Detection of Aldehydes and Their Conjugated Hydroperox Ydiene Precursors in Thermally-Stressed Culinary Oils and Fats: Investigations Using High Resolution Proton Nmr Spectroscopy

High field (400 and 600 MHz) proton NMR spectroscopy has been employed to investigate the thermally-induced autoxidation of glycerol-bound polyunsaturated fatty acids present in intact culinary frying oils and fats. Heating of these materials at 180°C for periods of 30, 60 and 90 min. generated a variety of peroxidation products, notably aldehydes (alkanals, trans-2-alkenals and alka-2, 4-dienals) and their conjugated hydroperoxydiene precursors. Since such aldehydes appear to be absorbed into the systemic circulation from the gut in vivo, the toxicological significance of their production during standard frying practices is discussed.     

The specificity of thiourea, dimethylthiourea and dimethyl sulphoxide as scavengers of hydroxyl radicals. Their protection of alpha 1-antiproteinase against inactivation by hypochlorous acid.

Thiourea and dimethylthiourea are powerful scavengers of hydroxyl radicals (.OH), and dimethylthiourea has been used to test the involvement of .OH in several animal models of human disease. It is shown that both thiourea and dimethylthiourea are scavengers of HOCl, a powerful oxidant produced by neutrophil myeloperoxidase. Hence the ability of dimethylthiourea to protect against neutrophil-mediated tissue damage cannot be used as evidence for a role of .OH in causing such damage. Dimethyl sulphoxide also reacts with HOCl, but at a rate that is probably too low to be biologically significant at dimethyl sulphoxide concentrations up to 10 mM. Neither mannitol nor desferrioxamine, at the concentrations normally used in radical-generating systems, appears to react with HOCl.     

Cobalt(II) ion as a promoter of hydroxyl radical and possible 'crypto-hydroxyl' radical formation under physiological conditions. Differential effects of hydroxyl radical scavengers

Co(II) ions react with hydrogen peroxide under physiological conditions to form a 'reactive species' that can hydroxylate aromatic compounds (phenol and salicylate) and degrade deoxyribose to thiobarbituric-acid-reactive material. Catalase decreases the formation of this species but superoxide dismutase or low concentrations of ascorbic acid have little effect. EDTA, present in excess over the Co(II), can accelerate deoxyribose degradation and aromatic hydroxylation. In the presence of EDTA, deoxyribose degradation by the reactive species is inhibited competitively by scavengers of the hydroxyl radical (.OH), their effectiveness being related to their second-order rate constants for reaction with .OH. In the absence of EDTA the scavengers inhibit only at much higher concentrations and their order of effectiveness is changed. It is suggested that, in the presence of EDTA, hydroxyl radical is formed 'in free solution' and attacks deoxyribose or an aromatic molecule. In the absence of EDTA, .OH radical is formed in a 'site-specific' manner and is difficult to intercept by .OH scavengers. The relationship of these results to the proposed 'crypto .OH' radical is discussed.     

Cobalt(II) ion as a promoter of hydroxyl radical and possible ‘crypto-hydroxyl’ radical formation under physiological conditions. Differential effects of hydroxyl radical scavengers

Co(II) ions react with hydrogen peroxide under physiological conditions to form a ‘reactive species’ that can hydroxylate aromatic compounds (phenol and salicylate) and degrade deoxyribose to thiobarbituric-acid-reactive material. Catalase decreases the formation of this species but superoxide dismutase or low concentrations of ascorbic acid have little effect. EDTA, present in excess over the Co(II), can accelerate deoxyribose degradation and aromatic hydroxylation. In the presence of EDTA, deoxyribose degradation by the reactive species is inhibited competitively by scavengers of the hydroxyl radical (OH), their effectiveness being related to their second-order rate constants for reaction with OH. In the absence of EDTA the scavengers inhibit only at much higher concentrations and their order of effectiveness is changed. It is suggested that, in the presence of EDTA, hydroxyl radical is formed ‘in free solution’ and attacks deoxyribose or an aromatic molecule. In the absence of EDTA, OH radical is formed in a ‘site-specific’ manner and is difficult to intercept by OH scavengers. The relationship of these results to the proposed ‘crypto OH’ radical is discussed.     

