Extra-weak chemiluminescence of drugs. VIII. Extra-weak chemiluminescence arising from the amino-carbonyl reaction

Extra-weak chemiluminescence (CL) from amino-carbonyl reactions of L-lysine with various sugars and aldehydes in aqueous solution was examined. Amongst the aldehydes and sugars tested, glycolaldehyde and D -arabinose produced the highest CL intensity. The CL of the amino-carbonyl reaction reached a maximum after about 60 minutes. The CL was pH dependent, and a linear relation between CL intensity and hydroge-ion concentration was demonstrated. Low oxygen levels inhibited CL and no CL was produced in nitrogen purged solutions. Addition of cupric or ferrous ion, decreased the CL. The involvement of free radical intermediates was demonstrated by ESR. Our findings suggest that the CL of the amino-carbonyl reaction arises from free radicals derived from melanoidines or their intermediates. CL should prove useful for evaluating the stability of crude drugs extracted from natural resources that contain various amino acid derivatives protein and sugar components.     

Extra-weak chemiluminescence of drugs XI. Quenching effects of purine and pyrimidine derivatives on the extra-weak chemiluminescence derived from the maillard reaction

Quenching effects of purine and pyrimidine derivatives on the extra-weak chemiluminescence (CL) derived from the Maillard reaction of L-lysine with D-arabinose were investigated The pyrimidine derivatives 2′-deoxy cytidine, uridine, and uracil quenched the CL. Cytidine did not quench the CL. Purine derivatives, e.g. uric acid and 1-methyl adenosine were particularly effective in quenching the CL. 5-Methyl adenine and xanthine also quenched the CL, but adenosine had no effect. A comparison of the CL-quenching abilities of compounds that have common basic structure was made; those with ribose at the 5-position were the strongest quenchers. A linear relationship between CL-quenching activity and the HOMO energy of the pi orbital for the various compounds was shown.     

Reactions of D-glucose with phenolic amino acids: further insights into the competition between Maillard and Pictet-Spengler condensation pathways

The reactions of 5-S-cysteinyldopa, L-alpha-methyldopa and DL-m-tyrosine with D-glucose were investigated at 90 degrees C in phosphate buffer at pH ranging from 5.0 to 9.0. Whereas gave mainly the double Maillard condensation product N,N'-bis(1'-deoxy-D-fructos-1'-yl)-5-S-cysteinyldopa, as an inseparable mixture of beta-D-fructopyranosyl and alpha,beta-D-fructofuranosyl derivatives, 2 and 3 gave both Maillard and Pictet-Spengler products, although to different extents and with different regio- and stereochemistry. A peculiar pattern of reactivity was displayed by which gave, besides the Maillard product and the expected 6,7-dihydroxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline C-1 diastereoisomeric pairs, the unprecedented 7,8-dihydroxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline derivative via the ortho cyclization pathway. Pictet-Spengler cyclization of 2 and 3 proceeded with Felkin-Anh-type asymmetric induction, favouring the 1R isomer throughout the pH range 5.0-9.0. These results, which highlight the first example of carbohydrate-derived 7,8-dihydroxytetrahydroisoquinoline, provide new insights into the factors governing competition between Maillard and Pictet-Spengler condensation pathways.     

The effect of sugar,amino acid,metal ion,and NaCl on model Maillard reaction under pH control

Summary. The color intensities was determined of Maillard reaction products (MRPs) prepared by heating each of five sugars (maltose, fructose, glucose, arabinose, and xylose) with each of 12 amino acids (aspartic acid, glutamic acid, alanine, leucine, isoleucine, valine, proline, serine, cysteine, phenylalanine, arginine, and lysine). The remaining percentages of glucose and rate of change of color intensity due to the addition of a metal ion and NaCl were monitored for nine MRPs that had been formed between glucose and each of nine amino acids (aspartic acid, glutamic acid, alanine, valine, serine, cysteine, phenylalanine, arginine, and lysine). Model MRPs were prepared in a block heater at 100°C for 1–12h with the pH value controlled at 6.5. The resulting color intensity of each MRPs formed from the basic amino acids was greater due to the higher reactivity than those from the acidic amino acids. The remaining percentage of glucose in each MRPs from the basic amino acids was lower than those from the acidic amino acids. The MRPs from the nonpolar amino acids showed an intermediate color intensity and remaining percentages of glucose between those formed from the basic and acidic amino acids. Browning tended to be accelerated in the presence of metal ions, especially Fe²⁺ and Cu²⁺, although it was affected by the property of the amino acid and heating time as well as by the type of metal ion. On the other hand, browning was greatly inhibited by a high concentration of NaCl.     

