Sorption of ofloxacin and chrysoidine by grape stalk. A representative case of biomass removal of emerging pollutants from wastewater

Emerging pollutants, as antibiotics or dyes, in aquatic ecosystems are a crucial concern and numerous techniques have been developed for their removal. Efficiency, cost effectiveness, and biodegradability reveal biomass sorption as one of the most appealing methods. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of grape stalk as a sorbent for ofloxacin (a fluoroquinolone antibiotic) and chrysoidine (an azo-dye). The kinetic and the thermodynamic aspects of the sorption were studied. A pseudo first-order kinetic behavior is shown by both substances, though the kinetic constants of ofloxacin are almost double than those of chrysoidine. The sorption isotherms, which strictly follow the Langmuir model, show remarkable differences as a function of pH and of biomass size. The trend of Langmuir parameters, Qmax and K, as a function of pH and size, is discussed, and different binding mechanisms are proposed. Kinetic and thermodynamic parameters prefigure grape stalk as a potential biomass for scavenging toxic substances from wastewater

Alarming use of chelation therapy

Chelation therapy is a consolidated medical procedure used primarily to hinder the effects of toxic metal ions on human tissues. Its application spans a broad spectrum of disorders, ranging from acute metal intoxication to genetic metal-overload. The use of chelating agents is compromised by a number of serious side effects, mainly attributable to perturbed equilibrium of essential metal ion homeostasis and dislocation of complexed metal ions to dangerous body sites. For this reason, chelation therapy has been limited to specific critical and otherwise untreatable conditions and needs to be monitored within an appropriate clinical context. An alarming issue today is that fraudsters use the term “chelation therapy” to take advantage of and make profit from people with tragic health problems. We believe that scientists working in this field have the corollary obligation to deter these frauds and to inform the scientific community of the possible side effects and complications of chelation therapy. This duty is all the more important if we consider the detrimental and even life threatening consequences that can occur in subjects with no clear clinical and laboratory evidence of metal intoxication. The aim of this communication is to present how this “false chelation therapy” developed and in which diseases it is currently applied

A Speciation study on the perturbing effects of iron chelators on the homeostasis of essential metal ions

A number of reports have appeared in literature calling attention to the depletion of essential metal ions during chelation therapy on β-thalassaemia patients. We present a speciation study to determine how the iron chelators used in therapy interfere with the homeostatic equilibria of essential metal ions. This work includes a thorough analysis of the pharmacokinetic properties of the chelating agents currently in clinical use, of the amounts of iron, copper and zinc available in plasma for chelation, and of all the implied complex formation constants. The results of the study show that a significant amount of essential metal ions is complexed whenever the chelating agent concentration exceeds the amount necessary to coordinate all disposable iron —a frequently occurring situation during chelation therapy. On the contrary, copper and zinc do not interfere with iron chelation, except for a possible influence of copper on iron speciation during deferiprone treatment

Sorption of chrysoidine by row cork and cork entrapped in calcium alginate beads

Abstract Azo-dyes, molecules characterised by the presence of the azo-group (–N N–), are widely used in textile, leather, rubber, plastic, and food industries. Water-soluble azo-dyes are greatly resistant to biodegradation, and are characterised by a high thermal and photo stability due to their complex structures. The release of these molecules into the environment is of crucial concern due to their toxic, mutagenic and carcinogenic characteristics. Biosorption has been demonstrated an effective method to remove pollutants from wastewaters thus solving ecological tasks, being a low cost process and the sorbent biodegradable. The main requirements of an efficient sorbent are thermal, chemical and mechanical stability, and rapid sorption. In this work, the ability of both row cork and the same sorbent entrapped in a biopolymeric gel of calcium alginate, on the removal of chrysoidine from aqueous solutions was examined. The influence on the sorption of pH, initial dye concentration, and particle size, as well as the efficiency of the entrapment, have been investigated. The maximum sorption was found for cork samples of fine particle size (FC), in both row and entrapped forms, at pH 7; conversely, at pH 4 the difference is significant (0.12 mmol/g for row cork and 0.20 mmol/g for entrapped cork), evoking a cooperation of alginate in binding the positively charged chrysoidine molecule

Coordination polymers and polygons using di-pyridyl-thiadiazole spacers and substituted phosphorodithioato NiII complexes: potential and limitations for inorganic crystal engineering

Coordinatively unsaturated P-substituted dithiophosphonato, dithiophosphato, and dithiophosphito complexes {[Ni?(MeO)2PS2)2] (1), [Ni((EtO)2PS2)2] (2), [Ni(MeOdtp)2] (3), and [Ni((Ph)2PS2)2] (4)} were reacted with the bis-functional ligands 3,5-di-(4-pyridyl)-1,2,4-thiadiazole (L1) and 3,5-di-(3-pyridyl)-1,2,4-thiadiazole (L2) to give the coordination polymers (1–4·L1)?, (3·L2)?, and (4·L2·2C7H8)? and the discrete dimers (1–2·L2)2, all characterised by single crystal X-ray diffraction. A comparison of the structures shows that L1 can be exploited for the predictable assembly of undulating chains independent of the nature of the NiII complex, while L2 allows for the existence of different supramolecular constructs ensuing from different ligand conformations deriving from the rotation of the pyridyl rings

