Study of intramolecular aminolysis in peptides containing N-alkylamino acids at position 2

Many peptides and proteins, containing N^α-alkylamino acids (including proline) at the second position, are prone to intramolecular aminolysis (IA) with elimination of N-terminal dipeptide sequence as 2,5-diketopiperazines (DKP). We synthesized a series of short peptides, containing N-alkylamino acids at position 2, and studied their stability in the presence of acetic acid and amines. The presence of side chains in the second and the third amino acid residues and alkylation at N^α of the third amino acid residue slowed down IA. N^α-Alkyl residue in the first amino acid residue impeded IA only in peptides, containing three or more residues. Side chains of the first amino acids did not affect significantly the cleavage rates. Acetic acid promoted IA more strongly than aqueous ammonia, while tertiary amines were less effective. Peptides with methionine-S-oxide residues were more labile than the unoxidized analogs, suggesting intramolecular assistance of the S-oxide group in aminolysis. Surprisingly, intermediate compounds of the formula Boc–Met-MeXaa-Sar–NHR underwent rapid cleavage (endopeptolysis) upon attempted acidolytic deprotection.     

Characterization of Phenolic Compounds,Vitamin E and Fatty Acids from Monovarietal Virgin Olive Oils of “Picholine marocaine” Cultivar

Olive oil is an important product in the Mediterranean diet, due to its health benefits and sensorial characteristics. Picholine marocaine is the most cultivated variety in Morocco. The present research aims to evaluate the phenolic compounds, vitamin E and fatty acids of commercial Picholine marocaine virgin olive oils (VOOs) from five different North Moroccan provinces (Chefchaouen, Taounate, Errachidia, Beni Mellal and Taza), using HPLC-photodiode array (PDA)/electrospray ionization (ESI)-MS, normal phase (NP)-HPLC/ fluorescence detector (FLD) and GC-flame ionization detector (FID)/MS, respectively. The obtained results showed an average content of 130.0 mg kg⁻¹ of secoiridoids (oleuropein aglycone, 10-hydroxy-oleuropein aglycone and ligstroside aglycone, oleocanthal and oleacein), 108.1 mg kg⁻¹ of phenolic alcohols (tyrosol and hydroxytyrosol), 34.7 mg kg⁻¹ of phenolic acids (caffeic acid, ferulic acid and elenolic acid), and 8.24 mg kg⁻¹ of flavonoids (luteolin, luteolin glucoside, apigenin). With regard to vitamin E, α-tocopherol was the most abundant vitamin E (57.9 mg kg⁻¹), followed by α-tocotrienol (2.5 mg kg⁻¹), γ-tocopherol (4.5 mg kg⁻¹) and β-tocopherol (1.9 mg kg⁻¹), while δ-tocopherol was not detected. Moreover, 14 fatty acids were found and, among them, oleic acid (76.1%), linoleic acid (8.1%) palmitic acid (8.7%) and stearic acid (2.5%) were the major fatty acids detected. Finally, heat map and principal component analysis allowed us to classify the studied provinces in terms of VOO chemical composition: Chefchaouen (tyrosol and hydroxytyrosol), Taounate (oleuropein aglycone), Errachidia (ferulic acid, w-3 and w-6), Beni Mellal (oleocanthal) and Taza (luteolin and oleic acid).     

Interactions of some amino acids and glycine peptides with aqueous sodium dodecyl sulfate and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide at T=298.15 K: a volumetric approach

