Identification and quantification of phenanthrene ortho-quinones in human urine and their association with lipid peroxidation

The dangerous link between coal dust exposure and DNA damage: unraveling the role of some of the chemical agents and oxidative stress

Exposure to coal mining dust poses a substantial health hazard to individuals due to the complex mixture of components released during the extraction process. This study aimed to assess the oxidative potential of residual coal mining dust on human lymphocyte DNA and telomeres and to perform a chemical characterization of coal dust and urine samples. The study included 150 individuals exposed to coal dust for over ten years, along with 120 control individuals. The results revealed significantly higher levels of DNA damage in the exposed group, as indicated by the standard comet assay, and oxidative damage, as determined by the FPG-modified comet assay. Moreover, the exposed individuals exhibited significantly shorter telomeres compared to the control group, and a significant correlation was found between telomere length and oxidative DNA damage. Using the PIXE method on urine samples, significantly higher concentrations of sodium (Na), phosphorus (P), sulfur (S), chlorine (Cl), potassium (K), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), and bromine (Br) were observed in the exposed group compared to the control group. Furthermore, men showed shorter telomeres, greater DNA damage, and higher concentrations of nickel (Ni), calcium (Ca), and chromium (Cr) compared to exposed women. Additionally, the study characterized the particles released into the environment through GC-MS analysis, identifying several compounds, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) such as fluoranthene, naphthalene, anthracene, 7H-benzo[c]fluorene, phenanthrene, pyrene, benz[a]anthracene, chrysene, and some alkyl derivatives. These findings underscore the significant health risks associated with exposure to coal mining dust, emphasizing the importance of further research and the implementation of regulatory measures to safeguard the health of individuals in affected populations.

From polyphenol to o-quinone: Occurrence, significance, and intervention strategies in foods and health implications

Polyphenol oxidation is a chemical process impairing food freshness and other desirable qualities, which has become a serious problem in fruit and vegetable processing industry. It is crucial to understand the mechanisms involved in these detrimental alterations. o-Quinones are primarily generated by polyphenols with di/tri-phenolic groups through enzymatic oxidation and/or auto-oxidation. They are highly reactive species, which not only readily suffer the attack by nucleophiles but also powerfully oxidize other molecules presenting lower redox potentials via electron transfer reactions. These reactions and subsequent complicated reactions are capable of initiating quality losses in foods, such as browning, aroma loss, and nutritional decline. To attenuate these adverse influences, a variety of technologies have emerged to restrain polyphenol oxidation via governing different factors, especially polyphenol oxidases and oxygen. Despite tremendous efforts devoted, to date, the loss of food quality caused by quinones has remained a great challenge in the food processing industry. Furthermore, o-quinones are responsible for the chemopreventive effects and/or toxicity of the parent catechols on human health, the mechanisms by which are quite complex. Herein, this review focuses on the generation and reactivity of o-quinones, attempting to clarify mechanisms involved in the quality deterioration of foods and health implications for humans. Potential innovative inhibitors and technologies are also presented to intervene in o-quinone formation and subsequent reactions. In future, the feasibility of these inhibitory strategies should be evaluated, and further exploration on biological targets of o-quinones is of great necessity.

Facile synthesis of hollow microtubular COF as enrichment probe for quantitative detection of ultratrace quinones in mice plasma with APGC-MS/MS

A hollow microtubular covalent organic framework (denoted as TatDha-COF) was synthesized by solvothermal method for the enrichment and determination of quinones. The TatDha-COF showed large specific surface area (2057 m² g^-1), good crystal structure, ordered pore size distribution (2.3 nm), stable chemical properties and good reusability. Accordingly, a simple and efficient method based on dispersive solid-phase extraction (d-SPE) and atmospheric pressure gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (APGC-MS/MS) was developed for the determination of quinones in complex samples. The established method demonstrated a wide liner range, good linearity (r>0.9990), high enrichment factors (EFs, 24-69-folds) and low detection limits (LODs, 0.200-30.0 pg L^-1, S/N≥3). On this basis, the suggested method was successfully applied to sensitively detect the eight ultratrace quinones in mice plasma. Overall, the established method has provided a powerful tool for the enrichment and detection of ultratrace quinones in complex samples, presenting the promising application of TatDha-COF in sample pretreatment.

