Laccase-mediated michael addition of 15N-sulfapyridine to a model humic constituent

Chemical incorporation of sulfonamide antimicrobials into natural organic matter may represent an important process influencing the fate of these synthetic, primarily agents in soil and sediment environments. We previously demonstrated that a fungal peroxidase mediates covalent coupling of sulfonamide antimicrobials to model humic constituents; reactions with the 2,6-dimethoxyphenol syringic acid produced Schiff bases (Bialk et al. Environ. Sci. TechnoL 2005, 39, 4436-4473). Here, we show that fungal laccase-mediated reaction of sulfapyridine with the orthodihydroxyphenol protocatechuic acid yields a Michael adduct. We synthesized 15N-enriched sulfapyridine to facilitate determination of the covalent linkage(s) formed between sulfapyridine and protocatechuic acid by NMR spectroscopy. 1H-(15)N heteronuclear multiple bond correlation experiments and tandem mass spectrometry demonstrated that the sulfapyridine anilinic nitrogen engaged in a Michael addition reaction to oxidized protocatechuic acid to form an anilinoquinone. Michael adducts are more stable than the previously reported imine linkages between sulfonamides and 2,6-dimethoxyphenols. Michael addition to quinone-like structures in soil organic matter is expected to diminish the mobility and biological activity of sulfonamide antimicrobials.     

Cross-coupling of sulfonamide antimicrobial agents with model humic constituents

The oxidative cross-coupling of sulfonamide antimicrobials to constituents of natural organic matter was investigated. Sulfonamide antimicrobials were incubated with surrogate humic constituents in the absence and presence of phenoloxidases (viz., peroxidase, laccase, and tyrosinase) or acid birnessite. Substituted phenols were chosen as simple model constituents to determine the structures in humic substances important for cross-coupling reactions. The extent of sulfonamide transformation was evaluated by the disappearance of the parent compound from solution. Incubation with phenoloxidases in the absence of substituted phenols resulted in little or no sulfonamide transformation. In contrast to this, direct oxidation of sulfonamides by acid birnessite was significant. Inclusion of o-diphenols and 2,6-dimethoxyphenols in reaction mixtures resulted in significant phenoloxidase-mediated transformation of sulfonamides and enhanced antimicrobial transformation in the presence of acid birnessite. Phenolic compounds with other substitution patterns were less effective in promoting sulfonamide transformation. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy experiments provided direct evidence of peroxidase-mediated covalent cross-coupling of sulfamethazine with syringic and protocatechuic acids. Our results indicate that sulfonamide antimicrobials may be chemically incorporated into humic substances. This may result in their diminished mobility, bioavailability, and biological activity.     

Reactions of a sulfonamide antimicrobial with model humic constituents: assessing pathways and stability of covalent bonding

The mechanism of covalent bond formation of the model sulfonamide sulfathiazole (STZ) and the stronger nucleophile para-ethoxyaniline was studied in reactions with model humic acid constituents (quinones and other carbonyl compounds) in the absence and presence of laccase. As revealed by high resolution mass spectrometry, the initial bonding of STZ occurred by 1,2- and 1,4-nucleophilic additions of the aromatic amino group to quinones resulting in imine and anilinoquinone formation, respectively. Experiments using the radical scavenger tert-butyl-alcohol provided the same products and similar formation rates as those without scavenger indicating that probably not radical coupling reactions were responsible for the initial covalent bond formation. No addition with nonquinone carbonyl compounds occurred within 76 days except for a slow 1,4-addition to the β-unsaturated carbonyl 1-penten-3-one. The stability of covalent bonds against desorption and pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) was assessed. The recovery rates showed no systematic differences in STZ extractability between the two product types. This suggests that the strength of bonding is not controlled by the initial type of bond, but by the extent of subsequent incorporation of the reaction product into the formed polymer. This incorporation was monitored for (15)N aniline by (1)H-(15)N HMBC NMR spectroscopy. The initial 1,2- and 1,4-addition bonds were replaced by stronger heterocyclic forms with increasing incubation time. These processes could also hold true for soils, and a slow nonextractable residue formation with time could be related to a slow increase of the amount of covalently bound sulfonamide and the strength of bonding.     

