Complexation of ferrous ions by ferrozine, 2,2'-bipyridine and 1,10-phenanthroline: Implication for the quantification of iron in biological systems.

Iron is an essential nutrient for virtually all forms of life. Because of its redox properties and involvement in a wide range of biological processes, a number of qualitative and quantitative chemical tools have been developed to detect reduced (Fe2+) and oxidized (Fe3+) forms of iron in biomolecules. These types of measurements are not only important in detecting iron species in solution, but also in understanding iron distribution, accumulation, and role in physiological and pathological processes. Here, we use UV-vis spectrophotometry and three common chromogenic reagents, ferrozine, 2,2'-bipyridine, and 1,10-phenanthroline to detect and quantify the concentration of ferrous ions in aqueous solutions, owing to the unique absorption spectra, specific molar absorptivity, and characteristic colors of these Fe2+-chelator complexes. Our results show that the kinetics of the formation of the {Fe2+-(ferrozine)3} complex, but not the{Fe2+-(bipyridine)3} or the {Fe(II)-(phenanthroline)3} complexes depend on the concentration of the iron chelator, requiring up to 20 min to complete when close to stoichiometric ratios are employed. The molar absorptivity values of these complexes under excess chelator concentrations were ~ 10% to 15% higher than reported literature values (i.e. 31,500 ± 1500 M-1 cm-1 for ferrozine at 562 nm, 9950 ± 100 M-1 cm-1 for 2,2'-bipyridine at 522 nm, and 12,450 ± 370 M-1 cm-1 for 1,10-phenanthroline at 510 nm). Our results have important implications when quantifying iron in biological systems and reveal optimal experimental conditions that must be employed for the accurate measurements of ferrous ions, whether free in solution, or after reduction of protein-bound ferric ions.

Development and validation of an economical uric acid-Fe3+/Fe2+-ferrozine-based colorimetric assay to estimate uric acid level of pure and biological samples.

This work presents the development and validation of a simple, rapid, and cost-effective spectrophotometric method for quantitative analysis of uric acid in biological samples. The method relies upon uric acid-led reduction of Fe(III) to Fe(II) of sample/standard solutions which stoichiometrically engages ferrozine to form a magenta-colored complex. Different parameters including pH, metal and chelator concentrations, temperature, etc., were optimized for the maximum intensity and stability of the complex. The uric acid concentrations of synthetic/plasma solutions were determined by comparing the color intensity of Fe(ferrozine)3 2+ complex produced by test solution with the standard curve formed by known uric acid concentrations. The method was validated in accordance with ICH guidelines and subjected to human plasma analysis. The results obtained were compared with a reference (enzymatic) method which revealed that there was no significant difference between the two methods at 95% confidence level. The method is highly specific, precise, linear, accurate, and robust.

Microwave-Assisted Extraction Combined with In-Capillary [Fe(ferrozine)3]2+-CE-DAD to Screen Active Components with the Ability to Chelate Ferrous Ions from Flos Sophorae Immaturus (Flos Sophorae).

An efficient microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) combined with in-capillary [Fe(ferrozine)3]2+-capillary electrophoresis-Diode Array Detector (in-capillary [Fe(ferrozine)3]2+-CE-DAD) was developed to screen active components with the ability to chelate ferrous ions and determine the total antioxidant activity. The MAE conditions, including methanol concentration, extraction power, extraction time, and the ratio of material to liquid, were optimized by an L9(34) orthogonal experiment. Background buffer, voltage, and cartridge temperature that affect the separation of six compounds were optimized. It was found that rutin and quercetin were the main components chelating ferrous ions in Flos Sophorae Immaturus (Flos Sophorae) by the in-capillary [Fe(ferrozine)3]2+-CE-DAD. The recoveries were ranged from 95.2% to 104%. It was concluded that the MAE combined with in-capillary [Fe(ferrozine)3]2+-CE-DAD method was a simple, reliable, and efficient tool for screening active components from the complex traditional Chinese medicine samples and evaluating their ability to chelate ferrous ions.

A Production-Accessible Method: Spectrophotometric Iron Speciation in Wine Using Ferrozine and Ethylenediaminetetraacetic Acid.

Wine oxidation is reported to be linked to the iron species present in the wine, but spectrophotometric speciation is plagued by unstable measurements due to alterations to the reduction potential of iron by complexing agents. Ferrozine raises the reduction potential of iron by complexing preferentially to iron(II), inducing the reduction of iron(III) during analysis; here, EDTA is added to chelate iron(III) and to stabilize the forms of iron. Bisulfite addition allows the use of ferrozine for red wine analysis by mitigating color interference. Measurements agree with values from a previous method for iron(II) and from FAAS for total iron. Spike recoveries were in the range of 103.5-110.1%. The method is linear for iron concentrations in the range of 0.10-6.00 mg L-1 and offers good precision (CV 0.4-10.1%) and low limits of detection (0.02 mg L-1) and quantification (0.06 mg L-1). The method demonstrated changes to iron speciation during the oxygenation of red wines.

