Risk Assessment of AFM1 in Raw Milk and Dairy Products Produced in Armenia, a Caucasus Region Country: A Pilot Study.

This paper presents the first assessment of dietary exposure to aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) and associated health risks through milk and dairy product consumption in Armenia. Data on AFM1 in raw milk were obtained from an annual residue monitoring program. Additionally, commonly consumed dairy products (pasteurized milk, cheese, sour cream, curd cheese) were sampled, considering the sources of raw milk used by dairy companies. Per capita consumption of raw milk was sourced from national food balance databases, while individual consumption data for dairy products was collected via a 24 h recall survey with 1400 adult respondents. Detectable levels of AFM1 were observed in 7.14% of raw milk samples (up to 0.334 µg/kg) and, albeit at lower amounts (up to 0.009 µg/kg), in 30% and 40% of sour cream and curd cheese, respectively. The AFM1 levels were lower than the national maximum permitted level (0.5 µg/kg); however, levels in raw milk exceeded the EU ML (0.05 µg/kg). The estimated margin of exposure values for dairy products indicated no significant risk, whereas a reasonable worst-case estimate, using the measurable levels of AFM1 in raw milk consumption indicated a potential public health concern. This study provides a scientific basis for evaluating aflatoxin issues in the Caucasus area.

Risk assessment of potentially toxic trace elements via consumption of dairy products sold in the city of Yerevan, Armenia.

The study aimed to investigate the potentially toxic trace elements (PTEs) Pb, Cd, Hg, Mo, and Cu in dairy products sold in Yerevan's markets and to assess the related exposure and possible health risks among the adult population residing in the capital city of Armenia, Yerevan. The PTEs contents were determined in widely consumed dairy products (pasteurized milk, sour cream, matsoun and cheese from cow milk) using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. PTE contents were in the range of 7.90E-04 (Pb in pasteurized milk) to 6.75E-01 (Cu in cheese) mg/kg. Food consumption was assessed by the 24-h dietary recall method. The PTE daily intakes and margin of exposure (MOE) were calculated by the deterministic approach. The results indicated potential health concerns for the contribution of dairy products to the overall dietary intake of Pb and Cd. MOEs of Pb and Cd (8.71 and 8.80, respectively) estimated for high consumers of cheese (90 g/day and more) were lower than 10. The pilot data set provides the first comprehensive appraisal on the dairy products contamination by PTEs in the Caucasus region. The results point out further attention to sources of Pb and Cd in Armenian dairy products, including environment and farm characteristics.

Nitric Oxide Dioxygenation by O2 Adducts of Manganese Porphyrins.

We describe here nitric oxide dioxygenation (NOD) by the dioxygen manganese porphyrin adducts Mn(Por)(η2-O2) (Por2- = the meso-tetra-phenyl or meso-tetra-p-tolylporphyrinato dianions, TPP2- and TTP2-). The Mn(Por)(η2-O2) was assembled by adding O2 to sublimed layers of MnII(Por). When NO was introduced and the temperature was slowly raised from 80 to 120 K, new IR bands with correlated intensities grew concomitant with depletion of the υ(O2) band. Isotope labeling experiments with 18O2, 15NO, and N18O combined with DFT calculations provide the basis for identifying the initial intermediates as the six-coordinate peroxynitrito complexes (ON)Mn(Por)(η1-OONO). Further warming to room temperature led to formation of the nitrato complexes Mn(Por)(η1-ONO2), thereby demonstrating the ability of these metal centers to promote NOD. However, comparable quantities of the nitrito complexes Mn(Por)(η1-ONO) are also formed. In contrast, when the analogous reactions were initiated with the weak σ-donor ligand tetrahydrofuran or dimethyl sulfide present in the layers, formation of Mn(Por)(η1-ONO2) is strongly favored (∼90%). The latter are formed via a 6-coordinate intermediate (L)Mn(Por)(η1-ONO2) (L = THF or DMS) that loses L upon warming. These reaction patterns are compared to those observed previously with analogous iron and cobalt porphyrin complexes.

Six-Coordinate Nitrato Complexes of Iron Porphyrins with Trans S-Donor Ligands.

The reaction of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and tetrahydrothiophene (THT) with thin, amorphous layers of the nitrato complexes Fe(Por)(η2-O2NO) (Por = meso-tetraphenylporphyrinato dianion or meso-tetra- p-tolylporphyrinato dianion) at low temperature leads to formation of the corresponding six-coordinate complexes Fe(Por)(L)(η1-ONO2) (L = DMS, THT) as characterized by Fourier transform infrared and optical spectroscopy measurements. Adduct formation was accompanied by bidentate-to-monodentate linkage isomerization of the nitrato ligand, with the FeIII center remaining in a high-spin electronic state. These adducts are thermally unstable; warming to room temperature restores the initial Fe(Por)(η2-O2NO) species.

