In the present study, we tested the proof of concept that mobil mesoporous silica nanoparticle composition of matter (MCM) No. 48 doped with trivalent europium (nanoMCM48:Eu3+) administered systemically intravenously can act as a suitable vehicle to deliver neural cells to the brain of healthy adult Swiss mice without causing tissue damage. Moreover, we also tested the ability of this nanoparticle to release molecules in vitro, using as drug models caffeine or nicotine in phosphate buffer solution with pH 7.4 adequate to intra and extra-celular medium of the brain. The caffeine and nicotine adsorbed nanoparticles (CAF@MCM48:Eu3+ and NIC@MCM48:Eu3+) were observed in the parenchyma of the cerebral cortex and diffusely dispersed in the cellular cytoplasm. Statistical analysis using multivariate partner recognition methods indicated that there was no sign of cell damage, as it was characterized by chromatin condensation, nuclear condensation, or fragmentation. The characterization of nanoMCM48:Eu3+ as particle size, luminescent properties and release of active components were analyzed. The CAF@MCM48:Eu3+ and NIC@MCM48:Eu3+ nanoparticles were observed in the cerebral cortex parenchyma and diffusely dispersed in the cell cytoplasm, and the release of active components was analyzed. Therefore, the studies showed that mesoporous silica nanoparticles administered systemically via intravenous tissue can act as a suitable vehicle for neural cells in the brain of healthy mice without causing damage.

The antifungal potential of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by actinobacterial strains Streptomyces sp. (ACTB-77) and Amycolatopsis sp. (ACTB-290) from the rhizosphere of Caatinga plants against Colletotrichum musae was investigated. VOCs produced by these microorganisms (axenic and co-culture) were investigated using headspace-solid phase micro-extraction (HS-SPME) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Although no exclusive VOC peaks were observed in the co-culture with ACTB-77, the same experiment involving ACTB-290 yielded five new peaks, including two identified alcohols, suggested as bioreductive products of the corresponding ketones by the fungus. Statistical analysis revealed that co-culture ACTB-77/C. musae has a closer similarity to the fungus than to the actinobacteria, while the co culture ACTB-290/C. musae showed closer similarity to the actinobacteria. These confirmed the more pronounced antifungal activity of the ACTB-290 strain, as observed in the fungus growth inhibition experiments. The antifungal activity of ACTB-290 was associated to its sulfur-containing metabolites, while linalool was suggested as responsible for the ACTB-77 activity.

Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) is often used as a marker of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in beverages. This marker is often quantified by chromatographic methods, which require sample preparations involving the use of reagents, solvents, extraction, pre-concentration, and/or cleanup steps. In this study, a new method for quantification of BaP in cachaças (liquors) that does not use any sample preparation was developed. Interferents in cachaças were overcome using excitation-emission matrices data modeling with parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC). The recoveries ranged from 93.20 to 101.13%, and the relative error of prediction and limit of detection were, respectively, estimated at 2.66% and 2.88 ng mL-1. The proposed method is inexpensive and less time consuming than other approaches described in the literature, uses no reagents, solvents or extraction, has no pre-concentration or cleanup steps, contributing to green analytical chemistry.

<p>This work reports the development of a fast chromatographic methodology for quantitation of two phytoestrogens: daidzein (DAI), and genistein (GEN), in river water samples. The proposed method is based on high performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection (HPLC-DAD) data, and multivariate curve resolution-alternative least square (MCR-ALS) second-order calibration. Initially, the method was evaluated analyzing a synthetic validation set; prepared based on a Taguchi design. Subsequently, the method was applied to predict the concentration of the phytoestrogens in spiked river water samples, previously pre-processed by solid phase extraction (SPE). By implementation of the present chromatographic methodology, a 50% reduction in operation time was achieved (from 7.00 to 3.25 min) when compared with previous work in the literature. Precision was achieved even in the presence of non-modeled constituents and strong background. Thus, the proposed method is a rapid and robust alternative for the quantitation of studied phytoestrogens.</p>