Biological Activity of Spirocyclic Hydroxamic Acids.

Iron-chelating activity of synthesized spirocyclic hydroxamic acids, their toxicity, and effects on mitochondrial function were studied using primary culture of cerebral cortical neurons from newborn rats. All tested compounds effectively chelated Fe(II) ions. Activity of spirocyclic hydroxamic acids more strictly depended on the structure their piperidine, but not imidazolidine fragment. All compounds were non-toxic for normal neuronal culture.

Gallium Potentiates the Antibacterial Effect of Gentamicin against Francisella tularensis.

The reasons why aminoglycosides are bactericidal have not been not fully elucidated, and evidence indicates that the cidal effects are at least partly dependent on iron. We demonstrate that availability of iron markedly affects the susceptibility of the facultative intracellular bacterium Francisella tularensis strain SCHU S4 to the aminoglycoside gentamicin. Specifically, the intracellular depots of iron were inversely correlated to gentamicin susceptibility, whereas the extracellular iron concentrations were directly correlated to the susceptibility. Further proof of the intimate link between iron availability and antibiotic susceptibility were the findings that a ΔfslA mutant, which is defective for siderophore-dependent uptake of ferric iron, showed enhanced gentamicin susceptibility and that a ΔfeoB mutant, which is defective for uptake of ferrous iron, displayed complete growth arrest in the presence of gentamicin. Based on the aforementioned findings, it was hypothesized that gallium could potentiate the effect of gentamicin, since gallium is sequestered by iron uptake systems. The ferrozine assay demonstrated that the presence of gallium inhibited >70% of the iron uptake. Addition of gentamicin and/or gallium to infected bone marrow-derived macrophages showed that both 100 µM gallium and 10 µg/ml of gentamicin inhibited intracellular growth of SCHU S4 and that the combined treatment acted synergistically. Moreover, treatment of F. tularensis-infected mice with gentamicin and gallium showed an additive effect. Collectively, the data demonstrate that SCHU S4 is dependent on iron to minimize the effects of gentamicin and that gallium, by inhibiting the iron uptake, potentiates the bactericidal effect of gentamicin in vitro and in vivo.

Production of Hydroxyl Radical via the Activation of Hydrogen Peroxide by Hydroxylamine.

The production of the hydroxyl radical (HO·) is important in environmental chemistry. This study reports a new source of HO· generated solely from hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) activated by hydroxylamine (HA). Electron paramagnetic resonance analysis and the oxidation of a HO· probe, benzoic acid, were used to confirm the production of HO·. The production of HO· increased with increasing concentrations of either HA or H2O2 as well as decreasing pH. The second-order rate constant for the reaction was (2.2 ± 0.2) × 10(-4) M(-1) s(-1). HO· was probably produced in two steps: the activation of H2O2 by protonated HA and then reaction between the H2O2 and the intermediate protonated aminoxyl radical generated in the first step. Such a two-step oxidation can possibly be ascribed to the ionizable hydroxyl moiety in the molecular structure of HA, as is suggested by comparing the reactivity of a series of HA derivatives in HO· production. The results shed light on a previously unknown source of HO· formation, which broadens the understanding of its role in environmental processes.

Is Iron Chelation Important in Preventing Glycation of Bovine Serum Albumin in Vitro?

The role of metal (especially) iron ions has been postulated to play a prominent role in protein glycation, suggesting antiglycating effectiveness of metal chelators. However, this rule may not apply to all model glycation systems. We found that metal chelators are not effective in prevention of glycation of bovine serum albumin (BSA) in vitro, and there is no correlation between the antiglycating effects of 32 compounds and their iron chelation activity as measured with the ferrozine test. These data indicate that the glycation of BSA in vitro is iron-independent and is not a proper system to study the role of metals in protein glycation.

Optimized ferrozine-based assay for dissolved iron.

The following report describes a simple and optimized assay for the detection of iron in solution based on the binding of this metal by ferrozine. This assay accurately measures between 1 and 200 µM sample iron concentrations within 2½ hours.

Sugars increase non-heme iron bioavailability in human epithelial intestinal and liver cells.

