ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
·
2017
·
IF 6.32
Boyin Yan,Zhiquan Liu,Rui Huang,Yongpeng Xu,Dongmei Liu,Tsair-Fuh Lin,Fuyi Cui
There is a serious dispute on the existence of β-N-methylamino-l-alanine (BMAA) in water, which is a neurotoxin that may cause amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/Parkinson’s disease (ALS/PDC) and Alzheimer’ disease. It is believed that a reliable and sensitive analytical method for the determination of BMAA is urgently required to resolve this dispute. In the present study, the solid phase extraction (SPE) procedure and the analytical method for dissolved BMAA in water were investigated and optimized. The results showed both derivatized and underivatized methods were qualified for the measurement of BMAA and its isomer in natural water, and the limit of detection and the precision of the two methods were comparable. Cartridge characteristics and SPE conditions could greatly affect the SPE performance, and the competition of natural organic matter is the primary factor causing the low recovery of BMAA, which was reduced from approximately 90% in pure water to 38.11% in natural water. The optimized SPE method for BMAA was a combination of rinsed SPE cartridges, controlled loading/elution rates and elution solution, evaporation at 55 °C, reconstitution of a solution mixture, and filtration by polyvinylidene fluoride membrane. This optimized method achieved > 88% recovery of BMAA in both algal solution and river water. The developed method can provide an efficient way to evaluate the actual concentration levels of BMAA in actual water environments and drinking water systems.
研究领域:
环境科学
·
分析化学
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毒理学
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
·
2019
·
IF 5.589
Boyin Yan,Zhiquan Liu,Ying Liu,Rui Huang,Yongpeng Xu,Dongmei Liu,Fuyi Cui,Wenxin Shi
β- N -Methylamino- l -alanine (BMAA), a new cyanobacterial toxin , is found in different aquatic ecosystems worldwide and is to threaten the human nervous system. Therefore, it is important for water plants to develop feasible methods to counter the effects of BMAA. In this study, the removal of BMAA by chlorine, as well as its intermediate products, at different pH values and the mechanism of pH on the removal BMAA were investigated. The results showed that the chlorination of BMAA is in accordance with the second-order kinetics model. The reaction rate of chlorinated BMAA increased with the increase in the concentration of chlorine. The pH of the solution significantly affected the reaction rate. The apparent kinetic constant ( k app ) decreased from 6.00 × 10 3 M − 1 ·min − 1 to 35.5 M − 1 ·min − 1 when the pH increased from 4.5 to 9 in the chlorine concentration of 32.23 μM. It is probable that the species distribution and proportion of BMAA and chlorine at different pH values were the main causes of this phenomenon. Additionally, the chlorination reaction consisted of four elementary reactions and hydrogen ions were beneficial to the reaction. The temperature also affected the reaction rate and the activation energy of the reaction was 16.6 ± 1.99 kJ·M − 1 . A variety of degradation products were detected and the path of degradation was speculated. Chlorination, dechlorination , and decarboxylation were the main processes of oxidative degradation. Furthermore, the composition of the degradation products was the same at different pH values.
研究领域:
环境科学
·
毒理学
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
FOOD RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL
·
2024
·
IF 7
Yanjun Liu,Yuhe Zhu,Xiaoxu Wang,Yiyang Li,Shuaiqi Yang,Hongyan Li,Bo Dong,Zhigao Wang,Yu Song,Jie Xu,Changhu Xue
The neurotoxin β -methylamino- L -alanine (BMAA) produced by cyanobacteria is widely present in foods and dietary supplements, posing a significant threat to human health. Ganglioside GM1 (GM1) has demonstrated potential for treating neurodegenerative diseases; however, its ability to prevent BMAA-induced neurotoxicity remains uncertain. In this study, zebrafish embryos were treated with Ganglioside GM1 to investigate its neuroprotective effects against BMAA exposure and the underlying mechanisms. Exposure to BMAA (400 μM) resulted in increased malformation rate and heart rates in zebrafish embryos at 72 h post-fertilization, along with the decreased survival rates. Conversely, GM1 intervention rescued BMAA-induced movement disorders and brain cell apoptosis, and oxidative stress was alleviated. In addition, GM1 inhibited the neurotoxic effects of BMAA in zebrafish embryos, as indicated by the up-regulation of genes related to neuron development (gpx1a, bdnf, ngfb, and islet-1) and the down-regulations of neurodegeneration-related genes (cdk5, gfap, and nptxr). GM1 treatment restored 261 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) identified through RNA sequencing, with the most enriched DEGs related to the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway ( P < 0.05, 47 genes). GM1 modulated MAPK-targeted gene expression at the mRNA level. These findings suggest that GM1 alleviates BMAA-induced neurotoxicity in the early-life stage of zebrafish embryos. The neuroprotective mechanism may involve the MAPK pathway, offering new insights into lipid signaling for the prevention of neurotoxic hazards to biological health.
