Advances in aptameric biosensors designed to detect toxic contaminants from food,water, human fluids,and the environment

Detection of toxic small molecule contaminants with sensitivity, accuracy, and specificity is a challenging task. Traditionally used HPLC and mass spectrometry-based assays suffer from several drawbacks, including lengthy sample preparation, heavy instrumentation, and the need for expert technicians. Specific, measurable, accurate, robust, and time-saving (SMART) biosensors are needed to detect toxic substances. Aptamers provide unique opportunities for the rapid development of SMART biosensors to meet above challenges. Since aptamers are short nucleotide sequences; they are easy for chemical synthesis and functional modifications. Aptamers acquire specific molecule recognition potential through unique chemical bonding, including H-bonds, pi-pi, van der Waals, and hydrophobic interactions. For the discovery of aptamers, the SELEX process is used. Recently, efforts have been made to develop aptamers to detect toxic small molecules like antibiotics, pesticides, insecticides, pollutants, toxins, and allergens. Aptamer technology is a promising tool for analyzing these chemicals from diverse matrices. This review provides an update on advances in nucleic acid-based aptameric sensors for molecular diagnostics of toxic chemical from food, water, human fluids, and the environment.     

A new cytotoxic polychlorinated sulfolipid from contaminated Adriatic mussels

A detailed analysis of toxic shellfish collected in the Adriatic sea in October 2000 allowed us to isolate a new cytotoxic chlorosulfolipid (3). Its gross structure has been elucidated through an extensive NMR analysis including various 2D techniques; the relative stereochemistry has been solved by applying the Murata's method. Compound 3 showed to posses cytotoxic activity against WEHI 164 and J774 cells. The presence of chlorosulfolipids in toxic mussels from the northern Adriatic sea has not to be considered incidental as we have been detecting these cytotoxic compounds since 1998. Their simultaneous and constant presence together with typical marine biotoxins represents a further risk both to consumers' health and aquacultures economic proceeds.     

Study of the interference problems of dioxin-like chemicals with the bio-analytical method CALUX

The reporter gene expression method CALUX has proven to be a very valuable screening technique for assessing toxic equivalents of dioxins and dioxin-like compounds, because it detects all AhR ligands in a variety of sample matrices. However, the exact meaning of the CALUX response is difficult to evaluate for complex mixtures mainly since not all AhR ligands are known and since antagonistic or synergistic effects occurs.

In this paper, non-additive effects on the CALUX response of dioxins were investigated for a limited number of dioxin-like compounds in concentration ranges that are 10²–10⁸ times higher than that of 2,3,7,8-TCDD. Antagonistic effects are detected for three Aroclors (1242, 1254, 1260), Halowax 1014 (PCN), HCB and PBB 169. The ratios, Aroclor/dioxin, Halowax/dioxin and HCB/dioxin, needed to observe an antagonistic effect are 10 000, 5000 and 50 000, respectively. No significant deviation from additivity was observed for Aroclor 5442 (PCT) and PBB 77 in the concentration range investigated.

Two clean-up procedures have also been tested: in some cases the non-additive effects disappeared or were strongly reduced. Using only an acidic silica column, the classical dioxin-like compounds investigated here (PCB, PCT, PBB, PCN, HCB) as well as the dioxins are collected and analyzed altogether in one fraction. Consequently, no major alteration of the non-additive effects is expected. An acidic silica column combined with an activated carbon column allows the separation of PCDD/F and dioxin-like PCB in two different fractions, PBB 169 is completely eluted in the dioxin fraction and PBB 77 is distributed between the PCB and dioxin fraction. HCB is completely separated from the PCDD/F fraction.     

Studies on the Toxic Oil Syndrome: proposal of a mechanism for the thermal conversion of 3-N-phenylamino-1,2-propanediol esters into anilides under deodorisation conditions

A study on the reaction mechanism for the conversion of title esters, the species recognised as toxic biomarkers of the oil batches responsible for the Toxic Oil Syndrome, into the corresponding anilides under the thermal conditions of an oil deodorisation process was performed using experimental and computational techniques. The results obtained suggest a reaction course that includes two basic steps: an intramolecular process involving the reaction of the amine group of the diester derivative with the secondary ester of the same compound, followed by the attack of an aniline molecule to form the (E)-isomer of an imidic acid, which would finally tautomerise to give the final anilide.     