Previous studies have suggested that sugars enhance iron bioavailability, possibly through either chelation or altering the oxidation state of the metal, however, results have been inconclusive. Sugar intake in the last 20 years has increased dramatically, and iron status disorders are significant public health problems worldwide; therefore understanding the nutritional implications of iron-sugar interactions is particularly relevant. In this study we measured the effects of sugars on non-heme iron bioavailability in human intestinal Caco-2 cells and HepG2 hepatoma cells using ferritin formation as a surrogate marker for iron uptake. The effect of sugars on iron oxidation state was examined by measuring ferrous iron formation in different sugar-iron solutions with a ferrozine-based assay. Fructose significantly increased iron-induced ferritin formation in both Caco-2 and HepG2 cells. In addition, high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS-55) increased Caco-2 cell iron-induced ferritin; these effects were negated by the addition of either tannic acid or phytic acid. Fructose combined with FeCl3 increased ferrozine-chelatable ferrous iron levels by approximately 300%. In conclusion, fructose increases iron bioavailability in human intestinal Caco-2 and HepG2 cells. Given the large amount of simple and rapidly digestible sugars in the modern diet their effects on iron bioavailability may have important patho-physiological consequences. Further studies are warranted to characterize these interactions.

MCM-41 as a useful vector for rutin topical formulations: synthesis, characterization and testing.

Rutin, the glycoside of quercetin, could be used in topical preparations because of its antioxidant and radical scavenging properties, but its employ in cosmetic and pharmaceutical products is limited by poor physico-chemical stability. These issues were addressed by preparing, characterizing and testing rutin inclusion complexes with MCM-41 mesoporous silica. The effect of surface functionalization with aminopropyl groups (NH2-MCM-41) on the molecules properties was studied. The organic/inorganic interaction was confirmed by many techniques. In particular, the high inclusion of rutin in the pores of NH2-MCM-41 was assessed by XRD, TGA, gas-volumetric analysis (BET), while FTIR spectroscopy allowed to analyse with great detail the molecular interaction with the inorganic surface. Rutin was stabilized against UV degradation, mostly by its inclusion in NH2-MCM-41. Ex vivo studies showed a greater accumulation in porcine skin in the case of rutin complexed with NH2-MCM-41. Not only antioxidant properties of rutin were maintained after immobilization but, with aminopropyl silica, the metal-chelating activity increased noticeably. The immobilization of rutin in aminopropyl silica resulted in better performance in terms of activity and photostability, suggesting the importance of functionalization in stabilizing organic molecules within silica pores.

Effect of metal chelators on the oxidative stability of model wine.

Oxidation is a major problem with respect to wine quality, and winemakers have few tools at their disposal to control it. In this study, the effect of exogenous Fe(II) (bipyridine; Ferrozine) and Fe(III) chelators (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, EDTA; phytic acid) on nonenzymatic wine oxidation was examined. The ability of these chelators to affect the formation of 1-hydroxyethyl radicals (1-HER) and acetaldehyde was measured using a spin trapping technique with electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and by HPLC-PDA, respectively. The chelators were then investigated for their ability to prevent the oxidative loss of an important aroma-active thiol, 3-mercaptohexan-1-ol (3MH). The Fe(II)-specific chelators were more effective than the Fe(III) chelators with respect to 1-HER inhibition during the early stages of oxidation and significantly reduced oxidation markers compared to a control during the study. However, although the addition of Fe(III) chelators was less effective or even showed an initial pro-oxidant activity, the Fe(III) chelators proved to be more effective antioxidants compared to Fe(II) chelators after 8 days of accelerated oxidation. In addition, it is shown for the first time that Fe(II) and Fe(III) chelators can significantly inhibit the oxidative loss of 3MH in model wine.

[Antioxidant properties of proteins after freezing-thawing].

Experimental data are presented which were obtained under comparative evaluation of influence of different freezing-thawing conditions on antioxidant properties of isolated proteins: human serum albumin, cytochrome c from the horse heart and glucose oxidase from Aspergillus niger. The observed protein antioxidant activity alterations are assumed to be a result of protein conformational changes. The character of freezing-thawing influence on the protein antioxidant activity depends on the molecular structure and cooling conditions.

Characterization of disposable optical sensors for heavy metal determination.

