A study of simultaneous photolysis and photoaddition reactions of riboflavin in aqueous solution

Stabilizing effect of citrate buffer on the photolysis of riboflavin in aqueous solution

In the present investigation the photolysis of riboflavin (RF) in the presence of citrate species at pH 4.0-7.0 has been studied. A specific multicomponent spectrophotometric method has been used to assay RF in the presence of photoproducts during the reactions. The overall first-order rate constants (k obs ) for the photolysis of RF range from 0.42 to 1.08×10(-2) min(-1) in the region. The values of k obs have been found to decrease with an increase in citrate concentration indicating an inhibitory effect of these species on the rate of reaction. The second-order rate constants for the interaction of RF with total citrate species causing inhibition range from 1.79 to 5.65×10(-3) M(-1) min(-1) at pH 4.0-7.0. The log k-pH profiles for the reactions at 0.2-1.0 M citrate concentration show a gradual decrease in k obs and the value at 1.0 M is more than half compared to that of k 0, i.e., in the absence of buffer, at pH 5.0. Divalent citrate ions cause a decrease in RF fluorescence due to the quenching of the excited singlet state resulting in a decrease in the rate of reaction and consequently leading to the stabilization of RF solutions. The greater quenching of fluorescence at pH 4.0 compared to that of 7.0 is in accordance with the greater concentration of divalent citrate ions (99.6%) at that pH. The trivalent citrate ions exert a greater inhibitory effect on the rate of RF photolysis compared to that of the divalent citrate ions probably as a result of excited triplet state quenching. The values of second-order rate constants for the interaction of divalent and trivalent citrate ions are 0.44×10(-2) and 1.06×10(-3) M(-1) min(-1), respectively, indicating that the trivalent ions exert a greater stabilizing effect, compared to the divalent ions, on RF solutions.

ESR study of the singlet oxygen quenching and protective activity of Trolox on the photodecomposition of riboflavin and lumiflavin in aqueous buffer solutions

Singlet oxygen quenching activity of Trolox, a water-soluble derivative of tocopherol, was studied by electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy in a buffer solution (pH 7.4) containing methylene blue (MB), 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidone (TMPD) after light illumination for 30 min. Trolox at the concentration of 125 microM quenched 89.1% singlet oxygen in the system. Trolox showed significantly higher singlet oxygen quenching activity than ascorbic acid in the buffer solution (P < 0.05). Riboflavin in phosphate buffer solutions was degraded very fast under fluorescent light illumination. The photodegradation rate of riboflavin at pH 8.5 was significantly higher than pHs 4.5 and 6.5 (P < 0.05). Lumiflavin was also degraded under the fluorescent light illumination, but its degradation rate was much lower than that of riboflavin under the same light intensity. Unlike riboflavin, the rate of lumiflavin photodegradation was the greatest at pH 4.5 and followed by pHs 6.5 and 8.5, in a decreasing order. Trolox greatly protected the photodegradation of riboflavin and lumiflavin. The protective activities of Trolox against the photodegradation of riboflavin and lumiflavin were also pH dependent. The treatments of 5 mM Trolox in the buffer solutions of pHs 8.5 and 6.5 exhibited 56.1% and 31.7% protection of riboflavin against degradation during 120 min light illumination, respectively. The treatments of Trolox at the concentrations of 1, 3, and 5 mM in the buffer of 6.5 exhibited 14.8%, 58.4%, and 81.4% protection of lumiflavin against degradation during 24 h light illumination, respectively.

Determination of riboflavin by enhancing the chemiluminescence intensity of peroxomonosulfate-cobalt(II) system

A weak chemiluminescent (CL) emission was observed in the decomposition of peroxomonosulfate (HSO5-), which would be accelerated in the presence of trace amounts of cobalt (II). The mechanism was due to the production of singlet oxygen (1O2). Interestedly, riboflavin can enhance the CL and the CL intensity was strongly dependent on riboflavin concentration. Based on this phenomenon, a flow injection analysis (FIA) CL method was established for the determination of riboflavin. Additionally, the possible CL mechanism is proposed based on the kinetic curve of the CL reaction, CL spectra, UV-vis spectra and fluorescent spectra. The CL intensity was correlated linearly with concentration of riboflavin over the range of 1.0x10(-4) to 1.0x10(-8) g mL-1; the detection limit was 9.0x10(-9) g mL-1(S/N=3); the relative standard deviation was 1.4% for 9x10(-7) g mL-1 riboflavin (n=11). Furthermore, this method was applied to the determination of riboflavin in real tablets and injections successfully.