Saccharide induced racemization of amino acids in the course of the Maillard reaction

Summary. The formation of D-amino acids on heating aqueous solutions of protein L-amino acids at pH 2.5 and pH 7.0 together with glucose, fructose or saccharose was investigated by enantioselective gas chromatography. The saccharide induced partial racemization (epimerisation) of L-amino acids is attributed to the Maillard reaction. Received October 1, 2001 Accepted October 2, 2001     

Glycosylation of lysine-containing pentapeptides by glucuronic acid: new insights into the Maillard reaction

The formation of glycosylation products in model systems consisting of d-glucuronic acid (GlcA) and lysine-containing peptides, such as Lys-Gly-Gly-Phe-Leu (1), Gly-Lys-Gly-Phe-Leu (4) and Ac-Gly-Lys-Gly-Phe-Leu (6), was examined to evaluate the site specificity as well as the extent and nature of the modification. Peptides were reacted with GlcA either in solution or under dry-heating conditions. From the incubations performed in solution (MeOH), the corresponding (1-deoxy-d-fructofuranos-1-yluronic acid)-peptide derivatives (Amadori compounds) were isolated. Whereas reaction of 1 resulted in the formation of mono-glycosylated Amadori compound 2 with the sugar moiety attached to the N^ε-amino group of the Lys residue and its di-glycosylated analogue 3, exposure of 4 to GlcA afforded only di-glycosylated peptide 5. From the incubation of GlcA with Ac-Gly-Lys-Gly-Phe-Leu (6) performed under mild dry-heating conditions (50 °C) in an environment of 75% relative humidity, besides Amadori compound 7, two new Maillard reaction products were isolated that contained 3-hydroxypyridinium (8) and 3-hydroxy-picolinic acid moiety (9). The mechanism for the formation of pyridinium products is discussed.     

苦瓜干制前后氨基酸组分的变化

经酸水解,利用氨基酸自动分析仪测定干制加工前后的苦瓜中总氨基酸和游离氨基酸含量。结果表明干制前后的苦瓜在氨基酸质量分数上有明显差别,总氨基酸质量分数分别为11.99%和10.87%,游离氨基酸分别为2.36%和0.70%。结论:干制前后的苦瓜中氨基酸质量分数差别明显,其中碱性氨基酸质量分数的变化尤其显著,总氨基酸中精氨酸质量分数下降50%,在游离氨基酸中下降78%;同时还原糖质量分数也由干制前的4.86%下降为干制后的1.86%,说明苦瓜干制过程中发生了美拉德反应,造成了氨基酸和还原糖含量的下降。     

炒焦对山楂中氨基酸含量的影响分析

为探索炒焦对山楂中氨基酸的影响及山楂炒焦过程中氨基酸的变化,对炒焦前后山楂中氨基酸含量的变化进行了分析.测定结果显示,炒焦前后山楂中氨基酸的种类不变,各种氨基酸含量变化不一;方差分析显示炒焦前后氨基酸的含量变化不显著,炒焦对山楂中氨基酸的影响较小.由于山楂在炒焦过程具备发生美拉德反应的物质基础和客观条件,推测山楂中的氨...     

地黄炮制过程氨基酸组分分析

利用氨基酸自动分析仪分别测定加工前后地黄中的总氨基酸和游离氨基酸质量分数。分析、比较炮制前后地黄的氨基酸成分变化。炮制前后地黄的氨基酸种类及含量有明显变化,多数氨基酸的含量在炮制后明显下降甚至消失。结论:炮制前后的地黄中氨基酸质量分数差别明显,其中碱性氨基酸质量分数的差别尤其显著,该差异可能是由于炮制过程中发生美拉德反应造成的。     

基于与木糖进行美拉德反应的低聚壳聚糖衍生物的抗氧化性能研究

研究低聚壳聚糖与木糖的美拉德反应,考察了两种体系(低聚壳聚糖与木糖的质量比分别为1∶1和1∶3)反应过程中pH、吸光度及荧光值的变化,醇沉法提取4 h和8 h的低聚壳聚糖美拉德反应衍生物,分别为CX11-4、CX13-4、CX11-8和CX13-8。对衍生物进行红外表征和分子量测定,并研究其对羟基自由基.OH和DPPH的清除能力以及还原能力。结果显示:壳聚糖衍生物的抗氧化能力都明显优于低聚壳聚糖,抗氧化活性顺序为CX13-4>CX11-4,CX11-8>CX13-8。可见,壳聚糖美拉德衍生物的抗氧化活性不仅与反应物的比例有关,还与反应的时间有关。     

