Tropaeolin OO as a Chemical Sensor for a Trace Amount of Pd(II) Ions Determination

The selective determination of metals in waste solutions is a very important aspect of the industry and environmental protection. Knowledge of the contents and composition of the waste can contribute to design an efficient process separation and recovery of valuable metals. The problematic issue is primarily the correct determination of metals with similar properties such as palladium and platinum. Thus this paper focuses on the development of a selective method that enables Pd(II) determination in the presence of Pt(IV) ions using the azo-dye tropaeolin OO (TR). For this purpose, the process of the metalorganic complex formation and Pd(II) ions determination were studied by using UV–Vis spectrophotometry under different conditions: solvents (water and B-R buffer), pH (2.09–6.09), temperature (20–60 °C), anions and cations concentrations. The formed metalorganic complex between Pd and tropaeolin OO allows for distinguishing Pd(II) ions from both platinum complexes, i.e. Pt(II), Pt(IV). Moreover, the proposed method can be applied to solutions containing both chloride and chlorate ions. The obtained characteristic spectrum with two maxima allows the determination of palladium even in the presence of other cations (Na, K, Mg, Zn, Co, Ni, Al) and changed concentrations of Pt(IV) ions. Furthermore, the developed spectrophotometric method for the Pd(II) ions determination using tropaeolin OO is characterized by high selectivity towards palladium ions.     

Formation of Carcinogens in Processed Meat and Its Measurement with the Usage of Artificial Digestion—A Review

Meat is a rich source of various nutrients. However, it needs processing before consumption, what in turn generates formation of carcinogenic compounds, i.a., polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), nitrosamines (NOCs), and the most mutagenic heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs). It was widely found that many factors affect the content of carcinogens in processed meat. However, it has recently been discovered that after digestion free HAAs are released, which are not detectable before enzymatic treatment. It was established that the highest percentage of carcinogens is released in the small intestine and that its amount can be increased up to 6.6-fold. The change in free HAAs content in analyzed samples was dependent on many factors such as meat type, doneness, particle size of meat, and the enzyme concentration used for digestion. In turn, introduction of bacteria naturally occurring in the human digestive tract into the model significantly decreases total amount of HAAs. Contrary, the addition of food ingredients rich in polyphenols, fiber, and water (pepper powder, onions, apples) increases free HAAs’ release up to 56.06%. Results suggests that in vitro digestion should be an integral step of sample preparation. Artificial digestion introduced before chromatographic analysis will allow to estimate accurately the content of carcinogens in processed meat.     

Synthesis,Characterization and Biological Investigations of Half-Sandwich Ruthenium(II) Complexes Containing Benzimidazole Moiety

Half-sandwich Ru(II) complexes belong to group of biologically active metallo-compounds with promising antimicrobial and anticancer activity. Herein, we report the synthesis and characterization of arene ruthenium complexes containing benzimidazole moiety, namely, [(η⁶-p-cymene)RuCl(bimCOO)] (1) and [(η⁶-p-cymene)RuCl₂(bim)] (2) (where bimCOO = benzimidazole-2-carboxylate and bim = 1-H-benzimidazole). The compounds were characterized by ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, IR, UV–vis and CV. Molecular structures of the complexes were determined by SC-XRD analysis, and the results indicated the presence of a pseudo-tetrahedral (piano stool) geometry. Interactions in the crystals of the Ru complexes using the Hirshfeld surface analysis were also examined. In addition, the biological studies of the complexes, such as antimicrobial assays (against planktonic and adherent microbes), cytotoxicity and lipophilicity, were performed. Antibacterial activity of the complexes was evaluated against S. aureus, E. coli, P. aeruginosa PAO1 and LES B58. Cytotoxic activity was tested against primary human fibroblasts and adenocarcinoma human alveolar basal epithelial cells. Obtained biological results show that the ruthenium compounds have bacteriostatic activity toward Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 strain and are not toxic to normal cells. A molecular docking study was applied as a predictive source of information about the plausibility of examined structures binding with HSA as a transporting system.     

