Solar photodegradation of irinotecan in water: optimization and robustness studies by experimental design.

Irinotecan, a widely prescribed anticancer drug, is an emerging contaminant of concern that has been detected in various aquatic environments due to ineffective removal by traditional wastewater treatment systems. Solar photodegradation is a viable approach that can effectively eradicate the drug from aqueous systems. In this study, we used the design of experiment (DOE) approach to explore the robustness of irinotecan photodegradation under simulated solar irradiation. A full factorial design, including a star design, was applied to study the effects of three parameters: initial concentration of irinotecan (1.0-9.0 mg/L), pH (5.0-9.0), and irradiance (450-750 W/m2). A high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with a high-resolution mass spectrometry (HPLC-HRMS) system was used to determine irinotecan and identify transformation products. The photodegradation of irinotecan followed a pseudo-first order kinetics. In the best-fitted linear model determined by the stepwise model fitting approach, pH was found to have about 100-fold greater effect than either irinotecan concentration or solar irradiance. Under optimal conditions (irradiance of 750 W/m2, 1.0 mg/L irinotecan concentration, and pH 9.0), more than 98% of irinotecan was degraded in 60 min. With respect to irradiance and irinotecan concentration, the degradation process was robust in the studied range, implying that it may be effectively applied in locations and/or seasons with solar irradiance as low as 450 W/m2. However, pH needs to be strictly controlled and kept between 7.0 and 9.0 to maintain the degradation process robust. Considerations about the behavior of degradation products were also drawn.

Quantitation of endogenous GnRH by validated nano-HPLC-HRMS method: a pilot study on ewe plasma.

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone isoform I (GnRH), a neuro-deca-peptide, plays a fundamental role in development and maintenance of the reproductive system in vertebrates. The anomalous release of GnRH is observed in reproductive disorder such as hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), or following prenatal exposure to elevated androgen levels. Quantitation of GnRH plasma levels could help to diagnose and better understand these pathologies. Here, a validated nano-high-performance liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry (HPLC-HRMS) method to quantify GnRH in ewe plasma samples is presented. Protein precipitation and solid-phase extraction (SPE) pre-treatment steps were required to purify and enrich GnRH and internal standard (lamprey-luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone-III, l-LHRH-III). For the validation process, a surrogate matrix approach was chosen following the International Council for Harmonisation (ICH) and FDA guidelines. Before the validation study, the validation model using the surrogate matrix was compared with those using a real matrix such as human plasma. All the tested parameters were analogous confirming the use of the surrogate matrix as a standard calibration medium. From the validation study, limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ) values of 0.008 and 0.024 ng/mL were obtained, respectively. Selectivity, accuracy, precision, recovery, and matrix effect were assessed with quality control samples in human plasma and all values were acceptable. Sixteen samples belonging to healthy and prenatal androgen (PNA) exposed ewes were collected and analyzed, and the GnRH levels ranged between 0.05 and 3.26 ng/mL. The nano-HPLC-HRMS developed here was successful in measuring GnRH, representing therefore a suitable technique to quantify GnRH in ewe plasma and to detect it in other matrices and species.

Heterozygous Loss of KRIT1 in Mice Affects Metabolic Functions of the Liver, Promoting Hepatic Oxidative and Glycative Stress.

KRIT1 loss-of-function mutations underlie the pathogenesis of Cerebral Cavernous Malformation (CCM), a major vascular disease affecting the central nervous system (CNS). However, KRIT1 is also expressed outside the CNS and modulates key regulators of metabolic and oxy-inflammatory pathways, including the master transcription factor FoxO1, suggesting a widespread functional significance. Herein, we show that the KRIT1/FoxO1 axis is implicated in liver metabolic functions and antioxidative/antiglycative defenses. Indeed, by performing comparative studies in KRIT1 heterozygous (KRIT1+/-) and wild-type mice, we found that KRIT1 haploinsufficiency resulted in FoxO1 expression/activity downregulation in the liver, and affected hepatic FoxO1-dependent signaling pathways, which are markers of major metabolic processes, including gluconeogenesis, glycolysis, mitochondrial respiration, and glycogen synthesis. Moreover, it caused sustained activation of the master antioxidant transcription factor Nrf2, hepatic accumulation of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs), and abnormal expression/activity of AGE receptors and detoxifying systems. Furthermore, it was associated with an impairment of food intake, systemic glucose disposal, and plasma levels of insulin. Specific molecular alterations detected in the liver of KRIT1+/- mice were also confirmed in KRIT1 knockout cells. Overall, our findings demonstrated, for the first time, that KRIT1 haploinsufficiency affects glucose homeostasis and liver metabolic and antioxidative/antiglycative functions, thus inspiring future basic and translational studies.

