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Venezia V, Prieto C, Verrillo M, Grumi M, Silvestri B, Vitiello G, Luciani G, Lagaron JM. Electrospun films incorporating humic substances of application interest in sustainable active food packaging. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 263:130210. [PMID: 38365144 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.130210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
Sustainable active food packaging is essential to reduce the use of plastics, preserve food quality and minimize the environmental impact. Humic substances (HS) are rich in redox-active compounds, such as quinones, phenols, carboxyl, and hydroxyl moieties, making them functional additives for biopolymeric matrices, such as poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV). Herein, composites made by incorporating different amounts of HS into PHBV were developed using the electrospinning technology and converted into homogeneous and continuous films by a thermal post-treatment to obtain a bioactive and biodegradable layer which could be part of a multilayer food packaging solution. The morphology, thermal, optical, mechanical, antioxidant and barrier properties of the resulting PHBV-based films have been evaluated, as well as the antifungal activity against Aspergillus flavus and Candida albicans and the antimicrobial properties against both Gram (+) and Gram (-) bacterial strains. HS show great potential as natural additives for biopolymer matrices, since they confer antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antifungal properties to the resulting materials. In addition, barrier, optical and mechanical properties highlighted that the obtained films are suitable for sustainable active packaging. Therefore, the electrospinning methodology is a promising and sustainable approach to give biowaste a new life through the development of multifunctional materials suitable in the active bio-packaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginia Venezia
- DICMaPI, Department of Chemical, Materials and Industrial Production Engineering, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy; DiSt, Department of Structures for Engineering and Architecture, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
| | - Cristina Prieto
- Novel Materials and Nanotechnology Group, Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology (IATA), Spanish Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), Paterna, Spain
| | | | - Mattia Grumi
- Novel Materials and Nanotechnology Group, Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology (IATA), Spanish Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), Paterna, Spain
| | - Brigida Silvestri
- Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, University of Naples Federico II, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Vitiello
- DICMaPI, Department of Chemical, Materials and Industrial Production Engineering, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy; CSGI-Center for Colloid and Surface Science, Via Della Lastruccia 3, 50019 Florence, Italy
| | - Giuseppina Luciani
- DICMaPI, Department of Chemical, Materials and Industrial Production Engineering, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
| | - Jose M Lagaron
- Novel Materials and Nanotechnology Group, Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology (IATA), Spanish Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), Paterna, Spain
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Russo S, Muscetta M, Amato P, Venezia V, Verrillo M, Rega R, Lettieri S, Cocca M, Marotta R, Vitiello G. Humic substance/metal-oxide multifunctional nanoparticles as advanced antibacterial-antimycotic agents and photocatalysts for the degradation of PLA microplastics under UVA/solar radiation. Chemosphere 2024; 346:140605. [PMID: 37931713 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
As a result of the accumulation of plastic in the environment, microplastics have become part of the food chain, boosting the resistance of fungi and bacteria which can frequently encounter human beings. Employing photocatalytic degradation is a possible route towards the removal of chemical and biological pollutants, such as plastics and microplastic wastes as well as microorganisms. Using biowaste materials to design hybrid nanoparticles with enhanced photocatalytic and antimicrobial features would uphold the principles of the circular bioeconomy. Here, two unexpensive semiconductors-namely titanium dioxide (TiO2) and zinc oxide (ZnO) - were synthetized through solvothermal synthesis and combined with humic substances deriving from agrifood biomass. The preparation led to hybrid nanoparticles exhibiting enhanced ROS-generating properties for simultaneous applications as antimicrobial agents against different bacterial and fungal strains and as photoactive catalysts to degrade polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics under UVA and solar irradiation. In comparison to bare nanoparticles, hybrid nanoparticles demonstrated higher antibacterial and antimycotic capabilities toward various pathogenic microorganisms as well as advanced photocatalytic activity in the degradation of PLA with a carbonyl index reduction in the range of 15-23%, thus confirming a noteworthy ability in microplastics photodegradation under UVA and solar irradiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Russo
- Department of Chemical, Materials and Production Engineering (DICMaPI), University of Naples Federico II, Piazzale V. Tecchio 80, 80125, Naples, Italy
| | - Marica Muscetta
- Department of Chemical, Materials and Production Engineering (DICMaPI), University of Naples Federico II, Piazzale V. Tecchio 80, 80125, Naples, Italy.
| | - Paola Amato
- Department of Chemical, Materials and Production Engineering (DICMaPI), University of Naples Federico II, Piazzale V. Tecchio 80, 80125, Naples, Italy
| | - Virginia Venezia
- Department of Chemical, Materials and Production Engineering (DICMaPI), University of Naples Federico II, Piazzale V. Tecchio 80, 80125, Naples, Italy; Department of Structures for Engineering and Architecture, University of Naples Federico II, Via Claudio 21, 80125, Naples, Italy
| | - Mariavittoria Verrillo
- Department of Agricultural Science, University of Naples Federico II, via Università 100, 80055, Portici, Italy; Centro Interdipartimentale di Ricerca sulla Risonanza Magnetica Nucleare per l'Ambiente, l'Agro-Alimentare ed i Nuovi Materiali (CERMANU), via Università 100, 80055, Portici, Italy
| | - Romina Rega
- Institute for Applied Sciences and Intelligent Systems, National Research Council (CNR-ISASI), Via Campi Flegrei 34, 80078, Pozzuoli, NA, Italy
| | - Stefano Lettieri
- Institute for Applied Sciences and Intelligent Systems, National Research Council (CNR-ISASI), Via Campi Flegrei 34, 80078, Pozzuoli, NA, Italy; Department of Physics "Ettore Pancini", University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia 4, Complesso di Monte Sant'Angelo, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - Mariacristina Cocca
- Institute for Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials (IPCB), National Research Council (CNR) of Italy, Via Campi Flegrei, 34, 80078, Pozzuoli, NA, Italy
| | - Raffaele Marotta
- Department of Chemical, Materials and Production Engineering (DICMaPI), University of Naples Federico II, Piazzale V. Tecchio 80, 80125, Naples, Italy; Institute for Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials (IPCB), National Research Council (CNR) of Italy, Via Campi Flegrei, 34, 80078, Pozzuoli, NA, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Vitiello
- Department of Chemical, Materials and Production Engineering (DICMaPI), University of Naples Federico II, Piazzale V. Tecchio 80, 80125, Naples, Italy; Institute for Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials (IPCB), National Research Council (CNR) of Italy, Via Campi Flegrei, 34, 80078, Pozzuoli, NA, Italy; CSGI, Center for Colloid and Surface Science, via della Lastruccia 3, Sesto Fiorentino, FI, Italy.
