Active coatings based on oxidized chitin nanocrystals and silk fibroins for the control of anthracnose in 'Hass' avocados

Postharvest avocado losses are mainly due to anthracnose disease caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides. Chemical fungicides are effective, but their negative effects on health and the environment have led to the search for sustainable alternatives such as biopolymer-based coatings and natural compounds. Therefore, chitin nanocrystals (NCChit) were extracted using a sustainable deep eutectic solvent (DES) and chemically modified into oxidized chitin nanocrystals (O-NCChit) or deacetylated chitin nanocrystals (D-NCChit) to modulate and increase the charge surface density and the dispersibility of the crystals. The modified NCChits were dispersed with silk fibroins (SF), essential oil (EO), melatonin (MT) and/or phenylalanine (Phe) to elaborate active coatings. Antioxidant and antifungal in vitro analyses showed that the O-NCChit/SF-based coating had the best performance. In addition, in vivo tests were carried out through the artificial inoculation of C. gloeosporioides on coated avocados. O-NCChit/SF/MT-based coatings reduced the severity of anthracnose by 45 %, the same effect as the chemical fungicide (Prochloraz®). Moreover, avocado quality parameters during cold storage and the shelf-life period were also evaluated, where nonsignificant differences were observed. Therefore, this study demonstrates the great potential of O-NCChit and SF in combination with active compounds for the control of anthracnose in 'Hass' avocados.

Copper-uptake mediated by an ecofriendly zwitterionic ionic liquid: A new challenge for a cleaner bioeconomy

This study aims to investigate the ability of an imidazolium biobased Zwitterionic Ionic Liquids (ZILs) in enhancing the phytoavailability of copper from garden (G) and vineyard (V) soils using the model plant ryegrass. Uncontaminated and artificially contaminated CuSO₄ soils, unamended and ZIL-amended soil modalities were designed. The copper/ZIL molar ratio (1/4) introduced was rationally established based on molecular modeling and on the maximal copper concentration in artificially contaminated soil. Higher accumulation of copper in the shoots was detected for the uncontaminated and copper contaminated ZIL amended V soils (18.9 and 23.3 mg/kg, respectively) contrary to G soils together with a ZIL concentration of around 3% (W/W) detected by LC-MS analyses. These data evidenced a Cu-accumulation improvement of 38% and 66% compared to non-amended V soils (13.6 and 13.9 mg/kg respectively). ZIL would be mainly present under Cu(II)-ZIL₄ complexes in the shoots. The impact on the chemical composition of shoot was also studied. The results show that depending on the soils modalitity, the presence of free copper and/or ZIL led to different chemical compositions in lignin and monomeric sugar contents. In the biorefinery context, performances of enzymatic hydrolysis of shoots were also related to the presence of both ZIL and copper under free or complex forms. Ecotoxicity assessment of the vineyard soil samples indicated that the quantity of copper and ZIL remaining in the soils had no significant toxicity. ZIL amendment in a copper-contaminated soil was demonstrated as being a promising way to promote the valorization of phytoremediation plants.

Fundamental insight into the interaction between a lithium salt and an inorganic filler for ion mobility using a synergic theoretical-experimental approach

The present paper aims at providing a fundamental insight into the interaction between a lithium salt and an inorganic filler in a perspective of lithium mobility. Through a synergistic approach, coupling experimental results and molecular dynamics simulations, the influence of the surface chemical state of the nanosilica Stöber-type on the dissociation of LiTFSI and its impact on the lithium conduction properties are studied. For this purpose, the surface modification of silica nanoparticles was performed by different methods such as calcination, lithiation and capping with organosilane. The impact of the surface modification on the dissociation of the lithium salt is further investigated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy after impregnation of the material with a defined amount of lithium salt. The combined experimental and in silico analyses of the results, performed for the first time on such systems, allow a detailed understanding of the interaction between the salt and the support and should prove itself useful for the future design of hybrid polymer electrolytes in new generation batteries.

Hybrid Electrolytes Based on Optimized Ionic Liquid Quantity Tethered on ZrO2 Nanoparticles for Solid-State Lithium-Ion Conduction

This paper describes the simple, highly reproducible, and robust synthesis of a new solid organic/inorganic electrolyte based on the ionic liquid (IL) 1-butyl-3-(carboxyundecyl)imidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide tethered to zirconia nanoparticles (15-25 nm) by coordination and named ZrO₂@IL. The IL monolayer formation, ensured by two-dimensional solid-state NMR, at the nanoparticles' surface considerably reduces both the IL's consumption and the IL amount at the ZrO₂ surface compared to the IL-based hybrid electrolytes reported in the literature. After LiTFSI, used as a lithium source, content optimization (26 wt %), the hybrid exhibits unprecedented stable conductivity passing from 0.6 × 10^-4 S.cm^-1 to 0.15 × 10^-4 S.cm^-1, respectively, from 85 °C to room temperature (25 °C). Unlike silica which is commonly adopted for this type of hybrid material, zirconia makes it possible to produce more impact-resistant pellets that are easier to compact, thus being favorable for accurate conductivity studies and battery development by electrode/composite/solid electrolyte layer stacking. The ZrO₂@IL/LiTFSI solid hybrid electrolyte's thermal stability (up to 300 °C) and performance make this electrolyte suitable for lithium conduction in all-solid-state batteries.

