Photodynamic Inactivation Using Natural Bioactive Compound Prevents and Disrupts the Biofilm Produced by Staphylococcus saprophyticus

Staphylococcus saprophyticus, the food-borne bacteria present in dairy products, ready-to-eat food and environmental sources, has been reported with antibiotic resistance, raising concerns about food microbial safety. The antimicrobial resistance of S. saprophyticus requires the development of new strategies. Light- and photosensitizer-based antimicrobial photodynamic inactivation (PDI) is a promising approach to control microbial contamination, whereas there is limited information regarding the effectiveness of PDI on S. saprophyticus biofilm control. In this study, PDI mediated by natural bioactive compound (curcumin) associated with LED was evaluated for its potential to prevent and disrupt S. saprophyticus biofilms. Biofilms were treated with curcumin (50, 100, 200 µM) and LED fluence (4.32 J/cm², 8.64 J/cm², 17.28 J/cm²). Control groups included samples treated only with curcumin or light, and samples received neither curcumin nor light. The action was examined on biofilm mass, viability, cellular metabolic activity and cytoplasmic membrane integrity. PDI using curcumin associated with LED exhibited significant antibiofilm activities, inducing biofilm prevention and removal, metabolic inactivation, intracellular membrane damage and cell death. Likewise, scanning electronic microscopy observations demonstrated obvious structural injury and morphological alteration of S. saprophyticus biofilm after PDI application. In conclusion, curcumin is an effective photosensitizer for the photodynamic control of S. saprophyticus biofilm.     

Colorimetric method for the simultaneous determination of chlorphenoxamine hydrochloride and anhydrous caffeine in pure and dosage forms with rose bengal

A rapid, simple and sensitive colorimetric method for the simultaneous determination of chlorphenoxamine HCl and anhydrous caffeine was developed, based on charge-transfer complex formation of the drugs with rose bengal in basic media of pH 9.0. The chlorphenoxamine HCl (I) complex was measured at 588 nm whereas anhydrous caffeine (II) was measured at 551 nm. The optimal experimental parameters for colour production were studied. Beer's law was obeyed in the concentration ranges 2–40 and 2–34 g ml^–1 for I and II, respectively. The Ringbom optimum concentration ranges were 3–36 and 3–30 g ml^–1 for I and II, respectively. The results obtained showed good recoveries of 100.2 ± 1.5 and 99.7 ± 1.3% with relative standard deviations of 0.37 and 0.47% for I and II, respectively. Applications of the method to representative pharmaceutical dosage forms are presented and the validity assessed by applying the standard addition technique.     

Photobleaching Kinetics and Effect of Solvent in the Photophysical Properties of Indocyanine Green for Photodynamic Therapy

Indocyanine green is an attractive molecule for photodynamic therapy due to its near infrared absorption, resulting in a higher tissue penetration. However, its quantum yields of the triplet and singlet state have been reported to be low and then, reactive oxygen species are unlikely to be formed. Aiming to understand the ICG role in photodynamic response, its photobleaching behavior in solution has been studied under distinct conditions of CW laser irradiation at 780 and 808 nm, oxygen saturations and solvents. Sensitizer bleaching and photoproduct formation were measured by absorption spectroscopy and analyzed using the PDT bleaching macroscopic model to extract physical parameters. ICG photobleaching occurs even at lower oxygen concentrations, indicating that the molecule presents more than one way of degradation. Photoproducts were produced even in solution of less than 4 % oxygen saturation for both solvents and excitation wavelengths. Also, the amplitude of absorption related to J-dimers was increased during irradiation, but only in 50 % PBS solution. The formation of photoproducts was enhanced in the presence of J-type dimers under low oxygen concentration, and the quantum yields of triplet and singlet states were one order of magnitude and two times higher, respectively, when compared to ICG in distilled H₂O.     

Green and Highly Efficient Synthesis of Mono‐ and Bis‐Benzothiazoles in the Presence of Fe(SD)3 under Ultrasound Irradiation

A convenient, practical, green, and environmentally friendly method was developed for the synthesis of benzothiazoles from 2‐aminothiophenol and various aldehydes. Bis‐benzothiazoles were synthesized in high yield under mild reaction conditions. Products were obtained in the presence of in situ prepared Fe(SD )₃ [iron(III ) dodecyl sulfate] as a combined Lewis acid–surfactant catalyst (LASC ) in water under ultrasound irradiation.     

