Exploratory study on sequestration of some essential metals by indigo carmine food dye

Indigo carmine forms a stable complex with different ions, and the stability constant of the complexes were evaluated as log K equal to 5.75; 5.00; 4.89 and 3.89 for complexes with Cu(II), Ni(II), Co(II) and Zn(II) ions, respectively, in 0.1 mol L -1 carbonate buffer solution at pH 10. The interaction between Cu(II) ions and indigo carmine (IC) in alkaline medium resulted in the formation of the Cu 2(IC) complex, measured by the spectrophotometric method, with a stoichiometric ratio between indigo carmine and metal ions of 2:1 (metal-ligand). The reported method has also been successfully tested for determination of copper in pharmaceutical compounds based on copper-gluconate without pre-treatment.

RBPI21 interacts with negative membranes endothermically promoting the formation of rigid multilamellar structures

rBPI21 belongs to the antimicrobial peptide and protein (AMP) family. It has high affinity for lipopolysaccharide (LPS), acting mainly against Gram-negative bacteria. This work intends to elucidate the mechanism of action of rBPI21 at the membrane level. Using isothermal titration calorimetry, we observed that rBPI21 interaction occurs only with negatively charged membranes (mimicking bacterial membranes) and is entropically driven. Differential scanning calorimetry shows that membrane interaction with rBPI21 is followed by an increase of rigidity on negatively charged membrane, which is corroborated by small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). Additionally, SAXS data reveal that rBPI21 promotes the multilamellarization of negatively charged membranes. The results support the proposed model for rBPI21 action: first it may interact with LPS at the bacterial surface. This entropic interaction could cause the release of ions that maintain the packed structure of LPS, ensuring peptide penetration. Then, rBPI21 may interact with the negatively charged leaflets of the outer and inner membranes, promoting the interaction between the two bacterial membranes, ultimately leading to cell death. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

Estudo numérico para a determinação das pressões devidas à ação do vento em edifícios industriais

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Modelagem do fluxo sanguíneo na aorta abdominal utilizando interação fluido-estrutura

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Nonmesonic weak decay dynamics from proton spectra of Lambda-hypernuclei

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Influence of N-Terminus Modifications on the Biological Activity, Membrane Interaction, and Secondary Structure of the Antimicrobial Peptide Hylin-a1

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Interaction between wave and coastal structure: Validation of two lagrangian numerical models with experimental results marine 2011

Numerical modeling of the interaction among waves and coastal structures is a challenge due to the many nonlinear phenomena involved, such as, wave propagation, wave transformation with water depth, interaction among incident and reflected waves, run-up / run-down and wave overtopping. Numerical models based on Lagrangian formulation, like SPH (Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics), allow simulating complex free surface flows. The validation of these numerical models is essential, but comparing numerical results with experimental data is not an easy task. In the present paper, two SPH numerical models, SPHysics LNEC and SPH UNESP, are validated comparing the numerical results of waves interacting with a vertical breakwater, with data obtained in physical model tests made in one of the LNEC's flume. To achieve this validation, the experimental set-up is determined to be compatible with the Characteristics of the numerical models. Therefore, the flume dimensions are exactly the same for numerical and physical model and incident wave characteristics are identical, which allows determining the accuracy of the numerical models, particularly regarding two complex phenomena: wave-breaking and impact loads on the breakwater. It is shown that partial renormalization, i.e. renormalization applied only for particles near the structure, seems to be a promising compromise and an original method that allows simultaneously propagating waves, without diffusion, and modeling accurately the pressure field near the structure.

Structure-activity relationship of mastoparan analogs: effects of the number and positioning of Lys residues on secondary structure, interaction with membrane-mimetic systems and biological activity

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Crystal structure of Bn IV in complex with myristic acid: A Lys49 myotoxic phospholipase A(2) from Bothrops neuwiedi venom

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Morphometry and ultra-structure of the intestinal mucosa of broilers fed different additives

