Sequential Extraction Analysis of Arsenic in Soil Samples Collected in an Agricultural Area of Brindisi, Apulia (Italy), in the Proximity of a Coal-Burning Power Plant

none4openDanilo Migoni; Paride Papadia; Francesco Cannito; Francesco Paolo FanizziMigoni, Danilo; Papadia, Paride; Cannito, Francesco; Fanizzi, Francesco Paol

Is hydrogen electronegativity higher than Pauling's value? New clues from the 13C and 29Si NMR chemical shifts of [CHF3] and [SiHF3] molecules

Abstract We previously demonstrated that the δ NMR chemical shift of central NMR active atoms (A), in simple halido [AXn] (A=C, Si, Ge, Sn, Pb, Pt; Xn = combination of n halides, n = 4 or 6) derivatives, could be directly related to X radii overall sum, Σ(r L ). Further correlation have also been observed for tetrahedral [AX4] (A=C, Si; X4 = combination of four halides) compounds where the X Pauling electronegativities sum, Σ ( χ L Pau ) , $\Sigma (\chi _L^{{\rm{Pau}}}),$ exceeds a specific value (≈12.4). In this work, we focused on these latter systems considering the H vs. X substitution. The analysis of the literature reported δ(13C) and δ(29Si) NMR chemical shift for the mono hydrogenated derivatives and in particular for [CHF3] and [SiHF3], characterized by the lowest Σ(r L ) and the highest Σ ( χ L Pau ) , $\Sigma (\chi _L^{{\rm{Pau}}}),$ suggests a revised value for the H electronegativity ranking with respect to Pauling's

Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Using a Pigment Produced by Streptomyces coelicolor klmp33

Traditional synthesis of silver nanoparticles using chemical methods produces toxic substances. In contrast biological synthesis is regarded as a safe and nontoxic process but the major drawback of biological synthesis is, this process is slow. In the present investigation, we developed a rapid and green synthesis of silver nanoparticles employing a pigment produced by Streptomyces coelicolor klmp33 in just 90 s. The silver nanoparticles were characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The biobased synthesis developed in this method is a safe, rapid, and appropriate way for bulky synthesis of silver nanoparticles

Platinum-Nucleos(t)ide Compounds as Possible Antimetabolites for Antitumor/Antiviral Therapy: Properties and Perspectives

Nucleoside analogues (NAs) are a family of compounds which include a variety of purine and pyrimidine derivatives, widely used as anticancer and antiviral agents. For their ability to compete with physiological nucleosides, NAs act as antimetabolites exerting their activity by interfering with the synthesis of nucleic acids. Much progress in the comprehension of their molecular mechanisms has been made, including providing new strategies for potentiating anticancer/antiviral activity. Among these strategies, new platinum-NAs showing a good potential to improve the therapeutic indices of NAs have been synthesized and studied. This short review aims to describe the properties and future perspectives of platinum-NAs, proposing these complexes as a new class of antimetabolites

1H-NMR metabolomic profile of healthy and osteoarthritic canine synovial fluid before and after UC-II supplementation

The aim of the study was to compare the metabolomic synovial fluid (SF) profile of dogs affected by spontaneous osteoarthritis (OA) and supplemented with undenatured type II collagen (UC-II), with that of healthy control dogs. Client-owned dogs were enrolled in the study and randomized in two different groups, based on the presence/absence of OA (OA group and OA-free group). All dogs were clinically evaluated and underwent SF sampling for 1H-Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy (1H-NMR) analysis at time of presentation. All dogs included in OA group were supplemented with UC-II orally administered for 30 days. After this period, they were reassessed (OA-T30). The differences in the 1H-NMR metabolic SFs profiles between groups (OA-free, OA-T0 and OA-T30) were studied. The multivariate statistical analysis performed on SFs under different conditions (OA-T0 vs OA-T30 SFs; OA-T0 vs OA-free SFs and OA-T30 vs OA-free SFs) gave models with excellent goodness of fit and predictive parameters, revealed by a marked separation between groups. β-Hydroxybutyrate was identified as a characteristic compound of osteoarthritic joints, showing the important role of fat metabolism during OA. The absence of β-hydroxybutyrate after UC-II supplementation suggests the supplement’s effectiveness in rebalancing the metabolism inside the joint. The unexpectedly high level of lactate in the OA-free group suggests that lactate could not be considered a good marker for OA. These results prove that 1H-NMR-based metabolomic analysis is a valid tool to study and monitor OA and that UC-II improves clinical symptoms and the SF metabolic profile in OA dog

Trace Metals do not Accumulate over Time in The Edible Mediterranean Jellyfish Rhizostoma pulmo (Cnidaria, Scyphozoa) from Urban Coastal Waters