Development and application of high resolution mass spectrometry analytical method to study and identify the photoinduced transformation products of environmental pollutants.

Terpenes are among the major causes of pleasant or unpleasant odors close to active or inactive landfills. We studied R-limonene and p-cymene environmental degradation products using the heterogeneous photocatalysis mediated by titanium dioxide to explore the odor pollution. The aim of the study was the development of mass spectrometry based methods both hyphenated with GC and HPLC to identify and characterize transformation products (TPs) derived from photodegradation of R-limonene and p-cymene. With the GC-MS method we identified three TPs for R-limonene and two for p-cymene comparing the obtained mass spectra with those in the NIST library. While with HPLC-MS method, thanks to the use of the high resolution of MS tool, we recognized four and five TPs for R-limonene and p-cymene respectively. No p-cymene was detected as R-limonene transformation product. The methods developed were then applied to real environmental samples coming from landfills active (Lan1) or inactive (Lan2 and Lan3) located in northern Italy. R-limonene was detected in the active landfill (Lan1 at the concentration of 2.35 µg/mL) together with one of its TPs and one TP derived from p-cymene. p-Cymene was detected in the other two inactive landfills (Lan2 and Lan3 concentrations 0.025 and 0.15 µg/mL, respectively) together with one of its TP and two TPs coming from R-limonene photodegradation. The finding of TPs together with R-limonene and p-cymene both in active and inactive landfills point out the attention on the reduction of these molecules in the environment to reduce pollution and human risks.

MFN2 mutations in Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease alter mitochondria-associated ER membrane function but do not impair bioenergetics.

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) type 2A is a form of peripheral neuropathy, due almost exclusively to dominant mutations in the nuclear gene encoding the mitochondrial protein mitofusin-2 (MFN2). However, there is no understanding of the relationship of clinical phenotype to genotype. MFN2 has two functions: it promotes inter-mitochondrial fusion and mediates endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-mitochondrial tethering at mitochondria-associated ER membranes (MAM). MAM regulates a number of key cellular functions, including lipid and calcium homeostasis, and mitochondrial behavior. To date, no studies have been performed to address whether mutations in MFN2 in CMT2A patient cells affect MAM function, which might provide insight into pathogenesis. Using fibroblasts from three CMT2AMFN2 patients with different mutations in MFN2, we found that some, but not all, examined aspects of ER-mitochondrial connectivity and of MAM function were indeed altered, and correlated with disease severity. Notably, however, respiratory chain function in those cells was unimpaired. Our results suggest that CMT2AMFN2 is a MAM-related disorder but is not a respiratory chain-deficiency disease. The alterations in MAM function described here could also provide insight into the pathogenesis of other forms of CMT.

Structural elucidation of bisphenol E and bisphenol S photoinduced by-products by high-resolution electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry and tandem mass spectrometry.

