BACKGROUND The inappropriate use of antibiotics has led to the accelerated growth of resistance to antibiotics. The search for new therapeutic strategies (i.e., antimicrobial peptides-AMPs) has thus become a pressing need. OBJECTIVE Characterising and evaluating Sarconesiopsis magellanica larval fat body-derived AMPs. METHODS Fat body extracts were analysed by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC); mass spectrometry was used for characterising the primary structure of the AMPs so found. ProtParam (Expasy) was used for analysing the AMPs’ physico-chemical properties. Synthetic AMPs’ antibacterial activity was evaluated. FINDINGS Four new AMPs were obtained and called sarconesin III, IV, V and VI. Sarconesin III had an α-helix structure and sarconesins IV, V and VI had linear formations. Oligomer prediction highlighted peptide-peptide interactions, suggesting that sarconesins III, V and VI could form self-aggregations when in contact with the microbial membrane. AMPs synthesised from their native molecules’ sequences had potent activity against Gram-positive bacteria and, to a lesser extent, against Gram-negative and drug-resistant bacteria. Sarconesin VI was the most efficient AMP. None of the four synthetic AMPs had a cytotoxic effect. MAIN CONCLUSIONS S. magellanica larval fat body-derived antimicrobial peptides are an important source of AMPs and could be used in different antimicrobial therapies and overcoming bacterial resistance.

Abstract In this work were developed and evaluated new antimicrobial films of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) additivated with polyethyleneglycol (PEG) and clove essential oil (CEO). The PHB/PEG/CEO films were prepared using the solution casting technique. The CEO concentrations varied between 0.0 and 15% (w/w), related to the total mass (1.4 g), without considering the solvent used. The CG-MS analysis showed that the major component of the CEO was eugenol (72.96%). The antimicrobial activity from the CEO was evaluated against three bacteria (E. coli, E. aerogenes and S. aureus). The migration of CEO in the films occurred with all tested simulants. Thermal analysis has shown that the addition of 15% w/w of the CEO causes the biggest changes in the chemical structure of the material, resulting in less energy during film processing. The mechanical data demonstrated that the addition of 15% w/w of the CEO results in more flexible films.

Neste trabalho, a espectroscopia no infravermelho médio foi utilizada para investigar o efeito da quantidade (25 ou 40%) e do tipo de plastificante (di-2-etilhexil ftalato (DOP), di-2-etilhexil sebacato (DOS) e 2-nitrofenil octil éter (NPOE)) na resposta analítica de uma fase sensora de poli(cloreto de vinila) (PVC) para a determinação de hidrocarbonetos clorados (clorobenzeno (ClB), tricloroetileno (TCE) e triclorobenzeno(TCB)) em água. Foi observado que os filmes com 40% de plastificante geraram maior sensibilidade e menores limites de detecção que aqueles preparados com 25%, embora esses últimos sejam de manipulação mais fácil. Um comportamento similar foi também observado para fases sensoras preparadas com os plastificantes NPOE e DOS. Com o uso da fase sensora de PVC-DOS e um tempo de extração de 60 min, foram obtidos limites de detecção de 0,3, 0,6 e 0,5 mg L-1 para clorobenzeno, tricloroetileno e triclorobenzeno, respectivamente.

In this work, mid-infrared spectroscopy has been employed to investigate the effect of amount (25 or 40%) and type of plasticiser (di-2-ethylhexyl sebacate (DOS), di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DOP) and 2-nitrophenyl octyl ether (NPOE)) on the analytical response of a poly(vinylchloride) (PVC) sensing phase for the determination of the chlorinated hydrocarbons (chlorobenzene (ClB), trichloroethylene (TCE) and trichlorobenzene (TCB)) in water. It was observed that films with 40% of plasticiser provided higher sensitivity and lower limits of detection than those with 25%, although the later films are easier to handle. A similar behaviour was also observed for sensing phases prepared with the plasticisers NPOE and DOS. By employing a DOS-based PVC sensing phase and extraction time of 60 min, limits of detection of 0.3, 0.6, and 0.5 mg L-1 were obtained for chlorobenzene, trichloroethylene and trichlorobenzene, respectively.

Optical chemical sensors with detection in the near and mid infrared region are reviewed. Fundamental concepts of infrared spectroscopy and optical chemical sensors are briefly described, before presenting some aspects on optical chemical sensors, such as synthesis of NIR and IR reagents, preparation of new materials as well as application in determinations of species of biological, industrial and environmental importance.