Following your steak’s history from pasture to plate

The package on a supermarket steak may say “grass-fed” or “grass-finished,” but how can a consumer know whether the cow spent its days grazing peacefully on meadow grass or actually gorged on feedlot corn? In ACS’s Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, scientists are now reporting the development of a method that can reconstruct the dietary history of cattle and authenticate the origins of beef.

Frank J. Monahan and colleagues note that consumers are increasingly concerned about the origins and labeling of meat, as they seek assurance about the meat’s safety or prepare to pay premium prices for specialty meats that are raised locally or certified as organic. “An example of such a product is pasture-fed beef,” they write, “often marketed as superior nutritionally as a result of increased levels of omega-3 fatty acids...arising from the consumption of grass.”

To reconstruct the diet of cattle, the researchers analyzed the proportions of different types of oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, and sulfur in the animals’ muscle tissue and tail hair. Specific diets (for instance, a diet that switched from mostly grass to corn at the end of the cow’s life) leave a distinctive “fingerprint” of these elements in cattle tissue. The fingerprint in muscle represents the animal’s overall lifetime diet, while quicker-growing tissue in tail hair can reveal more recent dietary changes. Monahan and colleagues say the fingerprints “provide a powerful tool to reconstruct changes in feed components offered to animals over periods of over a year and thus a tool to verify farm production practices.”

The authors acknowledge funding from the Irish Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry: "Beef Authentication and Retrospective Dietary Verification Using Stable Isotope Ratio Analysis of Bovine Muscle and Tail Hair" [J. Agric. Food Chem., 2011, 59 (7), pp 3295–3305; DOI: 10.1021/jf1040959].

“Liquid smoke” from rice shows potential health benefits

Liquid smoke flavoring made from hickory and other wood - a mainstay flavoring and anti-bacterial agent for the prepared food industry and home kitchens - may get a competitor that seems to be packed with antioxidant, antiallergenic and anti-inflammatory substances, according to a new study in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. It is the first analysis of liquid smoke produced from rice hulls, the hard, inedible coverings of rice grains.

Mendel Friedman, Seok Hyun Nam and colleagues explain that wood from trees is typically used to produce liquid smoke, added to meat and other foods for a smoky taste. But other types of plants can also be burned to make the popular seasoning. Rice is a prime candidate, with 680 millions tons produced worldwide each year. Hulls account for 136 million tons of that amount and often go to waste. The researchers wondered rice hulls could be put to good use in a liquid form as a food flavoring, and did the first studies needed to determine if rice hull smoke is safe enough for food use.

The scientists found that liquid smoke from rice hulls may be healthful. Their tests on laboratory cell cultures found that liquid rice hull smoke worked as an antioxidant that could help fight off diseases. It also helped prevent inflammation, which is associated with many different health problems did not trigger an allergic response. “New food uses of a major agricultural byproduct may benefit the environment, farmers, and consumers,” the report stated. “However, it is necessary to demonstrate that rice hull smoke is safe. The present study was designed to contribute to this assessment.”

The authors acknowledge funding from the Rural Development Administration, Republic of Korea.

Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry: "Composition of Liquid Rice Hull Smoke and Anti-Inflammatory Effects in Mice" [J. Agric. Food Chem., 2011, 59 (9), pp 4570–4581; DOI: 10.1021/jf2003392].

Toward a vaccine for methamphetamine abuse

Scientists are reporting development of three promising formulations that could be used in a vaccine to treat methamphetamine addiction - one of the most serious drug abuse problems in the U.S. The report appears in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

In the paper, Kim Janda and colleagues note that methamphetamine use and addiction cost the U.S. more than $23 billion annually due to medical and law enforcement expenses, as well as lost productivity. The drug, also called “meth” or “crystal meth,” can cause a variety of problems including cardiovascular damage and death. Meth is highly addictive, and users in conventional behavioral treatment programs often relapse. Previously tested meth vaccines either are not effective or are very expensive. To overcome these challenges, the researchers made and tested new vaccine formulations that could potentially be effective for long periods, which would drive down costs and help prevent relapse.

The group found that three of the new formulations that produced a good immune response in mice (stand-ins for humans in the lab) were particularly promising. “These findings represent a unique approach to the design of new vaccines against methamphetamine abuse,” say the researchers.

The authors acknowledge funding from the National Institute on Drug Abuse and The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology.

Journal of the American Chemical Society: "Impact of Distinct Chemical Structures for the Development of a Methamphetamine Vaccine" [J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2011, 133 (17), pp 6587–6595; DOI: 10.1021/ja108807j].

