Enzymatic kinetic of cellulose hydrolysis

The ethanol effect on the Trichoderma reesei cellulases was studied to quantify and clarify this inhibition type. To determine inhibition parameters of crude cellulase and purified exoglucanase Cel7A, integrated Michaelis-Menten equations were used assuming the presence of two inhibitors: cellobiose as the reaction product and ethanol as a possible bioproduct of cellulose fermentation. It was found that hydrolysis of cellulose by crude enzyme follows a model that considers noncompetitive inhibition by ethanol, whereas Cel7A is very slightly competitively inhibited. Crude cellulase is much more inhibited (K _iul=K _icl=151.9 mM) than exoglucanase Cel7A (K _icl=1.6 × 10¹⁵ mM). Also, calculated inhibition constants showed that cellobiose inhibition is more potent than ethanol inhibition both for the crude enzyme as well as exoglucanase Cel7A.     

Oxygenolysis of flavonoid compounds: DFT description of the mechanism for quercetin.

Flavonoids are naturally occurring phenol derivatives present in substantial amounts in a large variety of plants, fruits and vegetables daily eaten by humans. Most of these compounds exhibit several interesting biological activities, such as antiradical and antioxidant actions. Indeed, by complexation with specific enzymes, flavonoids are notably liable to metabolize molecular dioxygen. On the basis of experimental results describing oxygenolysis of the flavonoid quercetin, activated by the enzyme quercetin 2,3-dioxygenase (2,3-QD),ur attention has focused on the role of metal center in the activation of the substrate quercetin. Thus, in the present study, by means of DFT calculations at the B3LYP/ 6-31(+)G* level on model molecular systems, we describe different mechanisms for dioxygen metabolization by quercetin. Stationary points are described, and energetic and structural analyses along the reaction paths are reported. Our calculations show that the copper cation must act as an oxidant towards the substrate and that the reaction proceeds through a 1,3-cycloaddition.     

Trace analysis of rapamycin in human blood by micellar electrokinetic chromatography

A capillary electrophoretic method with UV detection at 278 nm has been developed for analysis of the immunosuppressant rapamycin (sirolimus) in human blood at low microgram per liter levels. Separation has been achieved in an acidic carrier electrolyte containing sodium dodecylsulfate and 30% (v/v) acetonitrile. For sample clean-up and preconcentration, an off-line solid-phase extraction step using a silica-based reversed-phase material and an on-capillary focussing technique were employed. The latter allows the injection of increased sample volumes without excessive band broadening. Although this new method is less sensitive than existing liquid chromatographic procedures combined with mass spectrometry, it is fully suited to routine analysis of rapamycin in blood from patients treated with this drug. Last but not least the low costs make it an attractive alternative to established methods.     

Free energy perturbation approach to the critical assessment of selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors

The discovery of selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors represents a major achievement of the efforts over the past few decades to develop therapeutic treatments for inflammation. To gain insights into designing new COX-2-selective inhibitors, we address the energetic and structural basis for the selective inhibition of COX isozymes by means of a combined computational protocol involving docking experiment, force field design for the heme prothetic group, and free energy perturbation (FEP) simulation. We consider both COX-2- and COX-1-selective inhibitors taking the V523I mutant of COX-2 to be a relevant structural model for COX-1 as confirmed by a variety of experimental and theoretical evidences. For all COX-2-selective inhibitors under consideration, we find that free energies of binding become less favorable as the receptor changes from COX-2 to COX-1, due to the weakening and/or loss of hydrogen bond and hydrophobic interactions that stabilize the inhibitors in the COX-2 active site. On the other hand, COX-1-selective oxicam inhibitors gain extra stabilization energy with the change of residue 523 from valine to isoleucine because of the formations of new hydrogen bonds in the enzyme-inhibitor complexes. The utility of the combined computational approach, as a valuable tool for in silico screening of COX-2-selective inhibitors, is further exemplified by identifying the physicochemical origins of the enantiospecific selective inhibition of COX-2 by -substituted indomethacin ethanolamide inhibitors.     

