69 mg ml(-1). Metal ions like Al3+, Ba2+, Ca2+, Na+, and Zn2+ enhanced the activity of xylanase I and II at 10 mM concentration. Among the additives, L-tryptophan enhanced the activity of xylanase I and II at 10-, 20-, and 30-mM concentrations. Both xylanases appeared to be glycoproteins.     

Electrosynthesis of a Net-like Microstructured Poly(p-aminophenol) Film Possessing Electrochemical Properties in a Wide pH Range

Electrochemical polymerization of p-aminophenol in aqueous sulfuric acid solution has been carried out at a platinum foil using repeated potential cycles at the range of ?0.20 to 0.95 V (vs. SCE). The resulting polymer has good electrochemical activity and a fast charge transfer characteristic in the solutions of 0.5 mol dm^?3 Na₂SO₄ with pH ≤ 9.0. Based on the spectroscopic measurements, a possible chemical structure of the resulting polymer was proposed. IR and XPS spectra indicate that SO₄ ^2? ions are contained in the resulting polymer. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrograph proves that the net-like microstructure of the poly(p-aminophenol) film, which is a macroporous network composed of interwoven and coalescing fiber diameters of 100–500 nm and pore diameters of 500 nm–3 μ m, can be prepared using the electrochemical method.     

A Simple Fluorometric Method Using Chlorophyll a for Determination of Hg2+ Ion

A simple and green analytical procedure based on chlorophyll a is presented for the determination of Hg²⁺ ion. Chlorophyll a was extracted and purified from the leaves of pea and is employed as a reagent for analysis of Hg²⁺ ion. It displays remarkable fluorescence emission at 674 nm when excited at 412 nm. The emission intensity decreased significantly on exposure to various concentrations of Hg²⁺ ion. This forms the basis for the determination of Hg²⁺ ion. The proposed method was evaluated for sensitivity and selectivity. The linear concentration range was found to be 2.0–10 μM with r² = 0.997 and the limit of detection for Hg²⁺ ion was 1.3 μM. Ions including Pb²⁺, Cd²⁺, Ag⁺, Zn²⁺, Co²⁺, Ni²⁺, Cu²⁺, Mg²⁺, Mn²⁺, Ru³⁺, Er³⁺, K⁺, Na⁺, NH₄⁺, Cl⁻, NO₃⁻, CH₃COO⁻ and SO₄²⁻ did not interfere with the measurement of Hg²⁺ ion even at 500-fold excess. Since chlorophyll a is widely available in the leaves of most plants, and the extraction and purification process is simple, this technique can provide an alternative, sensitive and economical way to determine Hg²⁺ ion.     

表面高巯基功能化介孔材料的制备及对Hg~(2+)的吸附性能

在酸性条件下,以三嵌段非离子表面活性剂P123为模板剂,四氧基硅烷(TEOS)预水解后与3-巯基丙基三乙基硅(MPTES)共聚,合成了具有不同巯基官能团比例x[n(MPTES)/n(TEOS+MPTES)]的功能化介孔材料(SBA-SH-x),其结构和性能经FT-IR,元素分析,SEM,TEM,小角X-ray和N2吸附-脱附表征。结果表明:x10%,SBA-SH-x为六方p6mm介观结构;10%x15%,SBA-SH-x为立方Ia3d介孔结构;x20%,SBA-SH-x为无序结构。SBA-SH-x在水溶液中吸附Hg2+的研究结果表明:SBA-SH-10和SBA-SH-15对Hg~(2+)吸附性能较好。     

Cysteine-Fe(III) Catalyzed Oxidation of Common Polymer Used in Oilfield by H2O2 in a Wide pH Range

Russian Journal of Applied Chemistry - In order to explore more efficient catalytic oxidation of commonly used polymer catalysts, cysteine as ligand and transition metal ions were used to prepare...     

