Enzymatic grafting of chitosan onto Bombyx mori silk fibroin: kinetic and IR vibrational studies

The potential for using tyrosinase to graft the polysaccharide chitosan (Ch) onto Bombyx mori silk fibroin (SF) was examined. FT-IR spectroscopy coupled to HPLC amino acid analysis showed that mushroom tyrosinase (MT) catalyses the oxidation of tyrosine (Tyr) of SF to electrophilic o-quinones. Kinetic studies showed that only a fraction of the Tyr residues available on the SF chain were oxidized. This result was interpreted in the light of the structure assumed by SF in aqueous solution: Tyr aromatic side chain groups buried into the folded hydrophobic portions of the chain were probably less accessible to MT for steric reasons. Using slightly acidic conditions (pH 6), it was possible to modify SF under homogeneous conditions. FT-IR spectroscopy provided evidence that Ch was grafted onto MT-oxidized SF: the o-quinones were found to undergo a subsequent non-enzymatic reaction with nucleophilic amino groups of Ch via Schiff-base and Michael addition mechanisms. Various factors, i.e. reaction time, pH, MT/SF ratio, were found to influence the grafting yield. The highest grafting yield was achieved at pH 7, i.e. more favorable to MT activity rather than to Ch solubility, suggesting that the determining step of the grafting reaction is the formation of o-quinones. The FT-IR spectroscopy revealed that grafting induced a beta-sheet --> random coil conformational transition.     

Preparation and important functional properties of water-soluble chitosan produced through Maillard reaction

The objective of this research was to improve the solubility of chitosan at neutral or basic pH using the Maillard-type reaction method. To prepare the water-soluble chitosans, various chitosans and saccharides were used under various operating conditions. Biological and physicochemical properties of the chitosan-saccharide derivatives were investigated as well. Results indicated that the solubility of modified chitosan is significantly greater than that of native chitosan, and the chitosan-maltose derivative remained soluble when the pH approached 10. Among chitosan-saccharide derivatives, the solubility of chitosan-fructose derivative was highest at 17.1 g/l. Considering yield, solubility and pH stability, the chitosan-glucosamine derivative was deemed the optimal water-soluble derivative. Compared with the acid-soluble chitosan, the chitosan-glucosamine derivative exhibited high chelating capacity for Zn(2+), Fe(2+) and Cu(2+) ions. Relatively high antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus was noted for the chitosan-glucosamine derivative as compared with native chitosan. Results suggest that the water-soluble chitosan produced using the Maillard reaction may be a promising commercial substitute for acid-soluble chitosan.     

季磷盐壳聚糖的合成及其水溶性研究

目的:对壳聚糖进行化学改性,提高其水溶性并扩大其在医药领域的应用范围。方法:在均相体系中HOBt和EDC的催化下,采用酰化缩合反应将小分子磷盐连接到壳聚糖主链上,合成不同取代度的壳聚糖季磷盐,并用核磁共振氢谱、红外光谱、X-射线衍射谱表征产物的结构以及结晶性能。测定壳聚糖季磷盐的水溶解度及溶液的pH稳定性。结果:合成得到12.1%和21.5%两种不同取代度的壳聚糖季磷盐。与壳聚糖相比,两种不同取代度的壳聚糖季磷盐的结晶性能均有所下降,水溶性有很大的提高,并且溶液的pH稳定性显著增强。结论:使用小分子磷盐对壳聚糖进行化学改性得到水溶性良好且具有一定pH稳定性的壳聚糖衍生物,在用作药物输送载体及抗菌材料等领域内必将具有广阔的应用前景。     

季磷盐壳聚糖的合成及其水溶性研究

目的：对壳聚糖进行化学改性,提高其水溶性并扩大其在医药领域的应用范围。方法：在均相体系中HOBt和EDC的催化下,采用酰化缩合反应将小分子磷盐连接到壳聚糖主链上,合成不同取代度的壳聚糖季磷盐,并用核磁共振氢谱、红外光谱、x一射线衍射谱表征产物的结构以及结晶性能。测定壳聚糖季磷盐的水溶解度及溶液的pH稳定性。结果：合成得到12．1％和21．5％两种不同取代度的壳聚糖季磷盐。与壳聚糖相比,两种不同取代度的壳聚糖季磷盐的结晶性能均有所下降,水溶性有很大的提高,并且溶液的pH稳定性显著增强。结论：使用小分子磷盐对壳聚糖进行化学改性得到水溶性良好且具有一定pH稳定性的壳聚糖衍生物,在用作药物输送栽体及抗茵材料等领域内必将具有广阔的应用前景。     