This study aimed at evaluating the effect of the use of different growth promoters on the morphometry and ultra-structure of the intestinal mucosa of 42-day-old broilers. A total number of 36 male Cobb broilers was distributed in a randomized experimental design with a 3 x 3 factorial arrangement, with 3 prebiotic and 3 probiotic sources in the feed, summing up 9 treatments, with 4 replicates each. There was a significant interaction (P<0.01) among the studied factor for villi height (VH) in all intestinal segments, and for crypt depth (CD) in the duodenum and the ileum. In the duodenum, higher villi were obtained in the control group, with the combination of B. subtilis and prebiotics, and with the single use of MOS+OA. No VH differences were observed between the control group and those fed prebiotics. In the jejunum, the highest villi were obtained with the use of the bacterial pool, followed by the control group, and by the use of B. subtilis. Higher villi were also obtained in the control group and in the groups fed MOS, when B. subtilis was used in combination with prebiotics, and when the bacterial pool was used individually or in combination with MOS. In the ileum, the highest villi were obtained with the individual use of B. subtilis, and when MOS+OA or MOS were individually used or in combination with the bacterial pool. As to duodenal CID, deeper crypts were observed in the control group and in those fed B. subtilis or MOS+OA. In the ileum, deeper crypts were also found in the control group and those fed B. subtilis. Deeper crypts were also found when the bacterial pool was individually used or in combination with MOS+OA, and with the individual use of MOS. It was concluded that the use of growth promoters was beneficial to Increase intestinal villi height when Bacillus subtilis was used in combination with prebiotics. The other growth promoters (MOS+OA, MOS, and bacterial pool), can be individually used in most situations. The tested growth promoters did not influence intestinal villi density.

Synthesis, X-ray structure and antimycobacterial activity of silver complexes with alpha-hydroxycarboxylic acids

In this paper, synthesis, characterization and antimycobacterial properties of a new water-soluble complex identified as silver-mandelate are described. Elemental and thermal analyses are consistent with the formula [Ag(C6H5C(OH)COO)](n). The polymeric structure was determined by single X-ray diffraction and the two-dimensional structure is based on the bis(carboxylate-O,O') dimer [Ag-O, 2.237(3), 2.222(3) angstrom]. The structure is extended along both the b and c axes through two oxygen atoms of a bidentate alpha-hydroxyl-carboxylate residue [Ag-OH(hydroxyl), 2.477(3) angstrom; Ag-O(carboxylate), 2.502(3) angstrom; O-Ag-O, 63.94(9)degrees]. A strong d(10)-d(10) interaction was observed between two silver atoms. The Ag...Ag distance is 2.8307(15) angstrom. The NMR C-13 spectrum in D2O shows that coordination of the ligand to Ag(l) occurs through the carboxylate group in solution. Potentiometric titration shows that only species with a molar metaHigand ratio of 2:2 are formed in aqueous solution. The mandelate complex and the silver-glycolate, silver-malate and silver-hydrogen-tartarate complexes were tested against three types of mycobacteria, Mycobacterium avium, Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium kansasii, and their minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values were determined. The results show that the four complexes are potential candidates for antiseptic or disinfectant drugs for discharged secretions of patients affected with tuberculosis. (c) 2006 Published by Elsevier B.V.

Hyperfine interaction in Zn-Al layered double hydroxides intercalated with conducting polymers

Organic-inorganic hybrid materials based on the assembly between inorganic 2D host structure and polymer have received considerable attention in the last few years. This emerging class of materials presents several applications according to their structural and functional properties. Particularly, among others, layered double hydroxides (LDHs) provide the opportunity of preparing new organically modified 2D nanocomposites. Pyrrole carboxylic acid derivatives, namely 4-(lH-pyrrol-1-yl)benzoate, 3-(pyrrol-i-yl)-propanoate,7-(pyrrol-1-yl)-heptanoate, and aniline carboxylic acid derivative, namely 3-aminobenzoic acid, have been intercalated in LDHs of intralamellar composition Zn2Al(OH)(6). The LDHs were synthesized by the co-precipitation method at constant pH followed by hydrothermal treatment for 72 h. The materials were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction patterns (PXRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and electron spin resonance (ESR). The basal spacing found by the PXRD technique gives evidence of the formation of bilayers of the intercalated anions. ESR spectra present a typical signal with a superhyperfine structure with 6 + 1 lines (g = 2.005 +/- 0.0004), which is assigned to the interaction between a carboxylate radical from the guest molecules and a nearby aluminium nucleus (I = 5/2) from the host structure. Additionally, the ESR data suggest that the monomers are connected to each other in limited number after thermal treatment. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A tellurium-based cathepsin B inhibitor: Molecular structure, modelling, molecular docking and biological evaluation

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Crystal structure, DNA binding studies, nucleolytic property and topoisomerase I inhibition of zinc complex with 1,10-phenanthroline and 3-methyl-picolinic acid

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Thermally activated exchange narrowing of the Gd3+ ESR fine structure in a single crystal of Ce1-xGdxFe4P12 (x approximate to 0.001) skutterudite

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)