A novel impedimetric sensor based on N-acetyl-L-cysteine for the determination of hydroxyl radicals in cell cultures in vitro.

We report a novel impedimetric sensor based on a graphite electrode impregnated with polyethylene and paraffin under vacuum (IGE) modified with electrochemically deposited gold and a self-assembled monolayer of N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC/Au/IGE) for selective and sensitive determination of extracellular hydroxyl radicals (OH•) generated by living cells. The application of a sulphur-containing molecule oxidized by OH• predicts the high selectivity of the sensor, and the utilization of the non-faradaic impedance spectroscopy for recording an analytical response makes it possible to achieve superior sensitivity with a detection limit of 0.01 nM and a linear dynamic range of 0.08-8 nM. Meanwhile, NAC/Au/IGE demonstrated a strong potential of detecting OH• generated by biological objects via successful determination of extracellular hydroxyl radicals generated by normal fibroblast cells and prostate carcinoma cells.

Association interaction and voltammetric determination of 1-aminopyrene and 1-hydroxypyrene at cyclodextrin and DNA based electrochemical sensors.

The aim of this work was voltammetric determination of 1-aminopyrene and 1-hydroxypyrene using carbon paste electrodes modified with cyclodextrin derivatives and double stranded deoxyribonucleic acid (dsDNA). The detection schemes based on a preconcentration and differential pulse voltammetric (DPV) determination at beta-cyclodextrin and gamma-cyclodextrin modified carbon paste electrode (beta-CD/CPE, gamma-CD/CPE), neutral beta-cyclodextrin polymer and carboxymethyl-beta-cyclodextrin polymer modified screen-printed electrode (beta-CDP/SPE, beta-CDPA/SPE) and dsDNA modified screen-printed electrode (DNA/SPE) are proposed for the trace determination of studied analytes within the concentration range from 2 x 10(-8) to 4 x 10(-7) mol dm(-3) and from 2 x 10(-7) to 4 x 10(-6) mol dm(-3) with the limits of quantification down to 10(-8) mol dm(-3). Depending on pH, 1-aminopyrene interacts with both surface attached CD and DNA by electrostatic bonds and supramolecular complexation while 1-hydroxypyrene associates with the CD hosts via complexation. The 1-aminopyrene interaction with dsDNA was confirmed by fluorimetric measurements in the solution phase using a competing DNA-TO-PRO-3 dye complex. In addition, the effect of temperature on this association was investigated using an electrically heated DNA-modified carbon paste electrode (DNA/CPE).

The oxidation of organic compounds by tervalent manganese compounds-II The determination of mandelic acid with a tervalent manganese standard solution in perchloric acid medium.

An indirect titrimetric determination of mandelic acid, based on its oxidation by a standard solution of hexa-aquomanganese(III) in perchloric acid medium, is described.

The oxidation of organic substances by compounds of tervalent manganese-I Oxidation of mandelic acid, ethylene glycol, glycerol and d-mannitol by the pyrophosphate complex of manganese(III) and by manganese(III) sulphate.

The oxidation of mandelic acid, ethylene glycol, glycerol and d-mannitol by the pyrophosphate complex of manganese(III) and with manganese(III) sulphate was studied. It was shown that benzaldehyde is formed by oxidation of mandelic acid, which undergoes no further oxidation. In the case of ethylene glycol, glycerol and d-mannitol the reactions do not follow a simple course and therefore are not of analytical utility. The effect of acidity and time on the course of the reactions was found and a procedure for the indirect titrimetric determination of mandelic acid with both reagents proposed.

Spectrophotometric, differential pulse polarographic and differential pulse voltammetric monitoring of the chemical destruction of the anti-tumour pharmaceuticals 6-mercaptopurine, 6-thioguanine and melphalane.

A new method has been developed for the destruction of 6-mercaptopurine, 6-thioguanine and melphalane in laboratory waste, based on oxidation of these substances by potassium permanganate in sulphuric acid medium. To study the effectiveness of the decontamination, spectrophotometric and differential-pulse polarographic methods have been developed for the determination of 6-mercaptopurine and 6-thioguanine and spectrophotometric and differential-pulse voltammetric methods for melphalane. These techniques have been employed to demonstrate that the effectiveness of the proposed method is around 99.8%. Its usefulness for the destruction of various types of expired pharmaceuticals has been demonstrated.

Voltammetric determination of benzidine and its derivatives, at a glassy-carbon electrode.

Conditions have been found for the determination of benzidine, o-tolidine, o-dianisidine, 3,3'-diaminobenzidine and 3,3'-dichlorobenzidine by classical and differential pulse voltammetry at a glassy-carbon stationary or rotating electrode, in the concentration range 10(-5)-10(-3)M. The mechanism of the oxidation is discussed and applications are presented for the determination of these chemical carcinogens and their mixtures either directly, or after preliminary separation by extraction or thin-layer chromatography.

Monitoring of aromatic amines by HPLC with electrochemical detection: comparison of methods for destruction of carcinogenic aromatic amines in laboratory wastes.