A simplified method for the estimation of individual amino acid radioactivity in plasma samples

A method is presented for the quantitative estimation of the individual amino acid radioactivity in biological samples. The material is deproteinized with cold acetone, and, after acetone evaporation, is passed through a column containing 1 g of Amberlite XAD-2, then eluted with 10% ethanol. The samples are derivatized with Sanger's reagent (alkaline 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene) and passed again through the Amberlite XAD-2 column; the 10% ethanol eluate is now discarded and the DNP-amino acids eluted with acetone. Aliquots are used for TLC chromatography on Silicagel plates; the spots are identified, cut away and their radioactivity estimated. The actual recovery of radioactivity in the spots is about 86-92% of the initial radioactivity. No contamination with radioactive glucose, lactate, pyruvate or glycerol has been observed.     

Effect of acyl donor chain length and sugar/acyl donor molar ratio on enzymatic synthesis of fatty acid fructose esters

Lipase-catalyzed synthesis of fatty acid sugar esters through direct esterification was performed in 2-methyl 2-butanol as solvent. Fructose and saturated fatty acids were used as substrates and the reaction was catalyzed by immobilized Candida antarctica lipase. The effect of the initial fructose/acyl donor molar ratio and the carbon-chain length of the acyl donor as well as their reciprocal interactions on the reaction performance were investigated. For this purpose, an experimental design taking into account variations of the molar ratio (from 1:1 to 1:5) and the carbon-chain length of the fatty acid (from C8 to C18) was employed. Statistical analysis of the data indicated that the two factors as well as their interactions had significant effects on the sugar esters synthesis. The obtained results showed that whatever the molar ratio used, the highest concentration (73 g l⁻¹), fructose and fatty acid conversion yields (100% and 80%, respectively) and initial reaction rate (40 g l⁻¹ h⁻¹) were reached when using the C18 fatty acid as acyl donor. Low molar ratios gave the best fatty acid conversion yields and initial reaction rates, whereas the best total sugar ester concentrations and fructose conversion yields were obtained for high molar ratios.     

Effect of abscisic acid (ABA) on sugar accumulation in the flesh tissue of peach fruit at the start of the maturation stage

Experiments were conducted on¹⁴C-sorbitol, fructose, and glucose uptakeinto flesh discs, and sorbitol efflux from thediscs, with and without ABA application toexamine the effect of abscisic acid (ABA) onsugar accumulation in peach fruit flesh at thestart of the maturation stage in relation tomembrane transport. Total uptake of¹⁴C-sorbitol, fructose, and glucose intoflesh discs was effectively promoted by ABA ata concentration of 10^–5 M. PCMBS(p-chloromercuribenzensulfonicacid)-sensitive uptake, which was considered ascarrier-mediated uptake, of sorbitol into thediscs was clearly stimulated by ABA at10^–5 M, compared with glucose andfructose uptake. Sorbitol efflux from the discsacross the tonoplast was restricted by ABA at10^–5 M. ABA application todeveloping fruit increased sugar accumulationin the fruit. Estimated ABA concentration inthis fruit was approximately 10^–5 M. These results indicate that sugar accumulationin peach fruit flesh is stimulated by ABA at aconcentration of 10^–5 M both invitro and in vivo. ABA stimulatesuptake of sugars, especially sorbitol, into theflesh by enhancing carrier-mediated transportpossibly across both tonoplast and plasmamembrane.     

Effect of co-evolving amino acid residues on topology of phylogenetic trees

The presence in proteins of amino acid residues that change in concert during evolution is associated with keeping constant the protein spatial structure and functions. As in the case with morphological features, correlated substitutions may become the cause of homoplasies--the independent evolution of identical non-homological adaptations. Our data obtained on model phylogenetic trees and corresponding sets of sequences have shown that the presence of correlated substitutions distorts the results of phylogenetic reconstructions. A method for accounting for co-evolving amino acid residues in phylogenetic analysis is proposed. According to this method, only a single site from the group of correlated amino acid positions should remain, whereas other positions should not be used in further phylogenetic analysis. Simulations performed have shown that replacement on the average of 8% of variable positions in a pair of model sequences by coordinately evolving amino acid residues is able to change the tree topology. The removal of such amino acid residues from sequences before phylogenetic analysis restores the correct topology.     