This paper presents the development, characterization and quality control of analytical methods based on the use of disposable optical sensors for determination of heavy metals. Chromogenic reagents such as 1-(2-pyridylazo)-2-naphthol, (2-pyridylazo)resorcinol, Zincon, Ferrozine, and Chromazurol S were used to develop optical sensors of heavy metal ions found as contaminants in pharmaceutical substances and products, such as Zn(II), Cu(II), Ni(II), Fe(II), and Fe(III). The chromogenic reagents were immobilized in polymeric membranes by spin-coating from cocktails containing all reagents needed. The methods were prevalidated using a comprehensive quality control strategy based on a system of mathematical/statistical testing and diagnosis of each prevalidation step. This system involved characterization of analytical groups; checking of two limiting groups; testing of data homogeneity; recognition of outliers; and determination of analytical functions, limiting values, precision and accuracy. The prevalidation strategy demonstrated the reliability of the proposed method and pointed out some limitations. Combining the optical sensors with multicomponent linear regression allowed simultaneous determination of multiple metals in synthetic mixtures with different compositions. Good agreement between experimental and theoretical amounts of heavy metals in the mixtures was obtained for the majority of sensors and metals. Even better agreement was obtained between the experimental and theoretical total amounts of metals in the mixtures. The proposed analytical methods were successfully applied to the determination of zinc in pharmaceutical preparations of insulin and the determination of metal mixtures in a commercial nasal spray of isotonic seawater. The reliable and sensitive individual optical sensors developed in this study may be useful for designing a multimembrane optical tongue that with appropriate further optimization can be used for screening heavy metals in various matrices.

Optimization of colorimetric DET technique for the in situ, two-dimensional measurement of iron(II) distributions in sediment porewaters.

The recently developed colorimetric diffusive equilibration in thin films (DET) technique for the in situ, high-resolution measurement of iron(II) in marine sediments is optimized to allow measurement of the higher iron concentrations typical of freshwater sediment porewaters. Computer imaging densitometry (CID) is used to analyze the retrieved samplers following exposure to ferrozine, a colorimetric reagent selective for iron(II). The effect of ferrozine concentration, image processing parameters and ionic strength are investigated to improve the applicability of this technique to a wider range of aquatic systems than reported in the first publications of this approach. The technique was optimized to allow detection of up to 2,000 µmol L(-1) iron(II), a four-fold increase on the previous upper detection limit of 500 µ mol L(-1). The CID processing of the scanned color image was also optimized to adjust the sensitivity of the assay as required; by processing the image with different color channel filters, the sensitivity of the assay can be optimized for lower concentrations (up to 100 µmol L(-1)) or higher concentrations (up to 2,000 µmol L(-1)) of iron(II), depending on the specific site characteristics. This process does not require separate sampling probes or even separate scans of the DET gels as the color filter and grayscale conversion is done post-image capture. The optimized technique is very simple to use and provides highly representative, high-resolution (1mm) two-dimensional distributions of iron(II) in sediment porewaters. The detection limit of the optimized technique was 4.1±0.3 µmol L(-1) iron(II) and relative standard deviations were less than 6%.

Reevaluation of copper(I) affinity for amyloid-ß peptides by competition with ferrozine--an unusual copper(I) indicator.

The association constant of ferrozine (5,6-diphenyl-3-(2-pyridyl)-1,2,4-triazine-4,4''-disulfonic acid) with Cu(I) to form the chromophoric [Cu(I)(Fz)(2)](3-) complex was determined by UV/Vis titration experiments in Hepes buffer (0.1 M, pH 7.4). An association constant close to 10(12) M(-2), which is significantly weaker than those of the well-known, water-soluble, Cu(I) chelators bicinchoninic acid and 2,9-dimethyl-4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenantroline disulfonic acid, was found. The [Cu(I)(Fz)(2)](3-) chromophore was used in UV/Vis competition experiments to determine Cu(I) binding affinity for the amyloid-ß peptide involved in Alzheimer's disease and for a series of pertinent mutants. An association constant of approximately 10(7) M(-1) was found; this is much weaker than that reported for dithiothreitol and confirms that imidazoles are harder ligands than thiolates. Each His mutation (H6A, H13A, and H14A) impacts the peptide affinity for Cu(I). The native human amyloid-ß peptide was found to be a fourfold-stronger Cu(I) ligand than the murine peptide, which differs by three point mutations (R5G, Y10F, and H13R) from the human one.

Estimation of cholinesterase inhibitory and antioxidant effects of the leaf extracts of Anatolian Ficus carica var. domestica and their total phenol and flavonoid contents.