离子液体-水混合介质中合成N、F共掺杂宽光域响应多孔TiO2光催化剂及性能

以TiCl4为钛源,离子液体-水为混合溶剂,采用液相水解-沉淀法制得浅黄色的N、F共掺杂宽光域响应多孔TiO2光催化剂(TiONF).以苯酚为模型物,考察了TiONF在紫外光区、可见光区及太阳光下催化活性.采用X射线光电子能谱(XPS)、紫外-可见漫反射光谱(DRS)、透射电镜(TEM)、X射线衍射(XRD)、傅里叶变换红外(FTIR)光谱及低温N2吸附-脱附等技术对TiONF的结构进行表征.结果表明,在离子液体-水混合介质中合成适量N、F共掺杂的TiO2在紫外光区、可见光区及太阳光下均表现出较高的活性,且高于纯水介质中合成TiONF的活性.离子液体-水混合介质有利于N、F进入TiO2晶格中;N、F共掺杂后在TiO2表面生成Ti―O―N键,形成新的能级结构,使催化剂的吸收红移至450-530nm,诱发TiO2可见光催化活性;同时,N、F共掺杂提高了TiO2表面羟基数量;还提高了TiO2相转变温度,减缓了相转变速率.另外,在离子液体-水混合介质中合成的TiONF较纯水介质中合成的TiONF粒子小、分散性好、比表面积大.     

Heat Capacities and Thermodynamic Properties of a H2O + Li2B4O7 Solution in the Temperature Range from 80 to 356 K

The molar heat capacities of an aqueous Li₂B₄O₇ solution were measured with a precision automated adiabatic calorimeter in the temperature range from 80 to 356 K at a concentration of 0.3492 mol⋅kg⁻¹. The occurrence of a phase transition was determined based on the changes in the curve of the heat capacity with temperature. A phase transition was observed at 271.72 K corresponding to the solid-liquid phase transition; the enthalpy and entropy of the phase transition were evaluated to be Δ H _m = 4.110 kJ⋅mol⁻¹ and Δ S _m = 15.13 J⋅K⁻¹⋅mol⁻¹, respectively. Using polynomial equations and thermodynamic relationship, the thermodynamic functions [H _T −H _298.15] and [S _T −S _298.15] of the aqueous Li₂B₄O₇ solution relative to 298.15 K were calculated in temperature range 80 to 355 K at intervals of 5 K. Values of the relative apparent molar heat capacities of the aqueous Li₂B₄O₇ solution, C _p,φ, were calculated at every 5 K in temperature range from 80 to 355 K from the experimental heat capacities of the solution and the heat capacities of pure water.     

Purification of waste waters containing 60Co2+, 115mCd2+ and 203Hg2+ radioactive ions by ETS-4 titanosilicate

Summary The sorption of ⁶⁰Co²⁺, ^115mCd²⁺ and ²⁰³Hg²⁺ from diluted solutions (as analogues for radioactive waste waters) on ETS-4 microporous titanosilicate was studied at 277, 293, 313 and 333 K by measuring the sorption kinetics using a batch-method. The sorption of these radiocations was compared by means of the distribution coefficient and of the sorption capacity. The maximum sorption capacities follow the order: ²⁰³Hg²⁺>^115mCd²⁺3⁶⁰Co²⁺. The thermodynamic functions of the sorption processes have been estimated. The increase of the absolute value of DG° with increasing temperatures shows that higher temperatures favor ionic exchange.     

Analytical Expressions of Thermodynamic and Transport Properties of the Martian Atmosphere in a Wide Temperature and Pressure Range

Calculation of thermodynamic and transport properties of CO₂/N₂/O₂/Ar system (Martian atmosphere) have been performed in a wide pressure (0.01–100 bar) and temperature range (50–50,000 K). A self-consistent approach for the thermodynamic properties and higher order approximation of the Chapman–Enskog method for the transport coefficients have been used. Debye–Hückel corrections have been included in the calculation of thermodynamic properties while collision integrals derived following a phenomenological approach and accounting also for resonant processes contributions have been used. Moreover, charge–charge interactions have been obtained by using a screened Coulomb potential. Calculated values have been fitted by closed forms ready to be inserted in fluid dynamic codes in order to simulate plasma conditions for different technological applications. Comparison with data present in literature is also reported.     

一种新型罗丹明类Hg2+荧光探针的合成与分析应用

设计合成了一种可逆的Hg2+荧光增强型分子探针3’,6’-双(二乙氨基)-2-((2-羟基-4-甲氧基苯亚甲基)氨基)螺[异吲哚-1,9’-氧杂蒽]-3-硫酮(RBS),并利用红外光谱、元素分析、核磁等方法对探针结构进行表征。探针本身荧光很弱,与Hg2+结合后荧光显著增强,由此,建立了Hg2+测定的新方法。该方法对Hg2+测定的线性范围为5.00×10-9～1.10×10-6mol/L,检出限为2.82×10-9mol/L,具有操作简单、灵敏度高、选择性好、线性范围宽等特点。将该方法用于河水及土壤样品中Hg2+的加标回收实验,结果满意。     