A study on the structure-function relationship of lipopeptide biosurfactants

Arthrofactin (AF) and surfactin (SF) are the most effective cyclic lipopeptide biosurfactants ever reported. Linear AF and linear SF were prepared by saponification of lactone ring. The oil displacement activities decreased to one third of their respective original values. When residues of both an aspartic acid and a glutamic acid of SF were methylated or amidated, the activity increased by 20%, although their water solubility was lost. When these amino acid residues were modified by aminomethane sulfonic acid, the activity was drastically decreased probably owing to charge repulsion and structural distortion inhibiting micelle formation. Both AF and SF expressed higher activity under alkaline conditions than acidic conditions. AF was more resistant to acidic conditions than SF and it kept high activity even under pH 0.5. Although SF drastically reduced its activity under acidic conditions, surfactin-Asp/Glu-amido ester and surfactin-Asp/Glu-methyl ester retained similar activities irrespective of the pH change. A couple of conformers of SF prepared by reverse-phase HPLC showed the same oil displacement activity but different surface tension-reducing activity. AF was produced as a series of different fatty acid chain lengths (from C8 to C12). Among them, AF with fatty acid chain length of C10, which was the main product of the strain, showed the highest activity.     

Adsorption of humic acid from aqueous solution onto irradiation-crosslinked carboxymethylchitosan

This paper presents the adsorption of humic acid from aqueous solution onto crosslinked chitosan derivative (carboxymethylchitosan), formed by additionless irradiation technique. The surface charge and swelling properties of crosslinked samples were investigated. The adsorption of humic acid onto crosslinked carboxymethylchitosan was carried out by the batch method at room temperature, and it was found to be strongly pH-dependent. Maximum amount of humic acid was adsorbed under acidic conditions at the optimum pH value of 3.5. Adsorption kinetic studies indicated the adsorption process was transport-limited at the same pH. The adsorption isotherm analysis data under various initial humic acid concentrations confirms that experimental data fitted well into the Langmuir equation. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) revealed that the amino groups of carboxymethylated chitosan were protonated, suggesting the formation of organic complex between the protonated amino groups and humic acid. From these preliminary evaluations, it was concluded that crosslinked carboxymethylated chitosan derivatives have a great potential in water treatment for the removal of humic acid and other polarized or electrically charged species.     

Synthesis and characterization of sugar-bearing chitosan derivatives: aqueous solubility and biodegradability

The extended use of chitosan in biomedical fields has been limited by its insoluble nature in a biological solution. To endow the water solubility in a broad range of pH, chitosan derivatives were prepared by the covalent attachment of a hydrophilic sugar moiety, gluconic acid, through the formation of an amide bond. These sugar-bearing chitosans (SBCs) were further modified by the N-acetylation in an alcoholic aqueous solution. Thereafter, the effect of the gluconyl group and the degree of N-acetylation (DA) on the water solubility at different pHs and on the biodegradability of chitosan were investigated. The SBCs showed the water solubility in a broader range of pH than chitosan, whereas they were still insoluble at neutral and alkali pH. The N-acetylation of SBCs significantly affected the water solubility, for example, the SBCs with the DA, ranging from 29% to 63%, were soluble in the whole range of pH. This might result from the improved hydrophilicity by the gluconyl group, accompanied by the role of the N-acetyl group that disturbed the hydrogen bonding between amino groups of chitosan. From the biodegradation tests, determined by the decrease in the viscosity of a polymer solution exposed to lysozyme, it was evident that the gluconyl group attached to chitosan improved the biodegradability. Thus, it was possible to control the biodegradability of chitosan by adjusting the amounts of gluconyl and N-acetyl groups in the chitosan backbone. The N-acetylated SBCs, soluble in the broad range of pH, might be useful for various biomedical applications.     