The apparent molar volumes V_φ of glycine, alanine, valine, leucine, and lysine have been determined in aqueous solutions of 0.05, 0.5, 1.0 mol · kg⁻¹ sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and 1.0 mol · kg⁻¹ cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) by density measurements at T=298.15 K. The apparent molar volumes have also been determined for diglycine and triglycine in 1 mol · kg⁻¹ SDS and CTAB solutions. These data have been used to calculate the infinite dilution apparent molar volumes V₂⁰ for the amino acids and peptides in aqueous SDS and CTAB and the standard partial molar volumes of transfer (Δ_trV_2,m⁰) of the amino acids and peptides to these aqueous surfactant solutions. The linear correlation of V₂⁰ for a homologous series of amino acids has been utilized to calculate the contribution of the charged end groups (NH₃⁺, COO⁻), CH₂ group and other alkyl chains of the amino acids to V₂⁰. The results on the partial molar volumes of transfer from water to aqueous SDS and CTAB have been interpreted in terms of ion–ion, ion–polar and hydrophobic–hydrophobic group interactions. The volume of transfer data suggests that ion–ion or ion–hydrophilic group interactions of the amino acids and peptides are stronger with SDS compared to those with CTAB. Comparison of the hydration numbers of amino acids calculated in the present studies with those in other solvents from literature shows that these numbers are almost the same at 1 mol · kg⁻¹ level of the cosolvent/cosolute. Increasing molality of the cosolvent/cosolute beyond 1 mol · kg⁻¹ lowers the hydration number of the amino acids due to increased interactions with the solvent and reduced electrostriction.     

Application of UHPLC for the determination of free amino acids in different cheese varieties

A rapid ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) protocol for the determination of amino acids as their respective 6-aminoquinolyl-N-hydroxysuccinimidyl carbamate (AQC) derivatives was successfully applied for assessing free amino acid levels in commercial cheese samples representing typical product groups (ripening protocols) in cheesemaking. Based on the Waters AccQ.Tag? method as a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) amino acid solution designed for hydrolyzate analyses, method adaptation onto UHPLC was performed, and detection of AQC derivatives was changed from former fluorescence (λ _Ex 250 nm/λ _Em 395 nm) to UV (254 nm). Compared to the original HPLC method, UHPLC proved to be superior by facilitating excellent separations of 18 amino acids within 12 min only, thus demonstrating significantly shortened runtimes (>35 min for HPLC) while retaining the original separation chemistry and amino acid elution pattern. Free amino acid levels of the analyzed cheese samples showed a high extent of variability depending on the cheese type, with highest total amounts found for original Italian extra-hard cheeses (up to 9,000 mg/100 g) and lowest for surface mold- or bacterial smear-ripened soft cheeses (200–600 mg/100 g). Despite the intrinsic variability in both total and specific concentrations, the established UHPLC method enabled reliable and interference-free amino acid profiling throughout all cheese types, thus demonstrating a valuable tool to generate high quality data for the characterization of cheese ripening.     

Critical reactions in ripening of cheeses

A mathematical model has been developed for the key reactions taking place during cheese ripening. It includes growth and lysis of cells in the cheese matrix, cell-wall bound proteinases and intracellular peptidases that are released into cheese upon cell lysis, and the production of peptides and amino acids from casein in cheese. The model parameters have been estimated using published experimental data for cheddar cheese, and model simulations have been conducted to suggest effective means of reducing ripening times of cheeses. The time required for ripening of cheeses can be significantly reduced by carefully controlling the cell numbers at the beginning of cheese ripening and their proteinase and peptidase activities.     

Time Evolution of Microbial Composition and Metabolic Profile for Biogenic Amines and Free Amino Acids in a Model Cucumber Fermentation System Brined with 0.5% to 5.0% Sodium Chloride