PANI-SnP复合膜电极在镍镉废水中电控离子交换性能

采用滴涂法在铂基底制备了电活性聚苯胺-磷酸锡(PANI-SnP)复合膜电极,考察了该电极在Ni²⁺、Cd²⁺溶液的电控离子交换性能. 用傅立叶变换红外光谱和扫描电镜分析观察复合膜的组成及表面形貌;在0.1 mol·L^-1 Ni(NO₃)₂、Cd(NO₃)₂溶液,通过循环伏安法比较了PANI膜、SnP膜及PANI-SnP复合膜电极的电化学性能,并结合电化学石英晶体微天平技术重点考察了PANI-SnP复合膜的离子交换机制;同时,通过循环伏安法调控复合膜电极的氧化还原电位,结合X射线能谱和X射线光电子能谱分别测定了其氧化和还原状态的元素组成. 结果表明,PANI-SnP复合膜电极在Ni²⁺、Cd²⁺溶液均有良好的氧化还原电活性和可逆离子交换性能,其Cd²⁺离子选择性优于Ni²⁺离子,通过电控离子交换可使Cd²⁺离子从镍镉废水高效分离.     

Biochemical Properties of Tyrosinase from Aspergillus terreus and Penicillium copticola; Undecanoic Acid from Aspergillus flavus,an Endophyte of Moringa oleifera,Is a Novel Potent Tyrosinase Inhibitor

Tyrosinase is a copper-containing monooxygenase catalyzing the O-hydroxylation of tyrosine to 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine then to dopaquinone that is profoundly involved in melanin synthesis in eukaryotes. Overactivation of tyrosinase is correlated with hyperpigmentation that is metabolically correlated with severe pathological disorders, so, inhibition of this enzyme is the most effective approach in controlling the overproduction of melanin and its hazardous effects. Thus, searching for a powerful, selective inhibitor of human tyrosinase to limit the hyper-synthesis of melanin is a challenge. Unlike the difficulty of overexpression of human tyrosinase, using fungal tyrosinase as a model enzyme to the human one to evaluate the mechanistics of enzyme inhibition in response to various compounds is the most feasible strategy. Thus, the purification of highly catalytic-efficient fungal tyrosinase, exploring a novel inhibitor, and evaluating the mechanistics of enzyme inhibition are the main objectives of this work. Aspergillus terreus and Penicillium copticola were reported as the most potential tyrosinase producers. The biochemical properties suggest that this enzyme displays a higher structural and catalytic proximity to human tyrosinase. Upon nutritional bioprocessing by Plackett–Burman design, the yield of tyrosinase was increased by about 7.5-folds, compared to the control. The purified tyrosinase was strongly inhibited by kojic acid and A. flavus DCM extracts with IC₅₀ values of 15.1 and 12.6 µg/mL, respectively. From the spectroscopic analysis, the main anti-tyrosinase compounds of A. flavus extract was resolved, and verified as undecanoic acid. Further studies are ongoing to unravel the in vivo effect and cytotoxicity of this compound in fungi and human, that could be a novel drug to various diseases associated with hyperpigmentation by melanin.     

Highly selective, sensitive and quantitative detection of Hg2+ in aqueous medium under broad pH range

Amidothiourea linked acridinedione derivatives selectively detect Hg(2+) in unbuffered aqueous solution under broad pH range with both single- and two-photon excitation. The observed linear fluorescence intensity change allows the quantitative detection of Hg(2+) in the concentration range of 22 nM-0.33 μM with the lower detection limit of 2 nM.     

Self-assembly of CdTe nanoparticles into dendrite structure: a microsensor to Hg2+

A novel microsensor to Hg(2+) was fabricated through self-assembly of aqueous CdTe nanoparticles (NPs). The morphologies of self-assembly mainly included classical dendrites, straight dendrites, and small islands. The formation process of these morphologies was systematically investigated by using the field emission scanning electron microscope, confocal laser scanning microscope, and atom force microscope instruments, etc. The proposed mechanism showed that the dendrite structure was formed via manipulating the short-range van der Waals interaction and long-range electrostatic interaction, which was realized through altering the ligand and concentration of the CdTe NPs. Furthermore, polymers with positive charges were used to effectively control the morphology of the self-assembly as well as improve the property of photoluminescence. These CdTe dendrites were used as microsensors to Hg(2+), which presented the advantages of low cost, quick detection time, high selectivity, and easy operation.     

