Chromatographic determination of fungicides in biological and environmental matrices. New achievements.

The newest results in the chromatographic analysis of synthetic and natural fungicides present in biological and environmental matrices are collected and critically evaluated. Examples of the employment of gas chromatography, liquid chromatographic technologies, such as thin-layer chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatographic methods as well as electrically driven systems are presented. The advantages and disasdvantages of the various chromatographic technologies are briefly discussed and the efficacies of the methodologies are compared.

Growth Response of Trichoderma Species to Organic Solvents.

The growth response of 25 Trichoderma strains to 26 alkanols and 7 other organic solvents was examined in vitro. The sensitivity of strains considerably varied depending on their taxonomic position, thus the strains of Longibrachiatum section proved to be more tolerant than those of Pachybasium and Trichoderma sections. Significant relationship was revealed between structure of C1 -C24 alkanols and their growth inhibitory effect to Trichodermas, both efficacy and selectivity of C1 -C3 and C14 -C24 alkanols failed off the C9 -C11 alkanols. The non-alkanol solvents tested were non-toxic. The C8 -C11 alkanols used in agricultural practices exhibited noticeable toxicity to all Trichoderma strains, therefore pesticidal preparations containing these alkanols cannot be used simultaneously with Trichoderma based biopreparations.

A quantitative peptide structure vs. retention relationship study.

The quantitative relationship between the TLC retention parameters of 28 short peptides and their physicochemical characteristics was calculated using linear regression analysis. It was established that surface parameters exert a significant impact on the retention of peptides and the ratio of non-polar surface area/polar surface area exerts the highest influence on the retention. This result may be due to the fact that peptides turn towards the apolar surface of the stationary phase with their non-polar substructures while the polar molecular parts point into the hydrophilic mobile phase.

Matrices for capillary gel electrophoresis--a brief overview of uncommon gels.

This article gives an overview of uncommon replaceable matrices (gels) for capillary gel electrophoresis. This electrophoretic technique is useful mainly for the separation and analysis of biopolymers-nucleic acids and their fragments, and proteins/peptides. Commonly used gels are not reviewed. Those mentioned and discussed here are gels containing saccharides, newly developed acrylamide-based gels and thermoadjustable viscosity polymers, namely triblock copolymers and grafted polyacrylamide.

Chromatography in authenticity and traceability tests of vegetable oils and dairy products: a review.

The new applications of various chromatographic techniques such as gas-liquid chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography and electrophoretic methods employed for the analysis in macro- and micro-components in vegetable oils and dairy products are compiled and critically evaluated. The employment of these methods for authenticity tests and traceability is discussed.

Chromatographic determination of herbicide residues in various matrices.

The newest results in the use of various extraction techniques and chromatographic methods such as gas-liquid and high-performance liquid chromatography used for the assessment of herbicide residues in various matrices have been compiled and critically evaluated. Practical employments in water and soil research, environmental protection, clinical and food chemistry are presented.

Removal of synthetic dyes from wastewaters: a review.

The more recent methods for the removal of synthetic dyes from waters and wastewater are complied. The various methods of removal such as adsorption on various sorbents, chemical decomposition by oxidation, photodegradation, and microbiological decoloration, employing activated sludge, pure cultures and microbe consortiums are described. The advantages and disadvantages of the various methods are discussed and their efficacies are compared.

Simultaneous effect of organic modifier and physicochemical parameters of barbiturates on their retention on a narrow-bore PGC column.

The retention time of 22 barbituric acid derivatives was measured on a narrow-bore porous graphitized carbon (PGC) column using water-dioxane mixtures as mobile phases. The capacity factor (k), theoretical plate number (N), and asymmetry factor (AF) were calculated for each solute in each mobile phase. The relationships between chromatographic characteristics and physicochemical parameters of solutes were elucidated by stepwise regression analysis (SRA). SRA indicated that the binding of barbiturates to the PGC surface is of mixed character electrostatic and apolar interactive forces are equally involved. Sterical correspondence between the surface of the stationary phase and the solutes also exert a significant influence on the retention behavior.

Binding of low molecular mass compounds to proteins studied by liquid chromatographic techniques.

The newest achievements in the application of miscellaneous liquid chromatographic techniques such as size-exclusion, ion-exchange and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, and thin-layer chromatography for the elucidation of the various aspects of the binding of ligands to proteins are compiled and briefly discussed. Examples of employment in pharmaceutical and clinical chemistry, drug design, enzyme kinetic studies and environmental protection are presented.