Absence of mobile carbohydrate domains in dry humic substances proven by NMR, and implications for organic-contaminant sorption models

The mobility and domain structure of various standard humic substances have been investigated by 1H and 1H-13C solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments. In four dry humic acids, a fulvic acid, a natural organic matter sample, and a whole peat sample, segments that undergo fast, large-amplitude motions account for <9% of the sample. This disproves a previous suggestion, based on 1H NMR data, that flexible domains, presumably carbohydrates, make up >40% of various humic acids; these putative mobile domains were also linked to dual-mode sorption. In particular, neither the polar alkyl (carbohydrate) nor the aromatic components show any fast, large-amplitude mobility. A small fraction of mobile nonpolar alkyl segments identified by us before is the only component undergoing large-amplitude motions, apart from absorbed water that we observe in humic acids exposed to ambient air. 1H-13C wide-line separation NMR shows that, contrary to previous suggestions, the dipolar couplings in the aromatic regions are smaller than in the polar alkyl segments, most likely due to differences in local 1H densities. Series of 1H-13C heteronuclear correlation experiments with 1H spin diffusion reveal close proximity of aromatic and polar alkyl segments in several humic acids, precluding carbohydrate domains on a scale of > 1-nm diameter. In the standard peat humic acid, nonpolar aromatic segments also do not form sorption domains of significant size, while nonpolar aliphatic domains, which we had previously shown to correlate with sorption capacity, have been confirmed.     

15N NMR investigation of the reduction and binding of TNT in an aerobic bench scale reactor simulating windrow composting

T15NT was added to a soil of low organic carbon content and composted for 20 days in an aerobic bench scale reactor. The finished whole compost and fulvic acid, humic acid, humin, and lignocellulose fractions extracted from the compost were analyzed by solid-state CP/MAS and DP/MAS 15N NMR. 15N NMR spectra provided direct spectroscopic evidence for reduction of TNT followed by covalent binding of the reduced metabolites to organic matter of the composted soil, with the majority of metabolite found in the lignocellulose fraction, by mass also the major fraction of the compost. In general, the types of bonds formed between soil organic matter and reduced TNT amines in controlled laboratory reactions were observed in the spectra of the whole compost and fractions, confirming that during composting TNT is reduced to amines that form covalent bonds with organic matter through aminohydroquinone, aminoquinone, heterocyclic, and imine linkages, among others. Concentrations of imine nitrogens in the compost spectra suggest that covalent binding by the diamines 2,4DANT and 2,6DANT is a significant process in the transformation of TNT into bound residues. Liquid-phase 15N NMR spectra of the fulvic acid and humin fractions provided possible evidence for involvement of phenoloxidase enzymes in covalent bond formation.     

Sorption mechanisms of phenanthrene, lindane, and atrazine with various humic acid fractions from a single soil sample

The sorption behavior of organic compounds (phenanthrene, lindane, and atrazine) to sequentially extracted humic acids and humin from a peat soil was examined. The elemental composition, XPS and (13)C NMR data of sorbents combined with sorption isotherm data of the tested compounds show that nonspecific interactions govern sorption of phenanthrene and lindane by humic substances. Their sorption is dependent on surface and bulk alkyl carbon contents of the sorbents, rather than aromatic carbon. Sorption of atrazine by these sorbents, however, is regulated by polar interactions (e.g., hydrogen bonding). Carboxylic and phenolic moieties are key components for H-bonding formation. Thermal analysis reveals that sorption of apolar (i.e., phenanthrene and lindane) and polar (i.e., atrazine) compounds by humic substances exhibit dissimilar relationships with condensation and thermal stability of sorption domains, emphasizing the major influence of domain spatial arrangement on sorption of organic compounds with distinct polarity. Results of pH-dependent sorption indicate that reduction in sorption of atrazine by the tested sorbents is more evident than phenanthrene with increasing pH, supporting the dependence of organic compound sorption on its polarity and structure. This study highlights the different interaction mechanisms of apolar and polar organic compounds with humic substances.     

