Ion-interaction chromatographic studies on metal ions completed with Plasmocorinth B dye

The ion-interaction chromatographic behaviour of Plasmocorinth B (a disulphonated azo dye) and of its complexes formed with metal ions in oxidation states + 2 and + 3 (Cu²⁺ Ni²⁺, Al³⁺, CO³⁺, Fe³⁺, Ga³⁺) was investigated. The effect of cationic ion-pairing agents (tetramethyl-, benzyltrimethyl- and tetrabutylammonium) was also evaluated in the presence of alkali metal ions competitors (Li⁺ and Na⁺). The effects of organic modifier and of pH were also considered. The remarkably different behaviour of the ligand and the complexes suggests the formation of M(II)L⁻ and M(III)L₂²⁻. The stoichiometry of complexes was confirmed by applying the electrostatic theory derived from Gouy-Chapman and a modified Langmuir adsorption isotherm to the experimental data.     

The use of sequential extraction procedures for the characterization and management of contaminated soils

Metal mobility and availability in solid samples, such as soils, sediments and sludges, is frequently studied with sequential extraction procedures, which allow to partition the total metal content into classes of different reactivity. From the experimental point of view, each extraction step requires many practical operations, which can represent sources of error if they are not properly executed. The first part of the paper gives indication on how to perform sequential extractions, from sample pretreatment to extract analysis, in order to reduce experimental errors. The second part describes the main applications of sequential extraction schemes for the characterization and management of contaminated soils: the assessment of the risks associated to metal pollution, the evaluation of the feasibility and efficiency of remediation techniques, the study of soil properties and of metal behaviour and plant availability.     

Equilibrium and Transport Properties of Sodium n-Octyl Sulfonate Aqueous Solutions

Measurements of osmotic coefficients, mutual diffusion coefficients, and conductivity were performed on the binary system sodium n-octyl sulfonate (C₈SO₃Na)–water at 25°C both below and above the micellar composition range. The osmotic coefficient data were obtained through vapor-pressure osmometry, while the Taylor dispersion method was used to measure diffusion coefficients. The mass equilibrium model was applied to this self-aggregating system, taking into account the deviation of the activity coefficients from the Debye–Hückel limiting law by using the Guggenheim corrective terms for mixed electrolyte solutions. The expressions derived from the model fit the experimental osmotic and diffusion coefficient data well, when the same values of aggregation number, fraction of condensed counterions, and equilibrium constant are used. Osmotic coefficients were also used to determine the thermodynamic factor required to compute the solute mobility from diffusion data. Conductivity data were used to test two theoretical models, namely, the Onsager–Fuoss and the Mean Spherical Approximation theories. Both models have been found to yield unsatisfactory fits to our experimental data and some arbitrary terms had to be applied to the theoretical expressions to obtain good agreement between experiment and theory.     

Synthesis and in vitro antiproliferative activity of new substituted benzo[3′,2′:5,6]thiopyrano[4,3‐d]pyrimidines

The synthesis of new planar benzo[3′,2′:5,6]thiopyrano[4,3‐d]pyrimidine derivatives, carrying different side groups in the 2 position, is described. The novel substituted pyrimidines were obtained by reaction of the key intermediate 3‐dimethylamino methylen‐7‐methoxy‐2,3‐dihydrobenzo[3′,2′:5,6]thiopyran‐4(4H)‐one, characterized by a reactive group adjacent to the C?O function, with the suitable binucleophile amidines in a basic medium. All the new compounds were evaluated for the antiproliferative ability by an in vitro assay on two human tumour cell lines (HL‐60 and HeLa), and the 2‐phenyl substituted derivative showed the capacity to inhibit cell growth on HL‐60. Linear flow dichroism measurements indicated the inability to form a molecular complex with DNA.     

Distribution of major,minor and trace elements in Antarctic offshore and Coastal seawaters: correlation among sites and variables by pattern recognition

The composition of seawater in the Ross Sea (Antarctica) was investigated. The distribution of heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni), minor and trace (B, Ba, Li, Sr, Si) and major (Na, K, Ca, Mg) elements in coastal and offshore sites was determined. The samples were collected during the XIII Campaign of the Italian “National Programme of Research in Antarctica”, PNRA, at different depths and different stages of the Antarctic summer. In the subsequent campaign the concentrations in the water top micro-layer, and just below it, were compared. Results are also given for the data treatment by pattern recognition.     

De Novo Design,Synthesis and Characterisation of MP3, A New Catalytic Four‐Helix Bundle Hemeprotein

A new artificial metalloenzyme, MP3 (MiniPeroxidase 3), designed by combining the excellent structural properties of four‐helix bundle protein scaffolds with the activity of natural peroxidases, was synthesised and characterised. This new hemeprotein model was developed by covalently linking the deuteroporphyrin to two peptide chains of different compositions to obtain an asymmetric helix–loop–helix/heme/helix–loop–helix sandwich arrangement, characterised by 1) a His residue on one chain that acts as an axial ligand to the iron ion; 2) a vacant distal site that is able to accommodate exogenous ligands or substrates; and 3) an Arg residue in the distal site that should assist in hydrogen peroxide activation to give an HRP‐like catalytic process. MP3 was synthesised and characterised as its iron complex. CD measurements revealed the high helix‐forming propensity of the peptide, confirming the appropriateness of the model procedure; UV/Vis, MCD and EPR experiments gave insights into the coordination geometry and the spin state of the metal. Kinetic experiments showed that Fe^III–MP3 possesses peroxidase‐like activity comparable to R38A–hHRP, highlighting the possibility of mimicking the functional features of natural enzymes. The synergistic application of de novo design methods, synthetic procedures, and spectroscopic characterisation, described herein, demonstrates a method by which to implement and optimise catalytic activity for an enzyme mimetic.     

Chiral flavanones from Amygdalus lycioides Spach: structural elucidation and identification of TNFalpha inhibitors by bioactivity-guided fractionation

Phytochemical investigation on the Amygdalus lycioides Spach branchelets resulted in the isolation of four chiral flavanones: (2R,3R)-Taxifolin, (2R,3R)-aromadendrin, (S)-5,7,3',5'-tetrahydroxyflavanone and (S)-naringenin. The flavanones were isolated by semi-preparative HPLC, their structures elucidated based on spectroscopic data and their absolute configuration assigned. As a part of our ethnobotanical-directed search for novel TNFα inhibitors, the bioassay-guided fractionation of the n-hexane-acetone (n-Hex-Ac, 1:1 v/v) Amygdalus lycioides Spach branchelets extract was performed. In this way, (S)-naringenin was identified as the constituent responsible for the TNFα blocking effect, being effective in vitro and in vivo after oral administration. This is the first investigation on bioactive secondary metabolites of Amygdalus lycioides Spach branchelets.     

Determination of trace europium by adsorptive cathodic stripping voltammetry after complexation with cupferron

This article describes the determination of Eu by adsorptive cathodic stripping voltammetry after complexation with N-nitroso-N-phenylhydroxylamine (cupferron). The accumulation of the complex at the HMDE was performed at 0.0 V and the subsequent potential scan was made in the square wave mode. The analyte signal occurred at −0.88 V. The detection limit is 0.06 nmol dm⁻³. The effect of instrumental and chemical parameters on the peak height and potential was investigated. The same technique can be used for the determination of ytterbium and of the other rare earth elements (REEs) after separation.