Biodegradation and detoxification of phenanthrene in in vitro and in vivo conditions by a newly isolated ligninolytic fungus Coriolopsis byrsina strain APC5 and characterization of their metabolites for environmental safety

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are recalcitrant organic pollutants generated from agricultural, industrial, and municipal sources, and their strong carcinogenic and teratogenic properties pose a harmful threat to human beings. The present study deals with the bioremediation of phenanthrene by a ligninolytic fungus, Coriolopsis byrsina (Mont.) Ryvarden strain APC5 (GenBank; KY418163.1), isolated from the fruiting body of decayed wood surface. During the experiment, Coriolopsis byrsina strain APC5 was found as a promising organism for the degradation and detoxification of phenanthrene (PHE) in in vitro and in vivo conditions. Further, HPLC analysis showed that the C. byrsina strain degraded 99.90% of 20 mg/L PHE in in vitro condition, whereas 77.48% degradation of 50 mg/L PHE was reported in in vivo condition. The maximum degradation of PHE was noted 25 °C temperature under shaking flask conditions at pH 6.0. Further, GC-MS analysis of fungal treated samples showed detection of 9,10-Dihydroxy phenanthrene, 2,2-Diphenic acid, phthalic acid, 4-heptyloxy phenol, benzene octyl, and acetic acid anhydride as the metabolic products of degraded PHE. Furthermore, the phytotoxicity evaluation of degraded PHE was observed through the seed germination method using Vigna radiata and Cicer arietinum seeds. The phytotoxicity results showed that the seed germination index and vegetative growth parameters of tested plants were increased in the degraded PHE soil. As results, C. byrsina strain APC5 was found to be a potential and promising organism to degrade and detoxify PHE without showing any adverse effect of their metabolites.

Rapid analysis of quinones in complex matrices by derivatization-based wooden-tip electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

Quinones are important components participating in various biological processes as well as hazardous substances to human health. Rapid determination of quinones in environmental samples and biofluids is the basis for assessing their health effect. Here, we presented a rapid, straightforward, highly sensitive and environmental-friendly wooden-tip electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) method for the determination of quinones in PM2.5, urine and serum. An amine group "tag" was introduced to the quinone structure through in situ derivatization with cysteamine to improve ionization efficiency of quinones in wooden-tip ESI-MS. The toothpicks were treated by sharpening and acidification with HNO₃. Experimental parameters, including sample volume, spray voltage, and spray solvent composition were optimized to be 1 μL, 3.5 kV, and ACN/CH₃COOC₂H₅ (v/v, 9:1), respectively. The limits of detection for the determination of 1,4-benzoquinone, methyl-p-benzoquinone, 1,4-naphthoquinone and 1,4-anthraquinone in ACN under the optimal conditions were 1.00, 0.96, 0.13, 0.16 ng (1.00, 0.96, 0.13, 0.16 μg/mL, sample volume, 1 μL), respectively. This approach was successfully applied to the determination of 1,4-naphthoquinone and 1,4-anthraquinone in complex matrices, including PM2.5, urine and serum without or with minimal sample preparation (LOD range: 0.22-1.48 ng).

Cigarette smoking enhances the metabolic activation of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon phenanthrene in humans

Although it is well established that human cytochrome P450 1 family enzymes are induced by cigarette smoking through activation of the Ah receptor, it is not known whether this leads to increased metabolic activation or detoxification of carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), which are present in cigarette smoke and the general environment. We gave oral doses of deuterated phenanthrene ([D10]Phe), a non-carcinogenic surrogate of carcinogenic PAH such as benzo[a]pyrene, to smokers (N = 170, 1 or 10 μg doses) and non-smokers (N = 57, 1 μg dose). Bioactivation products (dihydrodiol and tetraol) and detoxification products (phenols) of [D10]Phe were determined in 6-h urine to obtain a comprehensive metabolic profile. Cigarette smoking increased the bioactivation of [D10]Phe and decreased its detoxification resulting in significantly different metabolic patterns between smokers and non-smokers (P < 0.01), consistent with increased cancer risk in smokers. The Phe bioactivation ratios ([D10]PheT/total [D9]OHPhe) were significantly higher (2.3 (P < 0.01) to 4.8 (P < 0.001) fold) in smokers than non-smokers. With solid human in vivo evidence, our results for the first time demonstrate that cigarette smoking enhances the metabolic activation of Phe, structurally representative of carcinogenic PAH, in humans, strongly supporting their causal role in cancers caused by smoking. The results suggest potential new methods for identifying smokers who could be at particularly high risk for cancer.