Comparison of selectivity of a family of chelating agents for trivalent (Al³⁺, Fe³⁺) and bivalent (Cu²⁺, Zn²⁺) metal ions

Chelation therapy is used for the treatment of metal intoxication in humans. Selectivity towards the target metal ion is one important characteristic of the chelating agent. In the frame of our research of chelating agents for iron and aluminium, we synthesized five new ligands (Figure 1), and studied their behavior toward the trivalent metal ions. L4, L5, L6 and L8 were found to be excellent ligands for the coordination of Fe3+ and Al3+. We are presenting here a study on the same ligands with the two essential bivalent metal ions, Zn2+ and Cu2+. The results of spectrophotometric, potentiometric, and NMR measurements performed to determine the equilibrium formation constants will be presented. The speciation of the complexes with the trivalent metal ions in presence of endogenous zinc and copper will be discussed

A New hydroxypyrone powerful chelator: from synthesis to Al^III, Fe^III, Cu^II and Zn^II complex formation equilibria, and structural characterization

In the frame of our research interest on kojic acid derivatives as powerful chelators for the trivalent iron and aluminium cations [1-4], we have designed, synthesized, and characterized the new ligand 6,6'-(((2-(diethylamino)ethyl)azanediyl)bis(methylene))bis(5-hydroxy-2-(hydroxymethyl)-4H-pyran-4-one), L9. In this communication will be present the study on protonation constants and on the complex formation equilibria with iron and aluminium and with the bivalent essential metal ions, zinc and copper. X-ray structures of the ligand and of some of its metal complexes will be also presented

Predictors of Response to Exclusive Enteral Nutrition in Newly Diagnosed Crohn´s Disease in Children: PRESENCE Study from SEGHNP

Exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) has been shown to be more effective than corticosteroids in achieving mucosal healing in children with Crohn´s disease (CD) without the adverse effects of these drugs. The aims of this study were to determine the efficacy of EEN in terms of inducing clinical remission in children newly diagnosed with CD, to describe the predictive factors of response to EEN and the need for treatment with biological agents during the first 12 months of the disease. We conducted an observational retrospective multicentre study that included paediatric patients newly diagnosed with CD between 2014–2016 who underwent EEN. Two hundred and twenty-two patients (140 males) from 35 paediatric centres were included, with a mean age at diagnosis of 11.6 ± 2.5 years. The median EEN duration was 8 weeks (IQR 6.6–8.5), and 184 of the patients (83%) achieved clinical remission (weighted paediatric Crohn’s Disease activity index [wPCDAI] 15 mg/L and ileal involvement tended to respond better to EEN. EEN administered for 6–8 weeks is effective for inducing clinical remission. Due to the high response rate in our series, EEN should be used as the first-line therapy in luminal paediatric Crohn’s disease regardless of the location of disease and disease activityS

HTLV-1 infection in solid organ transplant donors and recipients in Spain

HTLV-1 infection is a neglected disease, despite infecting 10-15 million people worldwide and severe illnesses develop in 10% of carriers lifelong. Acknowledging a greater risk for developing HTLV-1 associated illnesses due to immunosuppression, screening is being widely considered in the transplantation setting. Herein, we report the experience with universal HTLV testing of donors and recipients of solid organ transplants in a survey conducted in Spain. All hospitals belonging to the Spanish HTLV network were invited to participate in the study. Briefly, HTLV antibody screening was performed retrospectively in all specimens collected from solid organ donors and recipients attended since the year 2008. A total of 5751 individuals were tested for HTLV antibodies at 8 sites. Donors represented 2312 (42.2%), of whom 17 (0.3%) were living kidney donors. The remaining 3439 (59.8%) were recipients. Spaniards represented nearly 80%. Overall, 9 individuals (0.16%) were initially reactive for HTLV antibodies. Six were donors and 3 were recipients. Using confirmatory tests, HTLV-1 could be confirmed in only two donors, one Spaniard and another from Colombia. Both kidneys of the Spaniard were inadvertently transplanted. Subacute myelopathy developed within 1 year in one recipient. The second recipient seroconverted for HTLV-1 but the kidney had to be removed soon due to rejection. Immunosuppression was stopped and 3 years later the patient remains in dialysis but otherwise asymptomatic. The rate of HTLV-1 is low but not negligible in donors/recipients of solid organ transplants in Spain. Universal HTLV screening should be recommended in all donor and recipients of solid organ transplantation in Spain. Evidence is overwhelming for very high virus transmission and increased risk along with the rapid development of subacute myelopathy