Optimisation of sample treatment for arsenic speciation in alga samples by focussed sonication and ultrafiltration

A procedure for arsenic species fractionation in alga samples (Sargassum fulvellum, Chlorella vulgaris, Hizikia fusiformis and Laminaria digitata) by extraction is described. Several parameters were tested in order to evaluate the extraction efficiency of the process: extraction medium, nature and concentration (tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane, phosphoric acid, deionised water and water/methanol mixtures), extraction time and physical treatment (magnetic stirring, ultrasonic bath and ultrasonic focussed probe). The extraction yield of arsenic under the different conditions was evaluated by determining the total arsenic content in the extracts by ICP-AES. Arsenic compounds were extracted in 5 mL of water by focussed sonication for 30 s and subsequent centrifugation at 14,000 × g for 10 min. The process was repeated three times. Extraction studies show that soluble arsenic compounds account for about 65% of total arsenic.

An ultrafiltration process was used as a clean-up method for chromatographic analysis, and also allowed us to determine the extracted arsenic fraction with a molecular weight lower than 10 kDa, which accounts for about 100% for all samples analysed.

Speciation studies were carried out by HPLC–ICP-AES. Arsenic species were separated on a Hamilton PRP-X100 column with 17 mM phosphate buffer at pH 5.5 and 1.0 mL min⁻¹ flow rate. The chromatographic method allowed us to separate the species As(III), As(V), MMA and DMA in less than 13 min, with detection limits of about 20 ng of arsenic per species, for a sample injection volume of 100 μL. The chromatographic analysis allowed us to identify As(V) in Hizikia (46 ± 2 μg g⁻¹), Sargassum (38 ± 2 μg g⁻¹) and Chlorella (9 ± 1 μg g⁻¹) samples. The species DMA was also found in Chlorella alga (13 ± 1 μg g⁻¹). However, in Laminaria alga only an unknown arsenic species was detected, which eluted in the dead volume.     

藻类叶绿素荧光对除草剂生物毒性响应特性的研究

以蛋白核小球藻、铜绿微囊藻、斜生栅藻为敏感藻,研究了莠去津、敌稗、敌草隆、灭草松四种除草剂及其混合剂对藻类光合特性的影响规律,实验同时确定了三种微藻荧光对除草剂的最佳响应时间。实验结果表明,除草剂显著降低了藻细胞类囊体膜中光系统Ⅱ的最大光合效率(Fv/Fm)、实际光合效率(Y(Ⅱ))、绝对电子传递速率(ETR)和光化学猝灭系数(qP),而非光化学猝灭系数(qN)呈现上升趋势,400 μg·L-1敌草隆使蛋白核小球藻Fv/Fm参数值下降了41%。实验选用的三种实验藻在四种除草剂单独和混合胁迫下均发生了不同程度的光抑制效应,表现出光合效率、电子传递速率、光合活性的降低和光保护能力的增强,藻类自身具有一定的光保护机制可以降低除草剂的影响。除草剂能够影响藻细胞叶绿素荧光强度,其中灭草松对蛋白核小球藻的影响最为显著,在400 μg·L-1灭草松影响下蛋白核小球藻的叶绿素荧光强度下降了44%。     

Simultaneous Multielement Study of the Binding of Metals in Solution by an Algal Biomass,Chlorella Vulgaris

Abstract

The adsorption process of four metals in solution (Pb, Cu, Zn, Cd) to Chlorella Vulgaris will be described and compared to a previous study using three metals (Pb,Cu,Zn) in solution. The binding capacity of Chlorella Vulgaris to four elements simultaneously increases with time, mass of algae, and up to a temperature of about 20.0°C. The equilibrium points for binding three metals simultaneously are at pH=4.55, with 7 mg of algae, and after 2.0 hrs. in a 5 ml aliquot of the solution. In the four metal system, the optimum values are significantly higher while the binding capacity is reduced. The competition between metals for binding sites in the algal cells is governed by kinetic properties as related to the pH, mass of algae, time, and concentration of solution. The binding process is also dependent upon thermodynamics with respect to the temperature of the solution.     

Investigations on the adsorbents for uremic middle molecular toxins (II)

Chitosan resins, which clinically served as adsorbents in hemo perfusion therapy, were prepared with reversed-phase suspension methodology using three differently structured crosslinking agents, methanal, glyoxal and glutaraldehyde. And the glyoxal and glutaraldehyde crosslinked chitosan resins were reduced with NaBH₄ afterwards. By analyzing the results from FTIR and SEM, it was found that the reduction treatment to the adsorbents efficiently improved the chemical stability of these chitosan resins, and the shifts in crosslinking agents exerted influences over the morphologies of the adsorbents obviously. After being put to use in the adsorption tests upon some model uremic middle molecular toxins and BSA in vitro, all three adsorbents demonstrated a fairly realistic adsorption capability to the model toxins but little to BSA. And the adsorption process reached the equilibrium in a clinically qualified short time. But the adsorption capacities of these adsorbents to the model toxins were quite different. It had been found that with the growing of fatty chain length of crosslinking agent, these adsorbents showed a gradually increased adsorption capacity to the model toxins, and the glutaraldehyde crosslinked chitosan resin behaved best.     