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Venezia V, Portarapillo M, De Falco G, Sanchirico R, Luciani G, Di Benedetto A. Humic acids on fire? Physico-chemical, thermal, flammability features and extraction process of different humic acids in support of their possible applications. Chemosphere 2023; 344:140430. [PMID: 37832885 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023]
Abstract
Humic acids (HA) consist in a multitude of heterogeneous organic molecules surviving the biological and chemical degradation of both vegetal and animal biomasses. The great abundance and chemical richness of these residues make their valorisation one of the most promising approaches to move towards a circular economy. However, the heterogeneity of the biomass from which HA are extracted, as well as the production process, significantly affects the nature and the relative content of functional groups (i.e. quinones, phenols and carboxylic and hydroxyl moieties), eventually changing HA reactivity and ultimately determining their application field. Indeed, depending on their properties, these substances can be used as flame retardants in the case of pronounced resilience degree (i.e., absent or low reactivity), or as antioxidant or antimicrobial agents in the case of pronounced reactivity, thanks to their redox behaviour. In this work we investigated the flammable, the thermal and the physico-chemical features of HA extracted from different composted biomasses to identify the reactivity or the resiliency of these moieties. Several techniques, including flammability characterization (LIT and MIE), laser diffraction granulometry, TG, XRD analyses, FTIR spectroscopy on both solid and gaseous phases, and Raman spectroscopy were integrated to investigate the correlation among the safety parameters, the distributions of particle sizes, as well as the thermal, the chemical properties of HA powders and the influence of post-extraction processes on HA final properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginia Venezia
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, dei Materiali e della Produzione Industriale, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, P.le Tecchio 80, 80125, Napoli, Italy; Dipartimento di Strutture per l'Ingegneria e l'Architettura, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Via Claudio 21, 80125, Napoli, Italy
| | - Maria Portarapillo
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, dei Materiali e della Produzione Industriale, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, P.le Tecchio 80, 80125, Napoli, Italy.
| | - Gianluigi De Falco
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, dei Materiali e della Produzione Industriale, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, P.le Tecchio 80, 80125, Napoli, Italy
| | - Roberto Sanchirico
- Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie per l'Energia e la Mobilità Sostenibili, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (STEMS-CNR), Piazzale V. Tecchio 80, 80125, Napoli, Italy
| | - Giuseppina Luciani
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, dei Materiali e della Produzione Industriale, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, P.le Tecchio 80, 80125, Napoli, Italy
| | - Almerinda Di Benedetto
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, dei Materiali e della Produzione Industriale, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, P.le Tecchio 80, 80125, Napoli, Italy
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Venezia V, Verrillo M, Avallone PR, Silvestri B, Cangemi S, Pasquino R, Grizzuti N, Spaccini R, Luciani G. Waste to Wealth Approach: Improved Antimicrobial Properties in Bioactive Hydrogels through Humic Substance-Gelatin Chemical Conjugation. Biomacromolecules 2023. [PMID: 37167573 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.3c00143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Exploring opportunities for biowaste valorization, herein, humic substances (HS) were combined with gelatin, a hydrophilic biocompatible and bioavailable polymer, to obtain 3D hydrogels. Hybrid gels (Gel HS) were prepared at different HS contents, exploiting physical or chemical cross-linking, through 1-ethyl-(3-3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide (EDC) chemistry, between HS and gelatin. Physicochemical features were assessed through rheological measurements, X-ray diffraction, attenuated total reflectance (ATR) spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). ATR and NMR spectroscopies suggested the formation of an amide bond between HS and Gel via EDC chemistry. In addition, antioxidant and antimicrobial features toward both Gram(-) and Gram(+) strains were evaluated. HS confers great antioxidant and widespread antibiotic performance to the whole gel. Furthermore, the chemical cross-linking affects the viscoelastic behavior, crystalline structures, water uptake, and functional performance and produces a marked improvement of biocide action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginia Venezia
- DICMaPI, Department of Chemical, Materials and Industrial Production Engineering, University of Naples Federico II, Naples 80125, Italy
- DiSt, Department of Structures for Engineering and Architecture, University of Naples Federico II, Naples 80125, Italy
| | - Mariavittoria Verrillo
- Department of Agricultural Science, University of Naples Federico II, Portici 80125, Italy
| | - Pietro Renato Avallone
- DICMaPI, Department of Chemical, Materials and Industrial Production Engineering, University of Naples Federico II, Naples 80125, Italy
| | - Brigida Silvestri
- Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, University of Naples Federico II, Naples 80125, Italy
| | - Silvana Cangemi
- Department of Agricultural Science, University of Naples Federico II, Portici 80125, Italy
| | - Rossana Pasquino
- DICMaPI, Department of Chemical, Materials and Industrial Production Engineering, University of Naples Federico II, Naples 80125, Italy
| | - Nino Grizzuti
- DICMaPI, Department of Chemical, Materials and Industrial Production Engineering, University of Naples Federico II, Naples 80125, Italy
| | - Riccardo Spaccini
- Department of Agricultural Science, University of Naples Federico II, Portici 80125, Italy
| | - Giuseppina Luciani
- DICMaPI, Department of Chemical, Materials and Industrial Production Engineering, University of Naples Federico II, Naples 80125, Italy