研究领域:
神经科学
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毒理学
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分子生物学
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发育生物学
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
ANALYTICA CHIMICA ACTA
·
2025
·
IF 6
Jinhua Xu,Jinyu Zhang,Wenmin Zhang,Shiye Xie,Lan Zhang
Background Chiral pollutants present significant environmental and health concerns, with neurotoxic amino acid analogs like β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) demonstrating enantiomer-specific bioaccumulation in aquatic ecosystems. Current analytical approaches for chiral environmental contaminants rely predominantly on chromatographic techniques that require extensive sample preparation (typically 24 h), limiting field deployment and high-throughput screening capabilities. Detection thresholds for these compounds (0.1–10 μg/L) necessitate sensitive methodologies that maintain stereochemical integrity. This study addresses these analytical challenges through the rational design of chiral cobalt hydroxide (CF–Co(OH) 2 ) nanomaterials engineered for dual-mode detection and separation functionality. Results A hierarchical porous α-Co(OH) 2 with tunable chirality (R/S/RS configurations) and morphologies (square, rough surface, snowflake, flower-like) via micelle-templated growth strategies. The materials demonstrated dual functionality: (1) Rapid colorimetric amino acid discrimination within 5 min with precision (RSD = 4.9 %, n = 6), validated through urinary l -tryptophan quantification (17.1 ± 0.4 μg/mL); (2) Ultrasensitive BMAA separation via SPE-HPLC-MS/MS with significantly improved detection limits (LOD = 0.02 μg/kg) and processing speed (144 × faster than conventional methods). The colorimetric detection mechanism exploits BMAA's ability to form cobalt-amine complexes that produce concentration-dependent yellow coloration, enabling visual detection at 50 μg/kg in freshwater samples. Field testing successfully detected BMAA in crucian carp (0.39 ± 0.03 μg/kg), confirming food-chain biomagnification with excellent recovery (90.1–102.7 %) across diverse matrices. The system's chiral specificity exhibited distinct affinity patterns (BMAA: R–Co(OH) 2 ; DAB: S–Co(OH) 2 ) with 91.4 % enantiomeric excess in just 10 min through configuration-specific “three-point binding” mechanisms (intramolecular binding energy: 18.7 kcal/mol). Significance This research establishes morphology-programmable chiral materials as a versatile analytical platform for rapid on-site environmental monitoring and high-throughput toxin analysis. The developed methodology directly addresses World Health Organization guidelines for algal toxin detection in drinking water while providing a generalizable approach for chiral pollutant discrimination in complex environmental and biological samples.
研究领域:
环境科学
·
分析化学
·
毒理学
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
CHEMOSPHERE
·
2019
·
IF 5.108
Boyin Yan,Zhiquan Liu,Rui Huang,Yongpeng Xu,Dongmei Liu,Wei Wang,Zhiwei Zhao,Fuyi Cui,Wenxin Shi
Cyanobacteria produce a series of secondary metabolites , one of which is beta- N -methylamino- l -alanine (BMAA). BMAA is considered to be the cause of human neurodegeneration. Compared with other cyanotoxins, the role of BMAA in cyanobacteria remains unclear. To investigate this question, six strains of cyanobacteria were cultured and tested in this experiment with an optimized and validated BMAA determination method. The results show that four strains can produce BMAA. The effects of nutrient levels on the production of BMAA by Anabaena sp. FACHB-418 were studied by changing the initial concentrations of nitrate (NaNO 3 ) and phosphate (K 2 HPO 4 ) in mediums. Bound BMAA was detected in all samples and the concentrations were within 50–100 ng/g. Free BMAA was presence when the concentration of nitrogen was lower than 1.7 mg/L (121.43 μM). Free BMAA was released from the dead and ruptured cells during the cell decline period, so dissolved BMAA cannot be detectable in the adaptation and logarithmic periods, but could be abundant in the decline periods. Statistical analyses show that free BMAA concentrations were negatively correlated with nitrogen strongly (p = 2.334 × 10 −10 and r = −0.842), but positively correlated with phosphorus weakly (p = 0.016 and r = 0.405). Moreover, the results of culture experiments indicated that exogenous BMAA could inhibit the growth of cyanobacteria that cannot produce BMAA, and the effect was enhanced as the concentration of exogenous BMAA increased. This phenomenon implies that the production of BMAA may be the stress response by some cyanobacteria to low nitrogen conditions to kill other cyanobacteria, i.e., their competitors.