Six-Coordinate Ferrous Nitrosyl Complex FeII(TTP)(PMe3)(NO) (TTP = meso-Tetra-p-tolylporphyrinato Dianion).

Low-temperature in situ Fourier transform infrared and UV-vis measurements show that trimethylphosphine (PMe3) reacts with microporous layers of FeII(TTP)(NO) (TTP = meso-tetra-p-tolylporphyrinato dianion; NO = nitric oxide) to form the previously unknown six-coordinate complex FeII(TTP)(PMe3)(NO). Upon warming this compound to room temperature in the presence of excess phosphine, the NO ligand is completely replaced by phosphine, resulting in formation of the bis(trimethylphosphine) complex FeII(TTP)(PMe3)2. Simultaneously, the NO released oxidizes free PMe3 to the corresponding phosphine oxide (OPMe3) with concomitant formation of nitrous oxide (N2O).

Six-coordinate nitro complexes of iron(III) porphyrins with trans S-donor ligands. Oxo-transfer reactivity in the solid state.

Spectroscopic studies demonstrate that the 5-coordinate O-nitrito complexes Fe(Por)(eta(1)-ONO) (Por--meso-tetraphenyl- or meso-tetra-p-tolyl-porphyrinato dianions) react with the thioethers (R(2)S) dimethylsulfide and tetrahydrothiophene to give the 6-coordinate N-nitrito complexes Fe(Por)(R(2)S)(NO(2)). These reactions were conducted in low-temperature porous layered solids formed in a cryostat; however, with excess R(2)S in the atmosphere, the same species are moderately stable at room temperature. Six-coordinate O-nitrito isomers were not observed with the R(2)S proximal ligands, even though DFT calculations for the Fe(P)(DMS)(eta(1)-ONO) and Fe(P)(DMS)(NO(2)) models (P = porphinato dianion, DMS = dimethyl sulfide) show the latter to be only modestly lower energy (approximately 8 kJ/mol) than the former. Leaving this system at room temperature in the presence of excess R(2)S leads eventually to the appearance in the FTIR spectra of the nu(NO) band characteristic of the ferrous nitrosyl Fe(Por)(NO). Concomitantly, the mass spectrum of the gas phase demonstrated the molecular peaks of the sulfoxides R(2)SO, indicating oxygen atom transfer reactivity for the ferric porphryinato complexes of nitrite.

Catalytic dioxygen activation by (nitro)(meso-tetrakis(2-n-methylpyridyl)porphyrinato)cobalt(III) cation derivatives electrostatically immobilized in nafion films: an experimental and DFT investigation.

Complexes of the (nitro)( meso-tetrakis(2- N-methylpyridyl)porphyinato)cobalt(III) cation, [LCoTMpyP(2)(NO 2)] (4+), in which L = water or ethanol have been immobilized through ionic attraction within Nafion films (Naf). These immobilized six-coordinate species, [LCoTMPyP(2)(NO 2)/Naf], have been found to catalyze the oxidation of triphenylphosphine in ethanol solution by dioxygen, therefore retaining the capacity to activate dioxygen catalytically without an additional reducing agent as was previously observed in nonaqueous solution for the non-ionic (nitro)cobalt porphyrin analogs. Heating these immobilized six-coordinate species under vacuum conditions results in the formation of the five-coordinate nitro derivatives, [CoTMPyP(2)(NO 2)/Naf] at 85 degrees C and [CoTMPyP(2)/Naf] at 110 degrees C. The catalytic oxidation of gas-phase cyclohexene with O 2 is supported only by the resulting immobilized five-coordinate nitro complex as was previously seen with the corresponding solution-phase catalyst in dichloromethane solution. The simultaneous catalytic oxidation of triphenylphosphine and cyclohexene with O 2 in the presence of the Nafion-bound six-coordinate ethanol nitro complex is also observed; however, this process is not seen for the CoTPP derivative in dichloromethane solution. The oxidation reactions do not occur with unmodified Nafion film or with Nafion-supported [BrCo(III)TmpyP]/Naf or [Co(II)TmpyP]/Naf, indicating the necessity for the nitro/nitrosyl ligand in the oxidation mechanism. The existence of a second reactive intermediate is indicated because the two simultaneous oxidation reactions depend on two distinct oxygen atom-transfer steps having different reactivity. The absence of homogeneous cyclohexene oxidation by the six-coordinate (H 2O)CoTPP(NO 2) derivatives in the presence of Ph 3P and O 2 in dichloromethane solution indicates that the second reactive intermediate is lost by an unidentified route only in solution, implying that the immobilization of it in Nafion allows it to react with cyclohexene. Although direct observation of this species has not been achieved, a comparitive DFT study of likely intermediates in several catalytic oxidation mechanisms at the BP 6-31G* level supports the possibility that this intermediate is a peroxynitro species on the basis of relative thermodynamic accessibility. The alternate intermediates evaluated include the reduced cobalt(II) porphyrin, the dioxygen adduct cobalt(III)-O 2 (-), the oxidized cobalt(II) pi-cation radical, and the nitrito complex, cobalt(III)-ONO.