Photoinduced generation of 2,3-butanedione from riboflavin

The volatile compound formation from riboflavin solution of a phosphate buffer (0.1 M, pH 6.5) under light for 15 h was studied by SPME-GC and SPME-GC/MS analysis. Only one major compound in the riboflavin solution was formed and increased as the light exposure time increased. The light-exposed riboflavin solution had a buttery odor. The compound of riboflavin solution under light was analyzed by gas chromatography and olfactometry. The major volatile compound eluted from the gas chromatograph had a buttery odor. The buttery odor compound was positively identified as 2,3-butanedione by a combination of gas chromatographic retention time, mass spectrum, and odor evaluation of authentic 2,3-butanedione. The addition of sodium azide, a singlet oxygen quencher, to riboflavin solution minimized the formation of the buttery odor compound. Singlet oxygen was involved in the formation of the buttery odor. The 2,3-butanedione was produced from the reaction between riboflavin and singlet oxygen. Singlet oxygen was formed from triplet oxygen by riboflavin photosensitization mechanism. This is the first reported oxidation reaction between riboflavin and singlet or triplet in food and biological systems.

A promising action of riboflavin as a mediator of leukaemia cell death

Besides having a pivotal biological function as a component of coenzymes, riboflavin appears a promissing antitumoral agent, but the underlying molecular mechanism remains unclear. In this work, we demonstrate that irradiated riboflavin, when applied at microM concentrations, induces an orderly sequence of signaling events finally leading to leukemia cell death. The molecular mechanism involved is dependent on the activation of caspase 8 caused by overexpression of Fas and FasL and also on mitochondrial amplification mechanisms, involving the stimulation of ceramide production by sphingomyelinase and ceramide synthase. The activation of this cascade led to an inhibition of mitogen activated protein kinases: JNK, MEK and ERK and survival mediators (PKB and IAP1), upregulation of the proapoptotic Bcl2 member Bax and downregulation of cell cycle progression regulators. Importantly, induction of apoptosis by irradiated riboflavin was leukaemia cell specific, as normal human lymphocytes did not respond to the compound with cell death. Our data indicate that riboflavin selectively activates Fas cascade and also constitutes a death receptor-engaged drug without harmful side effects in normal cells, bolstering the case for using this compound as a novel avenue for combating cancerous disease.

Photolysis of formylmethylflavin in aqueous and organic solvents

The photolysis of formylmethylflavin (FMF), a major intermediate in the photodegradation sequence of riboflavin, has been carried out in water (pH 7.0) and in several organic solvents. FMF produces lumichrome (LC) in organic solvents and LC and lumiflavin (LF) in aqueous solution. FMF and its photoproducts have been analysed using a specific multicomponent spectrophotometric method. FMF undergoes a bimolecular redox reaction on photolysis. The second-order rate constants for the reaction range from 0.66 (chloroform) to 2.44 M(-1) s(-1) (water) and are a linear function of the solvent dielectric constant. A plot of ln k against 1/epsilon is linear for the reactions in 1-butanol, 1-propanol, ethanol, methanol, acetonitrile and water (epsilon approximately 17-79) and non-linear in chloroform and dichloroethane (epsilon approximately 5-10) suggesting a change in reaction mechanism in the two regions. This may be explained on the basis of the existence of a dipolar intermediate along the reaction pathway. The rate of photolysis is governed by the solvation of the intermediate and is thus influenced by the dielectric constant of the medium. The solvent effect on the rate of photolysis of FMF has been expressed in terms of the solvent acceptor number. A linear relationship has been found between ln k and the solvent acceptor number.

