Publications

Abstract In this paper, a coupled bioluminescent assay, relying on the coupling of the enzymes acetylcholinesterase, S-acetyl-coenzyme A synthetase and firefly luciferase, for the detection and quantitation of organophosphorus pesticides, is presented. Using malathion as a model organophosphorus pesticide, the assay was optimized through statistical experimental design methodology, namely Plackett-Burman and central composite designs. The optimized method requires only 20 mu L of sample. The linear range for the assay was 2.5-15 mu M of malathion, with limits of detection and quantitation of 1.5 and 5.0 mu M, respectively. This simple, fast and robust method allows samples to be analyzed at room temperature and without any pretreatment. Copyright (c) 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Abstract Firefly oxyluciferin is a photoacid that presents a pH-sensitive fluorescence, which results from pH-dependent changes on the conformation of self-aggregated - stacking complexes. Luciferin is a derivative of oxyluciferin with very similar fluorescence and photoacidic properties. This similarity indicates that luciferin is also expected to be able to form - stacking complexes, but no pH-sensitive fluorescence is found for this compound. Here, a theoretical approach is used to rationalize this finding. We have found that luciferin only forms - stacking complexes in the ground state at acidic pH. At basic pH and in the excited state, luciferin is present as a dianion. This species is not able to self-aggregate, owing to repulsive electrostatic interactions. Thus, this emissive species is not subject to - stacking interactions; this explains its pH-insensitive fluorescence.

Abstract A fluorescent nanocomposite based on the inclusion of CdSe quantum dots in porous phosphate heterostructures, functionalized with amino groups (PPH-NH2@CdSe), was synthesized, characterized and used for fingerprint detection. The main scopes of this work were first to develop a friendly chemical powder for detecting latent fingerprints, especially in non-porous surfaces; their further intercalation in PPH structure enables not to spread the fluorescent nanoparticles, for that reason very good fluorescent images can be obtained. The fingerprints, obtained on different non-porous surfaces such as iron tweezers, mobile telephone screen and magnetic band of a credit card, treated with this powder emit a pale orange luminescence under ultraviolet excitation. A further image processing consists of contrast enhancement that allows obtaining positive matches according to the information supplied from a police database, and showed to be more effective than that obtained with the non-processed images. Experimental results illustrate the effectiveness of proposed methods.

Abstract The influence of the heteroatoms in the conformational, energetic, and reactivity trends exhibited by morpholine and thiomorpholine isosteres was obtained from computational and experimental thermochemical studies. For those purposes, the gas-phase standard (p = 0.1 MPa) molar enthalpies of formation of the compounds, at T = 298.15 K, were determined from the experimental values of the standard molar. enthalpies of formation, in the liquid phase, and of the standard molar: enthalpies of vaporization, obtained by calorimetric techniques, and also from composite G3(MP2)// B3LYP calculations making use of appropriate working reactions. A very good agreement was found between the calculated and the experimental gas-phase enthalpies of formation. The computational study was further extended to the calculation of other gas-phase thermodynamic properties these compounds, namely, the N-H or C-H bond dissociation enthalpies, gas-phase acidities and basicitics, proton affinities and adiabatic ionization enthalpies, and the energies and structures of the conformational stereoisomers of morpholine and thiomorpholine.

Abstract Firefly bioluminescence presents a light emitting profile with a form of a flash, due to the firefly luciferase-catalyzed formation of inhibitory products. These impair the binding of the substrate luciferin to the active site of the enzyme. However, this luciferase catalyzed pathways may not be the only ones responsible for the flash profile. The oxidation and isomerisation of the substrate luciferin lead to the formation of compounds that are also known inhibitors of firefly bioluminescence. So, the objective of this Letter was to analyze if these reactions could be capable of interfering with the bioluminescence reaction.