Ficus carica var. domestica Tsch. & Rav. (common fig) is widely grown in Turkey and exported for its edible fruits. In this study, the n-hexane, chloroform, acetone, methanol, n-butanol, and water extracts of the leaves of F. carica var. domestica were screened for their cholinesterase inhibitory and antioxidant activities. Cholinesterase inhibition against acetyl- (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) was measured by the spectrophotometric method of Ellman at concentrations of 25, 50, and 100 microg/mL., while antioxidant activity was tested using three in vitro methods; 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity, metal-chelation capacity, and ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP). Total phenol and flavonoid contents of the extracts were determined spectrophotometrically. Our results revealed that the n-hexane and acetone extracts exerted a notable inhibition against both AChE (62.9 +/- 0.9% and 50.8 +/- 2.1%, respectively) and BChE (76.9 +/- 2.2% and 45.6 +/- 1.3%, respectively). However, they had low activity in the antioxidant tests. The chloroform extract was found to be the richest in total flavonoid content (252.5 +/- 1.1 mg/g quercetin equivalent), while the n-butanol extract had the highest total phenol amount (85.9 +/- 3.2 mg/g extract gallic acid equivalent).

Antiinflammatory and antioxidant activities of gum mastic.

OBJECTIVES: Pistacia lentiscus has traditionally been used in the treatment of many diseases. Its resin was investigated for its mineral contents, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities in rats. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Inhibition of carrageenan induced edema was used to evaluate anti-inflammatory activity. Fe2+ chelating ability, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl radical (DPPH) and nitric oxide scavenging activities were used to evaluate antioxidant activities and mineral contents were determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy. Gallic acid content was determined by HPLC. RESULTS: Resin produced statistically significant inhibition of edema at all doses when compared to the control groups. A 100% inhibition of inflammation was observed at 800 mg/kg i.p. Resin exhibit no toxicity up to 3 g/kg body weights i.p. in mice. Weak DPPH and nitric oxide scavenging activities were observed but showed good Fe2+ chelating ability (IC50 = 162 microg ml(-1)). The amount of elements was decreased in the order: Cu > Fe, Zn > Mn > Ni, Cd. Gallic acid content was 0.1 mg/g resin. CONCLUSIONS: These experimental data support the use of Pistacia lentiscus resin as an antiinflammatory and antioxidant agent.

Automated assay for non-transferrin-bound iron in serum samples.

BACKGROUND: Non-transferrin-bound iron (NTBI) is a powerful promoter of free radical damage and highly toxic to biological systems, resulting in oxidative damage to proteins, lipids and DNA. METHODS: This assay is based on the binding of serum NTBI by the chelator nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) and measurement of the ultrafiltrated Fe-NTA complex with the ferrozine reagent kit by a biochemical analyzer. To determine NTBI at extremely low concentrations, the program parameters for serum iron measurement were modified. RESULTS: Linearity was up to 15 µmol/L with analytical recovery of 93%-103%. The limit of detection was 0.076 µmol/L. The within-run coefficient of variation was 2.37%, 1.23%, and 0.812% at concentrations of 0.338, 1.717, and 5.916 µmol/L, respectively. NTBI concentrations measured after exercise in samples obtained from 14 rowers, divided into two groups, were substantially higher in all samples. The median NTBI concentrations (range) before and after exercise were 0.197 (-0.11 to 0.58), and 3.353 (2.39-8.97) µmol/L, respectively, in older rowers and 0.197 (-0.18 to 1.17), and 1.360 (0.47-2.49) µmol/L, respectively, in younger rowers. CONCLUSIONS: With the described modification for serum iron determination, NTBI can be measured with high sensitivity and specificity. The data presented are illustrative examples of the applicability of this assay.

Human heme oxygenase-1 efficiently catabolizes heme in the absence of biliverdin reductase.

Heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) uses molecular oxygen and electrons from NADPH cytochrome P450 reductase to convert heme to CO, ferrous iron, and biliverdin (BV). Enzymatic studies with the purified 30-kDa form of HO-1 routinely use a coupled assay containing biliverdin reductase (BVR), which converts BV to bilirubin (BR). BVR is believed to be required for optimal HO-1 activity. The goal of this study was to determine whether HO-1 activity could be monitored directly by following BV generation or iron release (using the ferrous iron chelator, ferrozine) in the absence of BVR. Using assays for each of the three end products, we found that HO-1 activity was stimulated in the presence of catalase and comparable rates were measured with each assay. Absorbance scans revealed characteristic spectra for BR, BV, and/or the ferrozine-iron complex. The optimal conditions were slightly different for the direct and coupled assays. BSA activated the coupled but inhibited the direct assays, and the assays had different pH optima. By measuring the activity of BVR directly using BV as a substrate, these differences were attributed to different enzymatic properties of BVR and HO-1. Thus, BVR is not needed to measure the activity of HO-1 when catalase is present. In fact, the factors affecting catalysis by HO-1 are better understood using the direct assays because the coupled assay can be influenced by properties of BVR.