Agnieszka Jabłońska-Wawrzycka

A novel single-site manganese(II) complex of a pyridine derivative as a catalase mimetic for disproportionation of H2O2 in water.

A novel single site Mn(II) complex was successfully synthesized and tested in the aqueous disproportionation of hydrogen peroxide. The complex was found to be stable (HR-XAS) and exhibits catalase-like activity in neutral pH. Theoretical calculations suggested a reaction mechanism involving two complexes, changes in metal oxidation state and proton shuttling.

Eight- and six-coordinated Mn(II) complexes of heteroaromatic alcohol and aldehyde: crystal structure, spectral, magnetic, thermal and antibacterial activity studies.

Crystal, molecular and electronic structure of new manganese(II) compounds: [Mn(2-CH2OHpy)2(NO3)2] (1), [Mn(4-CHO-5-MeIm)2(NO3)2] (2) and [Mn(4-CHO-5-MeIm)2Cl2] (3), where 2-hydroxymethylpyridine (2-CH2OHpy) and 5(4)-carbaldehyde-4(5)-methylimidazole (5(4)-CHO-4(5)-MeIm), have been characterised using X-ray, spectroscopic, magnetic and TG/DTG data. In compounds 1 and 2, the Mn(II) ion is eight-coordinated forming distorted pseudo-dodecahedron, that is rather unusual for the manganese(II) complexes, whereas in 3 the Mn(II) ion environment is a distorted octahedron. The high coordination number (CN=8) of 1 and 2 results from bidentate character of the nitrate ligands. The X-band EPR spectra of compounds 2 and 3 exhibit fine structure signals resulting from zero-field splitting (ZFS) of the spin states for high spin d(5) Mn(II), whereas for 1 the broad isotropic signals were observed. The estimation of ZFS for individual Mn(II) ions was carried out for all compounds using DFT calculations. The free ligands and their manganese(II) complexes have been tested in vitro against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria in order to assess their antimicrobial properties.

Morphological changes in Proteus mirabilis O18 biofilm under the influence of a urease inhibitor and a homoserine lactone derivative

Proteus mirabilis is a pathogenic gram-negative bacterium that frequently causes kidney infections, typically established by ascending colonization of the urinary tract. The present study is focused on ureolytic activity and urease inhibition in biofilms generated by P. mirabilis O18 cells. Confocal microscopy revealed morphological alterations in biofilms treated with urea and a urease inhibitor (acetohydroxamic acid, AHA), as some swarmer cells were found to protrude from the biofilm. The presence of a quorum-sensing molecule (N-butanoyl homoserine lactone, BHL) increased biofilm thickness and its ureolytic activity. Laser interferometric determination of diffusion showed that urea easily diffuses through P. mirabilis biofilm, while AHA is blocked. This may suggest that the use of urease inhibitors in CAUTIs may by less effective than in other urease-associated infections. Spectroscopic studies revealed differences between biofilm and planktonic cells indicating that polysaccharides and nucleic acids are involved in extracellular matrix and biofilm formation.