Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Ying Zhou, Hongxia Liao, Yaqin Chai, Ruo Yuan
Summary: Laccase is used as a biocompatible coreactant accelerator to efficiently catalyze the formation of superoxide radical, leading to high-intense ECL emission. A modified strand displacement reaction using hairpin DNA as template is developed to enhance the immobilization of signal probes, resulting in a biosensor with excellent selectivity and sensitivity for microRNA-21 detection. This strategy paves the way for finding more coreaction accelerators with splendid biocompatibility, promoting the application of ternary ECL systems in biological analysis and clinical diagnosis.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jolanta Polak, Marcin Graz, Kamila Wlizlo, Katarzyna Szalapata, Justyna Kapral-Piotrowska, Roman Paduch, Anna Jarosz-Wilkolazka
Summary: In this study, fungal laccase from Cerrena unicolor was used as a biocatalyst for converting 8-anilino-1-naphthalenesulfonic acid into a green-coloured antibacterial compound with dual functions as an antimicrobial agent and textile dye. The optimized transformation process resulted in a crude product with low cytotoxicity, antibacterial properties, and antioxidant properties. The synthesized green compound was non-allergenic and highly efficient in dyeing wool fibers.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Giulia R. Gheorghita, Cristina Sora, Sabina Ion, Vasile I. Parvulescu, Madalina Tudorache
Summary: A biocatalytic cascade system using a cocktail of oxidoreductase enzymes was designed for the allylic oxidation of (+)-alpha-pinene into value-added products. The system showed high efficiency under optimal conditions, achieving significant conversion of (+)-alpha-pinene and yield in verbenol. The developed biocatalytic cascade system offers promising perspectives for (+)-alpha-pinene valorization.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jian Peng, Enhui Wu, Xiaoxuan Lou, Qian Deng, Xiaohong Hou, Chongning Lv, Qi Hu
Summary: In this study, a MOF/PVA/Lac composite with excellent enzymatic properties for degrading AQs and removing alizarin green efficiently was synthesized. The degradation product p-toluidine was identified using molecular docking, mass spectrometry, and 2DNMR, confirming the reaction mechanism C-alpha oxidation.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Ioan Bitcan, Andreea Petrovici, Alessandro Pellis, Szilvia Klebert, Zoltan Karoly, Laura Bereczki, Francisc Peter, Anamaria Todea
Summary: This study screened four commercially available native laccases for glycerol oxidation and identified two highly efficient biocatalysts that were covalently immobilized on functionalized magnetic and polymethacrylate solid supports. The utilization of Ni-Zn or Ni-Zn-Co spinel ferrite microparticles, instead of Fe3O4 magnetic particles commonly used, led to excellent biocatalytic efficiency and stability. The enzymatic preparations demonstrated enhanced storage, pH and thermal stability compared to the native enzymes, and achieved over 50% conversion of glycerol into glyceric acid.
ENZYME AND MICROBIAL TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Pandeeswar Makam, Sharma S. R. K. C. Yamijala, Venkata S. Bhadram, Linda J. W. Shimon, Bryan M. Wong, Ehud Gazit
Summary: The study presents a simple and efficient single amino acid bionanozyme that can catalyze the rapid oxidation of phenolic contaminants and detect neurotransmitters. Compared to natural enzymes, this copper-coordinated bionanozyme is more cost-effective, efficient, and versatile.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Review
Chemistry, Medicinal
Lizeth Arce-Ramos, Juan-Carlos Castillo, Diana Becerra
Summary: This review provides an overview of the synthesis and exhaustive biological studies conducted on benzo[b]furan derivatives, highlighting their potential as anticancer, antibacterial, and antifungal agents, as well as their applications in drug discovery and medicinal chemistry.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Lucy C. Ward, Ellie Goulding, Daniel J. Rigden, Faye E. Allan, Alessandro Pellis, Harry Hatton, Georg M. Guebitz, Jesus Enrique Salcedo-Sora, Andrew J. Carnell
Summary: Mutation of the FtpM enzyme from Aspergillus fumigatus, named R166M, was reported to catalyze the quantitative conversion of bio-derived 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) to its dimethyl ester (FDME), the precursor of bioplastics. The AlphaFold 2 model revealed that the mutant had a highly electropositive active site, with 4 arginine residues facilitating the binding of the dicarboxylic acid over the intermediate monoester. The R166M mutation improved both binding and turnover of the monoester, allowing near quantitative conversion to the target dimethyl ester product, and showed improved activity for other diacids and monoacids.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Changtong Zhu, Zhenbo Yuan, Zhiwei Deng, Dejing Yin, Yan Zhang, Jingwen Zhou, Yijian Rao