Speeding up of a three-stage sequential extraction method for metal speciation using focused ultrasound

The three-stage sequential extraction procedure, proposed by the European Community Bureau of Reference (BCR), has been applied for speciation of copper, chromium, nickel, lead and zinc in a sludge sample collected from an urban wastewater treatment plant. The conventional BCR sequential extraction method has been modified, in each stage, applying ultrasonic energy by means of a probe (handling at an adequate sonication power and time) in order to shorten the required operation time. Extractable metal contents obtained by both the conventional and the accelerated ultrasonic extraction method, were measured by Flame-Atomic Absorption Spectrometry. Results obtained in each fraction by both methods were statistically compared (P=0.95) for all the studied elements and no significant differences were found except for chromium and zinc in the third fraction (oxidisable). For all metals the extraction percentage was>95%. The proposed accelerated sequential extraction method could be a valid alternative to the conventional shaking with a much shorter operating time.     

X射线荧光光谱法同时测定涂料中的铅、铬、硒和钴

提出了用X射线荧光光谱法同时测定涂料中有害重金属铅、铬、硒和钴的一种新的测试方法. 考察了样品量不同和样品粒度不同对待测元素测试结果的影响. 选用不含待测元素的新鲜涂料作为基体物质制备标准样品, 较好地消除了基体的影响. 各待测元素在50～1000 mg/kg的范围内, 均呈线性关系;Pb、 Cr、 Se、 Co的检出限分别为3.6、 1.2、 0.5及1.5 mg/kg;方法精密度和仪器精密度的相对标准偏差分别低于1.3%和0.50%;用于实际样品测得的结果与电感耦合等离子体原子发射光谱法法测得的结果基本一致.     

Assessment of the essential element and heavy metal content of edible fish muscle

The aim of this work was to determine the concentrations of some essential and toxic elements in the muscle of ten species of commercial fish consumed in Portugal. We combined two different techniques for determination of the elements—energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) was used to quantify K, Ca, Fe, Zn, Se, Rb, and Sr and flame atomic-absorption spectrometry for analysis of Cr, Ni, Cu, Cd, Hg, and Pb. The latter technique was used because of its higher sensitivity, because these elements were not detected by EDXRF. The results obtained show a similar pattern for the trace elements. K and Ca are present at the highest concentrations in all the samples studied, from 0.6–1.3% and from 0.04–0.08%, respectively, followed by Zn, Fe, Sr, Se, and Rb. Sr is present at higher concentrations than Rb in all the species studied except meagre. Concentrations of the elements in octopus do not follow this pattern—Fe is present at a higher concentration than Zn. Low concentrations of Cr (0.66–1.5 g g^–1), Ni (0.11–0.24 g g^–1), Cd (0.01–0.08 g g^–1), Hg (0.49–2.74 g g^–1), and Pb (0.02–0.06 g g^–1) were observed in all the samples analysed. The concentration of Hg was highest in Helicolenus dactylopterus—5.4 g g^–1 in one sample.     

Recent studies on advance spectroscopic techniques for the identification of microorganisms: A review

The continuous development of resistance to antibiotic drugs by microorganisms causes high mortality and morbidity. Pathogens with distinct features and biochemical abilities make them destructive to human health. Therefore, early identification of the pathogen is of substantial importance for quick ailments and healthcare outcomes. Several phenotype methods are used for the identification and resistance determination but most of the conventional procedures are time-consuming, costly, and give qualitative results. Recently, great focus has been made on the utilization of advanced techniques for microbial identification. This review is focused on the research studies performed in the last five years for the identification of microorganisms particularly, bacteria using advanced spectroscopic techniques including mass spectrometry (MS), infrared (IR) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy (RS), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Among all the techniques, MS techniques, particularly MALDI-TOF/MS have been widely utilized for microbial identification. A total of 44 bacteria i.e., 6 Staphylococcus spp., 3 Enterococcus spp., 6 Bacillus spp., 4 Streptococcus spp., 6 Salmonella spp., and one from each genus including Escherichia, Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, Proteus, Clostridioides, Candida, Brucella, Burkholderia, Francisella, Yersinia, Moraxella, Vibrio, Shigella, Serratia, Citrobacter, and Haemophilus (spp.) were discussed in the review for their identification using the above-mentioned techniques. Among all the identified microorganisms, 21% of studies have been conducted for the identification of E. coli, 14% for S. aureus followed by 37% for other microorganisms.