Iron: Life's primeval transition metal

Modern life requires many different metal ions, which enable diverse biochemical functions. It is commonly assumed that metal ions' environmental availabilities controlled the evolution of early life. We argue that evolution can only explore the chemistry that life encounters, and fortuitous chemical interactions between metal ions and biological compounds can only be selected for if they first occur sufficiently frequently. We calculated maximal transition metal ion concentrations in the ancient ocean, determining that the amounts of biologically important transition metal ions were orders of magnitude lower than ferrous iron. Under such conditions, primitive bioligands would predominantly interact with Fe(II). While interactions with other metals in certain environments may have provided evolutionary opportunities, the biochemical capacities of Fe(II), Fe-S clusters, or the plentiful magnesium and calcium could have satisfied all functions needed by early life. Primitive organisms could have used Fe(II) exclusively for their transition metal ion requirements.

Biological Functions of Antioxidant Dipeptides

In the history of modern nutritional science, understanding antioxidants is one of the major topics. In many cases, food-derived antioxidants have π conjugate or thiol group in their molecular structures because π conjugate stabilizes radical by its delocalization and two thiol groups form a disulfide bond in its antioxidative process. In recent years, antioxidant peptides have received much attention because for their ability to scavenge free radicals, inhibition of lipid peroxidation, chelation of transition metal ions, as well as their additional nutritional value. Among them, dipeptides are attracting much interest as post-amino acids, which have residues in common with amino acids, but also have different physiological properties and functions from those of amino acids. Especially, dipeptides containing moieties of several amino acid (tryptophan, tyrosine, histidine, cysteine, and methionine) possess potent antioxidant activity. This review summarizes previous details of structural property, radical scavenging activity, and biological activity of antioxidant dipeptide. Hopefully, this review will help provide a new insight into the study of the biological functions of antioxidant dipeptides.

On-Line Thermally Induced Evolved Gas Analysis: An Update-Part 1: EGA-MS

Advances in on-line thermally induced evolved gas analysis (OLTI-EGA) have been systematically reported by our group to update their applications in several different fields and to provide useful starting references. The importance of an accurate interpretation of the thermally-induced reaction mechanism which involves the formation of gaseous species is necessary to obtain the characterization of the evolved products. In this review, applications of Evolved Gas Analysis (EGA) performed by on-line coupling heating devices to mass spectrometry (EGA-MS), are reported. Reported references clearly demonstrate that the characterization of the nature of volatile products released by a substance subjected to a controlled temperature program allows us to prove a supposed reaction or composition, either under isothermal or under heating conditions. Selected 2019, 2020, and 2021 references are collected and briefly described in this review.

Application of Innovative TGA/Chemometric Approach for Forensic Purposes: The Estimation of the Time since Death in Contaminated Specimens

Chronothanatology has always been a challenge in forensic sciences. Therefore, the importance of a multidisciplinary approach for the characterization of matrices (organs, tissues, or fluids) that respond linearly to the postmortem interval (PMI) is emerging increasingly. The vitreous humor is particularly suitable for studies aimed at assessing time-related modifications because it is topographically isolated and well-protected. In this work, a novel approach based on thermogravimetry and chemometrics was used to estimate the time since death in the vitreous humor and to collect a databank of samples derived from postmortem examinations after medico–legal evaluation. In this study, contaminated and uncontaminated specimens with tissue fragments were included in order to develop a classification model to predict time of death based on partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) that was as robust as possible. Results demonstrate the possibility to correctly predict the PMI even in contaminated samples, with an accuracy not lower than 70%. In addition, the correlation coefficient of the measured versus predicted outcomes was found to be 0.9978, confirming the ability of the model to extend its feasibility even to such situations involving contaminated vitreous humor.