Salt concentrations in brine and temperature are the major environmental factors that affect activity of microorganisms and, thus may affect formation of biogenic amines (BAs) during the fermentation process. A model system to ferment cucumbers with low salt (0.5%, 1.5% or 5.0% NaCl) at two temperatures (11 or 23 °C) was used to study the ability of indigenous microbiota to produce biogenic amines and metabolize amino acid precursors. Colony counts for presumptive Enterococcus and Enterobacteriaceae increased by 4 and up to 2 log of CFU∙mL⁻¹, respectively, and remained viable for more than 10 days. 16S rRNA sequencing showed that Lactobacillus and Enterobacter were dominant in fermented cucumbers with 0.5% and 1.5% salt concentrations after storage. The initial content of BAs in raw material of 25.44 ± 4.03 mg∙kg⁻¹ fluctuated throughout experiment, but after 6 months there were no significant differences between tested variants. The most abundant BA was putrescine, that reached a maximum concentration of 158.02 ± 25.11 mg∙kg⁻¹. The Biogenic Amines Index (BAI) calculated for all samples was significantly below that needed to induce undesirable effects upon consumption. The highest value was calculated for the 23 °C/5.0% NaCl brine variant after 192 h of fermentation (223.93 ± 54.40). Results presented in this work indicate that possibilities to control spontaneous fermentation by changing salt concentration and temperature to inhibit the formation of BAs are very limited.     

The Influence of Ripeness on the Phenolic Content,Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities of Pumpkins (Cucurbita moschata Duchesne)

Cucurbita moschata Duchesne (Cucurbitaceae) is a plant food highly appreciated for the content of nutrients and bioactive compounds, including polyphenols and carotenoids, which contribute to its antioxidant and antimicrobial capacities. The purpose of this study was to identify phenolic acids and flavonoids of Cucurbita moschata Duchesne using high-performance liquid chromatography–diode array detection–electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC–DAD–ESI-MS) at different ripening stages (young, mature, ripened) and determine its antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. According to the results, phenolic acids and flavonoids were dependent on the maturity stage. The mature fruits contain the highest total phenolic and flavonoids contents (97.4 mg GAE. 100 g⁻¹ and 28.6 mg QE. 100 g⁻¹).A total of 33 compounds were identified. Syringic acid was the most abundant compound (37%), followed by cinnamic acid (12%) and protocatechuic acid (11%). Polyphenol extract of the mature fruits showed the highest antioxidant activity when measured by DPPH (0.065 μmol TE/g) and ABTS (0.074 μmol TE/g) assays. In the antimicrobial assay, the second stage of ripening had the highest antibacterial activity. Staphylococcus aureus was the most sensitive strain with an inhibition zone of 12 mm and a MIC of 0.75 mg L⁻¹. The lowest inhibition zone was obtained with Salmonella typhimurium (5 mm), and the MIC value was 10 mg L⁻¹.     

o-Nitrobenzoyl group as a new amino protecting group for peptide synthesis and the synthesis of some anthranilyl peptides

N (o-nitrobenzoyl)amino acids can be coupled with other amino acids using DCC and the resulting product on hydrogenation gives peptides, containing the anthranilyl group as —NH₂ end group. N (anthranilyl)amino acids or peptides can also be obtained by reaction of isatoic anhydride on amino acids or peptides. The anthranilyl end group is easily cleaved by metal (Cu⁺²) catalysed hydrolysis to give α-amino acid peptides and the insoluble copper(II) anthranilate.     

Lipolytic Postbiotic from Lactobacillus paracasei Manages Metabolic Syndrome in Albino Wistar Rats

The current study investigates the capacity of a lipolytic Lactobacillus paracasei postbiotic as a possible regulator for lipid metabolism by targeting metabolic syndrome as a possibly safer anti-obesity and Anti-dyslipidemia agent replacing atorvastatin (ATOR) and other drugs with proven or suspected health hazards. The high DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) and ABTS [2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethyl benzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid)] scavenging activity and high activities of antioxidant enzyme such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-px) of the Lactobacillus paracasei postbiotic (cell-free extract), coupled with considerable lipolytic activity, may support its action against metabolic syndrome. Lactobacillus paracasei isolate was obtained from an Egyptian cheese sample, identified and used for preparing the postbiotic. The postbiotic was characterized and administered to high-fat diet (HFD) albino rats (100 and 200 mg kg⁻¹) for nine weeks, as compared to atorvastatin (ATOR; 10 mg kg⁻¹). The postbiotic could correct the disruption in lipid metabolism and antioxidant enzymes in HFD rats more effectively than ATOR. The two levels of the postbiotic (100 and 200 mg kg⁻¹) reduced total serum lipids by 29% and 34% and serum triglyceride by 32–45% of the positive control level, compared to only 25% and 35% in ATOR’s case, respectively. Both ATOR and the postbiotic (200 mg kg⁻¹) equally decreased total serum cholesterol by about 40% and 39%, while equally raising HDL levels by 28% and 30% of the positive control. The postbiotic counteracted HFD-induced body weight increases more effectively than ATOR without affecting liver and kidney functions or liver histopathology, at the optimal dose of each. The postbiotic is a safer substitute for ATOR in treating metabolic syndrome.     