Effect of tributylphenyltetraethoxylate on enzyme production of Pleurotus ostreatus.

The effect of the addition of the nonionic surfactant tributylphenyltetraethoxylate to culture media on pH and extracellular protein content, and on production of beta-glucosidase, xylanase, laccase, and manganese-dependent and -independent peroxidases by the edible fungus Pleurotus ostreatus was determined. The relationship between fermentation parameters and concentration of surfactant was assessed by multiple linear regression analysis, and the similarities and differences among the fermentation parameters were elucidated by principal component analysis. Calculations proved that except for xylanase all other cultivation parameters were significantly influenced by the surfactant, with the effect higher at higher surfactant concentrations. Surfactant increased the production of beta-glucosidase and inhibited laccase and manganese-dependent and -independent peroxidase activities.

Effect of salts on the binding of some environmental pollutants to corn protein zein studied by HPLC.

The strength and the character of the binding of 14 organic solvents to the corn protein zein in distilled water and in various salt solutions were determined by preparing zein-coated carbon stationary phase and by measuring the retention characteristics of solvents on a high-performance liquid chromatographic column filled with this stationary phase. The relationship between the physicochemical parameters and binding characteristics of solvents was elucidated by principal component analysis. It was established that various interactive forces are involved in the binding of solvent to the protein, suggesting a mixed binding mechanism. Binding characteristics are equally influenced by the molecular hydrophobicity and by the polarity parameters of the solvent. Coordination numbers, ionization, and lattice energies of the monovalent cations significantly influenced the various aspects of the binding of organic solvents to zein.

Separation of the strength and selectivity of the microbiological effect of synthetic dyes by spectral mapping technique.

The growth inhibitory effect of 30 synthetic dyes on 22 bacteria (test organisms) belonging to various taxonomic groups was determined. The strength (potency) and selectivity of the biological effect were separated by the spectral mapping technique, reducing the dimensionality of the selectivity maps to two by the nonlinear mapping technique. The relationship between biological effect and physicochemical parameters of dyes was elucidated by stepwise regression analysis. It has been established that the strength of the effect of anthracene and trityl derivatives was higher than that of azobenzene dyes and significantly depended on the hydrophobicity of the compound. The selectivity of the effect also depended on hydrophobicity and on the nonpolar unsaturated surface area of the dyes. Gram negative and Gram positive bacteria differed in the strength and selectivity of their response to dyes indicating the marked impact of the taxonomical position on the response. Contrary to other multivariate mathematical statistical methods biological activity may be divided by SPM into potency and selectivity values, therefore, application of the technique in future QSAR studies is highly recommended.

Effect of pH and sodium chloride on the strength and selectivity of the interaction of gamma [correction for tau] -cyclodextrin with some antisense nucleosides.

The influence of pH and the concentration of sodium chloride on the strength and selectivity of the interaction of twelve 8-substituted-2'-deoxyadenosine and sixteen 5-substituted-2'-deoxyuridine derivatives with gamma-cyclodextrin (GCD) have been studied by the spectral mapping technique (SPM). The potency values of the spectral map were regarded as indicators of the capability of antisense nucleosides and GCD to interact simultaneously taking into consideration all relevant data. It has been established that the strength of interaction is highest in acetic and lowest in alkaline solutions, and the selectivities of acidic, alkaline and salt solutions are markedly different. The length of hydrophobic alkyl substituents in antisense molecules influenced both the strength and selectivity of the interaction. The character of the base structure affected only the selectivity.

Binding of environmental pollutants to the corn protein zein studied by high-performance liquid chromatography.

The interaction of 16 ring-substituted phenols and anilines with the corn protein zein was studied by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography by preparing silica- and alumina-based stationary phases coated with various concentrations of zein. The relationship between the strength of interaction and the physicochemical parameters of solutes was elucidated by principal component analysis followed by the nonlinear mapping technique. The binding of each phenol and aniline derivative to zein has been demonstrated. It was established that the electrostatical parameters of solutes exert the highest influence on the interaction and the involvement of hydrophobic binding forces is of secondary importance. The binding characteristics of phenol and aniline derivatives were different.

Binding of some environmental pollutants to corn protein zein studied by high-performance liquid chromatography.