Summary: By engineering the enzyme GluER and combining it with photoenzymatic synthesis, the efficient asymmetric synthesis of oxygen-containing benzo-fused heterocycles has been achieved, providing a green approach for the synthesis of important chiral motifs in pharmaceuticals.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
A. Zerva, C. Pentari, A. Termentzi, A. H. P. America, D. Zouraris, S. K. Bhattacharya, A. Karantonis, G. I. Zervakis, E. Topakas
Summary: This study isolated, purified, and characterized two novel LMCOs, PcLac1 and PcLac2, from Pleurotus citrinopileatus. PcLac2 was found to have a broader substrate range than PcLac1, but both had similar formal potentials, lower than previously reported laccases. Proteomic analysis confirmed their similarity to other well-characterized laccases from Pleurotus strains. Both LMCOs were able to oxidize ferulic and sinapic acid, producing oligomers with potential antioxidant activity. The findings shed light on the biochemistry and variability of low-redox potential laccases, highlighting their potential value in biocatalysis.
BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS
(2021)
Review
Chemistry, Organic
Zhang Zhihao, Jiang Xin, Li Qinghan
Summary: The benzo[b]furan structure is commonly found in natural products and bioactive compounds. Its derivatives have shown various pharmacological activities, such as antiviral, anticancer, insecticidal, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antioxidant properties. In recent years, the synthesis of substituted benzo[b]furan derivatives using cyclization or coupling reactions under transition metal catalysis or catalyst-free conditions has gained significant attention.
CHINESE JOURNAL OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yu-Chang Liu, Zhong-Liu Wu, Jan Deska
Summary: This study presents a novel approach to implement non-natural enzyme modules in vivo by following a synthetic chemistry blueprint for the valorization of lignocellulosic platform chemicals. The researchers incorporated two purely abiotic transformations into a recombinant bacterial host, enabling it to produce complex lactone building blocks with high stereoselectivity from bio-based furan substrates. This whole cell system streamlined the synthetic cascade and eliminated isolation and purification steps, providing a breakthrough in chemical methodology.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Audrey Magnin, Lisa Entzmann, Eric Pollet, Luc Averous
Summary: The development of green, efficient, and profitable plastic recycling processes is crucial for reducing the expanding plastic pollution and accumulation of microplastics in the environment. Researchers have made significant breakthroughs in the recycling of polyurethanes, particularly in enzymatic degradation of polyether-based PU foam.
Article
Microbiology
Ingrida Radveikiene, Regina Vidziunaite, Rita Meskiene, Rolandas Meskys, Vida Casaite
Summary: Laccases typically have four copper atoms forming three different copper centers, with the T1 copper responsible for the blue color and characteristic absorbance. A newly identified yellow laccase Bcl1 from Botrytis cinerea shows distinctive properties and potential industrial applications.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Nicoletta Cascelli, Vincenzo Lettera, Giovanni Sannia, Vicente Gotor-Fernandez, Ivan Lavandera
Summary: Laccases are shown to be valuable in biocatalysis for the green and selective oxidation of furfuryl alcohol into furfural using mediators. Various parameters including pH, enzyme/mediator composition, buffer type, cosolvent tolerance, and reaction times are investigated. Under optimal conditions, quantitative production of furfural is achieved after 16 h using 20 mol % of TEMPO as mediator and 5.8 U mL(-1) of POXC and POXA1b laccases from Pleurotus ostreatus. POXC exhibits remarkable catalytic ability at pH 6.5, while POXA1b is notable for its high stability. Furfural conversions of up to 95% are obtained after 72 h using only 5 mol % of TEMPO at 100 mM. Furthermore, furfuryl alcohol bioamination is successfully achieved through a one-pot sequential approach using amine transaminase from Chromobacterium violaceum, providing furfuryl amine, a key compound for the polymer industry.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Deborah Beghe, Martina Cirlini, Elisa Beneventi, Cizmovic Miroslav, Perovic Tatjana, Tommaso Ganino, Raffaella Petruccelli, Chiara Dall'Asta
Summary: This study characterized the volatile fraction of 20 pomegranate juices harvested in Northern Italy and southern Montenegro for the first time, using HS-SPME coupled with GC-MS. Through advanced chemometric analysis, the samples were clustered based on their geographical origin, and the volatile compounds responsible for differentiation were identified, suggesting the potential of volatile profile for discriminating between pomegranate ecotypes from different geographical areas.