Reactions of triethylphosphine gold(I) complexes with heme proteins: novel spin-state changes in cytochrome b562, myoglobin, and hemoglobin

Reactions of bacterial Fe(III) cyt b562, HbO2, met Hb and met Mb with Et3PAuCl and Et3PAuNO3 (and some related complexes) have been investigated by electronic absorption and EPR and NMR spectroscopy. Except for met Hb, which denatured, the products were novel high-spin Fe(III) heme proteins. The reactions of cyt b562 and Mb were reversible. Two distinct kinetic steps were observed in the autoxidation of HbO2 and MbO2. These may involve the liberation of superoxide. Autoxidation of HbO2 occurred more rapidly than that of MbO2. The kinetics of the spin-state change of cyt b562 were too fast to measure by conventional (spectrophotometric) methods. The reaction of Et3PAuCl with HbO2 was not blocked by N-ethylmaleimide. The reactions are discussed in terms of attack by Et3PAu+ on histidine residues in the hydrophobic haem pockets of the proteins.     

Biologically significant scavenging of the myeloperoxidase-derived oxidant hypochlorous acid by ascorbic acid. Implications for antioxidant protection in the inflamed rheumatoid joint

Ascorbic acid, at physiological concentrations, can scavenge the myeloperoxidase-derived oxidant hypochlorous acid at rates sufficient to protect alpha 1-antiprotease against inactivation by this molecule. The rapid depletion of ascorbic acid at sites of inflammation, as in the inflamed rheumatoid joint, may therefore facilitate proteolytic damage.     

The measurement of free radical reactions in humans. Some thoughts for future experimentation

The question as to whether free radical reactions are a major cause of tissue injury in human disease, or merely an accompaniment to such injury, is very difficult to answer because of lack of adequate experimental techniques. New techniques that are becoming available are discussed, with specific reference to their use in humans.     

Investigation of the Molecular Nature of Low-molecular-mass Cobalt(II) Ions in Isolated Osteoarthritic Knee-joint Synovial Fluid

High field ¹H NMR spectroscopy demonstrated that addition of Co(II) ions to osteoarthritic knee-joint synovial fluid (SF) resulted in its complexation by a range of biomolecules, the relative efficacies of these complexants/chelators being citrate ? histidine ～ threonine?glycine ～ glutamate ～ glutamine ～ phenylalanine ～ tyrosine > formate > lactate?alanine > valine > acetate > pyruvate > creatinine, this order reflecting the ability of these ligands to compete for the available Co(II) in terms of (1) thermodynamic equilibrium constants for the formation of their complexes and (2) their SF concentrations. Since many of these SF Co(II) complexants (e.g. histidinate) serve as powerful ^?OH scavengers, the results acquired indicate that any of this radical generated from the Co(II) source in such complexes via Fenton or pseudo-Fenton reaction systems will be “site-specifically” scavenged. The significance of these observations with regard to cobalt toxicity and the in vivo corrosion of cobalt-containing metal alloy joint prostheses (e.g. CoCr alloys) is discussed.     

EDTA bis-(ethyl phenylalaninate): a novel transition metal-ion chelating hydroxyl radical scavenger with a potential anti-inflammatory role

Conjugation of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) to ethyl phenylalaninate generates a novel radical scavenging metal-ion chelator EDTA bis-(ethyl phenylalaninate) (EBEP). The oxidation products o-, m- and p-tyrosine were isolated from hydrolysed, aqueous and aerated solutions containing EBEP, Fe(II) and H(2)O(2). Data obtained demonstrate the potential of EBEP to act as a radical scavenging, iron-ion chelating antioxidant under physiologically relevant conditions.     

1H NMR investigations of the molecular nature of cobalt(II) ions in human saliva

High-resolution (1)H NMR spectroscopy demonstrated that addition of Co(II) ions to isolated human salivary supernatants (HSSs) gave rise to its complexation by a variety of biomolecules. The relative efficacies of these complexants/chelators in this context were classifiable by the influence of added Co(II) on their line-widths and chemical shift values, and also the added Co(II) concentration-dependence of these spectral modifications. Those which were most affected by the addition of this metal ion were lactate > formate ≈histidinate > succinate, this order reflecting the ability of these complexants to compete for the available Co(II) in terms of (1) thermodynamic equilibrium constants for the formation of their complexes and (2) their HSS concentrations. Since many of these HSS Co(II) complexants (particularly lactate, formate and histidine) serve as powerful ()OH scavengers, the results acquired indicate that any of this radical generated from the Co(II) source in such complexes via pseudo-Fenton reactions may be 'site-specifically' scavenged. The significance of these observations regarding the in vivo corrosion of cobalt-containing metal alloy dental prostheses (e.g., Co-Cr alloys), the availability of trace levels of this metal ion in human saliva, and cobalt toxicity, is discussed.