Effect of transglutaminase and 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide on the solubility of fish gelatin–chitosan films

The possibility of decreasing the water solubility of the films made from fish gelatin and chitosan by modification with TGase was investigated. The effectiveness of enzymatic treatment was also compared with chemical crosslinking using EDC. The treatment of the components with TGase in concentration of 0.2 mg/ml of the film-forming solution limited the solubility of the films at 25 °C from 65% to 28% at pH 6 and from 96% to 37% at pH 3. After 15 min of heating at 100 °C, the modified films were soluble in 23% at pH 6 and in 41% at pH 3. Further decrease of the solubility of the fish gelatin–chitosan films was achieved when enzymatic modification was conducted in the presence of 5–10 mM DTT; the solubility was about twice lower than that without DTT at both studied temperatures and pH values. Generally, the composite films modified with EDC in concentration of 30 mM were distinctly less soluble than films made from the components modified with TGase in the presence of DTT.     

Encapsulating live cells with water-soluble chitosan in physiological conditions

A new class of microcapsules was prepared under physiological conditions by polyelectrolyte complexation between two oppositely-charged, water-soluble polymers. The microcapsules consisted of an inner core of half N-acetylated chitosan and an outer shell of methacrylic acid (MAA) (20.4%)-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) (27.4%)-methyl methacrylate (MMA) (52.2%) (MAA-HEMA-MMA) terpolymer. Both 400 and 150 kDa half N-acetylated chitosans maintained good water solubility and supplied enough protonated amino groups to coacervate with terpolymer at pH 7.0-7.4, in contrast to other chitosan-based microcapsules which must be prepared at pH <6.5. The viscosity of half N-acetylated chitosan solutions between 80 and 3000 cPas allowed the formation of microcapsules with spherical shape. Molar mass, pH and concentration of half N-acetylated chitosan, and reaction time, influenced the morphology, thickness and porosity of the microcapsules. Microcapsules formed with high concentration of half N-acetylated chitosan exhibited improved mechanical stability, whereas microcapsules formed with low concentration of half N-acetylated chitosan exhibited good permeability. This 3D microenvironment has been configured to cultivate sensitive anchorage-dependent cells such as hepatocytes to maintain high level of functions.     

o-Quinones formed in plant extracts. Their reactions with amino acids and peptides

1. The reactions of amino acids and peptides with the o-quinones produced by the enzymic oxidation of chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid have been studied manometrically and spectrophotometrically. 2. Amino acids, except lysine and cysteine, react primarily through their alpha-amino groups to give red or brown products. These reactions, which compete with the polymerization of the quinones, are followed by secondary reactions that may absorb oxygen and give products with other colours. 3. The in-amino group of lysine reacts with the o-quinones in a similar way. The thiol group of cysteine reacts with the quinones, without absorbing oxygen, giving colourless products. 4. Peptides containing cysteine react with the o-quinones through their thiol group. 5. Other peptides, such as glycyl-leucine and leucylglycine, react primarily through their alpha-amino group and the overall reaction resembles that of the N-terminal amino acid except that it is quicker. 6. With some peptides, the secondary reactions differ from those that occur between the o-quinones and the N-terminal amino acids. The colours produced from carnosine resemble those produced from histidine rather than those from beta-alanine, and the reactions of prolylalanine with o-quinones are more complex than those of proline.     

羧甲基壳聚糖的制备及其在保鲜中的应用

研究了在碱性条件,无溶剂体系下壳聚糖羧甲基化制备工艺,通过IR对反应前后壳聚糖结构进行了表征。最佳反应条件：2g壳聚糖,在NaOH加入量为5g、碱化时间为6h、氯乙酸用量为6g、3％KI、反应时间为8h、反应温度60℃,产品取代度为1．27。同时研究了羧甲基壳聚糖对辣椒、猪肉涂膜保鲜实验,结果显示对辣椒、猪肉具有较好的涂膜保鲜作用。     

壳聚糖载体的改性及其用于固定化漆酶的研究

利用有机酸改性壳聚糖,并用交联法制备酸化的壳聚糖载体,然后用改性壳聚糖载体固定漆酶。甲酸、乙酸改性壳聚糖的最适条件:壳聚糖与甲酸、乙酸的质量摩尔比(g/mol)分别为100∶1、100∶1.5,戊二醛的质量分数为1%,缓冲溶液的pH分别是4.4、5.0,反应时间为3h;壳聚糖与酒石酸、草酸的质量摩尔比(g/mol)分别为100∶0.5、100∶2,戊二醛的质量分数为2%,缓冲溶液的pH分别是3.6、4.2,反应时间为4.5h。不同有机酸改性的壳聚糖用于漆酶的固定,其酶活都有不同程度的提高,尤其用酒石酸改性的壳聚糖载体效果最好,其酶活提高了57%。     

