One experimental strategy to prepare a nitrosyl metal complex is based on the acid-base conversion of NO2- into NO+. Here, we employed UV-vis absorption and FTIR spectroscopies to investigate the reaction of cis-[Ru(NO2)(bpy)2(imN)]PF6 with H3O+, which produced cis-[Ru(NO)(bpy)2(imN)](PF6)3 complex. Chromatographic studies were carried out and showed that immediately after nitrite complex was dissolved only one species was present with retention time(tR) of 6.81 minutes. Addition of H3O+ to nitrite complex led to the formation of one major peak with tR of 3.92 min supporting nitrosyl complex formation. The reaction of nitrosyl complex with cysteine was also monitored by HPLC and it showed clearly the formation and followed decrease of a peak at 3.38 minute with maximum absorption at 380 nm, consistent with an intermediate complex. Later, it was observed the appearance of a peak at 4.15 minute with absorption band at 470 nm. In contrast to the reaction with cysteine, methionine did not show the formation of any intermediate. The use of HPLC was an important tool to support mechanistic assumptions for nitrosyl reactions.

ABSTRACT This study evaluated the chemical composition and antioxidant activity of fatty acids from the marine red algae Pterocladiella capillacea (S. G. Gmelin) Santelices & Hommersand 1997 and Osmundaria obtusiloba (C. Agardh) R. E. Norris 1991. The gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) identified nine fatty acids in the two species. The major fatty acids of P. capillacea and O. obtusiloba were palmitic acid, oleic acid, arachidonic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid. The DPPH radical scavenging capacity of fatty acids was moderate ranging from 25.90% to 29.97%. Fatty acids from P. capillacea (31.18%) had a moderate ferrous ions chelating activity (FIC), while in O. obtusiloba (17.17%), was weak. The ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) of fatty acids from P. capillacea and O. obtusiloba was low. As for β-carotene bleaching (BCB), P. capillacea and O. obtusiloba showed a good activity. This is the first report of the antioxidant activities of fatty acids from the marine red algae P. capillacea and O. obtusiloba.

RESUMO CONTEXTO: A região Amazônica é uma das principais áreas endêmicas da hepatite delta no mundo e a única relacionada com a presença do genótipo 3 do vírus delta. OBJETIVO: Analisar o perfil, mortalidade e sobrevida dos pacientes cirróticos submetidos a transplante hepático por hepatite crônica pelo vírus delta e comparar com os transplantados pela monoinfecção do vírus da hepatite B. MÉTODOS: Estudo retrospectivo, observacional e descritivo. Entre maio de 2002 a dezembro de 2011, foram realizados 629 transplantes de fígado no Hospital Universitário Walter Cantídio, dos quais 29 pacientes foram transplantados por cirrose causada pela infecção crônica do vírus delta e 40 pela monoinfecção crônica da hepatite B. As variáveis analisadas foram: origem, idade, sexo, escore de MELD, classificação de Child-Pugh, ocorrência de hemorragia digestiva alta e carcinoma hepatocelular antes do transplante, número de plaquetas perioperatória, mortalidade e sobrevida. RESULTADOS: O Grupo Delta foi mais jovem e todos oriundos da região Amazônica Brasileira. O Grupo B apresentou maior proporção de pacientes do sexo masculino (92,5%) em relação ao Grupo D (58,6%). A ocorrência de hemorragia digestiva alta antes do transplante, escore de MELD e classificação de Child-Pugh não obtiveram diferenças estatísticas entre os grupos. A ocorrência de carcinoma hepatocelular e a mortalidade foram maiores no grupo com hepatite B. A sobrevida em 4 anos foi de 95% no Grupo delta e 75% no Grupo B com diferença estatisticamente significante (P=0,034). Pacientes com hepatite delta, apresentaram mais acentuada plaquetopenia no pré-transplante e no pós-operatório imediato. CONCLUSÃO: Os pacientes com hepatite por vírus delta submetidos ao transplante hepático eram predominantemente homens, vindos da região da Amazônia brasileira e com função hepática semelhante a dos pacientes com vírus da hepatite B. Apresentavam menor incidência de carcinoma hepatocelular, níveis de trombocitopenia perioperatória mais acentuados e episódios frequentes de hemorragia digestiva alta. Os pacientes com hepatite por vírus delta apresentaram menor mortalidade e maior sobrevida que os pacientes com vírus da hepatite B.

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: The Amazon region is one of the main endemic areas of hepatitis delta in the world and the only one related to the presence of genotype 3 of the delta virus. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the profile, mortality and survival of cirrhotic patients submitted to liver transplantation for chronic hepatitis delta virus and compare with those transplanted by hepatitis B virus monoinfection. METHODS: Retrospective, observational and descriptive study. From May 2002 to December 2011, 629 liver transplants were performed at the Walter Cantídio University Hospital, of which 29 patients were transplanted due to cirrhosis caused by chronic delta virus infection and 40 by hepatitis B chronic monoinfection. The variables analyzed were: age, sex, MELD score, Child-Pugh score, upper gastrointestinal bleeding and hepatocellular carcinoma occurrence before the transplantation, perioperative platelet count, mortality and survival. RESULTS: The Delta Group was younger and all came from the Brazilian Amazon Region. Group B presented a higher proportion of male patients (92.5%) compared to Group D (58.6%). The occurrence of upper gastrointestinal bleeding before transplantation, MELD score, and Child-Pugh score did not show statistical differences between groups. The occurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma and mortality were higher in the hepatitis B Group. The survival in 4 years was 95% in the Delta Group and 75% in the B Group, with a statistically significant difference (P=0.034). Patients with hepatitis delta presented more evident thrombocytopenia in the pre-transplantation and in the immediate postoperative period. CONCLUSION: The hepatitis by delta virus patients who underwent liver transplantation were predominantly male, coming from the Brazilian Amazon region and with similar liver function to the hepatitis B virus patients. They had a lower incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma, more marked perioperative thrombocytopenia levels and frequent episodes of upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Patients with hepatitis by delta virus had lower mortality and higher survival than patients with hepatitis B virus.

