Rapid immunochemical analysis of the sulfonamide-sugar conjugated fraction of antibiotic contaminated honey samples.

A rapid high-throughput immunochemical screening (HtiS) procedure for the analysis of the sulfonamide (SA)-sugar conjugated fraction of antibiotic contaminated honey samples has been developed. Studies performed with this matrix have indicated that sulfonamide antibiotics are conjugated to sugars rapidly and quantitatively, providing samples with very low SA immunoreactivity. Therefore, sulfonamides must be first released before the analysis, and for this purpose, a simple and fast sample preparation procedure has been established consisting of hydrolyzing the sample for 5 min, adjusting the pH and buffering the sample prior to the immunochemical analysis. Under these conditions, honey samples could be directly analyzed without any additional sample treatment, other than dilution. Recovery values of the whole analytical procedure were greater than 85%. The analysis of the same samples without the hydrolysis provided recovery values below 5%. Selectivity studies performed in hydrolyzed honey samples revealed that nine relevant sulfonamide antibiotics can be detected with limit of detection (LOD) values below the action limits established by some EU countries (Belgium, 20 µg kg(-1), United Kingdom or Switzerland, 50 µg kg(-1)).

A portable electrochemical magnetoimmunosensor for detection of sulfonamide antimicrobials in honey.

A new electrochemical magnetoimmunosensor (EMIS) has been developed for the screening of residues of sulfonamide antimicrobials in honey samples. The immunosensor is able to detect up to ten different sulfonamide congeners at levels below the action points established in some European countries (25 µg kg(-1)) after a hydrolysis step in which the sulfonamides are released from the corresponding conjugates formed in samples of this type. In spite of the complexity of the sample after the hydrolysis procedure, the EMIS could perform quantitative measurements, directly in these samples, without any additional sample cleanup or extraction step. For example, sulfapyridine, used as a reference, can be detected in hydrolyzed honey with a limit of detection (IC90) of 0.1 ± 0.03 µg kg(-1). Considering that the use of antibiotics for bee treatment is prohibited in the European Union, the immunosensor presented here could be an excellent screening tool. Moreover, several samples can be processed in parallel, which facilitates the analysis, reducing the necessity to use more costly confirmatory methods for just screening. As a proof of concept, a set of blind honey samples (spiked and incurred) were analyzed and the results were compared with those obtained by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, demonstrating the potential of the EMIS as a screening tool.

Cysteinyl-flavan-3-ol conjugates from grape procyanidins. Antioxidant and antiproliferative properties.

New bio-based antioxidant compounds have been obtained by depolymerisation of grape polymeric flavanols in the presence of cysteine. Their preparation and purification, as well as their antiradical/antioxidant and antiproliferative properties are reported. 4beta-(S-cysteinyl)epicatechin 5, 4beta-(S-cysteinyl)catechin 6 and 4beta-(S-cysteinyl)epicatechin 3-O-gallate 7 were efficiently purified from the crude depolymerised mixture by cation-exchange chromatography and preparative reversed-phase chromatography. The new compounds were more efficient than the underivatised (-)-epicatechin 1 as scavengers of the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl free radical (DPPH) and weak growth inhibitors of human colon carcinoma HT29 cells. The order of antiradical and antiproliferative efficiency was 7 >5 approximately 6 >1, the same for both assays.

Development of an immunochemical technique for the analysis of trichlorophenols using theoretical models.

An immunoassay has been developed for trichlorophenol analysis on the basis of theoretical chemistry modeling studies. These data have allowed us to choose the optimum chemical structure of the immunizing hapten according to realistic similarities with the target analyte. The synthesis of this hapten and the subsequent application of an appropriate immunization protocol have lead to the production of polyclonal antibodies against the target analyte. A homologous direct competitive ELISA has been developed that can be carried out in about 1 h. It has a limit of detection of 0.2 +/- 0.06 microg/L (1.01 +/- 0.3 nM) and it has been proven to tolerate a wide range of ionic strengths and pH values. Thus, the assay has acceptable features in samples with ionic strength between 4 and 56 mS/cm and pH values between 5.5 and 9.5. Studies on the selectivity of this immunoassay have demonstrated a high recognition of the corresponding brominated analogues. Other phenolic compounds do not interfere significantly in the analysis of 2,4,6-trichorophenol using this immunochemical technique. The accuracy of the assay has been evaluated using certified and spiked samples.

Identification of selective inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase from a combinatorial library of 2,5-piperazinediones.

