51
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Galluzzi M, Schulte C, Milani P, Podestà A. Imidazolium-Based Ionic Liquids Affect Morphology and Rigidity of Living Cells: An Atomic Force Microscopy Study. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2018; 34:12452-12462. [PMID: 30213187 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.8b01554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
The study of the toxicity, biocompatibility, and environmental sustainability of room-temperature ionic liquids (ILs) is still in its infancy. Understanding the impact of ILs on living organisms, especially from the aquatic ecosystem, is urgent, since large amounts of these substances are starting to be employed as solvents in industrial chemical processes, and on the other side, evidence of toxic effects of ILs on microorganisms and single cells have been observed. To date, the toxicity of ILs has been investigated by means of macroscopic assays aimed at characterizing the effective concentrations (like the EC50) that cause the death of a significant fraction of the population of microorganisms and cells. These studies allow us to identify the cell membrane as the first target of the IL interaction, whose effectiveness was correlated to the lipophilicity of the cation, i.e., to the length of the lateral alkyl chain. Our study aimed at investigating the molecular mechanisms underpinning the interaction of ILs with living cells. To this purpose, we carried out a combined topographic and mechanical analysis by atomic force microscopy of living breast metastatic cancer cells (MDA-MB-231) upon interaction with imidazolium-based ILs. We showed that ILs are able to induce modifications of the overall rigidity (effective Young's modulus) and morphology of the cells. Our results demonstrate that ILs act on the physical properties of the outer cell layer (the membrane linked to the actin cytoskeleton), already at concentrations below the EC50. These potentially toxic effects are stronger at higher IL concentrations, as well as with longer lateral chains in the cation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Massimiliano Galluzzi
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Nanobiomechanics , Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Shenzhen 518055 , Guangdong , China
- C.I.Ma.I.Na and Dipartimento di Fisica "Aldo Pontremoli" , Università degli Studi di Milano , via Celoria 16 , 20133 Milano , Italy
| | - Carsten Schulte
- C.I.Ma.I.Na and Dipartimento di Fisica "Aldo Pontremoli" , Università degli Studi di Milano , via Celoria 16 , 20133 Milano , Italy
| | - Paolo Milani
- C.I.Ma.I.Na and Dipartimento di Fisica "Aldo Pontremoli" , Università degli Studi di Milano , via Celoria 16 , 20133 Milano , Italy
| | - Alessandro Podestà
- C.I.Ma.I.Na and Dipartimento di Fisica "Aldo Pontremoli" , Università degli Studi di Milano , via Celoria 16 , 20133 Milano , Italy
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52
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Catalytic potency of ionic liquid-stabilized metal nanoparticles towards greening biomass processing: Insights, limitations and prospects. Biochem Eng J 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bej.2018.07.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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53
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Reslan M, Ranganathan V, Macfarlane DR, Kayser V. Choline ionic liquid enhances the stability of Herceptin® (trastuzumab). Chem Commun (Camb) 2018; 54:10622-10625. [PMID: 30177986 DOI: 10.1039/c8cc06397d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
We investigated the effect of an emerging biocompatible ionic liquid, choline dihydrogen phosphate (CDHP), on the stability of high-concentration formulations of Herceptin® (trastuzumab). Our results show that CDHP significantly suppresses unfolding and aggregation of trastuzumab, demonstrating great promise as an additive in the development of stable therapeutic antibody formulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mouhamad Reslan
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, 2006, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
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54
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Lim GS, Klähn M. On the Stability of Proteins Solvated in Imidazolium-Based Ionic Liquids Studied with Replica Exchange Molecular Dynamics. J Phys Chem B 2018; 122:9274-9288. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.8b06452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Geraldine S. Lim
- Institute of High Performance Computing, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 1 Fusionopolis Way, #16-16, Connexis, Singapore 138632, Republic of Singapore
| | - Marco Klähn
- Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 1 Pesek Road, Jurong Island, Singapore 627833, Republic of Singapore
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55