The strength and the character of the binding of 12 organic solvents to the corn protein zein was determined by preparing zein-coated carbon stationary phase and by measuring the retention of solvents on a high-performance liquid chromatographic column filled with this stationary phase. The relationship between the physicochemical parameters and binding characteristics of solvents was elucidated by principal component analysis. Various interactive forces are involved in the binding of solvent to the protein. The strength of the binding is dominantly influenced by the molecular hydrophobicity while the Gaussian or non-Gaussian distribution of the adsorption strength is markedly dependent on the polarity parameters of the solvent. Sterical correspondences exerted considerable influence on each binding parameter.

Biological activity and environmental impact of anionic surfactants.

The newest results concerning the biological activity and environmental fate of anionic surfactants are collected and critically evaluated. The chemical and physicochemical parameters related to the biological activity and the field of application are briefly discussed. Examples on the effect of anionic surfactants on the cell membranes, on the activity of enzymes, on the binding to various proteins and to other cell components and on their human toxicity are presented and the possible mode of action is elucidated. The sources of environmental pollution caused by anionic surfactants are listed and the methods developed for their removal from liquid, semiliquid and solid matrices are collected. Both the beneficial and adversary effects of anionic surfactants on the environment are reported and critically discussed. It was concluded that the role of anionic surfactants in the environment is ambiguous: they can cause serous environmental pollution with toxic effect on living organisms; otherwise, they can promote the decomposition and/or removal of other inorganic and organic pollutants from the environment. The relationship between their chemical structure, physicochemical parameters, biological activity and environmental impact is notwell understood. A considerable number of data are needed for the development of new anionic surfactants and for the successful application of the existing ones to reduce the adversary and to promote beneficial effects.

Mass spectrometric detection in chromatography. Trends and perspectives.

The newest results in the use of miscellaneous mass spectrometric detection methods in various chromatographic techniques are compiled and critically evaluated. Examples of application in clinical chemistry, health care, and in the analysis of pharmaceuticals, environmental pollutants, foods and food products are given. The benefits and drawbacks of MS detection are discussed, and future trends are briefly discussed.

The effect of sodium dodecyl sulfate and Pluronic F127 on the electrophoretic separation of protein and polypeptide test mixtures at acid pH.

Using a test mixture consisting of standard proteins (cytochrome c, chymotrypsinogen A, hen egg albumin, bovine serum albumin, aldolase, catalase and ferritin) and synthetic polypeptides (polylysine, polyaspartic, polyglutamic acid and polyproline) it was revealed that using sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as background electrolyte modifier at acid pH (2.5) allows selective separation of highly positively charged polypeptides (polylysine) provided that their relative molecular mass is sufficiently low (3300 Da). The altered elution sequence of standard proteins as compared to a separation done without SDS may help their identification. Addition of Pluronic F127 offers clear-cut separations of standard proteins up to a relative molecular mass of 5 x 10(4) Da and allows to reveal protein/polypeptide microheterogeneity where applicable. None of the systems tested is suitable for the separation of acidic polypeptides and polyproline.

Antifungal activity of some trityl-based synthetic dyes.

The fungicidal activity of 10 trityl dyes and six reference compounds was determined on 36 fungal strains, and the data matrix was evaluated separately by principal component analysis (PCA) and by spectral mapping technique (SPM). The dimensionality of the maps of the principle component loadings and variables and the selectivity maps were reduced to two by varimax rotation and by nonlinear mapping. Calculations proved that both the strength and selectivity of the fungicidal activity of trityl dyes considerably depended on the chemical structure of the dye and on the type of fungi. Both PCA and SPM were suitable for evaluation of the antifungal activity of dyes; however, the strength and selectivity of the fungicidal effect can be separated only by SPM. Due to its advantageous application parameters, use of SPM in future quantitative structure-activity relationship studies is highly recommended.

Effect of reduced glutathione on the stability of pigments in paprika powders studied by multiwavelength spectrometry and high-performance liquid chromatography.

Multiwavelength spectrometry and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography have been employed for the study of the effect of reduced glutathione and storage time on the pigments of paprika powders. The evaluation of the data by principal component analysis and cluster analysis proved that the storage time exerts the highest effect of the decomposition rate of pigments. The stability of some pigment fractions was modified in the presence of reduced glutathione. However, the effect was of secondary importance. Multiwavelength spectrometry combined with HPLC can be successfully used for the study of the stability of pigments of paprika powder.