Chickpea and Lupin Sprouts,Stimulated by Different LED Lights,As Novel Examples of Isoflavones-Rich Functional Food,and Their Impact on Breast and Prostate Cells

Among all legumes sprouts’ active compounds, isoflavones seem to be the most important; nevertheless, their high content is not always associated with beneficial effects. These compounds may prevent or stimulate hormone-dependent cancers due to their estrogen-like activity. Different LED light quality can change the synthesis of active compounds and significantly influence the biological activity of the sprouts. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of LED light (red, blue, green, yellow), as well as total darkness, and natural light conditions (as reference), on isoflavones content, determined by HPLC-UV-VIS, during 10 days of harvesting of chickpea and lupin sprouts. Due to the ambiguous estrogenic potential of isoflavones, the impact of these sprouts on normal and cancer prostate and breast cells was evaluated. Yellow LED light resulted in the highest sum of isoflavones in chickpea sprouts (up to 1 g/100 g dw), while for green LED light, the isoflavones sum was the lowest. The exact opposite effect was noted for lupin sprouts, with the predominance of green over the yellow LED light. The examined sprouts were of high safety to non-neoplastic breast and prostate cells, with interesting cytotoxic effects on breast MCF7 and prostate DU145 cancer cells. No clear relationship was observed between the activity and isoflavones content.     

Antioxidant Properties and Proximate Composition of Different Tissues of European Beaver

The chemical composition, content of cholesterol, retinol and α-tocopherol, and the total antioxidant capacity of different tissues from wild beavers were investigated. The total phenolic contents and free radical scavenging activity (DPPH and ABTS assays) were analysed spectrophotometrically, and fat-soluble vitamins were quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography. The type of tissue (skeletal muscle from loin and hind leg vs. adipose tissue from subcutaneous fat and tail) significantly affected content of all chemical components. The concentration of cholesterol was not related to total fat content. The retinol and α-tocopherol contents (µg/100 g) were significantly higher in the tail (13.0 and 391.2) and subcutaneous fat (12.2 and 371.3) compared to skeletal muscles (as an average 9.1 and 361.4). Among all tissues the tail showed significantly the highest values of DPPH (3.07 mM TE/100 g), ABTS (3.33 mM TE/100 g), and total phenolics (TPC, 543.7 mg GAE/100 g). The concentration of retinol was positively correlated with α-tocopherol (0.748, p < 0.001), and both vitamins were very strongly correlated with DPPH (0.858 and 0.886, p < 0.001), ABTS (0.894 and 0.851, p < 0.001), and TPC (0.666 and 0.913, p < 0.001). The principal component analysis proved that moisture, ash, and protein contents were representative for skeletal muscles, whereas, retinol, α-tocopherol, ABTS and DPPH accurately described the antioxidant capacity of tissue from the tail.     

Hypsizygus marmoreus as a Source of Indole Compounds and Other Bioactive Substances with Health-Promoting Activities

Hypsizygus marmoreus is an edible medicinal mushroom species with a high dietary value. In this study, the fruiting bodies of commercial and self-cultivated crops and mycelium from in vitro H. marmoreus cultures (both white and brown varieties) were evaluated. This study aimed to analyze the presence of indole compounds and other biologically active substances and determine the effect that the addition of zinc and magnesium ions to the culture medium has on the content of the tested compounds in mycelial cultures. The content of indole compounds and other organic compounds was determined using high-performance liquid chromatography, the content of bioelements was determined using flame atomic absorption spectrometry, the glucan content was determined spectrophotometrically, and the antioxidant activity of extracts was estimated using DPPH, FRAP, and ABTS methods. The results showed that H. marmoreus mycelium from in vitro cultures is a good source of indole compounds, bioelements, glucans, and lovastatin. Mycelia from in vitro cultures showed the most diverse composition of indole compounds (L-tryptophan, 5-hydroxy-L-tryptophan, tryptamine, 5-methyltryptamine, and melatonin). Additionally, in vitro cultures of H. marmoreus enriched with Zn and Mg salts increased the contents of Na, Ca, Zn, 5-methyltryptamine, melatonin, protocatechuic acid, sterols, and total glucans. Only in the case of the white variety of mycelial enriched cultures, ergothioneine and Mg levels also increased. To summarize, the content of the active compounds differed depending on the H. marmoreus variety and the tested material.     