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Bi Y, Zhu C, Wang Z, Luo H, Fu R, Zhao X, Zhao X, Jiang L. Purification and characterization of a glucose-tolerant β-glucosidase from black plum seed and its structural changes in ionic liquids. Food Chem 2018; 274:422-428. [PMID: 30372960 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2018.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2018] [Revised: 07/27/2018] [Accepted: 09/01/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The objective of this study was to characterize a plant origin β-glucosidase from black plum seeds and identify its conformational changes in twenty-six imidazolium- and amino acid-based ionic liquids (ILs). The results revealed that the purified 60 kDa enzyme was monomeric in nature, maximally active at 55 °C and pH 5.0, and nearly completely inhibited by Hg2+ and Ag+. Attractive peculiarities of the relative low kinetic and higher glucose inhibition constants (Km = 0.58 mM [pNPG]; Ki = 193.5 mM [glucose]) demonstrated its potential applications in food industry. Circular dichroism studies showed that the secondary structural changes of the enzyme depended not only on the anions, but also on the cations of the assayed ILs. Interestingly, no corresponding relations were observed between the changes in enzyme structure induced by ILs and its catalytic activities, suggesting that the influences of ILs on enzymatic processes don't rely simply on enzyme conformational changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanhong Bi
- School of Life Science and Food Engineering, Huaiyin Institute of Technology, Huai'an 223003, PR China
| | - Chun Zhu
- School of Life Science and Food Engineering, Huaiyin Institute of Technology, Huai'an 223003, PR China
| | - Zhaoyu Wang
- Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Huaiyin Institute of Technology, Huai'an 223003, PR China; Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Regional Resource Exploitation and Medicinal Research, Huai'an 223003, PR China.
| | - Hongzhen Luo
- School of Life Science and Food Engineering, Huaiyin Institute of Technology, Huai'an 223003, PR China
| | - Ruiping Fu
- School of Life Science and Food Engineering, Huaiyin Institute of Technology, Huai'an 223003, PR China
| | - Xiaojuan Zhao
- Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Huaiyin Institute of Technology, Huai'an 223003, PR China; Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Regional Resource Exploitation and Medicinal Research, Huai'an 223003, PR China
| | - Xiangjie Zhao
- School of Life Science and Food Engineering, Huaiyin Institute of Technology, Huai'an 223003, PR China
| | - Ling Jiang
- College of Food Science and Light Industry, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, PR China
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56
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D'Oronzo E, Secundo F, Minofar B, Kulik N, Pometun AA, Tishkov VI. Activation/Inactivation Role of Ionic Liquids on Formate Dehydrogenase fromPseudomonassp. 101 and Its Mutated Thermostable Form. ChemCatChem 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/cctc.201800145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Erica D'Oronzo
- Istituto di Chimica del Riconoscimento Molecolare, CNR; Via Mario Bianco 9 20131 Milan Italy
| | - Francesco Secundo
- Istituto di Chimica del Riconoscimento Molecolare, CNR; Via Mario Bianco 9 20131 Milan Italy
| | - Babak Minofar
- Institute of Microbiology; Academy of, Sciences of the Czech Republic; Zamek 136 37333 Nove Hrady Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science; University of South Bohemia; Branišovská 1760 37005 České Budějovice Czech Republic
| | - Natallia Kulik
- Institute of Microbiology; Academy of, Sciences of the Czech Republic; Zamek 136 37333 Nove Hrady Czech Republic
| | - Anastasia A. Pometun
- Innovations and High Technologies MSU Ltd.; Tsymlyanskaya ul., 16-96 109451 Moscow Russian Federation
- A.N. Bach Institute of Biochemistry; Research Center, of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences; bld. 2 Leninsky Ave. Moscow 119071 Russian Federation
| | - Vladimir I. Tishkov
- Innovations and High Technologies MSU Ltd.; Tsymlyanskaya ul., 16-96 109451 Moscow Russian Federation
- Chemistry Faculty; M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University; Leninskie Gory 1-3 119991 Moscow Russian Federation
- A.N. Bach Institute of Biochemistry; Research Center, of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences; bld. 2 Leninsky Ave. Moscow 119071 Russian Federation
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57
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Ionic liquids in protein amyloidogenesis: a brief screenshot of the state-of-the-art. Biophys Rev 2018; 10:847-852. [PMID: 29725930 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-018-0425-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2018] [Accepted: 04/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Ionic liquids (ILs) are a vast class of organic non-aqueous electrolytes whose interaction with biomolecules is receiving great attention for potential applications in bio-nano-technology. Recently, it has been shown that ILs can affect protein amyloidogenesis. Whereas some ILs favour the aggregation of proteins into amyloids, others inhibit their formation. Moreover, ILs can dissolve mature fibrils and restore the protein biochemical function. In this letter, we present a brief state-of-the-art summary of this emerging field that holds the promise of important developments both in basic science and in applications from bio-medicine to material science, and bio-nano-technology. The huge variety of ILs offers a vast playground for future studies and potential applications.