Chitosan and lactic acid-grafted chitosan nanoparticles as carriers for prolonged drug delivery

Nanoparticles of approximately 10nm in diameter made with chitosan or lactic acid-grafted chitosan were developed for high drug loading and prolonged drug release. A drug encapsulation efficiency of 92% and a release rate of 28% from chitosan nanoparticles over a 4-week period were demonstrated with bovine serum protein. To further increase drug encapsulation, prolong drug release, and increase chitosan solubility in solution of neutral pH, chitosan was modified with lactic acid by grafting D,L-lactic acid onto amino groups in chitosan without using a catalyst. The lactic acid-grafted chitosan nanoparticles demonstrated a drug encapsulation efficiency of 96% and a protein release rate of 15% over 4 weeks. With increased protein concentration, the drug encapsulation efficiency decreased and drug release rate increased. Unlike chitosan, which is generally soluble only in acid solution, the chitosan modified with lactic acid can be prepared from solutions of neutral pH, offering an additional advantage of allowing proteins or drugs to be uniformly incorporated in the matrix structure with minimal or no denaturization.     

Laccase-mediated functionalization of chitosan by caffeic and gallic acids for modulating antioxidant and antimicrobial properties

A new strategy for the functionalization of chitosan with caffeic acid (CA) or gallic acid (GA) using laccase from Trametes versicolor is presented for the first time, yielding a product with modulated antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. UV-vis spectroscopy coupled to HPLC-SEC analysis and cyclic voltammetry kinetic studies showed that laccase catalyzes the oxidation of phenolic acids to electrophilic o-quinones, which undergo new oligomer/polymer-forming structures originated by C-C coupling between the benzene rings and C-O-C coupling involving phenolic side-chains. Furthermore, pH tunable reactions/interactions of the laccases oxidized o-quinones with nucleophilic amino groups of chitosan were determined with FTIR and ¹H NMR spectroscopy's. The highest antioxidant activity was found to be for chitosan modified with phenolic acids at pH 4.5, exhibit also an increased activity against Escherichia coli and Listeria monocytogenes compared to untreated chitosan.     

Preparation of carboxymethyl chitosan in aqueous solution under microwave irradiation

Carboxymethyl chitosan was prepared by reacting chitosan with chloroacetic acid in water under microwave irradiation. The effect of the reaction conditions was investigated and optimal conditions were identified. The influence of mass ratio of chloroacetic acid to chitosan, microwave power and pH on the degree of substitution or intrinsic viscosity were further studied. The degree of substitution of the carboxymethyl chitosan synthesized exceeded 0.85.     

水溶性红曲中MonacolinK的稳定性

对红曲中Monacolin K（MK）在水溶液中的稳定性进行研究,考察不同加热温度、时间、pH、盐、维生素C（VC）、氨基酸、蔗糖质量浓度、光照和存放时间对其稳定性的影响。结果表明：100℃保温30min,水溶液中Monacolin K的浓度比20℃保温相同时间仅下降了4．6％。热处理、长时间光照对水溶液中Monacolin K有轻微的破坏作用：pH〈5．0,盐、VC、氨基酸的添加可降低水溶液Monacolin K溶解度。pH〈4．0可使酸型Monacolin K转化为内酯型。在Monacolin K水溶液中添加30g/L蔗糖可使水溶液中Monacolin K饱和质量浓度增至632．9mg／L。     

An efficient, convenient solid-phase synthesis of amino acid-modified peptide nucleic acid monomers and oligomers