Interaction of nitrogen bases with iron-porphyrin nitrito complexes Fe(Por)(ONO) in sublimed solids.

The reactions of the nitrogen Lewis bases (B) 1-methylimidazole (1-MeIm), pyridine (Py), and NH3 as gases with sublimed layers containing the 5-coordinate nitrito iron(III)-porphyrinato complexes Fe(Por)(eta1-ONO) (1) are described (Por = meso-tetraphenyl-porphyrinato or meso-tetra-p-tolyl-porphyrinato dianions). In situ FTIR and optical spectra are used to characterize the formation of the 6-coordinate nitro complexes formed by the reaction of 1 with B = 1-MeIm, Py, or NH3. These represent the first examples of 6-coordinate amino-nitro complexes with sterically unprotected iron-porphyrins. The interaction of ammonia with Fe(Por)(ONO) at 140 K initially led to the nitrito species Fe(Por)(NH3)(eta1-ONO), and this species isomerized to the nitro complexes Fe(Por)(NH3)(eta1-NO2) upon warming to 180 K. When the latter were warmed to room temperature under intense pumping, the initial nitrito complexes Fe(Por)(eta1-ONO) were restored. Assignments of vibrational frequencies for the coordinated nitro group in 6-coordinate iron-porphyrin complexes are given and confirmed using 15N-labeled nitrogen dioxide to identify characteristic infrared bands. For M(Por)(B)(NO2) complexes (M = Fe or Co), an inverse correlation between the net charge transfer from the axial ligand B to the nitro group and the value of Deltanu = nua(NO2) - nus(NO2) is proposed. These observations are discussed in the context of growing interest in potential physiological roles of nitrite ion reactions with ferro- and ferri-heme proteins.

Reactions of nitrogen oxides with the five-coordinate Fe(III)(porphyrin) nitrito intermediate Fe(Por)(ONO) in sublimed solids.

Detailed experimental studies are described for reactions of several nitrogen oxides with iron porphyrin models for heme/NxOy systems. It is shown by FTIR and optical spectroscopy and by isotope labeling experiments that reaction of small increments of NO2 with sublimed thin layers of the iron(II) complex Fe(Por) (Por = meso-tetraphenylporphyrinato dianion, TPP, or meso-tetra-p-tolylporphyrinato dianion, TTP) leads to formation of the 5-coordinate nitrito complexes Fe(Por)(eta1-ONO) (1), which are fairly stable but very slowly decompose under vacuum giving mostly the corresponding nitrosyl complexes Fe(Por)(NO). Further reaction of 1 with new NO2 increments leads to formation of the nitrato complex Fe(Por)(eta2-O2NO) (2). The interaction of NO with 1 at low temperature involves ligand addition to give the nitrito-nitrosyl complexes Fe(Por)(eta1-ONO)(NO) (3); however, these isomerize to the nitro-nitrosyl analogs Fe(Por)(eta1-NO2)(NO) (4) upon warming. Experiments with labeled nitrogen oxides argue for an intramolecular isomerization ("flipping") mechanism rather than one involving dissociation and rebinding of NO2. The Fe(III) centers in the 6-coordinate species 3 and 4 are low spin in contrast to 1, which appears to be high-spin, although DFT computations of the porphinato models Fe(P)(nitrite) suggest that the doublet nitro species and the quartet and sextet nitrito complexes are all relatively close in energy. The nitro-nitrosyl complex 4 is stable under an NO atmosphere but decomposes under intense pumping to give a mixture of the ferrous nitrosyl complex Fe(Por)(NO) and the ferric nitrito complex Fe(Por)(eta1-ONO) indicating the competitive dissociation of NO and NO2. Hence, loss of NO from 4 is accompanied with nitro --> nitrito isomerization consistent with 1 being the more stable of the 5-coordinate NO2 complexes of iron porphyrins.