Assessing the Quality of Milk Using a Multicomponent Analytical Platform MicroNIR/Chemometric

In this work, an innovative screening platform based on MicroNIR and chemometrics is proposed for the on-site and contactless monitoring of the quality of milk using simultaneous multicomponent analysis. The novelty of this completely automated tool consists of a miniaturized NIR spectrometer operating in a wireless mode that allows samples to be processed in a rapid and accurate way and to obtain in a single click a comprehensive characterization of the chemical composition of milk. To optimize the platform, milk specimens with different origins and compositions were considered and prediction models were developed by chemometric analysis of the NIR spectra using Partial Least Square regression algorithms. Once calibrated, the platform was used to predict samples acquired in the market and validation was performed by comparing results of the novel platform with those obtained from the chromatographic analysis. Results demonstrated the ability of the platform to differentiate milk as a function of the distribution of fatty acids, providing a rapid and non-destructive method to assess the quality of milk and to avoid food adulteration.

Development of a "single-click" analytical platform for the detection of cannabinoids in hemp seed oil

In this work, an innovative screening platform is developed and validated for the on site detection of cannabinoids in hemp seed oil, for food safety control of commercial products. The novelty of this completely automated tool consists of a miniaturized NIR spectrometer operating in a wireless mode that permits processing samples in a rapid and accurate way and to obtain in a single click the early detection of a residual amount of cannabinoids in oil, including cannabidiol (CBD), the psychoactive Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and the Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA). Simulated samples were realized to instruct the platform and prediction models were developed by chemometric analysis of the NIR spectra using partial least square regression algorithms. Once calibrated, the platform was used to predict samples acquired in the market and on websites. Validation of the system was achieved by comparing results with those obtained from GC-MS analyses and a good correlation was observed.

Removal of As(III) from Biological Fluids: Mono- versus Dithiolic Ligands

Arsenic is one of the inorganic pollutants typically found in natural waters, and its toxic effects on the human body are currently of great concern. For this reason, the search for detoxifying agents that can be used in a so-called “chelation therapy” is of primary importance. However, to the aim of finding the thermodynamic behavior of efficient chelating agents, extensive speciation studies, capable of reproducing physiological conditions in terms of pH, temperature, and ionic strength, are in order. Here, we report on the acid–base properties of meso-2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) at different temperatures (i.e., T = 288.15, 298.15, 310.15, and 318.15 K). In particular, its capability to interact with As(III) has been investigated by experimentally evaluating some crucial thermodynamic parameters (ΔH and TΔS), stability constants, and its speciation model. Additionally, in order to gather information on the microscopic coordination modalities of As(III) with the functional groups of DMSA and, at the same time, to better interpret the experimental results, a series of state-of-the-art ab initio molecular dynamics simulations have been performed. For the sake of completeness, the sequestering capabilities of DMSA—a simple dithiol ligand—toward As(III) are directly compared with those recently emerged from similar analyses reported on monothiol ligands.

Thermodynamic parameters for the protonation and the interaction of arsenate with Mg2+, Ca2+ and Sr2+: Application to natural waters

Thermodynamic parameters for the protonation of AsO₄^3- and for the interaction with Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺ and Sr²⁺ were reported, comprehensive also of their dependence on ionic strength, considering the 0.1 ≤ I ≤ 1 M range and using NaCl as background salt. The same speciation models were obtained for Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺ and Sr²⁺ systems, with the formation of three different species: ML, MLH and MLH₂ (L = AsO₄^3-). Mono- and di-protonated species were very weak, with formation constant values (log K) ranging from 1.45 to 3.23. In order to have a complete picture of thermodynamic properties of the systems under study and to fill the shortage of thermodynamic data on arsenate complex systems, the ligand protonation and metal complex enthalpies were also determined by calorimetric titrations, at t = 25 °C and in NaCl at I = 0.7 M (for H⁺-AsO₄^3- species also at I = 0.1 M). On the light of the proposed speciation models, examples of As(V) distribution in some natural waters are reported.