Refolding of disulfide containing peptides in fusion with thioredoxin

1. Download : Download high-res image (129KB)
2. Download : Download full-size image

     

青岛海藻重元素富集特性的SR-XRF分析及对海洋环境监测的应用

利用同步辐射X射线荧光 (SR XRF)定性和定量地分析了采自中国青岛海滨的 9种海藻 1 4个样品重元素的富集特性 ,发现不同种海藻重元素的富集特性有很大的差异。海蒿子对As和Sr,鸭毛藻对Br,海带对Ⅰ具有超富集能力。Mn/Fe峰强比的变化 ,是元素间拮抗的结果 ,与海水环境相关。测量了标样植物南极苔藓的检出限。定量地分析和比较了在青岛同一海滨分别于 1 985年和 1 999年采集的 5种海藻样品的XRF谱。1 999年采集的海藻的Fe ,Zn ,As,Br和Pb等元素含量明显上升 ,特别是海蒿子中的As和刺石松中的Pb分别增加了 1 55 %和 1 2 0 % ,结果说明了 1 4年来青岛海洋环境污染加重的趋势。     

Sustainable restoration: the contribution of algae

Abstract

The application of algae to the most meaningful fields of our life, such as food, environment and energy, finds a further confirmation in the extension of this application to cultural heritage protection. In this letter, we present the results of a preliminary study testing how a polysaccharide extracted from algal matrix can restore degraded paper giving back it mechanical strength and chemical structure.     

Micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography of algal toxins

Recent methods employed for the analysis of algal toxins have focused on high performance liquid chromatography. However these methods suffer from poor resolution, poor efficiency, and long analysis times. This study involves the investigation of a number of toxins including nodularin, microcystin LR, YR, and RR which are cyclic peptides produced by strains of blue-green algae. The electroseparation mode was micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography (MECC) using a borate buffer containing sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as the surgactant of choice. The method was optimized with standard toxin compounds and employed for the screening opf toxins in supercritical fluid extracts (SFE) of freeze-thawed algal scum samples.     

Comparison of different fluorimetric HPLC methods for analysis of acidic polyether toxins in marine phytoplankton

The human toxic syndrome, diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP), is caused by polyether toxins that are present in bivalve molluscs but originate from some species of marine phytoplankton. During the last few years different HPLC methods with fluorescence detection (FLD) have been proposed for analysis of marine toxins, including polyether toxins, in shellfish and phytoplankton. Several derivatization reagents have been proposed in the literature, with the aim of converting the acidic DSP toxins into their corresponding fluorescent derivatives. In this work we report results obtained from HPLC–FLD analysis of extracts from phytoplankton, including Dinophysis spp., harvested off the south-west coast of Ireland. Three different reagents were used for fluorescent derivatization: 3-bromomethyl-6,7-dimethoxy-1-methyl-2(1H)-quinoxalinone (BrDMEQ), 9-chloromethylanthracene (CA), and in situ 9-anthracenyldiazomethane (ADAM). Derivatization was performed under conditions previously optimised. The DSP derivatives were cleaned using different SPE procedures then analysed by HPLC–FLD. In this study, the use of BrDMEQ, CA, and in situ ADAM was compared in terms of sensitivity and selectivity. Evaluation of HPLC methods for analysis of DSP toxin derivatives was also conducted; the presence of okadaic acid (OA), dinophysistoxin-2 (DTX-2), and pectenotoxin-2 seco acids (PTX1SAs) was detected in the sample extracts studied.     

Hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography--mass spectrometry for the analysis of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxins

Hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) was examined for the separation of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxins using the stationary phase TSK-gel Amide-80. The parameters tested included type of organic modifier and percentage in the mobile phase, buffer concentration, pH, flow rate and column temperature. Using mass spectrometric (MS) detection, the HILIC column allowed the determination of all the major PSP toxins in one 30 min analysis with a high degree of selectivity and sensitivity. The high percentage of organic modifier in the mobile phase and the omission of ion pairing reagents, both favored in HILIC, provided limits of detection (LOD) in the range 50-100 nM in selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode on a single quadrupole LC-MS system. LOD in selected reaction monitoring (SRM) mode on a sensitive triple quadrupole system were as low as 5-30 nM. Excellent linearity of response was observed.