RATIONALE: Bisphenol E (BPE) and bisphenol S (BPS) have recently replaced bisphenol A as monomers for producing polycarbonates. However, BPE and BPS can pose hazards as they are known to be endocrine disruptors. Despite the huge increase in their use, there is a lack of data regarding the toxicity and effects of BPE and BPS. METHODS: We investigated the photoinduced transformation of BPE and BPS when subjected to sun-simulated radiation and using TiO2 as a photocatalyst. Analyses of BPE, BPS and their by-products were performed by high-performance liquid chromatography/high-resolution mass spectrometry (HPLC/HRMS) using an orbitrap mass analyzer in negative electrospray ionisation (ESI) mode. The chromatographic separations were achieved by employing a C18 reversed-phase column, and the transformation products (TPs) were elucidated structurally using HRMS and multistage MS experiments performed in collision-induced dissociation (CID) mode. RESULTS: The transformation of bisphenol S involved the formation of twelve by-products, while ten TPs were detected following BPE degradation. For bisphenol S, the cleavage of the molecule is a very important transformation route, together with the hydroxylation of the substrate to provide mono- and poly-hydroxylated TPs. For bisphenol E, the two main routes were hydroxylation and ring opening. Acute toxicity for BPS, BPE and their TPs was assessed using the Vibrio fischeri assay, highlighting that their initial transformation involved the formation of TPs that were more toxic than the parent compound. CONCLUSIONS: The HPLC/HRMS method developed was useful for characterising and identifying newly formed TPs from bisphenol E and bisphenol S. This study aimed to examine the structure of twenty by-products identified during TiO2 -mediated photolysis and to evaluate acute toxicity over time.

Targeted and untargeted quantification of quorum sensing signalling molecules in bacterial cultures and biological samples via HPLC-TQ MS techniques.

Quorum sensing (QS) is the ability of some bacteria to detect and to respond to population density through signalling molecules. QS molecules are involved in motility and cell aggregation mechanisms in diseases such as sepsis. Few biomarkers are currently available to diagnose sepsis, especially in high-risk conditions. The aim of this study was the development of new analytical methods based on liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry for the detection and quantification of QS signalling molecules, including N-acyl homoserine lactones (AHL) and hydroxyquinolones (HQ), in biofluids. Biological samples used in the study were Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacterial cultures and plasma from patients with sepsis. We developed two MS analytical methods, based on neutral loss (NL) and product ion (PI) experiments, to identify and characterize unknown AHL and HQ molecules. We then established a multiple-reaction-monitoring (MRM) method to quantify specific QS compounds. We validated the HPLC-MS-based approaches (MRM-NL-PI), and data were in accord with the validation guidelines. With the NL and PI MS-based methods, we identified and characterized 3 and 13 unknown AHL and HQ compounds, respectively, in biological samples. One of the newly found AHL molecules was C12-AHL, first quantified in Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacterial cultures. The MRM quantitation of analytes in plasma from patients with sepsis confirmed the analytical ability of MRM for the quantification of virulence factors during sepsis. Graphical abstract.

Investigation of the Aquatic Photolytic and Photocatalytic Degradation of Citalopram.

This study investigated the direct and indirect photochemical degradation of citalopram (CIT), a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), under natural and artificial solar radiation. Experiments were conducted in a variety of different operating conditions including Milli-Q (MQ) water and natural waters (lake water and municipal WWT effluent), as well as in the presence of natural water constituents (organic matter, nitrate and bicarbonate). Results showed that indirect photolysis can be an important degradation process in the aquatic environment since citalopram photo-transformation in the natural waters was accelerated in comparison to MQ water both under natural and simulated solar irradiation. In addition, to investigate the decontamination of water from citalopram, TiO2-mediated photocatalytic degradation was carried out and the attention was given to mineralization and toxicity evaluation together with the identification of by-products. The photocatalytic process gave rise to the formation of transformation products, and 11 of them were identified by HPLC-HRMS, whereas the complete mineralization was almost achieved after 5 h of irradiation. The assessment of toxicity of the treated solutions was performed by Microtox bioassay (Vibrio fischeri) and in silico tests showing that citalopram photo-transformation involved the formation of harmful compounds.

Liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry analytical determination of gabapentin transformation products by heterogeneous photocatalysis and environmental evaluation.