Whole-cell bioreporters and risk assessment of environmental pollution: A proof-of-concept study using lead

As the world burden of environmental contamination increases, it is of the utmost importance to develop streamlined approaches to environmental risk assessment in order to prioritize mitigation measures. Whole-cell biosensors or bioreporters and speciation modeling have both become of increasing interest to determine the bioavailability of pollutants, as bioavailability is increasingly in use as an indicator of risk. Herein, we examine whether bioreporter results are able to reflect expectations based on chemical reactivity and speciation modeling, with the hope to extend the research into a wider framework of risk assessment. We study a specific test case concerning the bioavailability of lead (Pb) in aqueous environments containing Pb-complexing ligands. Ligands studied include ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid (EDTA), meso-2,3 dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA), leucine, methionine, cysteine, glutathione, and humic acid (HA), and we also performed experiments using natural water samples from Lake Tai (Taihu), the third largest lake in China. We find that EDTA, DMSA, cysteine, glutathione, and HA amendment significantly reduced Pb bioavailability with increasing ligand concentration according to a log-sigmoid trend. Increasing dissolved organic carbon in Taihu water also had the same effect, whereas leucine and methionine had no notable effect on bioavailability at the concentrations tested. We find that bioreporter results are in accord with the reduction of aqueous Pb²⁺ that we expect from the relative complexation affinities of the different ligands tested. For EDTA and HA, for which reasonably accurate ionization and complexation constants are known, speciation modeling is in agreement with bioreporter response to within the level of uncertainty recognised as reasonable by the United States Environmental Protection Agency for speciation-based risk assessment applications. These findings represent a first step toward using bioreporter technology to streamline the biological confirmation or validation of speciation modeling for use in environmental risk assessment.

Potentiometric, UV and 1H NMR study on the interaction of Cu2+ with ampicillin and amoxicillin in aqueous solution

A potentiometric, UV and ¹H NMR study on Cu²⁺-ampicillin [(2S,5R,6R)-6-([(2R)-2-amino-2-phenylacetyl]amino)-3,3-dimethyl-7-oxo-4-thia-1-azabicyclo[3.2.0]heptane-2-carboxylic acid] and -amoxicillin [(2S,5R,6R)-6-{[(2R)-2-amino-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-acetyl]amino}-3,3-dimethyl-7-oxo-4-thia-1-azabicyclo[3.2.0]heptane-24-carboxylic acid] systems in NaCl aqueous solution at I=0.15molL^-1 and t=25°C is reported. On the basis of potentiometric results two speciation models were proposed for each system. It was found that spectrophotometric and ¹H NMR measurements are essential for selecting the most reliable speciation models. They included ML, MLOH and ML(OH)₂ species in both systems and, only for Cu²⁺-ampicillin, also MLH species. The stability constants obtained by UV and ¹H NMR titrations were comparable to the ones calculated by potentiometry. The sequestering ability of the ligands under study towards Cu²⁺ by pL_0.5 empiric parameter (ligand concentration required to sequester 50% of the metal cation present in traces) at several pH values was calculated as well. For ampicillin and amoxicillin, pL_0.5=7.19 and 6.67, respectively, at physiological pH, I=0.15molL^-1 and t=25°C were obtained.

Potentiometric, UV and 1H NMR study on the interaction of penicillin derivatives with Zn(II) in aqueous solution

The interaction of Zn(II) with ampicillin [(2S,5R,6R)-6-([(2R)-2-amino-2-phenylacetyl]amino)-3,3-dimethyl-7-oxo-4-thia-1-azabicyclo[3.2.0]heptane-2- carboxylic acid] and amoxicillin [(2S,5R,6R)-6-{[(2R)-2-amino-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-acetyl]amino}-3,3-dimethyl-7-oxo-4-thia-1-azabicyclo[3.2.0]heptane-24-carboxylic acid] in NaCl aqueous solution at different ionic strengths and at t=25°C was investigated by potentiometric, UV and ¹H NMR techniques. Fairly similar speciation models were obtained for the two systems. At I=0.15molL^-1, two different sets of measurements, at low and high concentrations, were carried out. For the Zn²⁺-amoxicillin system, the Zn₂L₂(OH)₂ species was obtained in the set of measurements at high concentration. The spectrophotometric and ¹H NMR results thus obtained are fully consistent with the speciation models found from potentiometric investigations, confirming the formation as well as the relative stability of the complex species. The dependence of the stability constants on the ionic strength was modeled by means of the Debye-Hückel and SIT (Specific ion Interaction Theory) approaches, and the parameter that accounts for the variation of the stability constants with the ionic strength and the specific ion interaction parameters were determined for all the ionic species. The sequestering ability of the ligands towards Zn²⁺ was evaluated by determining the pL_0.5 parameter at different ionic strengths. It resulted that the sequestering ability of ampicillin is higher of ~0.5 order of magnitude with respect to amoxicillin.