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Pota G, Vitiello G, Venezia V, Della Sala F, Borzacchiello A, Costantini A, Paduano L, Cavalcanti LP, Tescione F, Silvestri B, Luciani G. Shall We Tune? From Core-Shell to Cloud Type Nanostructures in Heparin/Silica Hybrids. Polymers (Basel) 2022; 14:polym14173568. [PMID: 36080642 PMCID: PMC9460005 DOI: 10.3390/polym14173568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Revised: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Heparin plays multiple biological roles depending on the availability of active sites strongly influenced by the conformation and the structure of polysaccharide chains. Combining different components at the molecular scale offers an extraordinary chance to easily tune the structural organization of heparin required for exploring new potential applications. In fact, the combination of different material types leads to challenges that cannot be achieved by each single component. In this study, hybrid heparin/silica nanoparticles were synthesized, and the role of silica as a templating agent for heparin supramolecular organization was investigated. The effect of synthesis parameters on particles compositions was deeply investigated by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA). Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) reveals a different supramolecular organization of both components, leading to amazing organic-inorganic nanoparticles with different behavior in drug encapsulation and release. Furthermore, favorable biocompatibility for healthy human dermal fibroblasts (HDF) and tumor HS578T cells has been assessed, and a different biological behavior was observed, ascribed to different surface charge and morphology of synthesized nanoparticles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulio Pota
- Department of Chemical, Materials and Production Engineering, University of Naples Federico II, Piazzale Tecchio 80, 80125 Naples, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Vitiello
- Department of Chemical, Materials and Production Engineering, University of Naples Federico II, Piazzale Tecchio 80, 80125 Naples, Italy
| | - Virginia Venezia
- Department of Chemical, Materials and Production Engineering, University of Naples Federico II, Piazzale Tecchio 80, 80125 Naples, Italy
| | - Francesca Della Sala
- Institute of Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials, National Research Council, (IPCB-CNR), 80125 Naples, Italy
| | - Assunta Borzacchiello
- Institute of Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials, National Research Council, (IPCB-CNR), 80125 Naples, Italy
| | - Aniello Costantini
- Department of Chemical, Materials and Production Engineering, University of Naples Federico II, Piazzale Tecchio 80, 80125 Naples, Italy
| | - Luigi Paduano
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia, 80126 Naples, Italy
| | | | - Fabiana Tescione
- Institute of Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials, National Research Council, (IPCB-CNR), 80125 Naples, Italy
| | - Brigida Silvestri
- Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, University of Naples Federico II, Via Claudio 21, 80125 Naples, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-081-7682413
| | - Giuseppina Luciani
- Department of Chemical, Materials and Production Engineering, University of Naples Federico II, Piazzale Tecchio 80, 80125 Naples, Italy
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Venezia V, Pota G, Silvestri B, Vitiello G, Di Donato P, Landi G, Mollo V, Verrillo M, Cangemi S, Piccolo A, Luciani G. A study on structural evolution of hybrid humic Acids-SiO 2 nanostructures in pure water: Effects on physico-chemical and functional properties. Chemosphere 2022; 287:131985. [PMID: 34454229 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.131985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2021] [Revised: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Humic acids (HA) are considered a promising and inexpensive source for novel multifunctional materials for a huge range of applications. However, aggregation and degradation phenomena in aqueous environment prevent from their full exploitation. A valid strategy to address these issues relies on combining HA moieties at the molecular scale with an inorganic nanostructured component, leading to more stable hybrid nanomaterials with tunable functionalities. Indeed, chemical composition of HA can determine their interactions with the inorganic constituent in the hybrid nanoparticles and consequently affect their overall physico-chemical properties, including their stability and functional properties in aqueous environment. As a fundamental contribution to HA materials-based technology, this study aims at unveiling this aspect. To this purpose, SiO2 nanoparticles have been chosen as a model platform and three different HAs extracted from composted biomasses, manure (HA_Man), artichoke residues (HA_Art) and coffee grounds (HA_Cof), were employed to synthetize hybrid HA-SiO2 nanoparticles through in-situ sol-gel synthesis. Prepared samples were submitted to aging in water to assess their stability. Furthermore, antioxidant properties and physico-chemical properties of both as prepared and aged samples in aqueous environment were assessed through Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), N2 physisorption, Simultaneous Thermogravimetric (TGA) and Differential Scanning Calorimetric (DSC) Analysis, Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) spectroscopies. The experimental results highlighted that hybrid HA-SiO2 nanostructures acted as dynamic systems which exhibit structural supramolecular reorganization during aging in aqueous environment with marked effects on physico-chemical and functional properties, including improved antioxidant activity. Obtained results enlighten a unique aspect of interactions between HA and inorganic nanoparticles that could be useful to predict their behavior in aqueous environment. Furthermore, the proposed approach traces a technological route for the exploitation of organic biowaste in the design of hybrid nanomaterials, providing a significant contribution to the development of waste to wealth strategies based on humic substances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginia Venezia
- Department of Chemical, Materials and Production Engineering, University of Naples "Federico II", p.le V. Tecchio 80, 80125, Naples, Italy.