Os invertebrados marinhos são capazes de sintetizar compostos bioativos que podem ser benéficos à saúde humana. O objetivo desse estudo foi avaliar as atividades antioxidante, hemolítica, antimicrobiana e citotóxica do extrato bruto (EtOH 70%) e frações em diclorometano (DMC), em acetato de etila (AcOEt) e aquosa (Aq) do zoantídeo marinho Palythoa caribaeorum. Os conteúdos fenólicos totais do extrato bruto e das frações DCM, AcOEt e Aq foram 12,33; 18,17; 10,53 e 3,18 mg AGE por grama, respectivamente. O sequestro do radical DPPH mostrou uma pequena variação. O IC50 do extrato bruto e das frações DCM, AcOEt e Aq foram 11,13; 11,25; 11,74 e 11,28 g mL-1, respectivamente. Dentre as amostras, a habilidade de quelação foi maior no extrato bruto (IC50 302,90 µg mL-1), seguida pelas frações AcOEt, Aq e DCM com 457,77; 547,91 e 641,82 µg mL-1, respectivamente. O poder de redução do ferro apresentou uma densidade óptica em torno de 0,5. As amostras testadas exibiram baixa atividade hemolítica, inferior a 10%, até a concentração de 50 µg mL-1. Não foi observada atividade antimicrobiana para as cepas bacterianas testadas. Para a atividade citotóxica, LC50 de DCM, extrato bruto, AcOEt e Aq foram, respectivamente, 52,10; 83,06; 86,34 e 117,45 µg mL-1, mostrando elevada toxicidade.

Marine invertebrates are capable of synthesizing bioactive compounds, which may be beneficial to human health. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant, hemolytic, antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities of crude extract (70% EtOH), and dichloromethane (DCM), ethyl acetate (EtOAc), and aqueous (Aq) fractions of the marine zoanthid Palythoa caribaeorum. The phenolic compound contents of the crude extract, DCM, EtOAc and Aq fractions were 12.33, 18.17, 10.53, and 3.18 mg GAE per gram, respectively. DPPH radical scavenging activity showed slight variation. IC50 of crude extract, DCM, EtOAc and Aq fractions were 11.13, 11.25, 11.74, and 11.28 µg mL-1, respectively. Among the sample, ferrous ion chelating was the highest in crude extract (IC50 302.90 µg mL-1), followed by EtOAc, Aq, and DCM fractions with 457.77, 547.91, and 641.82 µg mL-1, respectively. Ferric-reducing antioxidant power showed optical density at about 0.5. The samples tested exhibited low hemolytic activity under 10% up to a concentration of 50 μg mL-1. No antimicrobial activity was observed against any of the tested bacterial strains. For the cytotoxic activity, LC50 of DCM, crude extract, EtOAc, and Aq were 52.10, 83.06, 86.34, and 117.45 μg mL-1, showing high toxicity.

Antioxidantes naturais encontrados em macroalgas marinhas são substâncias bioativas conhecidas por desempenhar um papel importante na prevenção de doenças associadas com o envelhecimento, protegendo as células de danos oxidativos. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar as atividades antioxidante e citotóxica de extratos etanólicos de duas espécies de algas vermelhas, Amansia multifida eMeristiella echinocarpa. A atividade antioxidantein vitro foi determinada pela capacidade de sequestro do radical DPPH, o poder de redução do ferro (FRAP), o poder de quelação do íon ferroso (FIC), o teste de oxidação acoplada β-caroteno/ácido linoleico (BCB), bem como a quantificação do conteúdo fenólico total. A citotoxicidade foi avaliada pelo teste de letalidade contra Artemia sp. Os valores das substâncias fenólicas observados no presente estudo indicaram que as espéciesA. multifida e M. echinocarpa são ricas em substâncias fenólicas, atingindo valores de 45,40 e de 28,86 mg de ácido gálico equivalente (AGE) g−1de extrato etanólico, respectivamente. A capacidade de seqüestro do radical DPPH e o poder de quelação do íon ferroso foram 60% e 17%, respectivamente. Ambos os extratos algáceos inibiram a oxidação do β-caroteno em torno de 40%. Nenhum dos extratos algáceos foi potencialmente citotóxico. Os resultados mostraram que os extratos destas espécies de rodófitas apresentam potencial antioxidante e baixa toxicidade. Elas são fontes de compostos antioxidantes naturais.

Natural antioxidants found in marine macroalgae are bioactive compounds known to play an important role in the prevention of diseases associated with aging cells protecting them against the oxidative damage. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant and cytotoxic activity of ethanolic extracts of two species of red seaweeds, Amansia multifida and Meristiella echinocarpa. In vitro antioxidant activity was determined by DPPH radical scavenging assay, ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay, ferrous ion chelating (FIC) assay, β-carotene bleaching (BCB) assay and total phenolic content (TPC) quantification. Cytotoxicity was evaluated with the brine shrimp Artemia sp. lethality test. The TPC values observed in the present study indicated that both species A. multifida and M. echinocarpa are rich in phenolic compounds, reaching values of 45.40 and 28.46 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE) g−1 of ethanolic extract, respectively. DPPH radical scavenging and ferrous ion chelating showed values of 60% and 17%, respectively. Both seaweed extracts inhibited β-carotene oxidation by approximately 40%. None of the algal extracts were potentially cytotoxic. The results have showed that extracts of both species of marine red algae exhibit antioxidant potential and low toxicity. They are sources of natural antioxidant compounds.