Sorption equilibrium of a wide spectrum of organic vapors in Leonardite humic acid: experimental setup and experimental data

The environmental fate of volatile and semivolatile organic compounds is determined by their partitioning between air and soil constituents, in particular soil organic matter (SOM). While there are many studies on the partitioning of nonpolar compounds between water and SOM, data on sorption of polar compounds and data for sorption from the gas phase are rather limited. In this study, Leonardite humic acid/air partition coefficients for 188 polar and nonpolar organic compounds at temperatures between 5 and 75 degrees C and relative humidities between < 0.01% and 98% have been determined using a dynamic flow-through technique. To the best of our knowledge, this is by far the largest and most diverse and consistent data set for sorption into humic material published so far. The major results are as follows: the relative humidity affected the experimental partition coefficients by up to a factor of 3; polar compounds generally sorbed more strongly than nonpolar compounds due to H-bonding (electron donor/ acceptor interactions) with the humic acid; no glass transitions in the range of 5-75 degrees C that would be relevant with respect to the sorption behavior of hydrated Leonardite humic acid were observed; our experimental data agree well with experimental partition coefficients from various literature sources.     

Structural analyses of barbaloin-related compounds in aloe drinks

Four kinds of barbaloin (BA)-related compounds (A, B, C, D) in aloe drinks were isolated by using preparative HPLC. LC/MS analyses of these compounds showed the identical quasimolecular ion peak at m/z 833 [M-H]-. The chemical structures were mainly determined by NMR, including 1H-1H two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy (COSY), nuclear Overhauser and exchange spectroscopy (NOESY), heteronuclear multiple quantum coherence (HMQC), and heteronuclear multiple-bond connectivity (HMBC) experiments. They were identified as BA-related compounds A (10R, 10"S), B (10S, 10"S), C (10S, 10"R), and D (10R, 10"R) coupled through a C-10 to C-7' linkage, and newly found in nature. These results suggested that BA is converted to dimers during storage of aloe drinks.     

A comprehensive liquid-state heteronuclear and multidimensional NMR study of Laurentian fulvic acid

The Boreal forest fulvic acid known as Laurentian fulvic acid (LFA) has been interrogated by state of the art heteronuclear and 2D high resolution NMR techniques. It is shown that one can obtain very highly resolved and informative spectra of a traditionally fractionated material. It was possible to observe a proton coupled system of up to seven bonds in the TOCSY spectrum and 329 peaks in the 1H,13C-HSQC spectrum. It is found that the majority of the nitrogen in this sample is in the form of ammonium cations. From the combination of inverse-gated decoupling, APT, and INEPT 13C spectra of LFA it can be concluded that while the aromatic moieties of LFA are highly unfunctionalized, the carbohydrate moieties are highly functionalized. Proton coupled networks are observed in the TOCSY spectrum between and within the aliphatic, functionalized aliphatic, and heteroatom substituted regions and, to a lesser extent, also between the amine/aromatic and heteroatom substituted regions. The HMBC spectrum confirms that both the aliphatic and heteroatom moieties are highly functionalized with carboxylic and alcoholic functional groups, while the aromatic moieties are very sparsely functionalized with phenolic and carboxylic functionalities. Additionally, specific model molecular structures have been identified which are consistent with experimental evidence and are in full agreement with our previously derived meso-model based on solid-state 13C NMR data. Finally, some of the shortcomings of 2D liquid-state NMR for the characterization of humic materials are addressed.     

New structural information on a humic acid from two-dimensional 1H-13C correlation solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance

New information on the chemical structure of a peat humic acid has been obtained using a series of two-dimensional 1H-13C heteronuclear correlation solid-state NMR (HETCOR) experiments with different contact times and with spectral editing by dipolar dephasing and 13C transverse relaxation filtering. Carbon-bonded methyl groups (C-CH3) are found to be near both aliphatic and O-alkyl but not aromatic groups. The spectra prove that most OCH3 groups are connected directly with the aromatic rings, as is typical in lignin. As a result, about one-third of the aromatic C-O groups is not phenolic C-OH but C-OCH3. Both protonated and unprotonated anomeric O-C-O carbons are identified in the one- and two-dimensional spectra. COO groups are found predominantly in OCHn-COO environments, but some are also bonded to aromatic rings and aliphatic groups. All models of humic acids in the literature lack at least some of the features observed here. Compositional heterogeneity was studied by introducing 1H spin diffusion into the HETCOR experiment. Comparison with data for a synthetic polymer, polycarbonate, indicates that the separation between O-alkyl and aromatic groups in the humic acid is less than 1.5 nm. However, transverse 13C relaxation filtering under 1H decoupling reveals heterogeneity on a nanometer scale, with the slow-relaxing component being rich in lignin-like aromatic-C-O-CH3 moieties and poor in COO groups.     

