Vily Marius Cimpoiaşu

BORON ENHANCES THE THERMOSTABILITY OF CARBOHYDRATES

We have studied the effect of borate and pH upon the half-lives of ribose and glucose. Under acidic conditions the presence of boric acid increase the thermo-stability of ribose, while under basic conditions glucose is favored.

In vitro evaluation of the antioxidant activity of calcium fructoborate

Although increasing evidence shows the nutritional benefits of calcium fructoborate (CF) on animals and humans, its action mechanism has not been clearly identified. The present study aims to investigate the possible antioxidant function of CF. Based on its efficiency in skin wound healing, the authors tested whether CF possesses antioxidant properties on human keratinocytes cultures, in a complete serum-free medium (KMK-2; Sigma). The cells treated with CF (0–450 nmol/culture medium) were exposed to exogenous 100 μmol of hydrogen peroxide to mimic the oxidative stress. The changes in general cell oxidant production evaluated with dihydrorhodamine-123 showed that the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) were markedly reduced by preincubation with CF. The maximum antioxidant activity was notice at 90 nmol CF. To assess the reactivity of CF on ROS, we analyzed its ability to inhibit the superoxide-dependent auto-oxidation of pyrogallol. The CF inhibited the pyrogallol auto-oxidation depending on time and concentration, which suggests its possible role as a superoxide radical scavenger. Taken together, our results indicate that CF has antioxidant activity, which could have clinical significance in protecting cells from oxidant-induced injury. A hypothetic mechanism for the antioxidant activity of CF is proposed.

Calcium Fructoborate: Plant-Based Dietary Boron for Human Nutrition

The main objective of this paper is to evaluate the scientific evidence on the form of organic boron, calcium fructoborate (CF), including health dates, dietary needs, pharmacology, experts opinion, research papers, clinical evidence, and dosing. CF is a natural product with effects in oxidative metabolism and cell apoptosis. We review the biological and biochemical action of chemical natural-identical entity of CF. This mini review provides support for future clinical research.

Rooting Prebiotic Chirality in Spinomeric Chemistry

Spinomeric chemistry is a domain of physical chemistry that explores the role of spin-isomery in chemical reactivity. In large magnetic fields (B), chemical structures with three adjacent nuclear spins (such as H(2)(17)O, H(2)(33)S,-NH(2), and and -(13)CH(2)-) form complex spinomers. Known departure from a 1:1 ratio between various types of spinomers opens interesting research avenues in their potential role in asymmetric hydration processes. Recent time domain (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance (TD-(1)HNMR) findings revealed the existence of small, yet consistent, H(2)(17)O-controlled enantio-different proton exchange reactivity in sugars. The mechanisms behind this effect are unclear and may involve spinomer/enantiocenter (e.g., H(2)(17)O/*C) interactions or spinomer/spinomer (e.g., H(2)(17)O/-NH(2)) interactions. We developed an experimental model that allows for the verification and study of such effects. We used TD-(1)HNMR at 0.589 T to study and compare proton exchange enantio-differences in asparagine (Asn) and mandelic acid in response to titration with H(2)(17)O at constant pH. Unlike Asn, mandelic acid has no complex spinomer group (such as -NH(2)) in its chiral center. We report finding enantio-differences regarding DeltapK and 1/T(2)(0) correlated with H(2)(17)O, and linear changes in DeltaM(2) indicating differences in the affinity of enantiomers for H(2)(17)O surface hydration. These results stress the importance of H(2)(17)O-based spinomeric chemistry in chiral reactivity and open windows toward a novel interpretation of the origin of prebiotic chiral reactivity in the presence of moderately large B (such as on magnetic mineral surfaces or on satellites of gaseous giants), as well as toward abiotic isotopic fractionation of H(2)(17)O in the presence of chiral organic molecules.

Energy-Driven Evolution of Prebiotic Chiral Order (Lessons from Dynamic Systems Modeling)

The evolution of biochirality was very long and too complex of a problem to be solved by experimental chemistry alone. We developed an explicit computer model that can be used to produce simulations of prebiotic chiral evolution as a platform for constructing more complex models and also a means to obtain insight in the origin of prebiotic order. This model monitors changes in chiral order in systems that are coupled through feedbacks with an external energy flow. To illustrate the functioning of the model, we analyzed changes in information capacity and used the energy equivalent of a unit of chiral order (E bit) and the half-life of chiral intermediates to determine the external energy flux needed to produce and maintain chiral disequilibrium (E ee). Comparisons of E ee with three energy sources that were common to the environment of protocells (solar light, chemiosmosis, and diffusion combined with redox chemistry) suggest that before complex chiral catalysts have originated, energy was not a limiting factor of chiral evolution. During this phase in the origin of life, the evolution of chiral order was rate limited, and its pace was lower or equal to the rate of abiotic racemization. This limitation, combined with the postulate that biomolecular systems cannot function without large enantiomeric excess, is used to hypothesize that the catalysis of interconversion of enantiomers is a prerequisite of the origin of life.

Prebiotic Competition between Information Variants, With Low Error Catastrophe Risks

During competition for resources in primitive networks increased fitness of an information variant does not necessarily equate with successful elimination of its competitors. If variability is added fast to a system, speedy replacement of pre-existing and less-efficient forms of order is required as novel information variants arrive. Otherwise, the information capacity of the system fills up with information variants (an effect referred as “error catastrophe”). As the cost for managing the system’s exceeding complexity increases, the correlation between performance capabilities of information variants and their competitive success decreases, and evolution of such systems toward increased efficiency slows down. This impasse impedes the understanding of evolution in prebiotic networks. We used the simulation platform Biotic Abstract Dual Automata (BiADA) to analyze how information variants compete in a resource-limited space. We analyzed the effect of energy-related features (differences in autocatalytic efficiency, energy cost of order, energy availability, transformation rates and stability of order) on this competition. We discuss circumstances and controllers allowing primitive networks acquire novel information with minimal “error catastrophe” risks. We present a primitive mechanism for maximization of energy flux in dynamic networks. This work helps evaluate controllers of evolution in prebiotic networks and other systems where information variants compete.

Autonomous Generator for Technical Oxygen

The Autonomous Generator of Technical Oxygen(AGTO)has been achieved at ICMET Craiova, in cooperation with ICSI Rm. Valcea. It represents a product finalizing a scientific research theme financed by the romanian Ministry of Education and Research.The AGTO is intended to the brazing, welding and oxygas flame cutting processes, technical fields which can be actually found in all industrial applications. The presented product is based on oxygen generation by using molecular sieves that carry out the selective adsorption of air components.The selective adsorption of air components, by synthetic zeolites, is possible due to the physical and chemical properties of the gases coming into contact with the adsorber(synthetic zeolite). The main components of air have molecular diameters comparable with the diameter of the molecular sieve pores, the dimensional differences causing the relative selective adsorption at the adsorbing surface of zeolites.The AGTO performs the air separation for generating oxygen by the selective adsorption of nitrogen, according to Pressure Swing Adsorption(PSA)principle. The AGTO is provided with a programmable automaton, controlling the sequential stages of the selective adsorption: air pressurization of the adsorber at the working pressure; adsorption of nitrogen from air under pressure; pressure equalizing between the two adsorbers; depressurization, period during which most of the adsorbed nitrogen is desorbed; purging(vacuuming), for removing the traces of adsorbed nitrogen; re-pressurization at adsorption pressure.In the paper are shown the main components figures and the values obtained for oxygen purity using several initial pressure and air humidity.