Emerging pollutants in textile wastewater: an ecotoxicological assessment focusing on surfactants.

Water and several chemicals, including dyestuffs, surfactants, acids, and salts, are required during textile dyeing processes. Surfactants are harmful to the aquatic environment and induce several negative biological effects in exposed biota. In this context, the present study aimed to assess acute effects of five surfactants, comprising anionic and nonionic classes, and other auxiliary products used in fiber dyeing processes to aquatic organisms Vibrio fischeri (bacteria) and Daphnia similis (cladocerans). The toxicities of binary surfactant mixtures containing the anionic surfactant dodecylbenzene sulfonate + nonionic fatty alcohol ethoxylate and dodecylbenzene sulfonate + nonionic alkylene oxide were also evaluated. Nonionic surfactants were more toxic than anionic compounds for both organisms. Acute nonionic toxicity ranged from 1.3 mg/L (fatty alcohol ethoxylate surfactant) to 2.6 mg/L (ethoxylate surfactant) for V. fischeri and from 1.9 mg/L (alkylene oxide surfactant) to 12.5 mg/L (alkyl aryl ethoxylated and aromatic sulfonate surfactant) for D. similis, while the anionic dodecylbenzene sulfonate EC50s were determined as 66.2 mg/L and 19.7 mg/L, respectively. Both mixtures were very toxic for the exposed organisms: the EC50 average in the anionic + fatty alcohol ethoxylate mixture was of 1.0 mg/L ± 0.11 for V. fischeri and 4.09 mg/L ± 0.69 for D. similis. While the anionic + alkylene oxide mixture, EC50 of 3.34 mg/L for D. similis and 3.60 mg/L for V. fischeri. These toxicity data suggested that the concentration addition was the best model to explain the action that is more likely to occur for mixture for the dodecylbenzene sulfonate and alkylene oxide mixtures in both organisms. Our findings also suggest that textile wastewater surfactants may interact and produce different responses in aquatic organisms, such as synergism and antagonism. Ecotoxicological assays provide relevant information concerning hazardous pollutants, which may then be adequately treated and suitably managed to reduce toxic loads, associated to suitable management plans.

Kinetic and thermodynamic of lactoferrin - Ethoxylated-nonionic surfactants supramolecular complex formation.

Understanding nonionic surfactant-protein interactions is fundamental from both technological and scientific points of view. However, there is a complete absence of kinetic data for such interactions. We employed surface plasmon resonance (SPR) to determine the kinetic and thermodynamic parameters of bovine lactoferrin-Brij58 interactions at various temperatures under physiological conditions (pH 7.4). The adsorption process was accelerated with increasing temperature, while the desorption rate decreased, resulting in a more thermodynamically stable complex. The kinetic energetic parameters obtained for the formation of the activated complex, [bLF-Brij58]‡, indicated that the potential energy barrier for [bLF-Brij58]‡ formation arises primarily from the reduction in system entropy. [bLF-Brij58]○ formation was entropically driven, indicating that hydrophobic interactions play a fundamental role in bLF interactions with Brij58.

The influence of Tween 80 on laccase production by Pleurotus sajor-caju and the efficiency of crude enzyme broth in the removal of bisphenol-A / Influência do Tween 80 na produção de lacases de Pleurotus sajor-caju e eficiência do caldo enzimático bruto na remoção de bisfenol-A

Bisphenol-A is currently considered an environmental pollutant, capable of interfering in the endocrine system of organisms and causing alterations in its development and reproductive system. An alternative method to the chemical treatment of this pollutant has been the use of oxidative enzymes, especially laccases produced by fungi. In order to reduce production costs, agro-industrial waste can be used in the culture medium composition. Nonionic surfactants, which are only slightly toxic to biological membranes, can be applied, as well as Tween 80, to facilitate the excretion of these enzymes into the culture medium. The objectives of this work were: a) characterize the immersion water of banana straw used in the formulation of the culture medium; b) evaluate laccase production by Pleurotus sajor-caju in culture medium with and without addition of Tween 80, through shaken flasks; c) evaluate the efficiency of the crude enzyme broth in degrading bisphenol-A. The shaken flasks were incubated at 30°C for 12 days. The immersion water had a C:N ratio of 13.8, ash percentage of 28.6%, and pH close to neutrality. The addition of Tween 80 on the culture medium (7.5%, m/v) yielded laccase activity and productivity values equal to 3,016.47 U L-1 and 502.7 U L-1 day-1, respectively. These values were 50 and 33.5 times higher than those obtained in the culture medium without addition of Tween 80 for laccase activity and productivity, respectively. The crude enzyme broth degraded 100% of bisphenol-A after 48 hours, regardless of concentration (500, 750 and 1,000 mg L-1).(AU)