RATIONALE: Gabapentin is a drug used to treat epilepsy and peripheral neuropathic pain. It is an analog of gamma-aminobutyric acid, and it is a selective blocker of voltage-gated calcium channels. The drug is excreted unmetabolized; it is stable in the environment and is classified as a persistent mobile organic contaminant. Because wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are not completely efficient, some bioactive molecules may be released unaltered into the environment. The aim of this study was to provide information about degradation pathways of gabapentin in water by studying its photoinduced transformation products (TPs) through laboratory simulation experiments. Gabapentin and its TPs were monitored in influent and effluent water samples from WWTPs in Germany and Italy. METHODS: The laboratory simulation used heterogeneous photodegradation mediated by titanium dioxide (TiO2 ). Chromatographic separation was achieved using a C18 reverse-phase column, and the structural identification of TPs was performed using high-resolution electrospray ionization high-resolution mass spectrometry (ESI-HRMS) and multistage MSn experiments. RESULTS: Several TPs were observed during TiO2 photodegradation. Nine new compounds were detected, and potential structures were assigned by studying the fragmentation pathways of the [M + H]+ ions of these TPs and gabapentin. Gabapentin and some of the newly identified TPs were found in environmental samples from WWTPs. CONCLUSIONS: The developed high-performance liquid chromatography/high-resolution mass spectrometry method was used to identify TPs from gabapentin. It was then successfully applied to real environmental samples to monitor the TPs as potential environmental pollutants.

Dietary Intake of Fructooligosaccharides Protects against Metabolic Derangements Evoked by Chronic Exposure to Fructose or Galactose in Rats.

SCOPE: Diets rich in fat and sugars evoke chronic low-grade inflammation, leading to metabolic derangements. This study investigates the impact of fructose and galactose, two commonly consumed simple sugars, on exacerbation of the harmful effects caused by high fat intake. Additionally, the potential efficacy of fructooligosaccharides (FOS), a fermentable dietary fiber, in counteracting these effects is examined. METHODS AND RESULTS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats (six/group) are fed 8 weeks as follows: control 5% fat diet (CNT), 20% fat diet (FAT), FAT+10% FOS diet (FAT+FOS), FAT+25% galactose diet (FAT+GAL), FAT+GAL+10% FOS diet (FAT+GAL+FOS), FAT+25% fructose diet (FAT+FRU), FAT+FRU+10% FOS diet (FAT+FRU+FOS). The dietary manipulations tested do not affect body weight gain, blood glucose, or markers of systemic inflammation whereas significant increases in plasma concentrations of triacylglycerols, cholesterol, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotrasferase are detected in both FAT+FRU and FAT+GAL compared to CNT. In the liver and skeletal muscle, both sugars induce significant accumulation of lipids and advanced glycation end-products (AGEs). FOS supplementation prevents these impairments. CONCLUSION: This study extends the understanding of the deleterious effects of a chronic intake of simple sugars and demonstrates the beneficial role of the prebiotic FOS in dampening the sugar-induced metabolic impairments by prevention of lipid and AGEs accumulation.

Anti-Glycation Properties of Zinc-Enriched Arthrospira platensis (Spirulina) Contribute to Prevention of Metaflammation in a Diet-Induced Obese Mouse Model.

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) exert a key pathogenic role in the development of obesity and insulin resistance. Thanks to its abundance in bioactive compounds, the microalga Arthrospira platensis (spirulina, SP) is proposed as a nutritional supplement. Here, we investigated the potential anti-glycating properties of SP enriched with zinc (Zn-SP) and the following impact on diet-induced metabolic derangements. Thirty male C57Bl6 mice were fed a standard diet (SD) or a high-fat high-sugar diet (HFHS) for 12 weeks, and a subgroup of HFHS mice received 350 mg/kg Zn-SP three times a week. A HFHS diet induced obesity and glucose intolerance and increased plasma levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and transaminases. Zn-SP administration restored glucose homeostasis and reduced hepatic dysfunction and systemic inflammation. In the liver of HFHS mice, a robust accumulation of AGEs was detected, paralleled by increased expression of the main AGE receptor (RAGE) and depletion of glyoxalase-1, whereas Zn-SP administration efficiently prevented these alterations reducing local pro-inflammatory responses. 16S rRNA gene profiling of feces and ileum content revealed altered bacterial community structure in HFHS mice compared to both SD and HFHS + Zn-SP groups. Overall, our study demonstrates relevant anti-glycation properties of Zn-SP which contribute to preventing AGE production and/or stimulate AGE detoxification, leading to the improvement of diet-related dysbiosis and metabolic derangements.

