New Look on Antifungal Activity of Silver Nanoparticles (AgNPs).

The progress of research on silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) has led to their inclusion in many consumer products (chemicals, cosmetics, clothing, water filters, and medical devices) as a biocide. Despite the widespread use of AgNPs, their biocidal activity is not yet fully understood and is usually associated with various factors (size, composition, surface, red-ox potential, and concentration) and, obviously, specific features of microorganisms. There are merely a few studies concerning the interaction of molds with AgNPs. Therefore, the determination of the minimal AgNPs concentration required for effective growth suppression of five fungal species (Paecilomyces variotii, Penicillium pinophilum, Chaetomium globosum, Trichoderma virens, and Aspergillus brasiliensis), involved in the deterioration of construction materials, was particularly important. Inhibition of bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli) and yeasts (Candida albicans and Yarrowia lipolytica) was also assessed as the control of AgNPs effectiveness. AgNPs at the concentrations of 9-10.7 ppm displayed high inhibitory activity against moulds, yeast, and bacteria. The TEM images revealed that 20 nm AgNPs migrated into bacterial, yeast, and fungal cells but aggregated in larger particles (50-100 nm) exclusively inside eukaryotic cells. The aggregation of 20 nm AgNPs and particularly their accumulation in the cell wall, observed for A. brasiliensis cells, are described here for the first time.The progress of research on silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) has led to their inclusion in many consumer products (chemicals, cosmetics, clothing, water filters, and medical devices) as a biocide. Despite the widespread use of AgNPs, their biocidal activity is not yet fully understood and is usually associated with various factors (size, composition, surface, red-ox potential, and concentration) and, obviously, specific features of microorganisms. There are merely a few studies concerning the interaction of molds with AgNPs. Therefore, the determination of the minimal AgNPs concentration required for effective growth suppression of five fungal species (Paecilomyces variotii, Penicillium pinophilum, Chaetomium globosum, Trichoderma virens, and Aspergillus brasiliensis), involved in the deterioration of construction materials, was particularly important. Inhibition of bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli) and yeasts (Candida albicans and Yarrowia lipolytica) was also assessed as the control of AgNPs effectiveness. AgNPs at the concentrations of 9­10.7 ppm displayed high inhibitory activity against moulds, yeast, and bacteria. The TEM images revealed that 20 nm AgNPs migrated into bacterial, yeast, and fungal cells but aggregated in larger particles (50­100 nm) exclusively inside eukaryotic cells. The aggregation of 20 nm AgNPs and particularly their accumulation in the cell wall, observed for A. brasiliensis cells, are described here for the first time.

Silver nanoparticles as a control agent against facades coated by aerial algae-A model study of Apatococcus lobatus (green algae).

Aerial algae are an important biological factor causing the biodegradation of building materials and facades. Conservation procedures aimed at the protection of historic and utility materials must be properly designed to avoid an increase of the degradation rate. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of silver nanoparticles (AgNP) synthetized with features contributing to the accessibility and toxicity (spherical shape, small size) on the most frequently occurring species of green algae in aerial biofilms and thus, the most common biodegradation factor-Apatococcus lobatus. Changes in the chloroplasts structure and the photosynthetic activity of the cells under AgNP exposure were made using confocal laser microscopy and digital image analysis and the estimation of growth inhibition rate was made using a biomass assay. In the majority of cases, treatment with AgNP caused a time and dose dependant degradation of chloroplasts and decrease in the photosynthetic activity of cells leading to the inhibition of aerial algae growth. However, some cases revealed an adaptive response of the cells. The response was induced by either a too low, or-after a short time-too high concentration of AgNP. Taken together, the data suggest that AgNP may be used as a biocide against aerial algal coatings; however, with a proper caution related to the concentration of the nanoparticles.

Effective L-Tyrosine Hydroxylation by Native and Immobilized Tyrosinase.

