PolyGuanine methacrylate cryogels for ribonucleic acid purification

Cryogels and Monoliths: Promising Tools for Chromatographic Purification of Nucleic Acids

The increasing demand for highly pure biopharmaceuticals has put significant pressure on the biotechnological industry to innovate in production and purification processes. Nucleic acid purification, crucial for gene therapy and vaccine production, presents challenges due to the unique physical and chemical properties of these molecules. Meeting regulatory standards necessitates large quantities of biotherapeutic agents of high purity. While conventional chromatography offers versatility and efficiency, it suffers from drawbacks like low flow rates and binding capacity, as well as high mass transfer resistance. Recent advancements in continuous beds, including monoliths and cryogel-based systems, have emerged as promising solutions to overcome these limitations. This review explores and evaluates the latest progress in chromatography utilizing monolithic and cryogenic supports for nucleic acid purification.

Reducing lactose content of milk from livestock and humans via lactose imprinted poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate-N-methacryloyl-i-aspartic acid) cryogels

Lactase, which can cause lactose intolerance in its deficiency, is a vital enzyme concerning digestion. To overcome lactose intolerance for patients with digestion problem depending of this kind of issue, lactose in food should be removed. In this study, lactose imprinted poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate-N-methacryloyl-l-aspartic acid), poly(HEMA-MAsp), cryogels were synthesized to reduce the amount of lactose content of milk samples. Occurrence of desired bounds, structural integrity, and surface characteristics were analyzed via Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), micro computed tomography (CT), and confocal microscope methods. Water retention characteristic were tested in solution with different electrolytic nature. Adsorption parameters were optimized in an aqueous medium. The adsorption performance of imprinted cryogels was studied in milk samples obtained from cow, sheep, goat, buffalo, and from human volunteers at different intervals after birth. Amount of lactose adsorbed in aqueous media and milk sample from humans were 322 (56.7%) and 179.5 (5.94%) mg lactose/g polymer, respectively. Selectivity studies revealed an approximately 8-fold increase in adsorption rate of molecularly imprinted cryogels as compared to that of nonimprinted cryogels. In addition, competitive adsorption was conducted using lactose-imprinted cryogels in aqueous media containing lactose, glucose, and galactose molecules resulting in adsorption rates of 220.56, 57.87, and 61.65 mg biomolecule/g polymer, respectively.

Solvent effect on endosulfan adsorption onto polymeric arginine-methacrylate cryogels

Endosulfan is a persistent insecticide that is still used in some countries even though it is life-threatening and banned in the agricultural struggle. The solubility of pesticides in water is negligible. It is known that pesticides with better solubility in organic solvents have different solubility when the dielectric constants of these solvents are taken into account. The polymeric structure of arginine was modified with methacrylate to be a functional monomer, and it was immobilized on a solid support, poly(HEMA), and finally, poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate-arginine methacrylate) was obtained and used as an effective adsorbent. The effect of organic solvents on endosulfan adsorption was investigated for the first time in the literature. Endosulfan was removed from alcohol media by using this polymeric structure synthesized by exploiting alcoho-phobic interaction in this work. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), elemental analysis, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) methods were used for the structural characterization and therefore to prove successful synthesis of cryogels. Morphological characteristics were also investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), an N₂ adsorption method, and swelling test. Adsorption experiments were carried out against varying interaction time and concentration parameters in the batch system. Since the alcohol used as a solvent has a pH value close to the ionic strength of drinking water, no change was made in the pH of the solution. Endosulfan molecules dissolved in solvents such as toluene, dichloromethane, acetone, and chloroform were removed using poly(HEMA-ArMA) cryogels to determine the solvent effect on the adsorption of endosulfan. As expected, the removal of endosulfan from the solvent toluene provided the best result. Although the adsorption in toluene is almost 9.5 times higher than that in ethanol, the use of toluene in the adsorption process due to its chemical structure is not feasible. Thus, experiments were carried out in ethanol.

Removal of DDE by exploiting the alcoho-phobic interactions

DDE (1,1-bis-(4-chlorophenyl)-2,2-dichloroethene), which is a commonly used pesticides in agriculture, has harmful effects on human health. Therefore, the removal of this substance from the drinking water and the soil is essential. Since DDT (1,1″-(2,2,2-Trichloroethane-1,1-diyl) bis(4-chlorobenzene)) is derivation of DDE, the presence of DDT can be monitored by the detection of DDE present in the environment. Herein, we report on the development of aspartic acid-incorporated poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate-L-aspartic acid) [poly(HEMA-MAsp)] cryogel for the removal of DDE from aqueous solutions for the first time in the literature. The synthesized cryogels were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), an N₂ adsorption method, elemental analysis, and swelling test. The separation experiments were carried out via a batch system to get the optimum adsorption conditions including pH, interaction time, initial DDE concentration, and temperature. The desorption and the reusability results revealed that there was no significant decrease in the DDE adsorption capacity of the cryogels after five adsorption-desorption cycles. The maximum DDE adsorption capacity of poly(HEMA-MAsp) cryogels was found to be 31.51 mg DDE/g polymer for 50 mg DDE/L solution.

Polychelated cryogels: hemoglobin adsorption from human blood

The separation and purification methods are extremely important for the hemoglobin (Hb) which is a crucial biomolecule. The adsorption technique is popular among these methods and the cryogels have been used quite much due to their macropores and interconnected flow channels. In this study, the Hb adsorption onto the Cu(II) immobilized poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate-glycidyl methacrylate), poly(HEMA-GMA)-Cu(II), cryogels was investigated under different conditions (pH, interaction time, initial Hb concentration, temperature and ionic strength) to optimize adsorption conditions. The swelling test, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope (SEM), surface area (BET), elemental and ICP-OES analysis were performed for the characterization of cryogels. Polyethyleneimine (PEI) molecule was used as a Cu(II)-chelating ligand. The Hb adsorption capacity of cryogels was determined as 193.8 mg Hb/g cryogel. The isolation of Hb from human blood was also studied under optimum adsorption conditions determined and the Hb (124.5 mg/g cryogel) was isolated. The adsorption model was investigated in the light of Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherm models and it was determined to be more appropriate to the Langmuir adsorption isotherm model.