Study of the photocatalytic transformation of synephrine: a biogenic amine relevant in anti-doping analysis.

The occurrence of some cases of positive results in anti-doping analysis of octopamine requires clarification as to whether its methylated derivative synephrine could be a metabolic precursor of octopamine itself. Synephrine is a natural phenylethylamine derivative present in some food supplements containing Citrus aurantium, permitted in sport regulations. A simulative laboratory study had been done using a photocatalytic process, to identify all possible main and secondary transformation products, in a clean matrix; these were then sought in biological samples obtained from three human volunteers and four rats treated with synephrine; the parent compound and its new potential metabolic products were investigated in human urine and rat plasma samples. The transformation of synephrine and octopamine and the formation of intermediate products were evaluated, adopting titanium dioxide as photocatalyst. Several products were formed and characterized using the HPLC-HRMS(n) technique. The main intermediates identified in these experimental conditions were compared with the major synephrine metabolites found in in vivo studies on rats and humans. Some more oxidized species, already formed in the photocatalytic process, were also found in urine and plasma samples of treated animals. These new findings could be of interest in further metabolism studies. The main photocatalytic pathway involving synephrine appears to be N-demethylation to give octopamine. On the contrary, we demonstrate the inconsistency of this reaction in both rat and human in vivo determinations, resulting in forensic importance.

Different Effects of High-Fat/High-Sucrose and High-Fructose Diets on Advanced Glycation End-Product Accumulation and on Mitochondrial Involvement in Heart and Skeletal Muscle in Mice.

Diets with an elevated content of fat, sucrose, or fructose are recognized models of diet-induced metabolic alterations, since they induce metabolic derangements, oxidative stress, and chronic low-grade inflammation associated with local and systemic accumulation of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs). This study used four-week-old C57BL/6 male mice, randomly assigned to three experimental dietary regimens: standard diet (SD), high-fat high-sucrose diet (HFHS), or high fructose diet (HFr), administered for 12 weeks. Plasma, heart, and tibialis anterior (TA) skeletal muscle were assayed for markers of metabolic conditions, inflammation, presence of AGEs, and mitochondrial involvement. The HFHS diet induced a tissue-specific differential response featuring (1) a remarkable adaptation of the heart to HFHS-induced heavy oxidative stress, demonstrated by an increased presence of AGEs and reduced mitochondrial biogenesis, and efficaciously counteracted by a conspicuous increase in mitochondrial fission and PRXIII expression; (2) the absence of TA adaptation to HFHS, revealed by a heavy reduction in mitochondrial biogenesis, not counteracted by an increase in fission and PRXIII expression. HFr-induced mild oxidative stress elicited tissue-specific responses, featuring (1) a decrease in mitochondrial biogenesis in the heart, likely counteracted by a tendency for increased fission and (2) a mild reduction in mitochondrial biogenesis in TA, likely counteracted by a tendency for increased fusion, showing the adaptability of both tissues to the diet.

High-Throughput Microscopy Analysis of Mitochondrial Membrane Potential in 2D and 3D Models.

Recent proteomic, metabolomic, and transcriptomic studies have highlighted a connection between changes in mitochondria physiology and cellular pathophysiological mechanisms. Secondary assays to assess the function of these organelles appear fundamental to validate these -omics findings. Although mitochondrial membrane potential is widely recognized as an indicator of mitochondrial activity, high-content imaging-based approaches coupled to multiparametric to measure it have not been established yet. In this paper, we describe a methodology for the unbiased high-throughput quantification of mitochondrial membrane potential in vitro, which is suitable for 2D to 3D models. We successfully used our method to analyze mitochondrial membrane potential in monolayers of human fibroblasts, neural stem cells, spheroids, and isolated muscle fibers. Moreover, by combining automated image analysis and machine learning, we were able to discriminate melanoma cells from macrophages in co-culture and to analyze the subpopulations separately. Our data demonstrated that our method is a widely applicable strategy for large-scale profiling of mitochondrial activity.