Ion sensing film optodes based on chromogenic calix[4]arene: application to the detection of Hg2+, Ni2+ and Eu3+ ions

The development of sensors for the detection of transition metal ions has attracted a special attention because of the toxic impact of these elements on our environment. Due to their sensitivity, reliable, inexpensive and easy use for on site analysis, optical chemical sensors (optodes) have received an increasing attention for a rapid determination of toxic species in water. A new chromogenic calix[4]arene has been investigated on the basis of the high recognition properties of calixarenes associated to the optical response provided by their functionalization with a phenyl azo group. Thin tetrakis-(phenylazo) calix[4]arene amide derivative layers deposited on a glass suprasil substrate have been characterized by contact angle measurements showing a good surface coverage whereas a uniform morphology of the calixarene membrane in acetonitrile solvent was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The ability of the tetrakis-(phenylazo) calix[4]arene amide derivative thin film to complex Hg²⁺, Ni²⁺ and Eu³⁺ ions have been demonstrated by the modification of the calixarenes main absorption band at 343?nm and appearance of a new absorption band at 500?nm upon addition of Eu³⁺. The different sensors could be regenerated with hydrochloric acid. The dynamic concentration range, ion selectivity, response time, repeatability and reproducibility are discussed. These results are suitable to the development of optodes for the detection of metal pollutants.     

pH值和钙离子对尖吻蝮蛇抗血小板凝集素二级结构的影响

尖吻蝮蛇毒中抗血小板凝集素是凝血因子IX/凝血因子X结合蛋白，它具有抗凝血和抑制血小板凝集双重活性。用红外光谱、拉曼光谱和CD谱研究了抗血小板凝集素的二级结构以及pH值和钙离子对其二级结构的影响。用CD谱测得，在水溶液中，抗血小板凝集素的主要骨架构象为β-折叠(26.3%)和α-螺旋(19.6%)结构。拉曼光谱显示，在粉末状态，其α-螺旋含量显著降低。CD谱还表明，抗血小板凝集素在pH值3.0～11.0范围内保持稳定的天然结构，钙离子诱导的抗血小板凝集素结构变化是可逆的，钙离子在稳定抗血小板凝集素的天然结构中起重要作用。     

Ratiometric detection of Cr3+ and Hg2+ by a naphthalimide-rhodamine based fluorescent probe

Newly synthesized rhodamine derivatives, L(1) and L(2), are found to bind specifically to Hg(2+) or Cr(3+) in presence of large excess of other competing ions with associated changes in their optical and fluorescence spectral behavior. These spectral changes are significant enough in the visible region of the spectrum and thus, allow the visual detection. For L(1), the detection limit is even lower than the permissible [Cr(3+)] or [Hg(2+)] in drinking water as per standard U.S. EPA norms; while the receptor, L2 could be used as a ratiometric sensor for detection of Cr(3+) and Hg(2+) based on the resonance energy transfer (RET) process involving the donor naphthalimide and the acceptor Cr(3+)/Hg(2+)-bound xanthene fragment. Studies reveal that these two reagents could be used for recognition and sensing of Hg(2+)/Cr(3+). Further, confocal laser microscopic studies confirmed that the reagent L(2) could also be used as an imaging probe for detection of uptake of these ions in A431 cells.     

Purification and Characterization of Calreticulin: a Ca2+-Binding Chaperone from Sheep Kidney

Calreticulin (CRT) is a molecular chaperone with a molecular mass of 46 kDa present in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). This protein is primarily involved in the regulation of intracellular Ca²⁺ homeostasis and Ca²⁺ storage in the ER. CRT also plays a significant role in autoimmunity and cancer. This protein contains three distinct structural domains with specialized functions. Here, we are reporting a simple procedure for the purification of CRT from mammalian kidney. To isolate CRT,  sheep kidney was crushed and kept for 12 h in the extraction buffer. The lysate was centrifuged, and supernatant was precipitated by ammonium sulphate. The precipitate of 90 % ammonium sulphate was extensively dialyzed and loaded on DEAE-Hi-Trap FF and Mono Q chromatography columns. The purity of CRT was confirmed by SDS-PAGE. Finally, the protein was identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight. The purified protein was further characterized for secondary structural elements using the far-UV circular dichroism measurements. Our purification procedure is fast and simple with high yield.