The “$1,000 genome” may cost $100,000 to understand

Advances in technology have almost lifted the curtain on the long-awaited era of the “$1,000 genome” - a time when all the genes that make up a person can be deciphered for about that amount - compared to nearly $1 million a few years ago. But an article in the current edition of Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), ACS’ weekly newsmagazine, raises the disconcerting prospect that a price tag of $100,000, by one conservative estimate, is necessary to analyze that genetic data so it can be used in personalized medicine – custom designing treatments that fit the patient’s genetic endowment.

In the article, C&EN Senior Editor Rick Mullin explains that while the cost of sequencing genes has dropped dramatically, the cost of analyzing genomic data so that it can be put to practical use in medicine has hardly budged. Today, assessing the genetic predispositions to disease means costly data analysis by specialists from several research areas, including molecular and computational biology, genetics, pathology and clinical science.

Mullin, however, cites several trends in bioinformatics that are opening the door to collection and processing of genetic data more economically and efficiently. One trend is to incorporate genomic analysis in commercial drug discovery and development efforts from the beginning. Another way to ease the burden is to reduce the amount of data that is generated - one instrument company recently developed a brand-new sequencing technology that generates much smaller data files, for example. Pharma researchers also are collaborating and sharing data like never before, and some of them are making use of public cloud computing and free, open-source software.

Chemical & Engineering News: "The Next Generation in Genome Sequencing" [May 9, 2011].

New evidence that caffeine is a healthful antioxidant in coffee

Scientists are reporting an in-depth analysis of how the caffeine in coffee, tea, and other foods seems to protect against conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and heart disease on the most fundamental levels. The report, which describes the chemistry behind caffeine’s antioxidant effects, appears in ACS’ The Journal of Physical Chemistry B.

Annia Galano and Jorge Rafael León-Carmona describe evidence suggesting that coffee is one of the richest sources of healthful antioxidants in the average person’s diet. Some of the newest research points to caffeine (also present in tea, cocoa, and other foods) as the source of powerful antioxidant effects that may help protect people from Alzheimer’s and other diseases. However, scientists know little about exactly how caffeine works in scavenging the so-called free radicals that have damaging effects in the body. And those few studies sometimes have reached contradictory conclusions.

In an effort to bolster scientific knowledge about caffeine, they present detailed theoretical calculations on caffeine’s interactions with free radicals. Their theoretical conclusions show “excellent” consistency with the results that other scientists have report from animal and other experiments, bolstering the likelihood that caffeine is, indeed, a source of healthful antioxidant activity in coffee.

The Journal of Physical Chemistry B:

"Is Caffeine a Good Scavenger of Oxygenated Free Radicals?" [J. Phys. Chem. B, 2011, 115 (15), pp 4538–4546; DOI: 10.1021/jp201383y].

Natural protection against radiation

In the midst of ongoing concerns about radiation exposure from the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan, scientists are reporting that a substance similar to resveratrol — an antioxidant found in red wine, grapes and nuts — could protect against radiation sickness. The report appears in ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters.

Michael Epperly, Kazunori Koide and colleagues explain that radiation exposure, either from accidents (like recent events in Japan) or from radiation therapy for cancer, can make people sick. High doses can even cause death. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is currently evaluating a drug for its ability to protect against radiation sickness, but it is difficult to make in large amounts, and the drug has side-effects that prevent its use for cancer patients. To overcome these disadvantages, the researchers studied whether resveratrol — a natural and healthful antioxidant found in many foods — could protect against radiation injuries.

They found that resveratrol protected cells in flasks but did not protect mice (stand-ins for humans in the laboratory) from radiation damage. However, the similar natural product called acetyl resveratrol did protect the irradiated mice. It also can be produced easily in large quantities and given orally. The authors caution that it has not yet been determined whether acetyl resveratrol is effective when orally administered.

ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters: "The Use of 3,5,4′-Tri-O-acetylresveratrol as a Potential Prodrug for Resveratrol Protects Mice from γ-Irradiation-Induced Death" [ACS Med. Chem. Lett., 2011, 2 (4), pp 270–274; DOI: 10.1021/ml100159p].

Cola detectives test natural flavoring claims for pricey soft drinks

Scientists are reporting development and successful testing of a new way to determine whether cola drinks — advertised as being made with natural ingredients and sold at premium prices — really do contain natural flavoring. The report appears in ACS’ Journal of Proteome Research.

In the study, Pier Giorgio Righetti and colleagues explain that cola drinks purportedly made from natural cola nuts are becoming popular and are sold in many natural food stores. Genuine cola “nuts” are seeds from the fruit of the cola tree, which is native to African rainforests, and they are expensive to harvest and ship. In West African cultures, people include the nuts in ceremonies and offer them to guests. The nuts also have possible health benefits — they may help treat whooping cough, asthma, migraines and dysentery. Most soft drink manufacturers don’t use cola nuts today, but a select few are starting to advertise cola as a natural ingredient in their products — and charge extra for it. To see whether consumers are getting what they pay for, the scientists set out to find a way to finger the drinks with real natural extracts.