Effects of Calcination on the Physical and Photocatalytic Properties of TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> Powders Prepared by Sol–Gel Template Method

TiO₂ powders were prepared by sol–gel template method and calcined under different conditions. XRD, BET and TEM were used to characterize the TiO₂ powders obtained. The photocatalytic activity of TiO₂ was investigated by the degradation of methyl orange. It was found that TiO₂ powder has the highest photocatalytic activity at a calcination temperature of 673 K. The effects of physical properties such as surface area, crystallinity and crystal phase on the photocatalytic activity of TiO₂ were discussed.     

Complexing properties of methyl and phenyl glycine derivatives in their compounds with H+, Ni(II), Cu(II), and Zn(II)

The influence of the solvent and the substituents on the complexing properties of methyl and phenyl glycine derivatives is discussed. On the basis of a computer analysis of potentiometric titration results, the composition and the stability constants of the complexes ofN-methylglycine,N,N-dimethylglycine,N-phenylglycine and phenylglycine with H⁺ and with Ni(II), Cu(II), Zn(II) were determined. The ligand-metal coordination mode as well as the zwitterion level in percent in ligand/proton systems were determined by spectral analyses and equilibria studies.

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Komplexbildung der Methyl- und Phenylglycin-Derivate in ihren Verbindungen mit dem Proton und Ni(II), Cu(II) und Zn(II)

Zusammenfassung Der Einfluß des Lösungsmittels und der Substituenten auf die komplexbildenden Eigenschaften der Methyl- und Phenylglycin-Derivate wird diskutiert. Anhand einer Computer-Analyse von potentiometrischen Daten wurden die Zusammensetzung und die Beständigkeitskonstanten der Komplexe vonN-Methylglycin,N,N-Dimethylglycin,N-Phenylglycin und Phenylglycin mit H⁺, Ni(II), Cu(II) und Zn(II) festgestellt. Mittels spektroskopischer Methoden und Gleichgewichtstudien wurde der Koordinationstyp des Liganden mit dem Metall festgestellt sowie der Prozentanteil des Zwitterions im Ligand/Proton-System.

     

Isothermal titration calorimetric studies of surfactant interactions with negatively charged, ‘hairy’ latex nanoparticles

Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) measurements of the mixture of the cationic surfactant cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) with negatively charged, hairy copolymer latices (poly-(2,3-epoxypropylmethacrylate-co-methacrylic acid) in different ratio) at high water excess indicate a monomer adsorption mechanism of CTAB by the polymer particles. The number of adsorbed CTAB molecules at saturation corresponds approximately to the number of negative elementary charges bound at the surface of the latices. The mixing enthalpy is the sum of demicellization and sorption enthalpies. At 25 °C for CTAB the demicellization enthalpy amounts to 10 kJ/mol, whereas the adsorption enthalpy varies from –7 kJ/mol (surface charge density of the latices =–0.37 C/m²) to +3 kJ/mol (=–0.085 C/m²). The hydrodynamic radius R_H of the latex particles upon titration of cationic detergent and salt (NaBr) decreases by about 2 nm until the onset of aggregation near the isoelectric point. Titration of nonionic or anionic detergents has much less influence on the hydrodynamic radius and produces no measurable adsorption heat. The results are consistent within a model of latex particles with extended negatively charged polymer chains interacting predominantly via Coulombic forces with detergents.     

The Influence of Cobalt (II) in Carboxymethyl Cellulose Processing

Controlling the reduction in molecular weight of the cellulose chains is essential in the production of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC). Such a reduction can be achieved by the addition of cobalt during the process of cobalt(II) ions, which act as a catalyst for oxidative cleavage, and the influence thereof has been studied under a variety of conditions. This study has resulted in a model that summarises the effects of the added amount of cobalt, the time for the cobalt reaction, the temperature in the mercerisation stage of the CMC-manufacturing process and finally the effect of the temperature in the etherification stage. It is shown that it is important for cobalt to be present during the mercerisation stage in order to achieve the desired viscosity.