Hydroxylation of L-tyrosine to 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA) by immobilized tyrosinase in the presence of ascorbic acid (AH2), which reduces DOPA-quinone to L-DOPA, is characterized by low reaction yields that are mainly caused by the suicide inactivation of tyrosinase by L-DOPA and AH2. The main aim of this work was to compare processes with native and immobilized tyrosinase to identify the conditions that limit suicide inactivation and produce substrate conversions to L-DOPA of above 50% using HPLC analysis. It was shown that immobilized tyrosinase does not suffer from partitioning and diffusion effects, allowing a direct comparison of the reactions performed with both forms of the enzyme. In typical processes, additional aeration was applied and boron ions to produce the L-DOPA and AH2 complex and hydroxylamine to close the cycle of enzyme active center transformations. It was shown that the commonly used pH 9 buffer increased enzyme stability, with concomitant reduced reactivity of 76%, and that under these conditions, the maximal substrate conversion was approximately 25 (native) to 30% (immobilized enzyme). To increase reaction yield, the pH of the reaction mixture was reduced to 8 and 7, producing L-DOPA yields of approximately 95% (native enzyme) and 70% (immobilized). A three-fold increase in the bound enzyme load achieved 95% conversion in two successive runs, but in the third one, tyrosinase lost its activity due to strong suicide inactivation caused by L-DOPA processing. In this case, the cost of the immobilized enzyme preparation is not overcome by its reuse over time, and native tyrosinase may be more economically feasible for a single use in L-DOPA production. The practical importance of the obtained results is that highly efficient hydroxylation of monophenols by tyrosinase can be obtained by selecting the proper reaction pH and is a compromise between complexation and enzyme reactivity.

Conformational state of ß-hydroxynaphthylamides: Barriers for the rotation of the amide group around CN bond and dynamics of the morpholine ring.

Three ß-hydroxynaphthylamides (morpholine, pyrrolidine and dimethylamine derivatives) have been synthesized and their conformational state was analyzed by NMR, X-ray and DFT calculations. In aprotic solution the molecules contain intramolecular OHO hydrogen bonds, which change into intermolecular ones in solid state. The energy barriers for the amide group rotation around the CN bond were estimated from the line shape analysis of (1)H and (13)C NMR signals. A tentative correlation between the barrier height and the strength of OHO bond was proposed. Calculations of the potential energy profiles for the rotations around CC and CN bonds were done. In case of morpholine derivative experimental indications of additional dynamics: chair-chair 'ring flip' in combination with the twisting around CC bond were obtained and confirmed by quantum chemistry calculations.

Oxidation of hydrocarbons on the surface of tin dioxide chemical sensors.

The paper presents the results of our investigation on the effect of the molecular structure of organic vapors on the characteristics of resistive chemical gas sensors. The sensors were based on tin dioxide and prepared by means of thick film technology. The electrical and catalytic examinations showed that the abstraction of two hydrogen atoms from the organic molecule and formation of a water in result of reaction with a chemisorbed oxygen ion, determine the rate of oxidation reactions, and thus the sensor performance. The rate of the process depends on the order of carbon atoms and Lewis acidity of the molecule. Therefore, any modification of the surface centers of a sensor material, modifies not only the sensor sensitivity, but also its selectivity.

Ultrafiltrative separation of rhamnolipid from culture medium.

Classic methods of biosurfactant separation are difficult and require large amounts of organic solvents, thus generate high amounts of waste. This work presents and discusses in detail an original procedure to separate rhamnolipid from fermentation broth using high performance membrane techniques. Due to the unique properties of surface active agents, such as capability of forming aggregates above the critical micelle concentration, it is possible to easily purify the biosurfactant with high efficacy using inexpensive and commonly used membranes. In this article, two-stage ultrafiltration is proposed as a method for separating and purifying rhamnolipid from the culture medium. The obtained purified rhamnolipid solution was capable of reducing surface tension of water down to 28.6 mN/m at critical micelle concentration of 40 mg/l. Separation of rhamnolipid was confirmed by HPLC; three types of rhamnolipids were identified (RL1, RL2, RL4), with considerable predominance of RL2.

Use of fly ash agglomerates for removal of arsenic.

The aim of this work is to investigate the application of fly ash adsorbent for removal of arsenite ions from dilute solution (100-1,000 ppm). Experiments were carried out using material from the "Turów" (Poland) brown-coal-burning power plant, which was wetted, then mixed and tumbled in a granulator to form spherical agglomerates. Measurements of arsenic adsorption from aqueous solution were carried out at room temperature and natural pH of fly ash agglomerates, in either a shaken flask or circulating column, to compare two different methods of contacting solution with adsorbent. Adsorption isotherms of arsenic were determined for agglomerated material using the Freundlich equation. Kinetic studies indicated that sorption follows a pseudo-second-order model. Preferable method to carry out the process is continuous circulation of arsenite solution through a column.