The potentiation of central cholinergic activity has been proposed as a therapeutic approach for improving cognitive function in patients with Alzheimer's disease. Increasing the acetylcholine concentration in brain by modulating acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity is among the most promising strategies. We have used a combinatorial approach to identify different 2,5-piperazinediones (DKP) with AChE inhibitory activity. Our goal was to find inhibitors exhibiting high AChE/BuChE (butyrylcholinesterase) selectivity, in order to reduce the undesirable side effects elicited by most of the inhibitors that have been developed to date. Screening of a DKP library constructed on solid-phase using the multiple parallel synthesis format, resulted in the identification of several compounds with moderate efficacy on AChE. In particular, DKP-80 had an IC50 = 2.2 microM with no significant inhibitory activity on BuChE. Moreover, estimated values of Clog P and log BB for the most active compounds fulfilled the bioavailability requirements for enzyme inhibitors acting on the central nervous system. In order to understand the inhibitory properties of the ligand at the molecular level, molecular dynamics simulations were computed on DKP-80 complexed to AChE, and the most relevant binding interactions of this inhibitor to the active center of the enzyme were characterized. Overall the present results indicate that the DKP-based compounds identified are novel AChE inhibitors which may be considered likely lead compounds for further development of drug candidates against Alzheimer's disease.

Influence of the hapten design on the development of a competitive ELISA for the determination of the antifouling agent Irgarol 1051 at trace levels.

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) with a high detectability have been developed for determination of the antifouling agent Irgarol 1051. The features of the resulting assays have been rationalized by using molecular mechanic calculations (MM2+) to correlate the chemical structure of different immunizing haptens and the corresponding avidities of the obtained antisera. The ability of Irgarol 1051 to compete for the antibody binding sites with 11 horseradish peroxidase enzyme tracers, differing in the chemical structures of the hapten, has been investigated. The present paper demonstrates that high-quality antibodies and, therefore, immunoassays reaching very low detection limits could be predicted by molecular modeling studies of the analyte conformations and of the immunizing haptens' geometries, hydrogen-bonding capabilities, and electronic distributions. Two of the ELISAs obtained have been optimized to obtain reproducible immunoassays. The dynamic ranges of both assays are between 30 and 200 ng/L, and the limits of detection are approximately 16 ng/L. The reported immunoassays have been evaluated and validated by analyzing spiked and real seawater samples. Irgarol 1051 has been found to be present in two of the geographical locations analyzed at concentration levels dependent on the time of year. The analytical results obtained with these immunoassays have been validated by chromatographic methods.

Mitomycin C binding to poly[d(G-m5C)].

Poly[d(G-m5C)] was modified by reductively activated mitomycin C, an anti-tumour drug, under buffer conditions which are known to favour either the B or the Z conformations of DNA. C.d. and 31P-n.m.r. were used to characterize the poly[d(G-m5C)]-mitomycin cross-linked complexes, as well as the effects on the equilibrium between the B and Z forms of the polynucleotide. Mitomycin C appears to inhibit the B-->Z transition, even in the presence of 3 mM MgCl2, while the Z-form of poly[d(G-m5C)] does not interact significantly with the drug under bifunctionally activating conditions; thus no reversion from the Z-form to the B-form of the polynucleotide can be observed under the salt conditions which are required for the Z-form to exist.

Riboflavin 3'- and 5'-sulfate, two novel flavins accumulating in the roots of iron-deficient sugar beet (Beta vulgaris).

Roots from iron-deficient sugar beet grown in the presence of calcium carbonate exhibit a yellow color and autofluorescence typical of flavin-like compounds, whereas roots of control, iron-sufficient plants exhibited no yellow color and extremely low autofluorescence. The two major flavins whose accumulation is induced by iron deficiency have been shown to be different from riboflavin, FMN, and FAD by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography. These flavins, accounting for 82 and 15% of the total flavin concentration in deficient roots, have been shown unequivocally to be riboflavin 3'-sulfate and riboflavin 5'-sulfate, respectively, by electrospray-mass spectrometry, inductively coupled plasma emission spectroscopy, infrared spectrometry, and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance. These flavin sulfates have not been found previously in biological systems. The localization of riboflavin sulfates in deficient roots is similar, but not identical, to that of high iron reductase activity. The concentration of riboflavin sulfates has been estimated from root extracts to be at least 1 mM. We hypothesize, based on the similar localization of flavin and that of iron reduction, that the accumulation of riboflavin sulfates induced by iron deficiency may be an integral part of the turbo iron-reducing system in sugar beet roots.