Synthesis of Ureido-Linked Glycosylated Amino Acids from N α-Fmoc-Asp/Glu-5-oxazolidinones and Their Application to Neoglycopeptide Synthesis

A simple route for the synthesis of ureido-linked glycosylated amino acids has been described. The key step involves the reaction of isocyanates derived from N ^α-Fmoc-Asp/Glu-5-oxazolidinones 1 with glycosyl amines followed by hydrolysis. The resulting ureido-linked glycosylated amino acids have been incorporated into peptides. The overall procedure is simple, high-yielding, and involves fewer steps.     

Effect of Collagen Types,Bacterial Strains and Storage Duration on the Quality of Probiotic Fermented Sheep’s Milk

Collagen has become popular in dietary supplements, beverages and sports nutrition products. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the possibility of using various doses of collagen and collagen hydrolysate to produce probiotic sheep’s milk fermented with Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lacticaseibacillus casei, Lacticaseibacillus paracasei and Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus. The effects of storage time, type and dose of collagen, and different probiotic bacteria on the physicochemical, organoleptic and microbiological properties of fermented sheep’s milk at 1 and 21 days of refrigerated storage were investigated. The addition of collagen to sheep’s milk increased the pH value after fermentation and reduced the lactic acid contents of fermented milk compared to control samples. After fermentation, the number of probiotic bacteria cells was higher than 8 log cfu g⁻¹. In sheep’s milk fermented by L. acidophilus and L. casei, good survival of bacteria during storage was observed, and there was no effect of collagen dose on the growth and survival of both strains. The addition of collagen, both in the form of hydrolysate and bovine collagen, resulted in darkening of the color of the milk and increased the sweet taste intensity of the fermented sheep’s milk. However, the addition of hydrolysate was effective in reducing syneresis in each milk sample compared to its control counterpart.     

Chemical Profile of Lipophilic Fractions of Different Parts of Zizyphus lotus L. by GC-MS and Evaluation of Their Antiproliferative and Antibacterial Activities

Zizyphus lotus L. is a perennial shrub particularly used in Algerian folk medicine, but little is known concerning the lipophilic compounds in the most frequently used parts, namely, root bark, pulp, leaves and seeds, which are associated with health benefits. In this vein, the lipophilic fractions of these morphological parts of Z. lotus from Morocco were studied by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS), and their antiproliferative and antimicrobial activities were evaluated. GC–MS analysis allowed the identification and quantification of 99 lipophilic compounds, including fatty acids, long-chain aliphatic alcohols, pentacyclic triterpenic compounds, sterols, monoglycerides, aromatic compounds and other minor components. Lipophilic extracts of pulp, leaves and seeds were revealed to be mainly composed of fatty acids, representing 54.3–88.6% of the total compounds detected. The leaves and seeds were particularly rich in unsaturated fatty acids, namely, (9Z,12Z)-octadeca-9,12-dienoic acid (2431 mg kg⁻¹ of dry weight) and (9Z)-octadec-9-enoic acid (6255 mg kg⁻¹ of dry weight). In contrast, root bark contained a high content of pentacyclic triterpenic compounds, particularly betulinic acid, accounting for 9838 mg kg⁻¹ of dry weight. Root bark extract showed promising antiproliferative activity against a triple-negative breast cancer cell line, MDA-MB-231, with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) = 4.23 ± 0.18 µg mL⁻¹ of extract. Leaf extract displayed interesting antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli, methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermis, presenting minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values from 1024 to 2048 µg mL⁻¹ of extract. Our results demonstrate that Zizyphus lotus L. is a source of promising bioactive components, which can be exploited as natural ingredients in pharmaceutical formulations.     