研究领域:
环境科学
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毒理学
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
·
2023
·Vol. 30
·期 16
·47873-47881
·
IF 5.8
Yan Boyin,Han Chunyu,Liu Zhiquan,Wu Guizhi,Wang Songxue,Li Jincheng,Xia Wenxiang,Cui Fuyi
Abstract β- N -methylamino- l -alanine (BMAA), which has been considered as an environmental factor that caused amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/parkinsonism-dementia complex (ALS/PDC) or Alzheimer’s disease, could be produced by a variety of genera cyanobacteria. BMAA is widely present in water sources contaminated by cyanobacteria and may threaten human health through drinking water. Although oxidants commonly used in drinking water plants such as chlorine, ozone, hydrogen peroxide, and hydroxyl radicals have been shown to effectively degrade BMAA, there are limited studies on the mechanism of BMAA degradation by different oxidants, especially ozone. This work systematically explored the effectiveness of BMAA ozonation degradation, investigated the effect of the operating parameters on the effectiveness of degradation, and speculated on the pathways of BMAA decomposition. The results showed that BMAA could be quickly eliminated by ozone, and the removal rates of BMAA were nearly 100% in pure water, but the removal rates were reduced in actual water. BMAA was primarily degraded by direct oxidation of ozone molecules in acidic and near-neutral conditions, and indirect oxidation of •OH accounted for the main part under strong alkaline conditions. The pH value had a significant effect on the decomposition of BMAA, and the degradation rate of BMAA was fastest at near-neutral pH value. The degradation rates of TOC were significantly lower than that of BMAA, indicating that by-products were generated during the degradation process. Three by-products ([M-H] + = 105, 90, and 88) were identified by UPLC-MS/MS, and the degradation pathways of BMAA were proposed. The production of by-products was attributed to the fracture of the C–N bonds. This work is helpful for the in-depth understanding on the mechanism and demonstration of the feasibility of the oxidation of BMAA by the ozone process. Highlights • The reaction of ozonation BMAA was easy to occur. • The degradation rate was fast under near-neutral conditions. • Direct oxidation under neural conditions was the main pathway for ozone degradation of BMAA. • Three products were detected, and the reaction path was inferred. Graphical Abstract
研究领域:
环境科学
·
毒理学
·
水处理技术
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
CHEMOSPHERE
·
2022
·
IF 8.943
Boyin Yan,Songxue Wang,Zhiquan Liu,Da Wang,Wenxin Shi,Fuyi Cui
In this work, the UV 254 /H 2 O 2 process was utilized to remove β-N-methylamino- l -alanine (BMAA), a kind of cyanobacteria neurotoxin, and the influence of reaction parameters and environmental factors on the degradation of BMAA has been systematically investigated. The results showed that BMAA could be effectively removed in the UV 254 /H 2 O 2 system compared to UV or H 2 O 2 alone and OH was confirmed as the main ROS to degrade BMAA. The degradation rate of BMAA increased first and then decreased with the increase of pH and the maximum k obs was 0.1545 min −1 obtained at pH 9. The removal of BMAA in the UV 254 /H 2 O 2 system was inhibited in actual water, while the degradation rate of BMAA in actual water could still exceed 90% by appropriately extending the reaction time. The decrease in the degradation efficiency of BMAA in actual water was primarily due to the ultraviolet light absorption and competition effects of NOM, and anions (Cl − and HCO 3 − ) would also inhibit the degradation of BMAA. Five by-products ([M − H] - = 118, 103, 88, 87 and 59) were identified in this study and the degradation pathways of BMAA were proposed. The production of by-products was attributed to the fracture of the C–N bond and hydroxylation reaction. This study is worthwhile to deepen the understanding of the degradation mechanism of BMAA in the UV 254 /H 2 O 2 system.
研究领域:
环境科学
·
毒理学
✓ 已验证
DOI
高影响因子
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