The group found that testing for proteins was an accurate way to verify natural flavoring claims. They detected plant proteins in a drink claiming to have “organic agave syrup and cola nut extracts”. On the other hand, Coca Cola products — which do not claim to include cola extract — have no protein. The scientists say, “The identifications here obtained represent the quality mark of this beverage and, in a way, give a certificate of authenticity.”

Journal of Proteome Research: "Going nuts for nuts? The trace proteome of a Cola drink, as detected via combinatorial peptide ligand libraries" [J. Proteome Res., Article ASAP, 2011; DOI: 10.1021/pr2001447].

New woes for silicones in cosmetics and personal care products

At a time when cosmetics, shampoos, skin creams, and other personal care products already are going green / with manufacturers switching to plant-derived extracts and other natural ingredients  government regulators in Canada are adding to the woes of the silicone-based ingredients long used in these products. That’s the topic of an article in the current edition of Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), ACS’ weekly newsmagazine.

C&EN Senior Correspondent Marc S. Reisch points out that manufacturers have used silicones for decades in an array of personal care products. Antiperspirants and underarm deodorants account for about half the entire U.S. personal care market for silicones. Manufacturers voluntarily stopped using one type of silicone ingredient in personal care products over the last decade. Now government regulators in Canada are proposing regulations limiting use of another widely used type of silicone ingredient. They cite concerns that the ingredients might built up in the environment and harm wildlife.

The article notes that some manufacturers, despite the concerns, are sticking with the traditional ingredients, termed cyclic methylsiloxanes. Others are using the concerns as a basis for jumping on the natural ingredient bandwagon and reformulating their products with other silicones or as “silicone-free.”

Chemical & Engineering News: "Storm Over Silicone" [Volume 89, Number 18, pp 10-13, DOI 10.1021/CEN042611142704].

New high-performance lithium-ion battery top candidate for electric cars

Scientists are reporting development of an advanced lithium-ion battery that is ideal for powering the electric vehicles now making their way into dealer showrooms. The new battery can store large amounts of energy in a small space and has a high rate capacity, meaning it can provide current even in extreme temperatures. A report on this innovation appears in ACS’ Journal of the American Chemical Society.

Bruno Scrosati, Yang-Kook Sun, and colleagues point out that consumers have a great desire for electric vehicles, given the shortage and expense of petroleum. But a typical hybrid car can only go short distances on electricity alone, and they hold less charge in very hot or very cold temperatures. With the government push to have one million electric cars on U.S. roads by 2015, the pressure to solve these problems is high. To make electric vehicles a more realistic alternative to gas-powered automobiles, the researchers realized that an improved battery was needed.

The scientists developed a high-capacity, nanostructured, tin-carbon anode, or positive electrode, and a high-voltage, lithium-ion cathode, the negative electrode. When the two parts are put together, the result is a high-performance battery with a high energy density and rate capacity. “On the basis of the performance demonstrated here, this battery is a top candidate for powering sustainable vehicles,” the researchers say.

The authors acknowledge funding from WCU (World Class University) program through the Korea Science and Engineering Foundation.

Journal of the American Chemical Society: "An Advanced Lithium Ion Battery Based on High Performance Electrode Materials" [J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2011, 133 (9), pp 3139–3143; DOI: 10.1021/ja110522x].

New battery produces electricity where freshwater meets saltwater

Scientists are reporting development of a new battery that extracts and stores energy produced from the difference in saltiness at the point where freshwater in rivers flows into oceans. A report on the battery, which could supply about 13 percent of the world’s energy needs, appears in ACS’ journal Nano Letters.

Yi Cui and colleagues cite the intensive global scientific effort to develop renewable energy sources to supplement supplies of oil and other traditional fuels like coal, which contribute to global warming. Solar, wind, and geothermal are renewable, sustainable energy sources that have attracted much attention recently. Scientists long have known about the possibility of producing electricity from differences in the salinity, or saltiness, of water. So the new study focused on development of more practical ways of tapping that potential.

The result was a so-called “mixing entropy battery.” Alternating the flow of river water and sea water through the battery produces electricity to charge it. The process also can be reversed to remove salt from ocean water to produce drinking water. The scientists describe the battery a very promising potential addition to the ranks of solar, wind, and other renewable energy, and are working on modifications to make the device a commercial reality.

The authors acknowledge funding from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology and the U.S. Department of Energy.

Nano Letters: "Batteries for Efficient Energy Extraction from a Water Salinity Difference" [Nano Lett., 2011, 11 (4), pp 1810–1813; DOI: 10.1021/nl200500s].