O bisfenol-A é considerado um poluente ambiental capaz de interferir no sistema endócrino dos organismos, ocasionando alterações em seu desenvolvimento e sistema de reprodução. Um método alternativo ao tratamento químico desse tipo de poluente tem sido a utilização de enzimas oxidativas, especialmente as lacases, produzidas por fungos. A fim de diminuir custos de produção, resíduos agroindustriais podem compor o meio de cultivo. Assim, surfactantes não iônicos e pouco tóxicos para as membranas biológicas, como o Tween 80, podem ser utilizados para facilitar a excreção dessas enzimas para o meio de cultivo. Os objetivos deste trabalho foram: caracterizar quimicamente o resíduo água de imersão de palha de bananeira, usado na formulação do meio de cultivo; avaliar a produção de lacase por Pleurotus sajor-caju em meio de cultivo líquido (frascos Erlenmeyer) com e sem adição de Tween 80; e avaliar a eficiência do caldo enzimático bruto em degradar bisfenol-A. Os frascos foram incubados a 30°C, por 12 dias. A água de imersão apresentou relação C:N 13,8, percentual de cinzas 28,6% e pH próximo da neutralidade. O cultivo adicionado de Tween 80 (7,5%, m/v) propiciou valores de atividade e produtividade em lacase iguais a 3.016,47 U L-1 e 502,7 U L-1 dia-1, respectivamente. Esses valores são 50 e 33,5 vezes maiores que os obtidos no cultivo sem adição de Tween 80, para atividade e produtividade em lacase, respectivamente. O caldo enzimático bruto degradou 100% do bisfenol-A após 48 horas, independentemente da concentração (500, 750 e 1.000 mg L-1).(AU)

The influence of Tween 80 on laccase production by Pleurotus sajor-caju and the efficiency of crude enzyme broth in the removal of bisphenol-A / Influência do Tween 80 na produção de lacases de Pleurotus sajor-caju e eficiência do caldo enzimático bruto na remoção de bisfenol-A

Bisphenol-A is currently considered an environmental pollutant, capable of interfering in the endocrine system of organisms and causing alterations in its development and reproductive system. An alternative method to the chemical treatment of this pollutant has been the use of oxidative enzymes, especially laccases produced by fungi. In order to reduce production costs, agro-industrial waste can be used in the culture medium composition. Nonionic surfactants, which are only slightly toxic to biological membranes, can be applied, as well as Tween 80, to facilitate the excretion of these enzymes into the culture medium. The objectives of this work were: a) characterize the immersion water of banana straw used in the formulation of the culture medium; b) evaluate laccase production by Pleurotus sajor-caju in culture medium with and without addition of Tween 80, through shaken flasks; c) evaluate the efficiency of the crude enzyme broth in degrading bisphenol-A. The shaken flasks were incubated at 30°C for 12 days. The immersion water had a C:N ratio of 13.8, ash percentage of 28.6%, and pH close to neutrality. The addition of Tween 80 on the culture medium (7.5%, m/v) yielded laccase activity and productivity values equal to 3,016.47 U L-1 and 502.7 U L-1 day-1, respectively. These values were 50 and 33.5 times higher than those obtained in the culture medium without addition of Tween 80 for laccase activity and productivity, respectively. The crude enzyme broth degraded 100% of bisphenol-A after 48 hours, regardless of concentration (500, 750 and 1,000 mg L-1).(AU)

O bisfenol-A é considerado um poluente ambiental capaz de interferir no sistema endócrino dos organismos, ocasionando alterações em seu desenvolvimento e sistema de reprodução. Um método alternativo ao tratamento químico desse tipo de poluente tem sido a utilização de enzimas oxidativas, especialmente as lacases, produzidas por fungos. A fim de diminuir custos de produção, resíduos agroindustriais podem compor o meio de cultivo. Assim, surfactantes não iônicos e pouco tóxicos para as membranas biológicas, como o Tween 80, podem ser utilizados para facilitar a excreção dessas enzimas para o meio de cultivo. Os objetivos deste trabalho foram: caracterizar quimicamente o resíduo água de imersão de palha de bananeira, usado na formulação do meio de cultivo; avaliar a produção de lacase por Pleurotus sajor-caju em meio de cultivo líquido (frascos Erlenmeyer) com e sem adição de Tween 80; e avaliar a eficiência do caldo enzimático bruto em degradar bisfenol-A. Os frascos foram incubados a 30°C, por 12 dias. A água de imersão apresentou relação C:N 13,8, percentual de cinzas 28,6% e pH próximo da neutralidade. O cultivo adicionado de Tween 80 (7,5%, m/v) propiciou valores de atividade e produtividade em lacase iguais a 3.016,47 U L-1 e 502,7 U L-1 dia-1, respectivamente. Esses valores são 50 e 33,5 vezes maiores que os obtidos no cultivo sem adição de Tween 80, para atividade e produtividade em lacase, respectivamente. O caldo enzimático bruto degradou 100% do bisfenol-A após 48 horas, independentemente da concentração (500, 750 e 1.000 mg L-1).(AU)

Assessment of the effect of triton X-114 on the physicochemical properties of an antibody fragment.

The effect of Triton X-114 on the physicochemical properties of a single-chain antibody fragment (scFv) has been studied. According to the far UV circular dichroism spectroscopy, the secondary structure of the recombinant antibody was not significantly affected by the presence of Triton. From the antibody tertiary structure analysis, it was found that the surfactant could be located around the tryptophan molecules accessible to the solvent, diminishing the polarity of its environment but maintaining most of the protein structure integrity. However, in certain conditions of high temperature and high concentration of denaturant molecules, the presence of TX could compromise the antibody fragment stability. These results represent a previous step in designing scFv purification protocols and should be considered prior to developing scFv liquid-liquid extraction procedures.