Characterization of alkaloids in bark extracts of Geissospermum vellosii by HPLC-UV-diode array-multistage high-resolution mass spectrometry.

A number of analytical studies, started in the sixties of the last century, concerning the stem bark of Geissospermum vellosii, have documented the presence of a number of indole alkaloids whose molecular identity was defined by NMR technique. The potential bioactivity of these compounds has inspired more recent analogous studies either devoted to structural elucidation of new alkaloid molecules or to the investigation of the role of some of them in cancer therapy. Anyway, a complete fingerprinting of the bark content is still lacking. In this paper, after a suitable extraction step, we obtain a chromatographic separation showing a number of components higher than the number of alkaloids so far described. Considering the great number of substances present in the stem bark, their identification is practically impossible to reveal by NMR techniques. As we presume that there are other stem bark unidentified alkaloids with important bioactivity, we propose to characterize their molecular structures by UV-Vis Diode Array spectrophotometry and High-Resolution Multistage Mass Spectrometry. The two adopted detection techniques were first tested on the already known Geissospermum vellosii molecules, and, after an inspection of their efficacy, were applied to the substances that have not yet been described. Herewith we propose the molecular structures of 10 substances that were never previously described, and in addition we provide experimental evidence of the presence of 6 already known substances which were never reported in the Geissospermum genus. A far more detailed description of the bark constituents is therefore provided.

Integrated approach for the analysis of neonicotinoids in fruits and food matrices.

We searched for five neonicotenoids (namely acetamiprid, clothianidin, imidacloprid, thiacloprid and thiamethoxam) in 67 samples of fruits, leaves, pollen and honey via HPLC-MS by employing QueChERs for extraction and purification. Clothianidin was never detected, while imidacloprid was identified in apple (9.2 µg/kg) and pollen (18-28 µg/Kg), thiacloprid in peaches (21-35 µg/kg) and acetamiprid was identified in the hazel leaves (1266 µg/kg), honey (13-26 µg /Kg) and pollen (11-24 µg/kg). Since the levels found of acetamiprid in hazel, honey and pollen were concerning, we accomplished a study to identify and characterize the possible transformation products via a laboratory simulation. The methodology exploited the analysis by HPLC-HRMS and its application in all matrices. We identify twelve transformation products, whose formation involved dimerization, hydroxylation, oxidation, demethylation and cleavage of the molecule. Three of them were also detected in hazel leaves.

Advanced glycation end products and their related signaling cascades in adult survivors of childhood Hodgkin lymphoma: A possible role in the onset of late complications.

Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is today one of the most curable pediatric cancers. Despite survival rates now exceeding 90%, survivors of pediatric HL are still at higher risk to develop late effects of cancer therapy. Premature aging has been proposed as a paradigm to explain the onset of long-term complications in these subjects. High levels of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), together with chronic inflammation and oxidative unbalance, have been shown to be among the main factors contributing to aging. The present study aims to evaluate glycoxydation, inflammatory status, and oxidative stress in plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) obtained from 20 adult survivors of pediatric HL and 40 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. After the isolation of PBMC and the collection of plasma, we performed the analyses of gene expression by qRT-PCR and measured inflammatory and oxidative-stress markers. AGEs plasma levels, expressed as Nϵ-carboxymethyl-lysine and methylglyoxal hydroimidazolone, were markedly higher in HL survivors than in healthy subjects. HL survivors also showed a condition of higher oxidative stress, as demonstrated by an increased expression of NADPH oxidase on PBMC. Antioxidant defenses, evaluated in terms of alpha-tocopherol, GSSG/GSH ratio and catalase plasma levels, were strongly impaired in survivors. This pro-oxidative condition led to the over-expression of both NLRP3 and NFkB genes in PBMC and, consequently, to increased plasma levels of interleukin(IL)-1ß and IL-6. Finally, the expression of the receptors for AGEs in PBMC confirmed the dysregulated AGE pathways. Data show AGEs accumulation in survivors of pediatric HL. The consequent activation of the receptor for AGEs leads to the persistent activation of intracellular signaling toward inflammation. These results suggest that the co-existence of AGEs accumulation, unbalanced oxidative status, and inflammation could play a role in the onset of late complications in HL survivors.