Click reactions as a key step for an efficient and selective synthesis of D-xylose-based ILs

d-Xylose-based ionic liquids have been prepared from d-xylose following a five steps reaction sequence, the key step being a click cycloaddition. These ionic liquids (ILs) have been characterized through classical analytical methods (IR, NMR, mass spectroscopy, elemental analysis) and their stability constants, Tg and Tdec, were also determined. Considering their properties and their hydrophilicity, these compounds could be alternative solvents for chemical applications under mild conditions.

A new tool to study ribavirin-induced haemolysis

BACKGROUND

Today, treatment of chronic hepatitis C is based on a synergistic combination of pegylated interferon and ribavirin with antiprotease inhibitors. Haemolytic anaemia, which is the major side effect of ribavirin treatment, disrupts ribavirin treatment compliance and varies significantly from one patient to another. There is an individual susceptibility to ribavirin haemolysis. With a view to studying haemolysis, and thus optimizing the treatment response, we have developed a new in vitro tool for analysing the ribavirin-induced lysis of red blood cells.

METHODS

Resuspended red blood cells were incubated with isotonic buffer and a range of concentrations of ribavirin. Haemolysis was quantified by spectrophotometric measurement of the supernatant at 540 nm. The assay was used to test the effects of various compounds and to investigate the susceptibility of patients to haemolytic anaemia.

RESULTS

In our assay, the degree of haemolysis is dependent on the ribavirin concentration used and can be inhibited by the addition of dipyridamole (50% inhibitory concentration [IC(50)] 30 μM), ATP or glutathione (IC(50) 1.63 mM and 767 μM, respectively). We observed a strong decrease in red blood cell haemolysis in the presence of the ribavirin prodrug viramidine (Taribavirin(®)). When testing the performance of this assay with blood from 24 patients before treatment, we observed a strong correlation between in vitro haemolysis before treatment and the decrease in haemoglobin levels seen in vivo during subsequent treatment (P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

With this new tool it is possible to better evaluate individual susceptibility to ribavirin-induced haemolysis before the start of treatment. In addition, this model will enable the mechanism of ribavirin-induced anaemia to be further explored and allow molecules that could reduce ribavirin haemolysis to be screened and tested in vitro. This approach could help optimize current and future therapeutic strategies involving ribavirin in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C.

Computational Analysis of Aza Analogues of [2‘,5‘-Bis-O-(tert-butyldimethylsilyl)-β-d-ribofuranose]-3‘-spiro-5‘ ‘- (4‘ ‘-amino-1‘ ‘,2‘ ‘-oxathiole-2‘ ‘,2‘ ‘-dioxide) (TSAO) as HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors: Relevance of Conformational Properties on the Inhibitory Activity

We have carried out a theoretical analysis of aza analogues of [2',5'-bis-O-(tert-butyldimethylsilyl)-beta-D-ribofuranosyl]-3'-spiro-5"-(4"-amino-1",2"-oxathiole-2",2"-dioxide) by a variety of computational tools, aimed to account for the effect of the endocyclic amino moiety N-2" on the inhibitory activity against HIV-1. Docking studies suggest that compounds substituted at the N-3 and N-2' ' positions present the same binding mode to the [2',5'-bis-O-(tert-butyldimethylsilyl)-beta-D-ribofuranosyl]-3'-spiro-5"-(4"-amino-1",2"-oxathiole-2",2"-dioxide)thymine prototype, where the endocyclic amino group remains mostly exposed to the solvent. A careful conformational analysis performed through different theoretical levels, from molecular mechanics to high-level quantum mechanical calculations, provides a rationalization based on conformational preferences, which appears as strongly determined by the substitution at N-2", and on electrostatic effects from the bulk water.

First Synthesis and Evaluation of the Inhibitory Effects of Aza Analogues of TSAO on HIV-1 Replication

Aza TSAO-T derivatives bearing a dihydroisothiazole dioxide ring instead of an oxathiole dioxide ring at the C-3' position on the sugar moiety were prepared. We have synthesized four families of compounds depending on substitution at both N-3 and N-2' '. Biological evaluation showed that these compounds are HIV-1(III(B))-specific and potent reverse transcriptase inhibitors with EC(50) values between 0.13 and 3.5 microM in cell culture.

Synthesis of AZA analogues of TSAO

TSAO derivatives which were first synthesized in 1992 have shown strong inhibitory effect and selectivity against HIV-1 (Camarasa, M.J.; Pérez-Pérez, M.J.; San-Félix, A.; Balzarini, J.; De Clercq, E. J. Med. Chem. 1992, 35, 2721-2727). The structure-activity relationship of these derivatives has shown strong binding between the amino acids constituting the reverse transcriptase and the different pharmacophore (tert-butyldimethylsilyl group, amino and sulfonate groups of the TSAO derivatives) (Camarasa, M.J.; San-Félix, A.; Pérez-Pérez, M.J.; Velázquez, S., Alvarez, R.; Chamorro, C.; Jimeno, M.L.; Pérez, C.; Gago, F.; De Clercq, E.; Balzarini, J. J. Carbohydr. Chem. 2000, 19, 6403-6406). We described the synthesis of an original TSAO analogue where, basically, the O-1'' atom is replaced by a nitrogen atom.