Optimization of two-dimensional gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry for separation and estimation of the residues of 160 pesticides and 25 persistent organic pollutants in grape and wine

Two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC × GC) coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometric (TOFMS) method was optimized for simultaneous analysis of 160 pesticides, 12 dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), 12 polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and bisphenol A in grape and wine. GC × GC–TOFMS could separate all the 185 analytes within 38 min with >85% NIST library-based mass spectral confirmations. The matrix effect quantified as the ratio of the slope of matrix-matched to solvent calibrations was within 0.5–1.5 for most analytes. LOQ of most of the analytes was ≤10 μg/L with nine exceptions having LOQs of 12.5–25 μg/L. Recoveries ranged between 70 and 120% with <20% expanded uncertainties for 151 and 148 compounds in grape and wine, respectively, with intra-laboratory Horwitz ratio <0.2 for all analytes. The method was evaluated in the incurred grape samples where residues of cypermethrin, permethrin, chlorpyriphos, metalaxyl and etophenprox were detected at below MRL.     

Chemical Composition and Reaction Mechanisms for Aged p‐Xylene Secondary Organic Aerosol in the Presence of Ammonia

A laboratory study was carried out to investigate the chemical composition of aged aromatic secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formed from the photoxidation of p‐xylene in the presence of ammonia (NH₃). The experiments were conducted by irradiating p‐xylene/CH₃ONO/NH₃ air mixtures without and with NO in a home‐made smog chamber. The particulate products of aged p‐ xylene SOA in the presence of NH₃ were measured by UV–vis spectrophotometry, attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR‐FTIR) spectroscopy, and aerosol laser time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (ALTOFMS) coupled with the fuzzy C‐means (FCM) clustering algorithm. The experimental results show that NH₃ does not alter the gas–particle partitioning in the photoxidation of p‐xylene without NO and that 2,5‐dimethylphenol is the predominant NH₃‐aged p‐xylene SOA without NO. However, NH₃ has a significant promotional effect on the formation of organonitrogen compounds in the OH‐initiated oxidation of p‐xylene with NO. Organic ammonium salts such as ammonium glyoxylate and p‐methyl ammonium benzoate, which are formed from NH₃ reactions with gaseous organic acids, were detected as the major particulate organonitrogen products of NH₃‐aged p‐xylene SOA with NO. 1H‐Imidazole, 4‐methyl‐1H‐imidazole, and other imidazole products of the heterogeneous reactions between NH₃ and dialdehydes of p‐xylene SOA were newly measured. The possible reaction mechanisms leading to these organonitrogen products are also discussed and proposed. The formation of imidazole products suggests that some ambient particles containing organonitrogen compounds may be the result of this mechanism. The results of this study may provide valuable information for discussing anthropogenic SOA aging mechanisms.     

Optimisation and validation of programmed temperature vaporization (PTV) injection in solvent vent mode for the analysis of the 15 + 1 EU-priority PAHs by GC-MS

This paper presents the optimisation of a programmed temperature vaporization solvent vent (PTV-SV) injection gas chromatographic mass spectrometric (GC-MS) method for the analysis of the 15 + 1 EU-priority PAHs in food extracts. Three operation parameters (vent time, vent flow and vent pressure) were optimised by applying a D-optimal experimental design. Among these variables, vent time showed the highest effect on the analytical response (signal intensity) of the target PAHs.The 15 + 1 EU-priority PAHs were analysed in solvent solutions and in extracts of fortified sausage. In addition, blank lamb meat extracts were prepared and spiked with the target PAHs prior to GC-MS analysis. The performance of the optimised PTV-SV injection GC-MS method was scrutinised for linearity, precision, matrix effects and robustness. All parameters were found satisfactorily. Compared to PTV injection in splitless mode, the PTV-SV injection method provided an enhancement of sensitivity for all target PAHs. Especially significant was the improvement of the S/N ratios of the compounds with the highest molecular mass.     

The investigation of the (p,ρ,T) and (ps,ρs,Ts) properties of {(1−x)CH3OH + xLiBr} for the application in absorption refrigeration machines and heat pumps

The (p,ρ,T) and (p_s,ρ_s,T_s) properties of {(1−x)CH₃OH + xLiBr} over a wide range of state parameters are reported for the first time. The experiments were carried out in a constant volume piezometer over a temperature range from 298.15 K to 398.15 K, at 0.08421, 0.13617, 0.19692, 0.23133 and 0.26891 mole fractions and from atmospheric pressure up to 60 MPa. The experimental uncertainties are ΔT=±3 mK for temperature, Δp=±5·10⁻² MPa for high pressure and Δp=±5·10⁻⁴ MPa for atmospheric pressure, Δρ=±3·10⁻² kg · m⁻³ for density. An equation of state was derived for correlation of the experimental data of the solutions.