Different effects of hypothermia on amino acid incorporation and on amino acid uptake in the brainin vivo

The temperature dependence of the incorporation of amino acids into cerebral proteins and that of the transport of amino acids through the blood-brain barrier were studied. We measured the protein synthesis rate in vivo over a wide temperature range (14°C–38°C) in male Sprague-Dawley rats using a flooding dose of labeled valine. There was a linear dependence of the protein synthesis rate on temperature. The temperature quotient expressed as per cent decrease per 1°C was somewhat lower at the lower temperatures, a decrease from 7.8% in the 37.7–32.5°C range to 6.7% in the 25.5–14°C range. The transport of the three amino acids phenylalanine, lysine, and alanine, representing there transport systems, through the blood-brain barrier showed no temperature dependence in vivo. The results show that in hypothermia cerebral metabolic rates are lowered to a great extent, while some aspects of metabolic transport are not affected.     

Conversion of cysteinyl residues to unnatural amino acid analogs. Examination in a model system

Improved and efficient techniques have led to an explosive growth in the application of site-directed mutagenesis to the study of enzymes. However, the limited availability of only those 20 amino acids that are translated by the genetic code has prevented the systematic variation of an amino acid's properties in order to define more precisely its role in the catalytic mechanism of an enzyme. An approach is being examined that combines the high specificity of site-directed mutagenesis with the flexibility of chemical modification to overcome these limitations. A set of reagents has been synthesized and reacted with a cysteine model to produce a series of amino acid structural analogs at appreciable rates and in good overall yields. The selective incorporation of these analogs in place of important functional amino acids in a protein will allow a more detailed examination of the role of that amino acid.     

Effect of reducing agents in an aerobic amino acid fermentation

This study focuses on the effects of the reducing agents, dithiothreitol (DTT) and glutathione (GSH), on amino acid production in aerobically growing Corynebacterium glutamicum. The problem of reducing agent addition affecting the dissolved oxygen level was solved by positioning the culture at a high dissolved oxygen level and feeding the reducing agent into the fermentor. We show that it is possible to lower the redox potential even in a highly aerobic environment. The addition of DTT to the fermentation during the growth phase caused a significant increase in specific amino acid production rate and total amino acids produced, as compared with a control. In contrast, GSH had an inhibitory effect. (c) 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

复合氨基酸注射液中L-色氨酸含量测定方法的研究

利用色氨酸结构中的吲哚基团在酸性条件下与对二甲氨基苯甲醛的特殊反应 ,在 6 10nm处测定复合氨基酸注射液中L 色氨酸的含量 ,获得满意的结果     

Analysis of energetic amino acid metabolism in Acyrthosiphon pisum: A multidimensional approach to amino acid metabolism in aphids

Aphids are highly specialized insects that feed on the phloem-sap of plants, the amino acid composition of which is very unbalanced. Amino acid metabolism is thus crucial in aphids, and we describe a novel investigation method based on the use of ¹⁴C-labeled amino acids added in an artificial diet. A metabolism cage for aphids was constructed, allowing for the collection and analysis of the radioactivity incorporated into the aphid body, expired as CO₂, and rejected in the honeydew and exuviae. This method was applied to the study of the metabolism of eight energetic amino acids (aspartate, glutamate, glutamine, glycine, serine, alanine, proline, and threonine) in the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum. All these amino acids except threonine were subject to substantial catabolism as measured by high ¹⁴CO₂ production. The highest turnover was displayed by aspartate, with 60% of its carbons expired as CO₂. For the first time in an aphid, we directly demonstrated the synthesis of three essential amino acids (threonine, isoleucine, and lysine) from carbons of common amino acids. The synthesis of these three compounds was only observed from amino acids that were previously converted into glutamate. This conversion was important for aspartate, and lower for alanine and proline. To explain the quantitative results of interconversion between amino acids, we propose a compartmentation model with the intervention of bacterial endosymbiotes for the synthesis of essential amino acids and with glutamate as the only amino acid supplied by the insect to the symbiotes. Moreover, proline exhibited partial conversion into arginine, and it is suggested that proline is probably indirectly involved in excretory nitrogen metabolism. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.