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58
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Innovative aspects of protein stability in ionic liquid mixtures. Biophys Rev 2018; 10:841-846. [PMID: 29549586 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-018-0411-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2018] [Accepted: 03/05/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Mixtures of ionic liquids (ILs) have attracted our attention because of their extraordinary performances in extraction technologies and in absorbing large amount of CO2 gas. It has been observed that when two or more ILs are mixed in different proportions, a new solvent is obtained which is much better than that of each component of ILs from which the mixture is obtained. Within a mixture of ILs, several unidentified interactions occur among several ions which give rise to unique solvent properties to the mixture. Herein, in this review, we have highlighted the utilization of the advantageous properties of the IL mixtures in protein stability studies. This approach is exceptional and opens new directions to the use of ILs in biotechnology.
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59
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Sharma VK, Mukhopadhyay R. Deciphering interactions of ionic liquids with biomembrane. Biophys Rev 2018; 10:721-734. [PMID: 29549587 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-018-0410-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2018] [Accepted: 02/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Ionic liquids (ILs) are a special class of low-temperature (typically < 100 °C) molten salts, which have huge upsurge interest in the field of chemical synthesis, catalysis, electrochemistry, pharmacology, and biotechnology, mainly due to their highly tunable nature and exceptional properties. However, practical uses of ILs are restricted mainly due to their adverse actions on organisms. Understanding interactions of ILs with biomembrane is prerequisite to assimilate the actions of these ionic compounds on the organism. Here, we review different biophysical methods to characterize interactions between ILs and phospholipid membrane, a model biomembrane. All these studies indicate that ILs interact profoundly with the lipid bilayer and modulate the structure, microscopic dynamics, and phase behavior of the membrane, which could be the fundamental cause of the observed toxicity of ILs. Effects of ILs on the membrane are found to be strongly dependent on the lipophilicity of the IL and are found to increase with the alkyl chain length of IL. This can be correlated with the observed higher toxicity of IL with the longer alkyl chain length. These informations would be useful to tune the toxicity of IL which is required in designing environment-friendly nontoxic solvents of the so-called green chemistry for various practical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- V K Sharma
- Solid State Physics Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, 400085, India.