Activity-guided isolation and identification of radical scavenging components in Gao-Cha tea

Gao-Cha is a traditional Chinese health tea made from Acer ginnala. We performed a components and radical scavenging activity analysis to identify any medicinal components in this tea. High performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC)-1,1-Diphenyl-2-picryhydrazyl (HPTLC-DPPH) assay showed that the methanolic extract contained strong radical scavengers. Quantitative analysis revealed that the IC(50) of the extract against 1 mM DPPH was 52.7 ± 0.6 μg/mL. Bioactive-guided isolations led to procurement of 3 radical scavengers with IC(50)s of 17.5 ± 2.1, 29.3 ± 2.5, and 21.6 ± 1.7 μg/mL, respectively. Analysis of the high resolution-electric spray ionization-mass spectrometer and (1)H, (13)C, distortionless enhancement by polarization transfer at 135°, heteronuclear quantum coherence, correlating spectroscopy coupling, and heteronuclear multiple bond coherence (HMBC) data revealed that the compounds were methyl 3, 4, 5-trihydroxybenzoate (1), quercetin-3-O-α-rhamnopyranoside (2), and 2,6-bis (3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoyl)-aceritol (3). Bioactive combined components analysis revealed that, apart from compounds 1, 2, and 3, the tea possibly contained radical scavengers: ginnalin A (4) and B (5), 2″-O-Galloylquercitrin (6) and 3″-O-Galloyl-quercitrin (7). Compounds 2, 6, and 7 were isolated from Acer ginnala for the first time. The positions of the 2 galloyl moieties in compound 3 were unambiguously established by the HMBC spectrum for the first time.     

Carbon isotope fractionation of organic contaminants due to retardation on humic substances: implications for natural attenuation studies in aquifers

Experimental approaches were developed which permit the measurement of carbon isotope effects during partitioning of organic compounds between water and humic substances. Fractionation factors alpha(sorption) = K(OC)12C/K(OC)13C for carbon isotopomers of benzene (1.00044 +/- 0.00015) and toluene (1.00060 +/- 0.00010) were determined from a 10-step batch experiment. Similar fractionation factors were estimated for benzene (1.00017), 2,4-dimethylphenol (1.00035), and o-xylene (< or = 1.00092) from chromatographic experiments. The latter method is based on chromatographic amplification of the fractionation effect (deltadelta13C) in an HPLC column with humic acid (HA) as the stationary phase. Possible implications of the sorption-based isotope fractionation for assessment of natural attenuation processes in contaminated aquifers are discussed. Depending on the aquifer properties (organic carbon content, heterogeneity) together with the plume source, length, and status (stationary or expanding), scenarios may be constructed where sorption-based isotope fractionation competes significantly with that caused by chemical or microbial degradation processes.     

Fluctuations of dissolved organic matter in river used for drinking water and impacts on conventional treatment plant performance

Natural organic matter (NOM) in drinking water supplies can provide precursors for disinfectant byproducts, molecules that impact taste and odors, compounds that influence the efficacy of treatment, and other compounds that are a source of energy and carbon for the regrowth of microorganisms during distribution. NOM, measured as dissolved organic carbon (DOC), was monitored daily in the White River and the Indiana-American water treatment plant over 22 months. Other parameters were either measured daily (UV-absorbance, alkalinity, color, temperature) or continuously (turbidity, pH, and discharge) and used with stepwise linear regressions to predict DOC concentrations. The predictive models were validated with monthly samples of the river water and treatment plant effluent taken over a 2-year period after the daily monitoring had ended. Biodegradable DOC (BDOC) concentrations were measured in the river water and plant effluent twice monthly for 18 months. The BDOC measurements, along with measurements of humic and carbohydrate constituents within the DOC and BDOC pools, revealed that carbohydrates were the organic fraction with the highest percent removal during treatment, followed by BDOC, humic substances, and refractory DOC.     