Synthesis of novel chiral amino acids possessing a porphyrin moiety

Phenylalanine derivatives bearing a porphyrin moiety at the para-position were prepared in an enantiomerically pure form. The synthetic nonnatural aromatic amino acid reacted with amines and acids to give novel functionalized peptides without loss of the enantiomeric purity.     

Determination of131I,134Cs,137Cs in grass and cheese after Chernobyl accident in Austria

Various samples from Styria /grass/ and Salzburg /cheese/ were analyzed for¹³¹I,¹³⁴Cs and¹³⁷Cs concentration during April–July 1986 by -ray spectrometry. The concentrations are reported in nCi kg^–1 wet weight. The concentration values found for¹³¹I 0.2–17.2 nCi kg^–1 /grass/, 0.1–0.5 nCi kg^–1 /cheese/, for¹³⁴Cs 1.1–6.2 nCi kg^–1 /grass/, 0.2–1.3 nCi kg^–1 /cheese/, for¹³⁷Cs 1.6–15.7 nCi kg^–1 /grass/, 0.3–2.2 nCi kg^–1 /cheese/. While radioactivity of¹³¹I,¹³⁴Cs and¹³⁷Cs in cheese samples increases from May to June, it decreases in grass samples from May to July 1986.     

The application of 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene-1-sulphonic acid in the differential pulse polarographic determination of amines

The differential pulse polarographic behaviour of 2,4,6-trinitrophenyl (TNP) derivatives of several primary amines and amino acids was investigated in the presence of sulphite ion. All the derivatives produced a polarographic peak for their complexes with sulphite (1 × 10^?2 M) in pH 8.0 phosphate buffer (0.05 M)/0.1 M potassium chloride. The derivatives of proteins and peptides did not give such a peak. A 5-min reaction time at room temperature (or 50°C for lysine) and pH 10.5 using 1 × 10^?4 M 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene-1-sulphonic acid provides the optimal conditions for the determination of 5 × 10^?6?2.5 × 10^?5 M amines. The relative standard deviation for determining 1 × 10^?5 M glycine (n = 5) was 1%.     

A dual-function colorimetric chemosensor for thiols and transition metal ions based on ICT mechanism

Remarkable absorption spectral changes were observed for compound 1 with N,N-bis(pyridin-2-yl-methyl) aniline and quinone units after either reaction with thiol-containing amino acids/peptides or coordination with Zn²⁺/Co²⁺. Therefore, compound 1 is a potential dual-function colorimetric chemosensor for thiol-containing amino acids/peptides and Zn²⁺/Co²⁺.     

Identification of volatile aroma compounds in processed cheese analogues based on different types of fat

The simple and rapid solid-phase micro-extraction method using gas chromatography was used for the identification and quantification of volatile aroma compounds in various types of processed cheese analogues produced from different types of fat (butter, butter oil, coconut oil, palm oil, and sunflower oil). In total, 31 organic compounds belonging to five chemical groups were identified, with the alcohols and fatty acids quantitatively predominant. The contents of the aroma compounds (the so-called aroma profiles) of the analogues and corresponding fats used as raw materials were compared. Significant differences (p < 0.05) were found between samples. The highest total content of aroma compounds was found in coconut oil analogue ((547.30 ± 9.82) mg kg^?1), the lowest in palm oil analogue ((372.01 ± 16.16) mg kg^?1). The concentrations of aroma compounds in fats were substantially lower (p < 0.05) than in analogues. Hence, the largest number of aroma analogues came from Edam cheese used for production as a protein source.     

