IR AND RAMAN-SPECTRA STUDIES OF THE RARE EARCH COMPLEXES WITH GLUTATHIONE

The complexes of rare earth ions with glutathione were prepared and charactrized by IR and Raman spectroscopy in the solid state. Based on the spectral results, the structure and coordination sites of the ligand in these complexes were determined.

Examination of Antioxidative System's Responses in the Different Phases of Drought Stress and During Recovery in Desert Plant Reaumuria soongorica (Pall.) Maxim

The aim of this study was to test the protective roles of superoxide dismutases (SODs), guaiacol peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and glutathione reductase (GR) against oxidative damage and their activities in different phases of the dry down process in Reaumuria soongorica (Pall.) Maxim. leaves. Drought stress was imposed during 100 consecutive days and rewatering after 16, 72, and 100 days. The concentration of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), malondialdehyde, and SODs activities were elevated significantly with progressing drought stress. POD and CAT activities increased markedly in the early phase of drought and decreased significantly with further drought stress continuation, and POD activity was unable to recover after rewatering. Ascorbate, reduced glutathione, APX, and GR activities declined in the initial stages of drought process, elevated significantly with further increasing water deficit progression and recovered after rewatering. These results indicate that: (1) iron SODs-removing superoxide anion is very effective during the whole drought stress; (2) CAT scavenges H2O2 in the early phase of drought and enzymes of ascorbate-glutathione cycle scavenge H2O2 in further increasing drought stress; and (3) POD does not contribute to protect against oxidative damage caused by H2O2 under drought stress.

Electrochemical measurement of hydrogen peroxide in plasma: Evaluation of freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) and crucian carp (Cyprinus carpio) phagocytes under natural conditions

An electrochemical technique for the real-time detection of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) was employed to describe respiratory burst activity (RBA) of phagocytes in plasma which can be used to evaluate the ability of immune system and disease resistance. The method is based upon the electric current changes, by redox reaction on platinum electrode of extracellular hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) released from phagocytes stimulated by the zymosan at 680 mV direct current (d.c.). Compared with the control, activation of respiratory burst by zymosan particles results in a high amperometric response, and a current peak was obtained during the whole monitoring process. The peak current was proved by addition Of Cu2+ and other controls, to be the result of intense release of H2O2 from phagocytes. The peak area was calculated and used to evaluate the quantity of effective H2O2, which represents the quantity of H2O2 beyond the clearance of related enzymes in plasma. According to Faraday's law, the phagocytes' ability of prawns to generate effective H2O2 was evaluated from 1.253 x 10(-14) mol/cell to 6.146 x 10(-14) mol/cell, and carp from 1.689 x 10(-15) Mol/Cell to 7.873 x 10(-1)5 mol/cell. This method is an acute and quick detection of extracellular effective H2O2 in plasma and reflects the capacity of phagocytes under natural conditions, which could be applied for selecting species and parents with high immunity for breeding in aquaculture. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

cDNA cloning and mRNA expression of a selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase from Zhikong scallop Chlamys farreri

The glutathione peroxidases are essential enzymes of the cellular antioxidant defence system. In the present study, the full-length cDNA sequence encoding an extracellular glutathione peroxidase (designated CfGPx3) was isolated from Zhikong scallop Chlamys farreri. The complete cDNA was of 1194 bp, containing a 5' untranslated region (UTR) of 50 bp, a 3' UTR of 490 bp and an open reading frame (ORF) of 654 bp encoding a polypeptide of 217 amino acids. CfGPx3 possessed all the conserved features critical for the fundamental structure and function of glutathione peroxidase, such as the selenocysteine encoded by stop codon UGA, the GPx signature motif ((96)LGVPCNQFI(103)) and the active site motif ((WNFEKF184)-W-179). The high similarity of CfGPx3 with GPx from other organisms indicated that CfGPx3 should be a new member of the glutathione peroxidase family. By fluorescent quantitative real-time PCR, the CfGPx3 mRNA was universally detected in the tissues of haemocytes, gill, gonad, muscle and hepatopancreas with the highest expression in hepatopancreas. After scallops were challenged by Listonella anguillarum, the expression level of CfGPx3 transcript in haemocytes was significantly up-regulated (P<0.05) at 8 h post challenge. These results suggested that CfGPx3 was potentially involved in the immune response of scallops and perhaps contributed to the protective effects against oxidative stress. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Reaction-controlled phase transfer catalysis for styrene epoxidation to styrene oxide with aqueous hydrogen peroxide

The epoxidation of styrene catalyzed by a reaction-controlled phase transfer catalyst [(C18H37(30%)+C16H33(70%))N(CH3)(3))(3)](3)-[PW4O16] with H2O2 in a biphasic medium was investigated. Under certain conditions, the selectivity for styrene oxide was 95%, the conversion of styrene based on H2O2 was 85%, and the reaction time was less than 1 h. During the reaction, this catalyst powder formed soluble active species by the action of H2O2, was recovered as a precipitate, and was reused after H2O2 was used up. After two times recycling, the catalyst kept almost the same activity.