Protective role of l-threonine against cadmium toxicity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Environment and food contamination with cadmium (Cd) can cause serious toxicity, posing a severe threat to agricultural production and human health. However, how amino acids contribute to defenses against oxidative stress caused by Cd in cells is not fully understood. As a model eukaryote with a relatively clear genetic background, Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been commonly used in Cd toxicity research. To gain insight into Cd toxicity and cell defenses against it, 20 amino acids were screened for protective roles against Cd stress in S. cerevisiae. The results showed that threonine (Thr, T) had the strongest protective effect against Cd-induced mortality and membrane damage in the cells. Compared to the antioxidant vitamin C (VC), Thr exhibited a higher efficacy in restoring the superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity that was inhibited by Cd but not by H₂ O₂ in vivo. Thr exhibited evident DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) activity but weak ABTS (2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-9 sulfonic acid)) scavenging activity, giving it a weaker effect against Cd-induced lipid peroxidation and superoxide radical O^2- , compared to VC. More importantly, compared to the chelating agent EDTA, Thr showed stronger chelation of Cd, giving it a stronger protective effect on SOD against Cd than VC in vitro. The results of the in vivo and in vitro experiments revealed that the role Thr plays in cell defenses against Cd may be attributed to its protection of the SOD enzyme, predominantly through the preferential chelation of Cd. Our results provide insights into the protective mechanisms of amino acid Thr that ameliorate Cd toxicity and suggest that a supplement of Thr might help to reduce Cd-induced oxidative damage.

Recent trends in analytical methods for the determination of amino acids in biological samples

Amino acids are widely distributed in biological fluids and involved in many biological processes, such as the synthesis of proteins, fatty acids, and ketone bodies. The altered levels of amino acids in biological fluids have been found to be closely related to several diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, kidney disease, liver disease, and cancer. Therefore, the development of analytical methods to measure amino acid concentrations in biological samples can contribute to research on the physiological actions of amino acids and the prediction, diagnosis and understanding of diseases. This review describes the analytical methods reported in 2012-2016 that utilized liquid chromatography and capillary electrophoresis coupled with ultraviolet, fluorescence, mass spectrometry, and electrochemical detection. Additionally, the relationship between amino acid concentrations and several diseases is also summarized.

Analysis of free amino acids in flue-cured tobacco leaves using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with single quadrupole mass spectrometry

Amino acids are one of the most important metabolites of organisms. They play an important role in plant growth, development, and product quality. A method based on RP ultra-performance LC with single quadrupole MS and 6-aminoquinolyl-N-hydroxysuccinimidyl carbamate precolumn derivatization was developed for the analysis of free amino acids in flue-cured tobacco leaves. Unlike the corresponding UV detection method, this method avoids matrix interference of complicated tobacco components, and the quantitative accuracy and resolution were improved. Twenty free amino acids were detected in flue-cured tobacco leaves. The method showed a good linearity with correlation coefficients of 0.9966-0.9998. The LODs for derivatized amino acids were 0.2-9.7 fmol/μL. Good repeatability with an RSD of 2.5-8.6% and satisfactory intra- and interday precisions were obtained. The developed method was used to investigate free amino acids in flue-cured tobacco leaves in China. The effects of aroma type, variety, and growing regions on free amino acids were investigated. The results showed that free amino acids in tobacco were affected by growing regions and varieties.