Effect of light intensity and wavelengths on photodegradation reactions of riboflavin in aqueous solution

A study of the effect of light intensity and wavelengths on photodegradation reactions of riboflavin (RF) solutions in the presence of phosphate buffer using three UV and visible radiation sources has been made. The rates and magnitude of the two major photodegradation reactions of riboflavin in phosphate buffer (i.e., photoaddition and photoreduction) depend on light intensity as well as the wavelengths of irradiation. Photoaddition is facilitated by UV radiation and yields cyclodehydroriboflavin (CDRF) whereas photoreduction results from normal photolysis yielding lumichrome (LC) and lumiflavin (LF). The ratios of the photoproducts of the two reactions at 2.0 M phosphate concentration, CDRF/RF (0.09-0.22) and CDRF/LC (0.54-1.75), vary with the radiation source and are higher with UV radiation than those of the visible radiation. On the contrary, the ratios of LF/LC (0.15-0.25) increase on changing the radiation source from UV to visible. The rate is much faster with UV radiation causing 25% degradation of a 10(-5) M riboflavin solution in 7.5 min compared to that of visible radiations in 150-330 min.

Effect of phosphate buffer on photodegradation reactions of riboflavin in aqueous solution

The effect of phosphate buffer on aerobic photodegradation reactions of riboflavin (RF) at pH 7.0 has been studied. The photoproducts of the two major reactions, viz., intramolecular photoreduction and intramolecular photoaddition, have been determined by a specific multicomponent spectrophotometric method. The overall photodegradation of riboflavin in the presence of phosphate buffer involves the participation of both H2PO4-and HPO4(2-) species. The second-order rate constants for the H2PO4(-)-catalysed photodegradation of riboflavin (normal photolysis) to lumichrome (LC) and HPO4(2-)-catalysed photodegradation of riboflavin (photoaddition) to cyclodehydroriboflavin (CDRF) are 0.93 x 10(-4) and 4.0 x 10(-4) M(-1) s(-1), respectively. The addition of 0.25-2.00 M phosphate to RF solutions at pH 7.0 gives rise to RF-HPO4(2-) complex and hence the quenching of 4-36% fluorescence, respectively. This results in the suppression of normal photolysis leading to the formation of LC in favour of photoaddition to yield CDRF. The present study shows the involvement of H2PO4- anions in the base-catalysed degradation of riboflavin by normal photolysis vis-a-vis the involvement of HPO42- anions in photoaddition reactions of riboflavin suggested earlier [M. Schuman Jorns, G. Schollnhammer, P. Hemmerich, Intramolecular addition of the riboflavin side chain. Anion-catalysed neutral photochemistry, Eur. J. Biochem. 57 (1975) 35-48].

Photolysis of riboflavin in aqueous solution: a kinetic study

The kinetics of photolysis of aqueous riboflavin solutions on UV and visible irradiation has been studied in the pH range 1-12 using a specific multicomponent spectrophotometric method for the simultaneous determination of riboflavin and its major photoproducts (formylmethylflavin, lumichrome and lumiflavin). The apparent first-order rate constants for the photodegradation reactions in the pH range have been determined. The log k-pH profiles indicate that riboflavin has maximum photostability around pH 5-6, at which the rate of oxidation-reduction of the molecule is lowest. The cationic and anionic forms of riboflavin are non-fluorescent and less susceptible to photolysis than the non-ionised molecule as indicated by the relatively slow rates below pH 3.0 and above pH 10.0. The rate of photolysis is increased up to 80-fold at pH 10.0, compared to that at pH 5.0, due to increase in redox potentials with an increase in pH and consequently the ease with which the molecule is oxidised. The increase in rate at pH 3.0, compared to that at pH 5.0, appears to be due to the involvement of the excited singlet state as well as the triplet state in riboflavin degradation. The apparent first-order rate constants for the photolysis of riboflavin at pH 5.0-10.0 with UV and visible radiation are 0.185 x 10(-2) to 13.182 x 10(-2)min(-1) and 0.098 x 10(-2) to 7.762 x 10(-2)min(-1), respectively.