Great Abilities of Shinella zoogloeoides Strain from a Landfarming Soil for Crude Oil Degradation and a Synergy Model for Alginate-Bead-Entrapped Consortium Efficiency.

Oil contamination is of great concern worldwide and needs to be properly addressed. The present work aimed to contribute to the development of bacterial consortia for oil recovery. We investigated the community structure of a landfarming-treated soil (LF2) by metagenomics to unravel the presence of hydrocarbon degraders. Moreover, we isolated Shinella zoogloeoides LFG9 and Bacillus swezeyi LFS15 from LF2 and combined them with Pseudomonas guguanensis SGPP2 isolated from an auto mechanic workshop soil to form the mixed consortium COG1. Bacterial isolates were tested for biosurfactant production. Additionally, the bioremediation potential of COG1 was studied as free and entrapped consortia by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, in comparison to the single strains. Results revealed the presence of Actinobacteria (66.11%), Proteobacteria (32.21%), Gammaproteobacteria (5.39%), Actinomycetales (65.15%), Burkholderiales (13.92%), and Mycobacterium (32.22%) taxa, indicating the presence of hydrocarbon degraders in soil LF2. All three isolated strains were biosurfactant producers capable of degrading crude oil components within 14 days. However, Shinella zoogloeoides LFG9 performed best and was retained as candidate for further bioremediation investigation. In addition, COG1 performed better when immobilized, with entrapment effectiveness manifested by increased fatty acids and aromatic compound degradation. Attempt to improve crude oil biodegradation by adding surfactants failed as sodium dodecyl sulfate restrained the immobilized consortium performance.

Elucidation of the photoinduced transformations of Aliskiren in river water using liquid chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry.

Aliskiren was selected as a compound of potential concern among a suspect screening list of more than 40,000 substances on a basis of high occurrence, potential risk and the absence of information about its environmental fate. This study investigated the photoinduced degradation of aliskiren in river water samples spiked at trace levels exposed to simulated sunlight. A half-life time of 24 h was observed with both direct and indirect photolysis playing a role on pollutant degradation. Its photo-induced transformation involved the formation of six transformation products (TPs), elucidated by LC-HRMS - resulted from the drug hydroxylation, oxidation and moieties loss with subsequent cyclization structurally. The retrospective suspected analysis performed on a total of 754 environmental matrices evidenced the environmental occurrence of aliskiren and two TPs in surface waters (river and seawater), fresh water, sediments and biota. In silico bioassays suggested that aliskiren degradation undergoes thought the formation of TPs with distinct toxicity comparing with the parent compound.

HPLC-HRMS Global Metabolomics Approach for the Diagnosis of "Olive Quick Decline Syndrome" Markers in Olive Trees Leaves.

Olive quick decline syndrome (OQDS) is a multifactorial disease affecting olive plants. The onset of this economically devastating disease has been associated with a Gram-negative plant pathogen called Xylella fastidiosa (Xf). Liquid chromatography separation coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry detection is one the most widely applied technologies in metabolomics, as it provides a blend of rapid, sensitive, and selective qualitative and quantitative analyses with the ability to identify metabolites. The purpose of this work is the development of a global metabolomics mass spectrometry assay able to identify OQDS molecular markers that could discriminate between healthy (HP) and infected (OP) olive tree leaves. Results obtained via multivariate analysis through an HPLC-ESI HRMS platform (LTQ-Orbitrap from Thermo Scientific) show a clear separation between HP and OP samples. Among the differentially expressed metabolites, 18 different organic compounds highly expressed in the OP group were annotated; results obtained by this metabolomic approach could be used as a fast and reliable method for the biochemical characterization of OQDS and to develop targeted MS approaches for OQDS detection by foliage analysis.