Evaluation of proteome alterations induced by cadmium stress in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) cultures.

The present study evaluates, at a proteomic level, changes in protein abundance in sunflower leaves in the absence or presence (at 50 or 700mg) of cadmium (as CdCl2). At the end of the cultivation period (45 days), proteins are extracted from leaves with phenol, separated by two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis (2-D DIGE), and excised from the gels. The differential protein abundances (for proteins differing by more than 1.8 fold, which corresponds to 90% variation) are characterized using nESI-LC-MS/MS. The protein content decreases by approximately 41% in plants treated with 700mg Cd compared with control plants. By comparing all groups of plants evaluated in this study (Control vs. Cd-lower, Control vs. Cd-higher and Cd-lower vs. Cd-higher), 39 proteins are found differential and 18 accurately identified; the control vs. Cd-higher treatment is that presenting the most differential proteins. From identified proteins, those involved in energy and disease/defense (including stress), are the ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase large chain, transketolase, and heat shock proteins are the most differential abundant proteins. Thus, at the present study, photosynthesis is the main process affected by Cd in sunflowers, although these plants are highly tolerant to Cd.

Optimization of a hydride generation metallic furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (HG-MF-AAS) method for tin determination: analytical and morphological parameters of a metallic atomizer.

The present work describes a metallic tube as hydride atomizer for atomic absorption spectrometry. Its performance is evaluated through tin determination, and the accuracy of the method assessed through the analysis of sediment and water samples. Some chemical parameters (referring to the generation of the hydride) such as acid, NaOH and THB concentrations, as well as physical parameters (referring to the transport of the hydride) such as carrier, acetylene, air flow-rates, flame composition, coil length, tube hole area, among others, are evaluated for optimization of the method. Scanning electron microscopy is used for evaluating morphological parameters in both new and used (after 150 h) tube atomizers. The method presents linear Sn concentration from 50 to 1000 µg L(-1) (r>0.9995; n=3) and the analytical frequency of ca. 40 h(-1). The limit of detection (LOD) is 7.1 µg L(-1) and the precision, expressed as RSD is less than 4% (200 µg L(-1); n=10). The accuracy is evaluated through reference materials, and the results are similar at 95% confidence level according to the t-test.