Jellyfish as food represent a millennial tradition in Asia. Recently, jellyfish have also been proposed as a valuable source of protein in Western countries. To identify health risks associated with the potential human consumption of jellyfish as food, trace element accumulation was assessed in the gonads and umbrella tissues of the Mediterranean Rhizostoma pulmo (Macri, 1778), sampled over a period of 16 months along the shallow coastal waters a short distance from the city of Taranto, an area affected by metallurgic and oil refinery sources of pollution. Higher tissue concentrations of trace elements were usually detected in gonads than in umbrella tissue. In particular, significant differences in the toxic metalloid As, and in the metals Mn, Mo, and Zn, were observed among different tissues. The concentrations of vanadium were slightly higher in umbrella tissues than in gonads. No positive correlation was observed between element concentration and jellyfish size, suggesting the lack of bioaccumulation processes. Moreover, toxic element concentrations in R. pulmo were found below the threshold levels for human consumption allowed by Australian, USA, and EU Food Regulations. These results corroborate the hypothesis that R. pulmo is a safe, potentially novel food source, even when jellyfish are harvested from coastal areas affected by anthropogenic impacts

Metabolomic NMR analysis and organoleptic perceptions of pomegranate wines: Influence of cultivar and yeast on the product characteristics

: Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) fruits are a historical agricultural product of the Mediterranean basin that became increasingly popular in the latest years for being rich in antioxidants and other micronutrients, and are extensively commercialized as fruits, juice, jams and, in some Eastern countries, as a fermented alcoholic beverage. In this work, four different pomegranate wines specifically designed using combinations of two cultivars (Jolly Red and Smith) and two yeast starters with markedly different characteristics (Saccharomyces cerevisiae Clos and Saccharomyces cerevisiae ex-bayanus EC1118) were analyzed. The chemical characterization of the wines together with the originating unfermented juices was performed by 1H NMR spectroscopy metabolomic analysis. The full spectra were used for unsupervised and supervised statistical multivariate analysis (MVA), namely Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Orthogonal Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (OPLS-DA), and sparse PCA (SPCA). The MVA of the wines showed a clear discrimination between the cultivars, and a smaller, yet significant, discrimination between the yeasts used. In particular, a higher content of citrate and gallate was observed for the Smith cv. and, on the contrary, a statistically significant higher content of fructose, malate, glycerol, 2,3 butanediol, trigonelline, aromatic amino acids and 4-hydrophenylacetate was observed in Jolly Red pomegranate wines samples. Significant interaction among the pomegranate cultivar and the fermenting yeast was also observed. Sensorial analysis was performed by a panel of testing experts. MVA of tasting data showed that the cultivar significantly affected the organoleptic parameters considered, while the yeast had a minor impact. Correlation analysis between NMR-detected metabolites and organoleptic descriptors identified several potential sensorially-active molecules as those significantly impacting the characteristics of the pomegranate wines

1H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Study of Olive Oils Commercially Available as Italian Products in the United States of America

Multivariate analysis of 1H NMR data has been used for the characterization of 12 blended olive oils commercially available in the U.S. as Italian products. Chemometric methods such as unsupervised Principal Component Analysis (PCA) allowed good discrimination and gave some affinity indications for the U.S. market olive oils compared to other single cultivars of extra virgin olive oil such as Coratina and Ogliarola from Apulia, one of Italy’s leading olive oil producers, Picual (Spain), Kalamata (Greece) and Sfax (Tunisia). The olive oils commercially available as Italian products in the U.S. market clustered into 3 groups. Among them only the first (7 samples) and the second group (2 samples) showed PCA ranges similar to European references. Two oils of the third group (3 samples) were more similar to Tunisian references. In conclusion, our study revealed that most EVOO (extra virgin olive oils) tested were closer to Greek (in particular) and Spanish olive oils than Apulia EVOO. The PCA loadings disclose the components responsible for the discrimination as unsaturated (oleic, linoleic, linolenic) and saturated fatty acids. All are of great importance because of their nutritional value and differential effects on the oxidative stability of oils. It is evident that this approach has the potential to reveal the origin of EVOO, although the results support the need for a larger database, including EVOO from other Italian regions

A NMR-Based Metabolomic Approach to Investigate the Antitumor Effects of the Novel [Pt(η1-C2H4OMe)(DMSO)(phen)]+ (phen = 1,10-Phenanthroline) Compound on Neuroblastoma Cancer Cells

none7NMR-based metabolomics is a very effective tool to assess the tumor response to drugs by providing insights for their mode of action. Recently, a novel Pt(II) complex, [Pt(ƞ1-C2H4OMe)(DMSO)(phen)]+ (phen 1,10-phenanthroline), Pt-EtOMeSOphen, was synthesized and studied for its antitumor activity against eight human cancer cell lines. Pt-EtOMeSOphen showed higher cytotoxic effects than cisplatin in most of the cancer cell lines and in particular against the neuroblastoma cell line (SH-SY5Y). In this study, the mechanism of action of Pt-EtOMeSOphen on SH-SY5Y cells was investigated using 1H NMR-based metabolomics and compared with cisplatin. ­e observed time response of SH-SY5Y cells under treatment revealed a faster action of PtEtOMeSOphen compared with cisplatin, with a response already observed after six hours of exposure, suggesting a cytosolic target. NMR-based metabolomics demonstrated a peculiar alteration of the glutathione metabolism pathway and the diacylglycerol expression.De Castro, Federica; Stefano, Erika; De Luca, Erik; Muscella, Antonella; Marsigliante, Santo; Benedetti, Michele; Fanizzi, Francesco PaoloDe Castro, Federica; Stefano, Erika; De Luca, Erik; Muscella, Antonella; Marsigliante, Santo; Benedetti, Michele; Fanizzi, Francesco Paol