Cornelian Cherry (Cornus mas L.) Extracts Exert Cytotoxicity in Two Selected Melanoma Cell Lines—A Factorial Analysis of Time-Dependent Alterations in Values Obtained with SRB and MTT Assays

Despite the fact that phytochemicals of Cornaceae species have long been discussed as possible auxiliary agents in contemporary treatment, the insights on their properties remain relatively scarce. This study focuses on Cornus mas L. (Cornelian cherry), the extracts of which are reported to exert a pleiotropic effect shown in both in vivo and in vitro studies. This study aimed to explore the cytotoxic effect of extracts from fruits of red (Cornus mas L. ‘Podolski’) and yellow (Cornus mas L. ‘Yantarnyi’ and ‘Flava’) Cornelian cherries on two melanoma cell lines (A375 and MeWo). The extracts were characterized in the context of the concentration of bioactive compounds of antioxidative properties. Cytotoxicity was investigated with the use of the following two assays: SRB and MTT. An additional, alternative protocol for the SRB assay was used in this study so as to account for possible bias. Cytotoxicity was assessed as a difference in the whole time series of cell viability, instead of analyzing differences in raw values (often found in the literature). Both extracts from Cornus mas L. induced cytotoxicity in both A375 and MeWo cell lines, although the response of these cells was different. Moreover, based on this study, there is no evidence for claiming a different magnitude of cytotoxicity between these two extracts.     

Acid–Base Equilibrium and Self-Association in Relation to High Antitumor Activity of Selected Unsymmetrical Bisacridines Established by Extensive Chemometric Analysis

Unsymmetrical bisacridines (UAs) represent a novel class of anticancer agents previously synthesized by our group. Our recent studies have demonstrated their high antitumor potential against multiple cancer cell lines and human tumor xenografts in nude mice. At the cellular level, these compounds affected 3D cancer spheroid growth and their cellular uptake was selectively modulated by quantum dots. UAs were shown to undergo metabolic transformations in vitro and in tumor cells. However, the physicochemical properties of UAs, which could possibly affect their interactions with molecular targets, remain unknown. Therefore, we selected four highly active UAs for the assessment of physicochemical parameters under various pH conditions. We determined the compounds’ pK_a dissociation constants as well as their potential to self-associate. Both parameters were determined by detailed and complex chemometric analysis of UV-Vis spectra supported by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The obtained results indicate that general molecular properties of UAs in aqueous media, including their protonation state, self-association ratio, and solubility, are strongly pH-dependent, particularly in the physiological pH range of 6 to 8. In conclusion, we describe the detailed physicochemical characteristics of UAs, which might contribute to their selectivity towards tumour cells as opposed to their effect on normal cells.     

Low-Molecular Pyrazine-Based DNA Binders: Physicochemical and Antimicrobial Properties

Pyrazine and its derivatives are a large group of compounds that exhibit broad biological activity, the changes of which can be easily detected by a substituent effect or a change in the functional group. The present studies combined theoretical research with the density functional theory (DFT) approach (B3LYP/6-311+G**) and experimental (potentiometric and spectrophotometric) analysis for a thorough understanding of the structure of chlorohydrazinopyrazine, its physicochemical and cytotoxic properties, and the site and nature of interaction with DNA. The obtained results indicated that 2-chloro-3-hydrazinopyrazine (2Cl3HP) displayed the highest affinity to DNA. Cytotoxicity studies revealed that the compound did not exhibit toxicity toward human dermal keratinocytes, which supported the potential application of 2Cl3HP in clinical use. The study also attempted to establish the possible equilibria occurring in the aqueous solution and, using both theoretical and experimental methods, clearly showed the hydrophilic nature of the compound. The experimental and theoretical results of the study confirmed the quality of the compound, as well as the appropriateness of the selected set of methods for similar research.