Chemotaxonomic Fingerprinting of Chilean Lichens Through Maldi and Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry

The aim of this work was to study a fast, new, sensitive, and simple method for the chemotaxonomic classification of Chilean lichens (Teloschistes chrysophthalmus, Ramalina farinacea, Usnea pusilla, Ramalina chilensis and Stereocaulon ramulosum) using MALDI-TOF-MS and UPLC-ESI(-)-MS data. Lichens soluble proteins fingerprints were acquired by MALDI-TOF-MS and they were analyzed by chemometric (PCA). Lichens organic extracts fingerprints were obtained by UPLC-ESI(-)-MS. MALDI-TOF-MS associated with chemometric analysis was used to detect new m/z patterns of soluble proteins that were compared with Protein Data Bank of UnitPro. These data also permitted the satisfactory distinction among the families and species. UPLC-ESI(-)-MS fingerprints analyses of the organic extracts showed the presence of five major lichen compounds (atranorin, parietin, teloschistin, ramalinolic and usnic acids). In contrast to other techniques, MALDI-TOF-MS associated with chemometric analysis and UPLC-ESI(-)-MS provided a new, fast and sensitive method for chemotaxonomic characterization of lichens.

Production and characterization of surface-active compounds from Gordonia amicalis

Two methods were used to make crude preparations of surface-active compounds (SACs) produced by Gordonia amicalis grown on the medium containing 1% diesel oil. Using a 2:1 (v/v) solution of chloroform:methanol for extraction, Type I SACs were isolated and shown to produce oil in water (O/W) emulsions. Type II SACs were isolated by precipitation with ammonium sulfate and produced predominantly water in oil emulsions (W/O). The crude Type I and II preparations were able to produce a significant reduction in the surface tension of water; however, the crude Type II preparation had 10-25 fold higher emulsification activity than the Type I preparation. Both SAC preparations were analyzed by the TLC and each produced two distinct bands with Rf 0.44 and 0.62 and Rf 0.52 and 0.62, respectively. The partially purified SACs were characterized by the ESI(+)-MS, FT-IR and NMR. In each one of these fractions, a mixture of 10 oligomers was found consisting of a series of compounds, with masses from 502 to 899, differing in molecular mass by a repeating unit of 44 Daltons. The mass spectra of these compounds did not appear to match other known biosurfactants and could represent a novel class of these compounds.