A new chemical method for destruction of carcinogenic aromatic amines in laboratory wastes has been developed. The method is based on enzymatic oxidation of the amines in solution (with hydrogen peroxide and horseradish peroxidase), followed by oxidation of the solid residues with permanganate in sulphuric acid medium. To monitor the efficiency of destruction, a reversed-phase HPLC system has been developed, with voltammetric detection with a carbon-fibre detector, which is substantially more sensitive (detection limits from a few ng down to a few pg of amine) than the commonly used ultraviolet photometric detection. It has been demonstrated that the proposed method of destruction is highly efficient (99.8% destruction).

Differential pulse cathodic stripping voltammetry of the copper complexes of glycyl-L-histidyl-glycine at a hanging mercury drop electrode.

The behaviour of the copper complexes of glycyl-L-histidyl-glycine (GHG) was investigated using cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry after their adsorptive accumulation on the surface of a hanging mercury drop electrode (HMDE). The nature of the observed cathodic and anodic peaks was established and optimum conditions were found for the differential pulse cathodic stripping voltammetric detemination of GHG at the 1 x 10(-8)M concentration level using adsorptive accumulation at -0.20 V vs. Ag/AgCl reference electrode and the cathodic stripping peak around -0.4 V (pH 8.3). This peak corresponds to the reduction of the Cu(I)-GHG complex formed at the HMDE surface as an intermediate in the reduction of Cu(II)-GHG to Cu(O)amalgam.

Chemical degradation of wastes of antineoplastic agents amsacrine, azathioprine, asparaginase and thiotepa.

As a part of a program devoted to the destruction of antineoplastic agents, three chemical methods readily available in the hospital environment, viz. oxidation with sodium hypochlorite (NaClO, 5%), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2, 30%), and Fenton reagent (FeCl2.2H2O; 0.3 g in 10 ml H2O2, 30%), were tested for the degradation of four anticancer drugs: Amsacrine, Azathioprine, Asparaginase and Thiotepa. The efficiency of the degradation was monitored by high-performance liquid chromatography. The mutagenicity of the degradation residues were tested by Ames test using tester strains Salmonella typhimurium TA 97a, TA 98, TA 100 and TA 102 with and without an exogenous metabolic activation system. Using sodium hypochlorite, 98.5% of Amsacrine, 99.0% of Azathioprine, 99.5% of Asparaginase and 98.7% of Thiotepa were destroyed after 1 hr. The hydrogen peroxide treatment destroyed 99% of Asparaginase and 98.7% of Thiotepa in 1 hr. However, this procedure was not efficient for the treatment of Amsacrine (28% after 16 hr) and of Azathioprine (53% degradation in 4 hr). The action of Fenton reagent resulted in the destruction of 98% of Amsacrine, and 99.5% of Azathioprine, 98.5% of Asparaginase and 98.7% of Thiotepa in 1 hr. In all cases where a high degree of degradation was achieved, the residues obtained weee non mutagenic.

Electrochemical methods for monitoring of environmental carcinogens.

The use of modern electroanalytical techniques, namely differential pulse polarography, differential pulse voltammetry on hanging mercury drop electrode or carbon paste electrode, adsorptive stripping voltammetry and high performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection for the determination of trace amounts of carcinogenic N-nitroso compounds, azo compounds, heterocyclic compounds, nitrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and aromatic and heterocyclic amines is discussed. Scope and limitations of these methods are described and some practical applications based on their combination with liquid-liquid or solid phase extraction are given.

Electrochemical determination of trace amounts of environmentally important dyes.

A number of dyes exhibit genotoxic or ecotoxic properties leading to the need for sensitive and selective methods for their determination. Because of the easy reducibility of dyes, modern polarographic and voltammetric methods (differential pulse polarography on classical dropping mercury electrode, differential pulse voltammetry on hanging mercury drop electrode or adsorptive stripping voltammetry) are suitable for the determination of trace amounts of these substances in the general environment in the vicinity of production plants. The scope and limitations of these methods is reviewed and optimum conditions for recently developed methods are summarized. It is shown that the sensitivity of newly developed polarographic and voltammetric methods is sufficient even for the most demanding applications and their selectivity can be increased by their combination with preliminary separation using thin layer chromatography or liquid extraction.

Destruction of aromatic amines in laboratory wastes through oxidation with potassium permanganate/sulfuric acid into non-mutagenic derivatives.

Nine aromatic amines, i.e., benzidine; o-tolidine; o-dianisidine; 3,3'-dichlorobenzidine; 4-aminobiphenyl; 1- and 2-naphthylamine; 4,4'-methylene bis(2-chloroaniline) and m-toluenediamine, were oxidized with potassium permanganate/sulfuric acid. Experimental conditions for complete degradation of these aromatic amines are described. The disappearance of the parent compound through oxidation was measured using HPLC coupled with UV spectrophotometry. The corresponding degradation products were found to be non-mutagenic to Salmonella typhimurium strains TA100, TA98 and TA97, both in the presence and absence of a rat liver S9 activation system. A collaborative study, involving 11 laboratories, has shown the applicability and the reproducibility of this degradation method.