| | - Giulio Pota
- Department of Chemical, Materials and Production Engineering, University of Naples "Federico II", p.le V. Tecchio 80, 80125, Naples, Italy.
| | - Brigida Silvestri
- Department of Chemical, Materials and Production Engineering, University of Naples "Federico II", p.le V. Tecchio 80, 80125, Naples, Italy.
| | - Giuseppe Vitiello
- Department of Chemical, Materials and Production Engineering, University of Naples "Federico II", p.le V. Tecchio 80, 80125, Naples, Italy; CSGI, Center for Colloids and Surface Science, via della Lastruccia 3, 50019, Florence, Italy.
| | - Paola Di Donato
- Department of Science and Technology, University of Naples "Parthenope", Centro Direzionale Isola C4, 80143, Naples, Italy.
| | - Gianluca Landi
- Institute of Sciences and Technologies for Sustainable Energy and Mobility-CNR, P.le V. Tecchio 80, 80125, Naples, Italy.
| | - Valentina Mollo
- Center for Advanced Biomaterials for Health Care, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia@CABHC, Largo Barsanti e Matteucci 53, 80125, Naples, Italy.
| | - Mariavittoria Verrillo
- Centro Interdipartimentale di Ricerca sulla Risonanza Magnetica Nucleare per l'Ambiente, l'Agroalimentare ed i Nuovi Materiali (CERMANU), University of Naples "Federico II", Via Università 100, 80055, Portici, Italy.
| | - Silvana Cangemi
- Centro Interdipartimentale di Ricerca sulla Risonanza Magnetica Nucleare per l'Ambiente, l'Agroalimentare ed i Nuovi Materiali (CERMANU), University of Naples "Federico II", Via Università 100, 80055, Portici, Italy.
| | - Alessandro Piccolo
- Centro Interdipartimentale di Ricerca sulla Risonanza Magnetica Nucleare per l'Ambiente, l'Agroalimentare ed i Nuovi Materiali (CERMANU), University of Naples "Federico II", Via Università 100, 80055, Portici, Italy.
| | - Giuseppina Luciani
- Department of Chemical, Materials and Production Engineering, University of Naples "Federico II", p.le V. Tecchio 80, 80125, Naples, Italy.
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Venezia V, Avallone PR, Vitiello G, Silvestri B, Grizzuti N, Pasquino R, Luciani G. Adding Humic Acids to Gelatin Hydrogels: A Way to Tune Gelation. Biomacromolecules 2021; 23:443-453. [PMID: 34936338 PMCID: PMC8753605 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.1c01398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Exploring the chance to convert biowaste into a valuable resource, this study tests the potential role of humic acids (HA), a class of multifunctional compounds obtained by oxidative decomposition of biomass, as physical agents to improve gelatin's mechanical and thermal properties. To this purpose, gelatin-HA aqueous samples were prepared at increasing HA content. HA/gelatin concentrations changed in the range 2.67-26.67 (wt/wt)%. Multiple techniques were employed to assess the influence of HA content on the gel properties and to unveil the underlying mechanisms. HAs increased gel strength up to a concentration of 13.33 (wt/wt)% and led to a weaker gel at higher concentrations. FT-IR and DSC results proved that HAs can establish noncovalent interactions through H-bonding with gelatin. Coagulation phenomena occur because of HA-gelatin interactions, and at concentrations greater than 13.33 (wt/wt)%, HAs established preferential bonds with water molecules, preventing them from coordinating with gelatin chains. These features were accompanied by a change in the secondary structure of gelatin, which lost the triple helix structure and exhibited an increase in the random coil conformation. Besides, higher HA weight content caused swelling phenomena due to HA water absorption, contributing to a weaker gel. The current findings may be useful to enable a better control of gelatin structures modified with composted biowaste, extending their exploitation for a large set of technological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginia Venezia
- DICMaPI, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, P.le Tecchio 80, 80125 Napoli, Italy
| | - Pietro Renato Avallone
- DICMaPI, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, P.le Tecchio 80, 80125 Napoli, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Vitiello
- DICMaPI, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, P.le Tecchio 80, 80125 Napoli, Italy
| | - Brigida Silvestri
- DICMaPI, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, P.le Tecchio 80, 80125 Napoli, Italy
| | - Nino Grizzuti
- DICMaPI, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, P.le Tecchio 80, 80125 Napoli, Italy
| | - Rossana Pasquino
- DICMaPI, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, P.le Tecchio 80, 80125 Napoli, Italy
| | - Giuseppina Luciani
- DICMaPI, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, P.le Tecchio 80, 80125 Napoli, Italy
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Vitiello G, Venezia V, Verrillo M, Nuzzo A, Houston J, Cimino S, D'Errico G, Aronne A, Paduano L, Piccolo A, Luciani G. Hybrid humic acid/titanium dioxide nanomaterials as highly effective antimicrobial agents against gram(-) pathogens and antibiotic contaminants in wastewater. Environ Res 2021; 193:110562. [PMID: 33271143 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.110562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Revised: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 11/27/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Humic acids (HAs) provide an important bio-source for redox-active materials. Their functional chemical groups are responsible for several properties, such as metal ion chelating activity, adsorption ability towards small molecules and antibacterial activity, through reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. However, the poor selectivity and instability of HAs in solution hinder their application. A promising strategy for overcoming these disadvantages is conjugation with an inorganic phase, which leads to more stable hybrid nanomaterials with tuneable functionalities. In this study, we demonstrate that hybrid humic acid/titanium dioxide nanostructured materials that are prepared via a versatile in situ hydrothermal strategy display promising antibacterial activity against various pathogens and behave as selective sequestering agents of amoxicillin and tetracycline antibiotics from wastewater. A physicochemical investigation in which a combination of techniques were utilized, which included TEM, BET, 13C-CPMAS-NMR, EPR, DLS and SANS, shed light on the structure-property-function relationships of the nanohybrids. The proposed approach traces a technological path for the exploitation of organic biowaste in the design at the molecular scale of multifunctional nanomaterials, which is useful for addressing environmental and health problems that are related to water contamination by antibiotics and pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Vitiello
- Department of Chemical, Materials and Production Engineering (DICMaPI), University of Naples Federico II, Piazzale Tecchio 80, 80125, Naples, Italy; CSGI, Center for Colloid and Surface Science, Via Della Lastruccia 3, Sesto Fiorentino, FI, Italy.