Volumetric, viscometric and refractive index behavior of some α-amino acids in aqueous tetrapropylammonium bromide at different temperatures

Densities, ρ, viscosities, η, and refractive indices, n _D, of glycine (Gly), DL-alanine (Ala), DL-valine (Val) (0.05, 0.10, 0.15, 0.20, 0.25 mol kg^?1), and L-leucine (Leu) (0.02, 0.05, 0.10 mol kg^?1) in water and in 0.20 mol kg^?1 aqueous tetrapropylammonium bromide (TPAB) have been measured at 298.15, 303.15, 308.15, and 313.15 K. The density data have been utilized to calculate apparent molar volumes, ?_v, partial molar volumes at infinite dilution, ?_v°, and partial molar volumes of transfer, ? _v°(tr) of amino acids. The viscosity data have been analyzed by means of Jones-Dole equation to obtain Falkenhagen coefficient, A, and Jones-Dole coefficient, B, free energy of activation of viscous flow per mole of solvent, Δµ₁°*, and solute, Δµ₂°*, and enthalpy, ΔH*, and entropy of activation, ΔS*, of viscous flow. The refractive index data have been used to calculate molar refractivity, R _D, of amino acids in aqueous tetrapropylammonium bromide solutions. It has been observed that ?_v°, B-coefficient and Δµ₂°* vary linearly with increasing number of carbon atoms in the alkyl chain of amino acids, and they were split to get contributions from the zwitterionic end groups (NH₃ ⁺, COO^-) and methylene group (CH₂) of the amino acids. The behavior of these parameters has been used to investigate the solute-solute and solute-solvent interactions as well as the effect of tetrapropylammonium cation (C₃H₇)₄N⁺ on these interactions.     

Volumetric Investigations on Interactions of Acidic/Basic Amino Acids with Sodium Acetate, Sodium Propionate and Sodium Butyrate in Aqueous Solutions

The apparent molar volumes, V _φ , of L-aspartic acid, L-glutamic acid, L-lysine monohydrate and L-arginine in water and in aqueous (0.1, 0.25, 0.5 and 1.0) mol?kg^?1 sodium acetate and sodium propionate, and (0.1, 0.25 and 0.5) mol?kg^?1 sodium butyrate solutions have been determined at 288.15, 298.15, 308.15 and 318.15 K from density measurements. The partial molar volumes at infinite dilution, V ₂ ^o , obtained from V _φ data, have been used to calculate hydration numbers and partial molar expansibilities of amino acids in water and in the presence of the studied cosolutes at different temperatures. These parameters have been discussed in terms of various interactions between the acidic/basic amino acids and organic salts in these solutions. The effect of the hydrophobic chain length of the carboxylate ions has also been discussed.     

Chemiluminescence Detection of Amino Acids,Peptides, and Proteins Using Tris-2,2′-Bipyridine Ruthenium (III)

Abstract

The feasibility of using the tris-2-2′-bipyridine ruthenium (III) (Ru(bpy)₃ ^{3 +}) chemiluminescent (CL) reaction for the detection of amino acids, peptides, and proteins has been studied.

Detection limits of the amino acids as determined by flow injection analysis (FIA) ranged from 20 pmol of proline to 50 nmol of asparagine. In general, amino acids containing secondary amine groups yielded the strongest responses. A reaction mechanism for Ru (bpy)₃ ^{3 +} chemiluminescence of aliphatic amines has been proposed. Studies of peptide molecules and poly-prolines showed that the peptide bond barely contributes to the detection signals. The separation of hydroxyproline and proline in synthetic collagen by HPLC with Ru (bpy)₃ ^{3 +} chemiluminescence detection has been shown to be possible.