| | - R Mukhopadhyay
- Solid State Physics Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, 400085, India
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60
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Reslan M, Kayser V. Ionic liquids as biocompatible stabilizers of proteins. Biophys Rev 2018; 10:781-793. [PMID: 29511969 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-018-0407-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2018] [Accepted: 02/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Ionic liquids (ILs) have recently emerged as versatile solvents and additives in the field of biotechnology, particularly as stabilizers of proteins and enzymes. Of interest to the biotechnology industry is the formulation of stable biopharmaceuticals, therapeutic proteins, and vaccines which have revolutionized the treatment of many diseases including debilitating conditions such as cancers and auto-immune diseases. The stabilization of therapeutic proteins is typically achieved using additives that prevent unfolding and aggregation of these proteins during manufacture, transport, and long-term storage. To determine if ILs could be used in the formulation of stable therapeutic proteins, a thorough understanding of the effects of ILs on protein stability is needed, as well as understanding the toxicity of ILs on humans, and other considerations for formulation development such as viscosity and osmolality. In this review, we summarize recent developments on the stabilization of proteins and enzymes using ILs, with emphasis on identifying biocompatible ILs that may be suitable for the formulation of stable biopharmaceuticals in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mouhamad Reslan
- Faculty of Pharmacy, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Veysel Kayser
- Faculty of Pharmacy, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
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61
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Molecular level insight into the effect of triethyloctylammonium bromide on the structure, thermal stability, and activity of Bovine serum albumin. Int J Biol Macromol 2018; 107:186-193. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2017.08.157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2017] [Revised: 07/15/2017] [Accepted: 08/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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62
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Panda S, Kundu K, Basaiahgari A, Singh AP, Senapati S, Gardas RL. Aggregation behaviour of biocompatible choline carboxylate ionic liquids and their interactions with biomolecules through experimental and theoretical investigations. NEW J CHEM 2018. [DOI: 10.1039/c8nj00336j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The self-assembly of long-chain choline carboxylates accompanied by their interaction with BSA protein were investigated with focus on environmental sustainability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Somenath Panda
- Department of Chemistry
- Indian Institute of Technology Madras
- Chennai 600036
- India
| | - Kaushik Kundu
- Department of Biotechnology
- Bhupat and Jyoti Mehta School of Biosciences
- Indian Institute of Technology Madras
- Chennai 600036
- India
| | - Anusha Basaiahgari
- Department of Chemistry
- Indian Institute of Technology Madras
- Chennai 600036
- India
| | - Akhil Pratap Singh
- Department of Chemistry
- Indian Institute of Technology Madras
- Chennai 600036
- India
- Department of Biotechnology
| | - Sanjib Senapati
- Department of Biotechnology
- Bhupat and Jyoti Mehta School of Biosciences
- Indian Institute of Technology Madras
- Chennai 600036
- India
| | - Ramesh L. Gardas
- Department of Chemistry
- Indian Institute of Technology Madras
- Chennai 600036
- India
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63
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Bisht M, Mondal D, Pereira MM, Freire MG, Venkatesu P, Coutinho JAP. Long-term protein packaging in bio-ionic liquids: Improved catalytic activity and enhanced stability of cytochrome C against multiple stresses. GREEN CHEMISTRY : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL AND GREEN CHEMISTRY RESOURCE : GC 2017; 19:4900-4911. [PMID: 30271272 PMCID: PMC6157724 DOI: 10.1039/c7gc02011b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
There is a considerable interest in the use of structurally stable and catalytically active enzymes, such as cytochrome C (Cyt C), in the pharmaceutical and fine chemical industries. However, harsh process conditions, such as temperature, pH, and presence of organic solvents, are the major barriers to the effective use of enzymes in biocatalysis. Herein, we demonstrate the suitability of bio-based ionic liquids (ILs) formed by the cholinium cation and dicarboxylate-based anions as potential media for enzymes, in which remarkable enhanced activity and improved stability of Cyt C against multiple stresses were obtained. Among the several bio-ILs studied, an exceptionally high catalytic activity (> 50-fold) of Cyt C was observed in aqueous solutions of cholinium glutarate ([Ch][Glu]; 1g/mL) as compared to the commonly used phosphate buffer solutions (pH 7.2), and > 25-fold as compared to aqueous solutions of cholinium dihydrogen phosphate ([Ch][Dhp]; 0.5g/mL) -the best known IL for long term stability of Cyt C. The catalytic activity of the enzyme in presence of bio-ILs was retained against several external stimulus, such as chemical denaturants (H2O2 and GuHCl), and temperatures