| | - Virginia Venezia
- Department of Chemical, Materials and Production Engineering (DICMaPI), University of Naples Federico II, Piazzale Tecchio 80, 80125, Naples, Italy
| | - Mariavittoria Verrillo
- Department of Agricultural Science, University of Naples Federico II, Via Università 100, 80055, Portici, Italy; Centro Interdipartimentale di Ricerca Sulla Risonanza Magnetica Nucleare per L'Ambiente, L'Agro-Alimentare Ed I Nuovi Materiali (CERMANU), Via Università 100, 80055, Portici, Italy
| | - Assunta Nuzzo
- Department of Agricultural Science, University of Naples Federico II, Via Università 100, 80055, Portici, Italy; Centro Interdipartimentale di Ricerca Sulla Risonanza Magnetica Nucleare per L'Ambiente, L'Agro-Alimentare Ed I Nuovi Materiali (CERMANU), Via Università 100, 80055, Portici, Italy
| | - Judith Houston
- Jülich Centre for Neutron Science (JCNS) at Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum (MLZ), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Lichtenbergstraße 1, Garching, 85747, Germany; European Spallation Source (ESS), Odarslovsvagen 113, 22592, Lund, Sweden
| | - Stefano Cimino
- IRC-Istituto di Ricerche Sulla Combustione, CNR - Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche, Piazzale V. Tecchio 80, 80125, Naples, Italy
| | - Gerardino D'Errico
- CSGI, Center for Colloid and Surface Science, Via Della Lastruccia 3, Sesto Fiorentino, FI, Italy; Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia 4, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - Antonio Aronne
- Department of Chemical, Materials and Production Engineering (DICMaPI), University of Naples Federico II, Piazzale Tecchio 80, 80125, Naples, Italy
| | - Luigi Paduano
- CSGI, Center for Colloid and Surface Science, Via Della Lastruccia 3, Sesto Fiorentino, FI, Italy; Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia 4, 80126, Naples, Italy
| | - Alessandro Piccolo
- Department of Agricultural Science, University of Naples Federico II, Via Università 100, 80055, Portici, Italy; Centro Interdipartimentale di Ricerca Sulla Risonanza Magnetica Nucleare per L'Ambiente, L'Agro-Alimentare Ed I Nuovi Materiali (CERMANU), Via Università 100, 80055, Portici, Italy
| | - Giuseppina Luciani
- Department of Chemical, Materials and Production Engineering (DICMaPI), University of Naples Federico II, Piazzale Tecchio 80, 80125, Naples, Italy
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9
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Venezia V, Califano V, Pota G, Costantini A, Landi G, Di Benedetto A. CFD Simulations of Microreactors for the Hydrolysis of Cellobiose to Glucose by β-Glucosidase Enzyme. Micromachines (Basel) 2020; 11:E790. [PMID: 32825698 PMCID: PMC7570393 DOI: 10.3390/mi11090790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Revised: 08/19/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass-derived compounds represents a valid strategy to reduce the dependence on fossil fuels, with geopolitical and environmental benefits. In particular, β-glucosidase (BG) enzyme is the bottleneck in the degradation of cellulose because it catalyzes the hydrolysis of cellobiose, a known inhibitor of the other cellulolytic enzymes. However, free enzymes are unstable, expensive and difficult to recover. For this reason, the immobilization of BG on a suitable support is crucial to improve its catalytic performance. In this paper, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were performed to test the hydrolysis reaction in a monolith channel coated by BG adsorbed on a wrinkled silica nanoparticles (WSNs) washcoat. We initially defined the physical properties of the mixture, the parameters related to kinetics and mass transfers and the initial and boundary conditions thanks to our preliminary experimental tests. Numerical simulation results have shown great similarity with the experimental ones, demonstrating the validity of this model. Following this, it was possible to explore in real time the behavior of the system, varying other specified parameters (i.e., the mixture inlet velocity or the enzymatic load on the reactor surface) without carrying out other experimental analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginia Venezia
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, dei Materiali e della Produzione Industriale, University of Naples Federico II, 80125 Naples, Italy; (V.V.); (G.P.); (A.D.B.)
| | | | - Giulio Pota
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, dei Materiali e della Produzione Industriale, University of Naples Federico II, 80125 Naples, Italy; (V.V.); (G.P.); (A.D.B.)
| | - Aniello Costantini
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, dei Materiali e della Produzione Industriale, University of Naples Federico II, 80125 Naples, Italy; (V.V.); (G.P.); (A.D.B.)
| | - Gianluca Landi
- Instutute for Researches on Combustion-CNR, 80125 Naples, Italy
| | - Almerinda Di Benedetto
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, dei Materiali e della Produzione Industriale, University of Naples Federico II, 80125 Naples, Italy; (V.V.); (G.P.); (A.D.B.)
