Possible implementation of salicylate anions in lead detoxification.

The water-soluble coordination polymer of formula {[Pb(Sal)2(H2O)]n} (SaLead), was obtained from the reaction between Pb(NO3)2 and the potassium salt of salicylic acid (SalH), an anti-inflammatory drug, which is also use as food preservation, in cosmetics etc. The compound was characterized by melting point, Attenuated Total Reflectance-Fourier Transform Infra-Red (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction crystallography (XRD) in solid state and in solution by Ultra Violet (UV) and 1H NMR spectroscopies. The binding affinity of SalK to Pb(II) ions towards SaLead was determined in order to examine its possible implementation in lead detoxification. The in vitro non-toxic behaviour of SalK and its complex SaLead was evaluated against normal human fetal lung fibroblast cells (MRC-5). The corresponding IC50 values are 260 ± 13 and > 1600 µM respectively. The non-genotoxic in vitro activity of SaLead was confirmed with the micronucleus (MN) assay, while its in vivo non-toxicity behaviour was evaluated with Allium cepa and Artemia salina assays.

Discovery and Characterization of a Baeyer-Villiger Monooxygenase Using Sequence Similarity Network Analysis.

Baeyer-Villiger monooxygenases (BVMOs) are important flavin-dependent enzymes which perform oxygen insertion reactions leading to valuable products. As reported in many studies, BVMOs are usually unstable during application, preventing a wider usage in biocatalysis. Here, we discovered a novel NADPH-dependent BVMO which originates from Halopolyspora algeriensis using sequence similarity networks (SSNs). The enzyme is stable at temperatures between 10 °C to 30 °C up to five days after the purification, and yields the normal ester product. In this study, the substrate scope was investigated for a broad range of aliphatic ketones and the enzyme was biochemically characterized to identify optimum reaction conditions. The best substrate (86 % conversion) was 2-dodecanone using purified enzyme. This novel BVMO could potentially be applied as part of an enzymatic cascade or in bioprocesses which utilize aliphatic alkanes as feedstock.

Assessment of the biological effect of metal ions and their complexes using Allium cepa and Artemia salina assays: a possible environmental implementation of biological inorganic chemistry.

The pollution of aquatic ecosystems due to the elevated concentration of a variety of contaminants, such as metal ions, poses a threat to humankind, as these ecosystems are in high relevance with human activities and survivability. The exposure in heavy metal ions is responsible for many severe chronic and pathogenic diseases and some types of cancer as well. Metal ions of the groups 11 (Cu, Ag, Au), 12 (Zn, Cd, Hg), 14 (Sn, Pb) and 15 (Sb, Bi) highly interfere with proteins leading to DNA damage and oxidative stress. While, the detection of these contaminants is mainly based on physicochemical analysis, the chemical determination, however, is deemed ineffective in some cases because of their complex nature. The development of biological models for the evaluation of the presence of metal ions is an attractive solution, which provides more insights regarding their effects. The present work critically reviews the reports published regarding the toxicity assessment of heavy metal ions through Allium cepa and Artemia salina assays. The in vivo toxicity of the agents is not only dose depended, but it is also strongly affected by their ligand type. However, there is no comprehensive study which compares the biological effect of chemical agents against Allium cepa and Artemia salina. Reports that include metal ions and complexes interaction with either Allium cepa or Artemia salina bio-indicators are included in the review.