A potent anti-oxidant property: fluorescent recombinant alpha-phycocyanin of Spirulina

To express and product a fluorescent antioxidant holo-alpha-phycocyanin (PC) of Spirulina platensis (Sp) with His-tag (rHHPC; recombinant holo-alpha-phycocyaninof Spirulina platensis with His-tag) in 5-l bench scale. A vector harbouring two cassettes was constructed: cpcA along with cpcE-cpcF in one cassette; ho1-pcyA in the other cassette. Lyases CpcE/F of Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 (S6) could catalyse the 82 site Cys in apo-alpha-PC of Sp linking with bilin chromophores, and rHHPC was biosynthesized in Escherichia coli BL21. The constant feeding mode was adopted, and transformant reached the biomass of rHHPC up to 0.55 g l(-1) broth in 5-litre bench scale. rHHPC was purified by Ni2+ affinity column conveniently. The absorbance and the fluorescence emission spectra of rHHPC had lambda(max) at 621 and 650 nm, respectively. The IC50 values of rHHPC were 277.5 +/- 25.8 mu g ml(-1) against hydroxyl radicals and 20.8 +/- 2.2 mu g ml(-1) against peroxyl radicals. Combinational biosynthesis of rHHPC was feasible, and the constant feeding mode was adopted to produce good yields of rHHPC. Fluorescent rHHPC with several unique qualitative and quantitative features was effective on scavenging hydroxyl and peroxyl radicals. A potent antioxidant rHHPC was co-expressed, produced and characterized for nutritional and pharmacological values, which would help to develop phycobiliproteins' applications in their fluorescent and biological activities.

Application of 2-(11H-benzo[a] carbazol-11-yl) Ethyl Carbonochloridate as a Pro-column Derivatization Reagent of Amino Acid by High Performance Liquid Chromatography with Fluorescence Detection

On a reversed phase Hypersil BDS C-18 (200 mm x 4. 6 mm, 5 mu m) column, 20 amino acids, which were derivatized using 2-(11H-benzo [a] carbazol-11-yl) ethyl carbonochloridate (BCEC-Cl) as pre-column derivatization reagent, were separated in conjunction with a gradient elution. Optimum derivatization was obtained by reacting of amino acids with BCEC-Cl at room temperature for 5 min in the presence of sodium borate catalyst in acetonitrile solvent. The fluorescence excitation and emission wavelengths were 279 nm and 380 nm respectively. The identification of amino acid derivatives from hydrolyzed bovine serum albumin and bee pollen was carried out by post-column mass spectrometry with electrospray ion source in positive ion mode. Linear correlation coefficients of the amino acid derivatives were > 0.9990, and detection limits (at signal to noise of 3:1) were 1.49 - 19.74 fmol for the labeled amino acids.

Epoxidation of propylene on NaCl-modified silver catalysts with air as the oxidant

Propylene epoxidation by air was carried out on NaCl-modified silver (NaCl/Ag) catalysts, and the catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The effects of NaCl loadings, propylene to oxygen ratio, and the reaction time on the catalytic performance were investigated. It was found that the addition of NaCl to silver significantly increases the propylene oxide (PO) selectivity. The PO yield has a maximum when the NaCl loading is about 10 wt.%. Also 12.4% conversion of propylene and 31.6% selectivity to PO are obtained on the NaCl/Ag (10 wt.%) catalyst at 350 degreesC, space velocity 1.8 x 10(4) h(-1) and C3H6:O-2 = 1:2. XPS and XRD characterizations show that AgCl formed on the silver catalyst was favorable to propylene epoxidation. A compound with highly oxidized Ag ion was also found, which may be effective for the reaction. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Methane aromatization in the absence of an added oxidant and the bench scale reaction test

A bench scale reaction test for methane aromatization in the absence of an added oxidant was performed and its reaction result evaluated based on the carbon balance of the system. The result was compared with those obtained from the micro-reaction test to ensure the accuracy of the internal standard analyzing method employed in this paper. The catalytic performances of modified Mo/HZSM-5 catalysts were examined. It was found that pre-treatment by steam on HZSM-5 weakened the serious deposition of coke, and pre-impregnation of n-ethyl silicate on HZSM-5 could improve the conversion of CH4, but had little effect on coke formation. A low temperature activation procedure including pre-reduction of the catalyst with methane prevents the zeolite lattice from being seriously destroyed by high valence state Mo species when the Mo loading is high. It was suggested that Mo2C species detected by XRD spectra was the active phase for CH4 aromatization.