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10
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Pota G, Venezia V, Vitiello G, Di Donato P, Mollo V, Costantini A, Avossa J, Nuzzo A, Piccolo A, Silvestri B, Luciani G. Tuning Functional Behavior of Humic Acids through Interactions with Stöber Silica Nanoparticles. Polymers (Basel) 2020; 12:E982. [PMID: 32340165 PMCID: PMC7240412 DOI: 10.3390/polym12040982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2020] [Revised: 04/19/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Humic acids (HA) exhibit fascinating multifunctional features, yet degradation phenomena as well as poor stability in aqueous environments strongly limit their use. Inorganic nanoparticles are emerging as a powerful interface for the development of robust HA bio-hybrid materials with enhanced chemical stability and tunable properties. Hybrid organic-inorganic SiO2/HA nanostructures were synthesized via an in-situ sol-gel route, exploiting both physical entrapment and chemical coupling. The latter was achieved through amide bond formation between carboxyl groups of HA and the amino group of 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTS), as confirmed by Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Monodisperse hybrid nanoparticles about 90 nm in diameter were obtained in both cases, yet Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) spectroscopy highlighted the different supramolecular organization of HA. The altered HA conformation was reflected in different antioxidant properties of the conjugated nanoparticles that, however, resulted in being higher than for pure HA. Our findings proved the key role of both components in defining the morphology of the final system, as well as the efficacy of the ceramic component in templating the HA supramolecular organization and consequently tuning their functional features, thus defining a green strategy for bio-waste valorization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulio Pota
- Department of Chemical, Materials and Production Engineering, University of Naples “Federico II”, p.le V. Tecchio 80, 80125 Naples, Italy; (G.P.); (V.V.); (G.V.); (A.C.); (G.L.)
| | - Virginia Venezia
- Department of Chemical, Materials and Production Engineering, University of Naples “Federico II”, p.le V. Tecchio 80, 80125 Naples, Italy; (G.P.); (V.V.); (G.V.); (A.C.); (G.L.)
| | - Giuseppe Vitiello
- Department of Chemical, Materials and Production Engineering, University of Naples “Federico II”, p.le V. Tecchio 80, 80125 Naples, Italy; (G.P.); (V.V.); (G.V.); (A.C.); (G.L.)
- CSGI, Center for Colloids and Surface Science, via della Lastruccia 3, 50019 Florence, Italy
| | - Paola Di Donato
- Department of Science and Technology, University of Naples “Parthenope”, Centro Direzionale Isola C4, 80143 Naples, Italy;
| | - Valentina Mollo
- Center for Advanced Biomaterials for Health Care, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia@CABHC, Largo Barsanti e Matteucci 53, 80125 Naples, Italy;
| | - Aniello Costantini
- Department of Chemical, Materials and Production Engineering, University of Naples “Federico II”, p.le V. Tecchio 80, 80125 Naples, Italy; (G.P.); (V.V.); (G.V.); (A.C.); (G.L.)
| | - Joshua Avossa
- Laboratory for Biomimetic Membranes and Textiles, Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, CH-9014 St. Gallen, Switzerland;
| | - Assunta Nuzzo
- Centro Interdipartimentale di Ricerca sulla Risonanza Magnetica Nucleare per l’Ambiente, l’Agroalimentare ed i Nuovi Materiali (CERMANU), University of Naples “Federico II”, Via Università 100, 80055 Portici, Italy; (A.N.); (A.P.)
| | - Alessandro Piccolo
- Centro Interdipartimentale di Ricerca sulla Risonanza Magnetica Nucleare per l’Ambiente, l’Agroalimentare ed i Nuovi Materiali (CERMANU), University of Naples “Federico II”, Via Università 100, 80055 Portici, Italy; (A.N.); (A.P.)
| | - Brigida Silvestri
- Department of Chemical, Materials and Production Engineering, University of Naples “Federico II”, p.le V. Tecchio 80, 80125 Naples, Italy; (G.P.); (V.V.); (G.V.); (A.C.); (G.L.)
| | - Giuseppina Luciani
- Department of Chemical, Materials and Production Engineering, University of Naples “Federico II”, p.le V. Tecchio 80, 80125 Naples, Italy; (G.P.); (V.V.); (G.V.); (A.C.); (G.L.)
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11
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Russo P, Venezia V, Tescione F, Avossa J, Luciani G, Silvestri B, Costantini A. Improving Interaction at Polymer-Filler Interface: The Efficacy of Wrinkle Texture. Nanomaterials (Basel) 2020; 10:E208. [PMID: 31991718 PMCID: PMC7074972 DOI: 10.3390/nano10020208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2019] [Revised: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
One of the main issues in preparing polymer-based nanocomposites with effective properties is to achieve a good dispersion of the nanoparticles into the matrix. Chemical interfacial modifications by specific coupling agents represents a good way to reach this objective. Actually, time consuming compatibilization procedures strongly compromise the sustainability of these strategies. In this study, the role of particles' architectures in their dispersion into a poly-lactic acid matrix and their subsequent influences on physical-chemical properties of the obtained nanocomposites were investigated. Two kinds of silica nanoparticles, "smooth" and "wrinkled," with different surface areas (≈30 and ≈600 m2/g respectively) were synthesized through a modified Stöber method and used, without any chemical surface pre-treatments, as fillers to produce poly-lactic acid based nanocomposites. The key role played by wrinkled texture in modifying the physical interaction at the polymer-filler interface and in driving composite properties, was investigated and reflected in the final bulk properties. Detailed investigations revealed the presence of wrinkled nanoparticles, leading to (i) an enormous increase of the chain relaxation time, by almost 30 times compared to the neat PLA matrix; (ii) intensification of the shear-thinning behavior at low shear-rates; and (iii) slightly slower thermal degradation of polylactic acid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pietro Russo
- Institute for Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials, National Research Council, via Campi Flegrei 34, 80078 Pozzuoli-Naples, Italy;
| | - Virginia Venezia
- Department of Chemical, Materials and Production Engineering, University of Naples “Federico II”, p.le V. Tecchio 80, 80125 Naples, Italy; (V.V.); (G.L.); (A.C.)