Birnessite-induced binding of phenolic monomers to soil humic substances and nature of the bound residues

The nature of the abiotic birnessite (δ-MnO(2))-catalyzed transformation products of phenolic compounds in the presence of soil organic matter is crucial for understanding the fate and stability of ubiquitous phenolic carbon in the environment. (14)C-radioactive and (13)C-stable-isotope tracers were used to study the mineralization and transformation by δ-MnO(2) of two typical humus and lignin phenolic monomers-catechol and p-coumaric acid-in the presence and absence of agricultural and forest soil humic acids (HAs) at pH 5-8. Mineralization decreased with increasing solution pH, and catechol was markedly more mineralized than p-coumaric acid. In the presence of HAs, the mineralization was strongly reduced, and considerable amounts of phenolic residues were bound to the HAs, independent of the solution pH. The HA-bound residues were homogeneously distributed within the humic molecules, and most still contained the unchanged aromatic ring as revealed by (13)C NMR analysis, indicating that the residues were probably bound via ester or ether bonds. The study provides important information on δ-MnO(2) stimulation of phenolic carbon binding to humic substances and the molecular distribution and chemical structure of the bound residues, which is essential for understanding the environmental fates of both naturally occurring and anthropogenic phenolic compounds.     

N-15 NMR study of the immobilization of 2,4- and 2,6-dinitrotoluene in aerobic compost

Large-scale aerobic windrow composting has been used to bioremediate washout lagoon soils contaminated with the explosives TNT (2,4,6-trinitrotoluene) and RDX (hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine) at several sites within the United States. We previously used 15N NMR to investigate the reduction and binding of T15NT in aerobic bench-scale reactors simulating the conditions of windrow composting. These studies have been extended to 2,4-dinitrotoluene (2,4DNT) and 2,6-dinitrotoluene (2,6DNT), which, as impurities in TNT, are usually presentwherever soils have been contaminated with TNT. Liquid-state 15N NMR analyses of laboratory reactions between 4-methyl-3-nitroaniline-15N, the major monoamine reduction product of 2,4DNT, and the Elliot soil humic acid, both in the presence and absence of horseradish peroxidase, indicated that the amine underwent covalent binding with quinone and other carbonyl groups in the soil humic acid to form both heterocyclic and non-heterocyclic condensation products. Liquid-state 15N NMR analyses of the methanol extracts of 20 day aerobic bench-scale composts of 2,4-di-15N-nitrotoluene and 2,6-di-15N-nitrotoluene revealed the presence of nitrite and monoamine, but not diamine, reduction products, indicating the occurrence of both dioxygenase enzyme and reductive degradation pathways. Solid-state CP/MAS 15N NMR analyses of the whole composts, however, suggested that reduction to monoamines followed by covalent binding of the amines to organic matter was the predominant pathway.     

Immobilizing humic acid in a sol-gel matrix: a new tool to study humic-contaminants sorption interactions

Humic substances originated from aquatic, soil, or sediment environments are mixtures of humic compounds with various characteristics. Sorption interactions with isolated, well defined humic fractions can be studied either in an aqueous phase ("dissolved humic substances"), or in a solid-phase, by coating mineral particles with the humic materials, or simply by working with humic acid particles (powder) at low pH to minimize dissolution. Each attitude, by definition, can be studied by different experimental techniques and has a different meaning for understanding natural environmental processes. In this study, a new tool for studying sorption interactions is presented. Sol-gel was used as an inert matrix to immobilize (entrap) various humic acids (HAs), and then used to study the interactions of several polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with the entrapped HA. Linear and nonlinear sorption coefficients were highly correlated with contaminant hydrophobicity. Sorption of pyrene to immobilized HA was in the order of soil HA > Aldrich HA approximately = peat HA. It was concluded that the entrapped HAs retained their original properties in the gel matrix and were accessible to the external contaminant through the pore network. Additionally, binding coefficients of pyreneto dissolved humic substances and to dissolved organic matter (DOM) were determined from the reduction in pyrene sorption to immobilized HA in the presence of dissolved humic material or DOM in solution. Binding coefficients of pyrene were in the order of the following: dissolved Aldrich HA > dissolved peat fulvic acid (FA) > DOM derived from mature compost > DOM derived from fresh compost.     