Lead(II) complex formation with L-cysteine in aqueous solution

The lead(II) complexes formed with the multidentate chelator L-cysteine (H2Cys) in an alkaline aqueous solution were studied using (207)Pb, (13)C, and (1)H NMR, Pb LIII-edge X-ray absorption, and UV-vis spectroscopic techniques, complemented by electrospray ion mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). The H2Cys/Pb(II) mole ratios were varied from 2.1 to 10.0 for two sets of solutions with CPb(II) = 0.01 and 0.1 M, respectively, prepared at pH values (9.1-10.4) for which precipitates of lead(II) cysteine dissolved. At low H2Cys/Pb(II) mole ratios (2.1-3.0), a mixture of the dithiolate [Pb(S,N-Cys)2](2-) and [Pb(S,N,O-Cys)(S-HCys)](-) complexes with average Pb-(N/O) and Pb-S distances of 2.42 ± 0.04 and 2.64 ± 0.04 Å, respectively, was found to dominate. At high concentration of free cysteinate (>0.7 M), a significant amount converts to the trithiolate [Pb(S,N-Cys)(S-HCys)2](2-), including a minor amount of a PbS3-coordinated [Pb(S-HCys)3](-) complex. The coordination mode was evaluated by fitting linear combinations of EXAFS oscillations to the experimental spectra and by examining the (207)Pb NMR signals in the chemical shift range δPb = 2006-2507 ppm, which became increasingly deshielded with increasing free cysteinate concentration. One-pulse magic-angle-spinning (MAS) (207)Pb NMR spectra of crystalline Pb(aet)2 (Haet = 2-aminoethanethiol or cysteamine) with PbS2N2 coordination were measured for comparison (δiso = 2105 ppm). The UV-vis spectra displayed absorption maxima at 298-300 nm (S(-) → Pb(II) charge transfer) for the dithiolate PbS2N(N/O) species; with increasing ligand excess, a shoulder appeared at ∼330 nm for the trithiolate PbS3N and PbS3 (minor) complexes. The results provide spectroscopic fingerprints for structural models for lead(II) coordination modes to proteins and enzymes.

Lead(II) binding to the chelating agent D-penicillamine in aqueous solution

A spectroscopic investigation of the complexes formed between the Pb(II) ion and D-penicillamine (H2Pen), a chelating agent used in the treatment of lead poisoning, was carried out on two sets of alkaline aqueous solutions with CPb(II) ≈ 10 and 100 mM, varying the H2Pen/Pb(II) molar ratio (2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 10.0). Ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectra of the 10 mM Pb(II) solutions consistently showed an absorption peak at 298 nm for S(-) → Pb(II) ligand-to-metal charge-transfer. The downfield (13)C NMR chemical shift for the penicillamine COO(-) group confirmed Pb(II) coordination. The (207)Pb NMR chemical shifts were confined to a narrow range between 1806 ppm and 1873 ppm for all Pb(II)-penicillamine solutions, indicating only small variations in the speciation, even in large penicillamine excess. Those chemical shifts are considerably deshielded, relative to the solid-state (207)Pb NMR isotropic chemical shift of 909 ppm obtained for crystalline penicillaminatolead(II) with Pb(S,N,O-Pen) coordination. The Pb LIII-edge extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectra obtained for these solutions were well-modeled with two Pb-S and two Pb-(N/O) bonds with mean distances 2.64 ± 0.04 Å and 2.45 ± 0.04 Å, respectively. The combined spectroscopic results, reporting δ((207)Pb) ≈ 1870 ppm and λmax ≈ 298 nm for a Pb(II)S2NO site, are consistent with a dominating 1:2 lead(II):penicillamine complex with [Pb(S,N,O-Pen)(S-HnPen)](2-n) (n = 0-1) coordination in alkaline solutions, and provide useful structural information on how penicillamine can function as an antidote against lead toxicity in vivo.