| | - Fabiana Tescione
- Institute for Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials, National Research Council, Portici, 80055 Naples, Italy;
| | - Joshua Avossa
- Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research-National Research Council (IIA-CNR), Research Area of Rome 1, via Salaria Km 29,300, 00016 Monterotondo, Italy;
| | - Giuseppina Luciani
- Department of Chemical, Materials and Production Engineering, University of Naples “Federico II”, p.le V. Tecchio 80, 80125 Naples, Italy; (V.V.); (G.L.); (A.C.)
| | - Brigida Silvestri
- Department of Chemical, Materials and Production Engineering, University of Naples “Federico II”, p.le V. Tecchio 80, 80125 Naples, Italy; (V.V.); (G.L.); (A.C.)
| | - Aniello Costantini
- Department of Chemical, Materials and Production Engineering, University of Naples “Federico II”, p.le V. Tecchio 80, 80125 Naples, Italy; (V.V.); (G.L.); (A.C.)
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12
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Sannino F, Costantini A, Ruffo F, Aronne A, Venezia V, Califano V. Covalent Immobilization of β-Glucosidase into Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles from Anhydrous Acetone Enhances Its Catalytic Performance. Nanomaterials (Basel) 2020; 10:E108. [PMID: 31948120 PMCID: PMC7022324 DOI: 10.3390/nano10010108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2019] [Revised: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 12/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
An immobilization protocol of a model enzyme into silica nanoparticles was applied. This protocol exploited the use of the bifunctional molecule triethoxysilylpropylisocyanate (TEPI) for covalent binding through a linker of suitable length. The enzyme β-glucosidase (BG) was anchored onto wrinkled silica nanoparticles (WSNs). BG represents a bottleneck in the conversion of lignocellulosic biomass into biofuels through cellulose hydrolysis and fermentation. The key aspect of the procedure was the use of an organic solvent (anhydrous acetone) in which the enzyme was not soluble. This aimed to restrict its conformational changes and thus preserve its native structure. This approach led to a biocatalyst with improved thermal stability, characterized by high immobilization efficiency and yield. It was found that the apparent KM value was about half of that of the free enzyme. The Vmax was about the same than that of the free enzyme. The biocatalyst showed a high operational stability, losing only 30% of its activity after seven reuses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filomena Sannino
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Via Università 100, 80055 Portici (Na), Italy;
| | - Aniello Costantini
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Materials and Industrial Production, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, P.le Tecchio 80, 80125 Napoli, Italy; (A.A.); (V.V.)
| | - Francesco Ruffo
- Department of Chemical Science, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Complesso Universitario di Monte S. Angelo via Cintia, 80126 Napoli, Italy;
| | - Antonio Aronne
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Materials and Industrial Production, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, P.le Tecchio 80, 80125 Napoli, Italy; (A.A.); (V.V.)
| | - Virginia Venezia
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Materials and Industrial Production, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, P.le Tecchio 80, 80125 Napoli, Italy; (A.A.); (V.V.)
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13
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Califano V, Costantini A, Silvestri B, Venezia V, Cimino S, Sannino F. The effect of pore morphology on the catalytic performance of β-glucosidase immobilized into mesoporous silica. PURE APPL CHEM 2019. [DOI: 10.1515/pac-2018-1202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
β-Glucosidase (BG) was immobilized by adsorption on wrinkled silica nanoparticles (WSNs) and on tannic acid-templated mesoporous silica nanoparticles (TA-MSNPs). The effect induced by a different morphology of the pores of the sorbent on the catalytic performance of β-glucosidase was investigated. A complete textural and morphological characterization of the two samples was performed by Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) method, Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results demonstrated that the catalytic performance of the immobilized enzyme depends on the pores size of sorbent but a key factor is the pores morphology. In fact, the BG immobilized on WSNs and TA-MSNPs (BG/WSNs and BG/TA-MSNPs) shows in both cases good catalytic performances in cellobiose hydrolysis, but the catalyst with the best performance is BG/WSNs, in which the support exhibits a central-radial pore structure and a hierarchical trimodal micro-mesoporous pore size. This peculiar morphology allows the enzyme to settle in a place where the interactions with the walls are maximized, increasing its conformational rigidity. Furthermore, the enzyme is prevalently collocated in the interior of pore so that the pores are not completely capped.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Aniello Costantini
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Materials and Industrial Production , Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II , P.le Tecchio 80 , 80125 Naples , Italy
| | - Brigida Silvestri
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Materials and Industrial Production , Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II , P.le Tecchio 80 , 80125 Naples , Italy
| | - Virginia Venezia
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Materials and Industrial Production , Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II , P.le Tecchio 80 , 80125 Naples , Italy
| | - Stefano Cimino
- Istituto Ricerche Combustione CNR , P.le Tecchio 80, 80125 , Naples , Italy
| | - Filomena Sannino
- Department of Agricultural Sciences , Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II , Via Università 100 , 80055 Portici (Na) , Italy
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14