EUROPEAN FOOD RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Roberto Simonini, Federica Maggioni, Federica Zanetti, Sergio Fai, Luca Forti, Daniela Prevedelli, Sara Righi
Summary: Marine fireworms are known for their stinging dorsal bristles, which may be the result of a synergy between mechanical injury and toxin release. This unique defense mechanism allows fireworms to thrive in marine benthic environments.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MARINE BIOLOGY AND ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Fabrizio Roncaglia, Luca Forti, Sara D'Anna, Laura Maletti
Summary: Utilizing bisulfate on silica as a catalyst, and with the assistance of proper anhydrification technique, glycerol can be efficiently converted into solketal with isolated yields of 96% achieved in mild conditions on a 100 g scale.
Article
Chemistry, Organic
Susanna Bertuletti, Ikram Bayout, Ivan Bassanini, Erica E. Ferrandi, Nassima Bouzemi, Daniela Monti, Sergio Riva
Summary: Biocatalytic approaches have been explored for isolating the enantiomers of Wieland-Miescher ketone and its alcoholic derivatives, with enzymes catalyzing the conversion of racemic compounds into diastereomers with high efficiency. The products obtained showed high enantiomeric excess, and simple chemical modifications allowed for the isolation of missing enantiomers.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Rita Nasti, Ivan Bassanini, Erica Elisa Ferrandi, Federica Linguardo, Susanna Bertuletti, Marta Vanoni, Sergio Riva, Luisella Verotta, Daniela Monti
Summary: This study successfully recovered active components from fermented ginger waste biomass and achieved enantioenriched sec-alcohol derivatives via a sustainable biocatalytic path.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Susanna Bertuletti, Erica Elisa Ferrandi, Daniela Monti, Giovanni Fronza, Ivan Bassanini, Sergio Riva
Summary: The biocatalyzed conversion from hyocholic acid to omega-muricholic acid was achieved by utilizing a small library of 7 alpha- and 7 beta-HSDHs, avoiding the isolation of the 7-oxo intermediate. Additionally, the reduction of 6,7-dioxolithocholic acid was also investigated using biocatalysis techniques.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Erica Elisa Ferrandi, Ivan Bassanini, Susanna Bertuletti, Sergio Riva, Chiara Tognoli, Marta Vanoni, Daniela Monti
Summary: A novel short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase (SDR) named Is2-SDR was discovered, which showed high activity and versatility in selectively reducing various carbonylic substrates, despite its low activity in the oxidation of steroidal compounds. It demonstrated remarkable thermostability and tolerance to organic solvents.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Sara Righi, Luca Forti, Roberto Simonini, Valentina Ferrari, Daniela Prevedelli, Adele Mucci
Summary: This study used analytical chemistry techniques to investigate the natural products produced by Mediterranean specimens of the amphinomid fireworm, Hermodice carunculata. It identified and characterized eight novel compounds, named carunculines. The study also conducted preliminary investigations into the adaptive features of these compounds and found a correlation between their abundance and the evolutionary history of the worms.
Review
Plant Sciences
Filippo Del Stabile, Vittoria Marsili, Luca Forti, Laura Arru
Summary: Traditionally, plants have been seen as passive and unchanging organisms, but recent research suggests that they are aware of their surroundings and can modify their growth and development in response to stimuli. Plants communicate extensively with their environment, and sound perception and communication have become an emerging field of study.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Carla Condo, Igor Anfelli, Luca Forti, Carla Sabia, Patrizia Messi, Ramona Iseppi
Summary: The antimicrobial properties of lichens extracts were investigated against various microorganisms and the results showed promising effect against Candida albicans. Activity-guided fractionation and LC-MS analysis revealed the presence of a scabrosin derivative associated with the antimicrobial activity. These findings could potentially lead to a solution for fungal infections caused by drug-resistant strains in immunocompromised patients.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Biagio Anderlini, Alberto Ughetti, Emma Cristoni, Luca Forti, Luca Rigamonti, Fabrizio Roncaglia
Summary: This paper presents a novel continuous-flow process for converting CO2 to glycerol carbonate using urea, which allows for the conversion of waste streams into valuable chemicals and improves the efficiency of biodiesel production.