Abstract Pollen of Betula pendula, Ostrya carpinifolia and Carpinus betulus was exposed in vitro to two levels of NO2 (about 0.034 and 0.067 ppm) both below current atmospheric hour-limit value acceptable for human health protection in Europe (0.11 ppm for NO2). Experiments were performed under artificial solar light with temperature and relative humidity continuously monitored. The viability, germination and total soluble proteins of all the pollen samples exposed to NO2 decreased significantly when compared with the non-exposed. The polypeptide profiles of all the pollen samples showed bands between 15 and 70 kDa and the exposure to NO2 did not produce any detectable changes in these profiles. However, the immunodetection assays indicated higher IgE recognition by patient sera sensitized to the pollen extracts from all exposed samples in comparison to the non-exposed samples. The common reactive bands to the three pollen samples correspond to 58 and 17 kDa proteins.

Abstract This paper is concerned with computational and experimental thermochemical studies of azepan and azepan-1-ylacetonitrile, molecules whose flexible ring structure provides several conformational forms with low energy barriers among them. The computational study describes the energetic analysis of the six most stable conformers on the potential energy surfaces and the determination of their gas-phase standard enthalpy of formation at the reference temperature of 298.15 K. The same gas-phase enthalpic parameters are also derived from the enthalpies of formation in the liquid phase and the enthalpies of vaporization, at T = 298.15 K, determined experimentally using the combustion calorimetry and the Calvet microcalorimetry techniques, respectively. The experimental data reported in this work for the two titled compounds together with other available in the literature for related molecules enabled the establishment of an increments scheme, providing a reliable approach on the prevision of gas-phase enthalpy of formation of cyclic/acyclic hydrocarbons and amines. Complementary, natural bond orbital (NBO) calculations were also performed, allowing an advance on the analysis of the structural and reactivity behavior of these type of compounds.

Abstract The present work deals with the study of the anthocyanin profile of two different black carrots (Daucus carota L. ssp. sativus var. atrorubens Alef.) cultivars, associated with Antonina and Purple Haze varieties, from Cuevas Bajas (Malaga, Spain) and some of their antioxidant features. The main anthocyanins detected by LC-MS were found to correspond to five cyanidin-based anthocyanins: cyanidin 3-xylosylglucosylgalactoside, cyanidin 3-xylosylgalactoside and the sinapic, ferulic and coumaric acids derivative of cyanidin 3-xylosylglucosylgalactoside. The anthocyanins present in the black carrots were essentially acylated and their levels were found to correspond to 25% and 50% of the total phenolic content for the Purple Haze and Antonina varieties, respectively. Moreover, the reducing capacity of the two black carrots extracts (86.4 +/- 8.0 and 182.0 +/- 27 mu M TE/100 g fw) and the radical scavenging ability (17.6 +/- 9.0 and 240.0 +/- 54.0 mu M TE/100 g fw) expressed in Trolox equivalents units were determined. The antioxidant features of the black carrot extracts were shown to be significantly higher than those of orange carrots used herein for comparison. Overall, this work highlights the Cuevas Bajas black carrots as rich sources of anthocyanins with significant antioxidant capacities and good nutritional value.

Abstract Firefly oxyluciferin is a prime example in which pi-pi stacking interactions play an important role, by being the basis for the formation of sandwich-like oxyluciferin complexes. In the present study, we have used a theoretical methodology to further understand the effect of pi-pi stacking interactions in the properties of oxyluciferin molecule. More specifically, we have analysed the effect of resonance changes in oxyluciferin pi-pi stacking dimers. We have found that resonance changes have little effect on the ground state properties of the dimmers. More interestingly, by modulating the resonance of the dimmers we can obtain different transition energies and efficiencies. This results in changes in the degree of contributions made by the different orbital excitations that compose the excitation transition.

Abstract AsLn2, an unusual modified peptide, was isolated from the bioluminescent earthworm Fridericia heliota (Enchytraeidae). Its structure, elucidated by NMR and mass spectrometry, includes residues of tyrosine, CompX (a novel tyrosine modification product, reported in the accompanying paper), and N(omega)-acylated lysine. Chromatography, UV, and H-1 NMR data imply a close structural similarity of AsLn2 with F. heliota luciferin. AsLn2 appears to be an intermediate or by-product in F. heliota luciferin biosynthesis.