An efficient and highly versatile method for the synthesis of amino acid-modified peptide nucleic acid (PNA) monomers is described. By using solid-phase Fmoc techniques, such monomers can be assembled readily in a stepwise manner and obtained in high yield with minimal purification. Protected neutral hydrophilic, acidic, and basic amino acids were coupled to 2-chlorotrityl chloride resin. Following Fmoc removal, innovative conditions for the key step, reductive alkylation with N-Fmoc-aminoacetaldehyde, were developed to circumvent problems encountered with previously reported methods. Activation and coupling of pyrimidine and purine nucleobases to the resulting secondary amines afforded amino acid-modified PNA monomers. The mild reaction conditions utilized were compatible with sensitive and labile functional groups, such as tert-butyl ethers and tert-butyl esters. PNA monomers were obtained in 36-42% overall yield and very high purity, after cleavage and purification. Using standard solid-phase Fmoc chemistry, two of these monomers were incorporated with high coupling efficiency into a variety of modified PNA oligomers, including four tetradecamers designed to target bcl-2 mRNA. Such modified oligomers have the potential to enhance water solubility and cell portability, while maintaining hybridization affinity and promoting favorable biodistribution properties.     

Membrane topology of guinea pig cytochrome P450 17 alpha revealed by a combination of chemical modifications and mass spectrometry

Cytochrome P450s in endoplasmic reticulum membranes function in the hydroxylation of exogenous and endogenous hydrophobic substrates concentrated in the membranes. The reactions require electron supplies from NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase in the same membranes. The membranes play important roles in the reaction of cytochrome P450. The membrane topology of guinea pig P450 17alpha was investigated on the basis of the differences in reactivity to hydrophilic chemical modification reagents between those in the detergent-solubilized state and proteoliposomes. Recombinant guinea pig cytochrome P450 17alpha was purified from Escherichia coli and incorporated into liposome membranes. Lysine residues in the detergent-solubilized P450 17alpha and in the proteoliposomes were acetylated with acetic anhydride at pH 9.0, and the acidic amino acid residues were conjugated with glycinamide at pH 5.0 by the aid of a coupling reagent, 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide hydrochloride. The modifications were performed under conditions where the denatured form, P420, was not induced. The modified P450 17alpha's were digested by trypsin, and the molecular weights of the peptide fragments were determined by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. From the increase in the molecular weights of the peptides, the positions of modifications could be deduced. In the detergent-solubilized state, 11 lysine residues and 7 acidic amino acid residues were modified, among which lysine residues at positions 29, 59, 490, and 492 and acidic residues at 211, 212, and/or 216 were not modified in the proteoliposomes. Both the N- and C-terminal domains and the putative F-G loop were concluded to be in or near the membrane-binding domains of P450 17alpha.     

Chemical modification of two tryptophan residues abolishes the catalytic activity of aminoacylase.

1) The reaction of 1 H-diazotetrazole and N-bromosuccinimide with aminoacylase was studied under different conditions. A tenfold molar excess of 1 H-diazotetrazole (2 X 10(-4) M) at pH 5.5 abolishes the catalytic activity of the enzyme while modifying only two tryptophan residues. No other amino acid reacted under these conditions as tested by amino acid analysis. 2) With a 40-fold molar excess of N-bromosuccinimide (8 X 10(-4)M) at pH 5.0, two tryptophan residues of the enzyme were oxidized with complete loss of activity. Under these conditions no significant cleavage of the polypeptide chain was observed. Neither tyrosine nor histidine was modified by this reagent, up to a 100-fold molar excess. 3) Substrates and reversible (N-tosylalanine) and irreversible (TosPheCH2Cl) inhibitors of the enzyme do not protect the two reactive tryptophans against the modification reagents. Under more drastic conditions, lysine, tyrosine and histidine residues are also modified by the reagents.     

Preparation and properties of highly soluble chitosan–l-glutamic acid aerogel derivative

The objective of this work is to improve the solubility of chitosan at neutral or basic pH using the supercritical carbon dioxide (sc.CO₂). A novel water-soluble chitosan–l-glutamic acid (Cl-GA) aerogel derivative was synthesized by reaction of 85% deacetylated chitosan with l-glutamic acid (l-GA) in aq.AcOH subjected to solvent exchange prior to using sc.CO₂ as a nonsolvent for the polymer. The prepared aerogel derivative and molecular conformation of modified chitosan are characterized by using UV, FTIR, ¹H NMR, and CD techniques. Some physical properties and surface morphology were analyzed by X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetry (TG), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and porosimetry analysis. Overall, the sc.CO₂ assisted chitosan aerogel derivative opens new perspectives in biomedical applications.