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Bisaglia M, Venezia V, Biglieri M, Russo C, Mancini F, Milanese C, Schettini G. α-Glycerylphosphorylethanolamine rescues astrocytes from mitochondrial impairment and oxidative stress induced by amyloid β-peptides. Neurochem Int 2004; 44:161-70. [PMID: 14568559 DOI: 10.1016/s0197-0186(03)00131-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The present work shows that alpha-glycerylphosphorylethanolamine (alpha-GPE) is effective in recovering astrocytes from mitochondrial membrane integrity and potential derangement and cellular oxidative stress that occur under amyloid beta-peptides-induced reactive gliosis.alpha-Glycerylphosphorylethanolamine (alpha-GPE), a new compound with nootropic properties, known to improve in vivo the learning and memory processes, has been tested for its protective properties on an in vitro model of degeneration. Rat primary astrocytic cultures treated with two amyloid-derived peptides, Abeta((1-40)) and Abeta(3(pE)-42), showed a marked reduction of the mitochondrial redox activity and membrane potential, together with an increase of oxidative species production. Plasma membrane lipid peroxidation (LPO) as well as generation of peroxides is greatly increased under Abeta-peptides toxicity. These features, typical of the reactive gliosis that accompanies neuronal degeneration, were readily recovered by pretreatment with alpha-GPE. alpha-GPE, likely improving the fluidity of cell membrane, has the potential to recover astrocytes from the general redox derangement induced by different amyloid fragments and possibly to protect from inflammation, gliosis and neurodegeneration. This is the first evidence of an antioxidant effect of the ethanolamine derivative on a rat model of chronic gliosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Bisaglia
- Pharmacology and Neuroscience (IST), National Cancer Research Institute (IST), c/o Advanced Biotechnology Center (CBA), L.go R. Benzi 10, 16132, Genova, Italy
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15
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Bisaglia M, Venezia V, Piccioli P, Stanzione S, Porcile C, Russo C, Mancini F, Milanese C, Schettini G. Acetaminophen protects hippocampal neurons and PC12 cultures from amyloid beta-peptides induced oxidative stress and reduces NF-kappaB activation. Neurochem Int 2002; 41:43-54. [PMID: 11918971 DOI: 10.1016/s0197-0186(01)00136-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
The present findings show that an atypical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, such as acetaminophen, retains the ability to recover amyloid beta-peptides driven neuronal apoptosis through the impairment of oxidative stress. Moreover, this compound reduces the increased NF-kappaB binding activity, which occurs in these degenerative conditions. Therapeutic interventions aimed at reducing the inflammatory response in Alzheimer's disease (AD) recently suggested the application of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Although the anti-inflammatory properties of acetaminophen are controversial, it emerged that in an amyloid-driven astrocytoma cell degeneration model acetaminophen proved to be effective. On these bases, we analyzed the role of acetaminophen against the toxicity exerted by different Abeta-peptides on rat primary hippocampal neurons and on a rat pheochromocytoma cell line. We found a consistent protection from amyloid beta-fragments 1-40 and 1-42-induced impairment of mitochondrial redox activity on both cell cultures, associated with a marked reduction of apoptotic nuclear fragmentation. An antioxidant component of the protective activity emerged from the analysis of the reduction of phospholipid peroxidation, and also from a significant reduction of cytoplasmic accumulation of peroxides in the pheochromocytoma cell line. Moreover, activation of NF-kappaB by amyloid-derived peptides was greatly impaired by acetaminophen pre-treatment in hippocampal cells. This evidence points out antioxidant and anti-transcriptional properties of acetaminophen besides the known capability to interfere with inflammation within the central nervous system, and suggests that it can be exploited as a possible therapeutic approach against AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Bisaglia
- Pharmacology and Neuroscience, National Cancer Research Institute c/o Advanced Biotechnology Centre, L.go R. Benzi 10, 16132 Genova, Italy
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16
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Russo C, Salis S, Dolcini V, Venezia V, Song XH, Teller JK, Schettini G. Amino-terminal modification and tyrosine phosphorylation of [corrected] carboxy-terminal fragments of the amyloid precursor protein in Alzheimer's disease and Down's syndrome brain. Neurobiol Dis 2001; 8:173-80. [PMID: 11162251 DOI: 10.1006/nbdi.2000.0357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The carboxy-terminal fragments (CTFs) of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) are considered beta-amyloid (Abeta) precursors as well as molecular species possibly amyloidogenic and neurotoxic by [corrected] in vitro or in animal models. The CTF's role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is however relatively unexplored in human brain. In this study, we analyzed brain extracted CTFs in subjects with AD, non-AD control, and Down's syndrome (DS) cases. Our data indicate that: (i) In fetal DS subjects CTFs levels are increased in comparison to age-matched control, suggesting that the enhanced CTFs formation is important for the early occurrence of plaques deposition in DS. No significant difference in CTFs level [corrected] between AD and age-matched control cases. (ii) CTFs modified at their N-terminus are the direct precursors of similarly N-terminally modified Abeta peptides, which constitute the most abundant species in AD and DS plaques. This observation suggests that N-truncated Abeta peptides are formed directly at beta-secretase level and not through a progressive proteolysis of full-length Abeta1-40/42. (iii) Among the differently cleaved CTFs, only the 22- and 12.5-kDa CTF polypeptides are tyrosine phosphorylated in both AD and control brain while the full-length APP and the CTFs migrating below the 12.5-kDa marker are not phosphorylated, suggesting that APP and CTFs may be involved in different pathways depending on their length and sequences. This study provides evidence that CTFs constitute in human brain a molecular species directly involved in AD pathogenesis and in the development of the AD-like pathology in DS subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Russo
- Section of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, National Cancer Institute, Genova, Italy
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