Enzymatic toxicity

Bacterial or enzymatic toxicity tests are used to assay the activity of organic compounds including solvents. A survey of environmental bacterial or enzymatic test systems is given by Bitton and Koopman. The principles of these test systems are based on bacterial properties (growth, viability, bioluminescence, etc.) or enzymatic activities and biosynthesis. The toxicity of several solvents were tested in bacterial or enzymatic systems, e.g., pure solvents such as phenol in growth inhibition assays (Aeromonas sp.), solvents in complex compounds such as oil derivates, solvents in environmental samples such as sediments or solvents used in the test systems.The efficiency of several test systems, e.g., Microtox tests or ATP assays, vary, e.g., looking at the effects of solvents. ... 

Hydrolysis of Nitriles. The chemical hydrolysis of nitriles to acids takes place only under strong acidic or basic conditions and may be accompanied by formation of unwanted and sometimes toxic by-products. Enzymatic hydrolysis of nitriles by nitrile hydratases, nittilases, and amidases is often advantageous since amides or acids can be produced under very mild conditions and in a stereo- or regioselective manner (114,115). 

Drugs and other chemicals such as food additives or insecticides foreign to the body undergo enzymatic transformations that result in loss of pharmacological activity detoxification), or lead to the formation of metabolites with therapeutic or toxic effects bioactivation). 

Technology Description Hydrolysis is the process of breaking a bond in a molecule (which is ordinarily not water-soluble) so that it will go into ionic solution with water. Hydrolysis can be achieved by the addition of chemicals (e.g., acid hydrolysis), by irradiation (e.g., photolysis) or by biological action (e.g., enzymatic bond cleavage). The cloven molecule can then be further treated by other means to reduce toxicity. 

Bacillus thuringiensis produces a variety of organic compounds which are toxic to the larvae of certain susceptible insect hosts. Among the toxic entities are proteinaceous crystals, probably three soluble toxins, and certain enzymes. The protein material is the major toxin active in killing lepidopterous larvae. The protein is formed by the cells apparently in close synchrony with sporulation, and its nature is a constant function of bacterial strain. The mode of action of the protein is under study. The sequence of events in the pathology observed is probably solubilization of the crystal (enzymatic or physical)—>liberation of toxic unit—>alteration of permeability of larval gut wall— change in hemolymph pH—>invasion of hemolymph by spores or vegetative cells of the bacterium. 

Nonvolatile Inhibitors. Glycosides A number of toxic constituents are known to be released by the enzymatic degradation of various glycosides. Some of the volatile components have been mentioned previously—i.e., isothiocyanates from mustard oil glycosides and hydrogen cyanide from cyanogenic glycosides. 

Nifurtimox, a nitrofuran, is a prodrug that is reduced to unstable nitroanion radicals, which react to produce highly toxic oxygen metabolites, such as superoxide and peroxide. Oxidative stress subsequently kills the parasite, which seems to lack effective enzymatic pathways to detoxify oxygen metabolites. 

Materials used in body implants must meet several essential requirements such as tissue compatibility, enzymatic and hydrolytic stability. They must also be chemically resistant and have good mechanical properties. They must not be toxic, or the surrounding tissue will die. They must be resistant to the body fluids which usually have a high percentage of chloride ions. They must be biologically active if an interfacial bond is to be achieved. In some cases, they must be able to withstand continued high mechanical stresses for many years. 

Biotechnology offers promise for improving the qrrality of om environment through the introduction of new microbial and enzymatic techniqnes for removing and destroying toxic pollntants in mrmicipal and industrial wastes. This opportunity is discnssed in detail in Chapter 7. 

As the name implies, the odor of urine in maple syrup urine disease (brancbed-chain ketonuria) suggests maple symp or burnt sugar. The biochemical defect involves the a-keto acid decarboxylase complex (reaction 2, Figure 30-19). Plasma and urinary levels of leucine, isoleucine, valine, a-keto acids, and a-hydroxy acids (reduced a-keto acids) are elevated. The mechanism of toxicity is unknown. Early diagnosis, especially prior to 1 week of age, employs enzymatic analysis. Prompt replacement of dietary protein by an amino acid mixture that lacks leucine, isoleucine, and valine averts brain damage and early mortality. 

The most limiting factor for enzymatic PAC production is the inactivation of PDC by the toxic substrate benzaldehyde. The rate of PDC deactivation follows a first order dependency on benzaldehyde concentration and reaction time [8]. Various strategies have been developed to minimize PDC exposure to benzaldehyde including fed-batch operation, immobilization of PDC for continuous operation and more recently an enzymatic aqueous/octanol two-phase process [5,9,10] in which benzaldehyde is continuously fed from the octanol to the enzyme in the aqueous phase. The present study aims at optimal feeding of benzaldehyde in an aqueous batch system. 

Landis WG, 11 DeFrank (1990) Enzymatic hydrolysis of toxic organofluorophosphate componnds. In Biotechnology and Biodegradation (Eds D Kamely, A Chakrabarty, GS Omenn), Vol. 4, pp. 183-201. Gnlf Publishing Company, Honston, USA. 

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