Effect of Humic Fractions from Urban Wastes and Other More Evolved Organic Materials on Seed Germination

The effect of different amounts of humic fractions obtained from urban wastes (sewage sludge and compost) on seed germination (barley, watercress and tobacco) has been compared with that of humic derived from more evolved organic materials (leonardite and peat) and a commercial humic acid fractions. Results demonstrated that the humic fractions from urban wastes had a more irregular effect on seed germination than those proceeding from more humified organic materials. Humic substances had a more positive effect on germination than humic acids, those effects depending on the nature of the original organic materials. The stability of the original organic materials (urban wastes or evolved organic materials) was a determinant factor of the behaviour of humic fractions on the germination process.     

Characterisation and evaluation of humic acids extracted from urban waste as liquid fertilisers

In this work a comparative study of humic acids extracted from organic wastes (sewage sludge and compost) and those currently used in the humic acid companies (humic acids from leonardite and peat) was carried out. Humic acids were characterised by means of chemical analysis (elemental and functional analysis) and spectroscopic techniques (¹³C NMR, gel filtration and infrared spectra) in order to relate their characteristics with their effect on plant growth. Chemical and spectroscopic analysis emphasised the different nature of the studied humic acids. The humic acids derived from the less evolved organic materials (sludge and compost) showed higher aliphatic nature, higher nitrogen compound content, lower oxidation degree and more heterogeneous composition than those extracted from more evolved materials (peat and leonardite). However, all these differences did not lead to significant differences in plant growth, but all these humic acids showed an increase of the yield respect to the control. ©1997 SCI     

腐熟有机肥在烤烟生长期田间养分矿化释放特征的研究

[目的]探究腐熟有机肥田间养分释放规律,为精准施用有机肥提供参考。[方法]于2015年采用尼龙网袋田间原位培养的方法进行有机肥矿化及土壤培肥效果研究。[结果]（1）有机肥还田后,有机碳、有机氮迅速矿化,在掩埋70 d内矿化的有机碳和有机氮分别占整个掩埋期矿化量的86.51%和90.59%;（2）施用有机肥可以使土壤速效磷、速效钾、腐殖酸、胡敏酸、富里酸含量维持在相对较高的水平;（3）施用有机肥可对土壤速效养分及腐殖酸变化起缓冲作用。（4）有机肥施入土壤后,初期土壤胡富比降低,经过腐殖酸转化后,土壤胡富比开始提升。[结论]在本试验条件下,于烟株移栽前20 d施入充分腐熟的有机肥,其碳氮矿化规律能较好的满足烤烟对养分的需求规律。关键词:有机肥矿化规律;土壤培肥;腐殖酸      

Determination of the Degree of Branching in Normal and Amylopectin Type Potato Starch with 1H-NMR Spectroscopy Improved resolution and two-dimensional spectroscopy

Starch from genetically modified potatoes was found to be highly branched compared with normal potato varieties through the use of ¹H-NRM spectroscopy. The average chain length, blue-value, and the wavelength at maximum absorptivity clearly show that the new potato varieties produce amylopectin starch. Correlation between the degree of branching as determined by ¹H-NMR and starch-iodine complexation, expressed as blue-value, was good and the NMR-method gives low standard deviation. For the first time, the anomeric proton, H-1, of a (1→4)-α-linked D-glucose residue and the H-1 of the glucose residue of a non-reducing end have been assigned separate chemical shifts in starch. Assignments were made as determined from two-dimensional homonuclear and ¹H-¹³C heteronuclear spectroscopy (COSY, HMQC, and HMBC). The molecular weight in degraded starch and pullulan were determined by means of NMR-spectroscopy. These results were in accordance with determinations by size exclusion chromatography and with the known molecular weights of pullulan standards.