Influence of trace elements supplementation on the production of recombinant frutalin by Pichia pastoris KM71H in fed-batch process

Frutalin, a galactose-specific lectin used to detect specific tumour markers, is a protein with low expression level in breadfruit. In the present study, fed-batch fermentation in a stirred tank bioreactor was used as a strategy to enhance protein production by a recombinant Pichia pastoris KM71H. By using this process, the production of recombinant frutalin was 4-fold higher than the value obtained in shaker flasks batch assays. Supplementation of the fermentation medium with trace elements (Pichia trace minerals, PTM) was also evaluated in order to stimulate production of the recombinant protein. The addition of PTM to the minimum medium afforded a recombinant protein production of 13.4 mg L^?1, which was 2.5-fold higher than that achieved from the culture medium without PTM supplementation. These results are significant as the development of strategies to improve the production of recombinant frutalin may broaden its application in cancer diagnosis.     

Synthesis and photophysical evaluations of β-fused uracil-porphyrin derivatives

New β-fused uracil-porphyrin conjugates were synthesized by the tetramerization of uracil-pyrroles under acidic conditions. Two different synthetic approaches were systematically studied in order to evaluate their efficiency, as well as the possibility to obtain a single regioisomer. Metallation effects were studied for aggregation in solution, and preliminary photophysical experiments were also performed in order to evaluate the potential of these new compounds.     

Potassium Exchanged Layered Zirconium Phosphate as Base Catalyst for the Desilylation of Phenol Silyl Ethers

Layered zirconium hydrogen phosphonate exchanged with the potassium ion was found to be an efficient heterogeneous catalyst for the hydrolysis of sterically hindered phenolic silyl ethers.     

Chemical reducing pedoenvironment in a peatland influenced by hematitic phyllite lithology in the southern Espinhaço chain,Brazil

A peatland in Pinheiro, Diamantina City, Minas Gerais State - Brazil, was sampled at different depths of two profiles with diverse vegetation coverings (grassland field and bush) in order to collect materials that might reflect changes in the chemical states of iron over the peat formation coming from original minerals such as hematitic phyllite surrounding the boggy pedon. Samples collected were chemically, structurally and magnetically characterized. The results show that both series of peats are composed of organic matter and minerals such as quartz, kaolinite, gibbsite, rutile and muscovite. Deeper layers present only quartz. Mössbauer spectroscopy shows that iron is present in both electron states, Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺, under both vegetations, each valence appearing in the spectra in the form of a discrete doublet. No hyperfine magnetic splitting was observed in any spectrum at room temperature. The Mössbauer subspectral area of Fe²⁺ tended to increase from the upper to deeper layers. Magnetic measurements reveal that the magnetic response of the surface samples is the highest, displaying a sharp decrease below 15 cm and that the magnetic signal is a superposition of (super)paramagnetic and ferrimagnetic contributions. Samples from the grassland field also show a diamagnetic component for the deeper layers.     

Rapid and easy quantification of elemental sulphur in aqueous samples from biological reactors: the turbidimetric method revisited

Recent developments in wastewater treatment have led to a renewed interest to obtain elemental sulphur (S°) as a by-product from bioreactors. However, practical studies are limited by the gap of adequate analytical techniques for its determination. This paper provides a statistical study and matrix effect evaluation of an adapted spectrophotometric method for routine S° analyses in aqueous samples, based on a methodology previously described by Hart (1961). Four complex matrices were tested: domestic sewage and effluent samples from three different bioreactors. Tested performance criteria included linearity, matrix effect, limit of detection and quantification and S° recovery. Results were linear (R² = 0.99994) in the studied range (5 to 100 mg S° L^?1) and no matrix effect was observed. The accuracy was based on recovery values that varied from 100% to 106%. The colloidal S° separation and extraction protocol was also considered suitable for aqueous samples, reaching more than 99.0% of S° recovery.     

Development and full validation of an HPLC methodology to quantify atorvastatin and curcumin after their intranasal co‐delivery to mice

There is increasing interest in atorvastatin and curcumin owing to their potential anticancer activity. A new, accurate and sensitive HPLC method was developed, for the first time, to simultaneously quantify atorvastatin and curcumin in mouse plasma and brain, liver, lung and spleen tissues following protein precipitation sample preparation. The chromatographic separation was achieved in 13 min on a C₁₈ column, at 35°C, using a mobile phase composed of acetonitrile–methanol–2% (v/v) acetic acid (37.5:2.5:60, v/v/v) at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. The detection of analytes and internal standard was carried out at 247, 425 and 250 nm, respectively. According to international guidelines, the method was shown to be selective, with lower limits of quantification ranging from 10 to 500 ng/mL for curcumin, and from 100 to 600 ng/mL for atorvastatin, linear over a wide concentration range (r² ≥ 0.9971) and with acceptable accuracy (bias ± 12.29%) and precision (coefficient of variation ≤13.15%). The analytes were reproducibly recovered at a percentage >81.10% and demonstrated to be stable under various experimental conditions in all biological matrices. This method can be easily applied to in vivo biodistribution studies related to the intranasal administration of atorvastatin and curcumin, separately or simultaneously.     

Single‐Walled Carbon Nanotubes in Highly Viscous Media: A Comparison between the Dispersive Agents [BMIM][BF4], L121, and Triton X‐100

Dispersions of single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) have been prepared by using the room‐temperature ionic liquid [BMIM][BF₄] (1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate), the triblock copolymer Pluronic L121 [poly(ethylene oxide)₅‐poly(propylene oxide)₆₈‐poly(ethylene oxide)₅] and the non‐ionic surfactant Triton X‐100 (TX100) in the pure state. The size of the SWNTs aggregates and the dispersion degree in the three viscous systems depend on the sonication time, as highlighted by UV/Vis/NIR spectroscopy and optical microscopy analysis. A nonlinear increase in conductivity can be observed as a function of the SWNTs loading, as suggested by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The generation of a three‐dimensional network of SWNTs showing a viscoelastic gel‐like behavior above a critical percolation concentration has been found at 25 °C in all the investigated systems by oscillatory rheology measurements.     

Babassu mesocarp (Orbignya phalerata Mart) nanoparticle-based biosensors for indirect sulfite detection in industrial juices

Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry - The present work proposes a new electrochemical sulfite biosensor based on babassu mesocarp nanoparticles (BMNPs) immobilized on the surface of a pyrolytic...