up to 120 °C. The observed enzyme activity is in agreement with its structural stability, as confirmed by UV-Vis, circular dichroism (CD), and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopies. Taking advantage of the multi-ionization states of di/tri-carboxylic acids, the pH was switched from acidic to basic by the addition of the corresponding carboxylic acid and choline hydroxide, respectively. The activity was found to be maximum at a 1:1 ratio of [Ch][carboxylate], with a pH in the range from 3 to 5.5. Moreover, it was found that the bio-ILs studied herein protect the enzyme against protease digestion and allow long-term storage (at least for 21 weeks) at room temperature. An attempt by molecular docking was also made to better understand the efficacy of the investigated bio-ILs towards the enhanced activity and long term stability of Cyt C. The results showed that dicarboxylates anions interact with the active site's amino acids of the enzyme through H-bonding and electrostatic interactions, which are responsible for the observed enhancement of the catalytic activity. Finally, it is demonstrated that Cyt C can be successfully recovered from the aqueous solution of bio-ILs and reused without compromising its yield, structural integrity and catalytic activity, thereby overcoming the major limitations in the use of IL-protein systems in biocatalysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meena Bisht
- Department of Chemistry, University of Delhi, Delhi – 110 007, India
- Departamento de Química, CICECO, Universidade de Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Dibyendu Mondal
- Departamento de Química, CICECO, Universidade de Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Matheus M. Pereira
- Departamento de Química, CICECO, Universidade de Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Mara G. Freire
- Departamento de Química, CICECO, Universidade de Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - P. Venkatesu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Delhi, Delhi – 110 007, India
| | - J. A. P. Coutinho
- Departamento de Química, CICECO, Universidade de Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
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64
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Matias SC, Lourenço NMT, Fonseca LJP, Cordas CM. Comparative Electrochemical Behavior of Cytochrome c
on Aqueous Solutions Containing Choline-Based Room Temperature Ionic Liquids. ChemistrySelect 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/slct.201702052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Sara C. Matias
- iBB - Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences; Department of Bioengineering; Instituto Superior Técnico; Universidade de Lisboa; Avenida Rovisco Pais 1049-001 Lisbon Portugal
| | - Nuno M. T. Lourenço
- iBB - Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences; Department of Bioengineering; Instituto Superior Técnico; Universidade de Lisboa; Avenida Rovisco Pais 1049-001 Lisbon Portugal
| | - Luis J. P. Fonseca
- iBB - Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences; Department of Bioengineering; Instituto Superior Técnico; Universidade de Lisboa; Avenida Rovisco Pais 1049-001 Lisbon Portugal
| | - Cristina M. Cordas
- UCIBIO, REQUIMTE; Departamento de Química; Faculdade de Ciência e Tecnologia; Universidade Nova de Lisboa; 2819-516 Caparica Portugal
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65
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Liu C, Liao Y, Huang X. Fabrication of polymeric ionic liquid-modified magnetic adsorbent for extraction of apolar and polar pollutants in complicated samples. Talanta 2017; 172:23-30. [DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2017.05.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2017] [Revised: 05/03/2017] [Accepted: 05/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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66
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Room-temperature ionic liquids meet bio-membranes: the state-of-the-art. Biophys Rev 2017; 9:309-320. [PMID: 28779453 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-017-0279-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2017] [Accepted: 07/12/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Room-temperature ionic liquids (RTIL) are a new class of organic salts whose melting temperature falls below the conventional limit of 100 °C. Their low vapor pressure, moreover, has made these ionic compounds the solvents of choice of the so-called green chemistry. For these and other peculiar characteristics, they are increasingly used in industrial applications. However, studies of their interaction with living organisms have highlighted mild to severe health hazards. Since their cytotoxicity shows a positive correlation with their lipophilicity, several chemical-physical studies of their interactions with biomembranes have been carried out in the last few years, aiming to identify the molecular mechanisms behind their toxicity. Cation chain length and anion nature of RTILs have seemed to affect lipophilicity and, in turn, their toxicity. However, the emerging picture raises new questions, points to the need to assess toxicity on a case-by-case basis, but also suggests a potential positive role of RTILs in pharmacology, bio-medicine and bio-nanotechnology. Here, we review this new subject of research, and comment on the future and the potential importance of this emerging field of study.
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