BIOENGINEERING-BASEL
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ivan Bassanini, Simone Grosso, Chiara Tognoli, Giovanni Fronza, Sergio Riva
Summary: The bio-oxidation of aromatic amines catalyzed by T. versicolor laccase was studied, using commercially available nitrogenous substrates or specially synthesized ones. Unlike their phenolic counterparts, the investigated aromatic amines did not convert into the expected cyclic dimeric structures under T. versicolor catalysis. Instead, complex oligomeric/polymeric or decomposition by-products were formed, with the exception of two unexpected chemical skeletons. One of them was an oxygenated quinone-like product obtained from the biooxidation of diphenylamine, while the other was a 1,2-substited cyclobutane ring unexpectedly formed from the conversion of (E)-4-vinyl aniline in the presence of T. versicolor laccase. This is the first known example of an enzymatically triggered [2 + 2] olefin cycloaddition. Possible reaction mechanisms for these products are also reported.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ivan Bassanini, Lucia Roncaglia, Bruno Danieli, Sergio Riva
Summary: The enzymatic acetylation of important bioactive cardiac glycosides was studied in organic solvents. Acylation occurred at specific hydroxyl groups of different glycosides under the catalysis of different lipases. The investigation provided insight into the acetylation mechanisms and explained the inability of Novozym 435 to acylate certain glycosides.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Chiara Tognoli, Susanna Bertuletti, Stefania Patti, Erica Elisa Ferrandi, Marta Vanoni, Sergio Riva, Ivan Bassanini, Daniela Monti
Summary: Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases (HSDHs) are alcohol dehydrogenases known for their exceptional selectivity when acting on natural substrates. Recent studies have shown that HSDHs also exhibit substrate promiscuity, accommodates a diverse array of substrates such as sterically hindered ketones. This study further explores the promiscuous nature of HSDHs using representative 1,2-diketones and reveals the differences in conversion and selectivity between aliphatic and aromatic substrates.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Alberto Ughetti, Fabrizio Roncaglia, Biagio Anderlini, Veronica D'Eusanio, Andrea Luca Russo, Luca Forti
Summary: Microalgae have high photosynthetic efficiency and show minimal competition with land-based crops, making them a promising solution for CO2 biofixation from waste sources. The integrated carbonate-based carbon capture and algae biofixation system is an innovative alternative to traditional carbon capture and sequestration methods, offering advantages such as cost savings and simplified photobioreactor development. Further research is needed to evaluate different microorganisms and optimal growth conditions. This study demonstrated the successful performance of Spirulina strains in the integrated system, achieving high biomass productivity and CO2 utilization efficiency.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Organic
Fuying Zhu, Yamei Lin
Summary: In this study, a low-metal iron-supported catalyst (Fe20/NC-Mg) was reported for the efficient synthesis of quinoxaline compounds, using water as a solvent and without additional bases. The synergistic effect of FeNx site and Mg (OH)2 nanorods in the catalyst played a key role in achieving high yields (82-91%) in 16 examples. The gram-level synthesis and reusability of the catalysts after four cycles demonstrated its industrial application potential.
Article
Chemistry, Organic
Mikhail Kozlov, Alexey Tyurin, Andrey Dmitrenok, Vyacheslav Rusak, Aleksander Fedorov, Igor Zavarzin, Yulia Volkova
Summary: This study presents a novel and practical synthesis method for phosphorus-substituted 1,3,4-thiadiazolines using phosphorylthioformic acid hydrazides and ketones. The protocol demonstrates operational simplicity, availability of reagents, and tolerance towards different functional groups.
Article
Chemistry, Organic
Jisna Jose, Thomas Mathew
Summary: 2-Cyclopentenone and its derivatives are highly esteemed synthetic intermediates with exceptional utility in organic synthesis. They are favored structural motifs in numerous pharmaceutical drugs and natural products, highlighting their significance. The review discusses the various methods used to synthesize cyclopentenones from 2016 to 2023.