Toward new medications for chronic brain diseases 

A needle-in-the-haystack search through nearly 390,000 chemical compounds had led scientists to a substance that can sneak through the protective barrier surrounding the brain with effects promising for new drugs for Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease. They report on the substance, which blocks formation of cholesterol in the brain, in the journal, ACS Chemical Biology.

Aleksey G. Kazantsev and colleagues previously discovered that blocking cholesterol formation in the brain could protect against some of the damage caused by chronic brain disorders like Parkinson’s disease. Several other studies have suggested that too much cholesterol may kill brain cells in similar neurodegenerative diseases. So they launched a search for a so-called “small molecules” - substances ideal for developing into medicines - capable of blocking formation of cholesterol.

They describe discovery of a small molecule that blocks the activity of a key protein involved in cholesterol production. It successfully lowered cholesterol levels in isolated nerve cells and brain slices from mice. If the molecule proves to be a good target for developing new drugs, the scientists note, “it could have a broader application in other neurological conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease, for which modulation of cholesterol and other associated metabolic pathways might be of therapeutic benefit.”

The authors acknowledge funding from the Carmen Foundation, the RJG Foundation, the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, the CHDI Foundation, the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, and the Swiss National Science Foundation.

ACS Chemical Biology: "A Brain-Permeable Small Molecule Reduces Neuronal Cholesterol by Inhibiting Activity of Sirtuin 2 Deacetylase" [ACS Chem. Biol., Article ASAP, March 3, 2011; DOI: 10.1021/cb100376q].

First identification of endocrine disruptors in algae blooms

Scientists are reporting for the first time that previously unrecognized substances released by algae blooms have the potential to act as endocrine disruptors, which can interfere with the normal activity of reproductive hormones. The effect is not caused by microcystin toxins, long recognized as potentially harmful to humans and aquatic animals, but as yet unidentified substances. As a result, the scientists are calling for a revision of environmental monitoring programs to watch for these new substances. The findings appear in ACS’s journal Environmental Science & Technology.

Theodore Henry and colleagues note that harmful blooms of toxin-producing algae, called cyanobacteria or blue-green algae, occur in waters throughout the world and are a growing health and environmental concern. The algae produce microcystins that can harm fish, plants, and human health. Possible human health effects include skin rashes, fever, and liver damage. Although scientists have focused mainly on microcystins’ biological effects, new evidence suggests that other potentially harmful substances also may be present.

In an effort to find out, Emily Rogers supervised by Theodore Henry, and co-authors Michael Twiner, Julia Gouffon, Jackson McPherson, Gregory Boyer, Gary Sayler, and Steven Wilhelm turned to zebrafish, often used as a stand-in for people and other animals in laboratory experiments. They found that something released by algae, other than microcystins, had an endocrine disrupting effect on the fish. The report recommends that environmental protection agencies may need to update monitoring programs for algae blooms to include potential endocrine-disrupting substances.

The scientists acknowledge funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Environmental Science & Technology: "Global gene expression profiling in larval zebrafish exposed to microcystin-LR and Microcystis reveals endocrine disrupting effects of cyanobacteria" [Environ. Sci. Technol., 2011, 45 (5), pp 1962–1969; DOI: 10.1021/es103538b].

Quest for new plant protection substances mirrors search for new drugs

The costly, often-frustrating quest for new ways of preventing and treating diseases that strike vegetables, fruits, and other food crops bears striking similarity to the better-known saga of the pharmaceutical industry’s pricey search for new drugs for humans. That’s the topic of an article in the current edition of Chemical and Engineering News (C&EN), ACS’ weekly newsmagazine.

C&EN Senior Business Editor Melody M. Bomgardner points out that the R&D investment in new herbicides, fungicides, and other plant chemicals almost rivals that for human pharmaceuticals on a one for one basis. It costs about $256 million to develop a new herbicide or fungicide, for instance, compared to almost $1 billion, by some estimates, for a new drug.

The article explains that global sales of agricultural chemicals now approach $40 billion per year, but the development of new products has slowed. One reason: The development of crops such as Roundup Ready soybeans - genetically-engineered to withstand high-levels of herbicides - has reduced use of traditional chemical-based pest control. Scientists still are seeking new herbicides, however, because some weeds show signs of developing resistance to the new herbicides Government safety regulations are another reason that the number of new agricultural chemicals in the pipeline has dipped.

Chemical and Engineering News: "Germinating Pesticides" [April 18, 2011; Volume 89, Number 16, pp 13-17].

Keeping beer fresh longer

Researchers are reporting discovery of a scientific basis for extending the shelf life of beer so that it stays fresh and tastes good longer. For the first time, they identified the main substances that cause the bitter, harsh aftertaste of aged beer and suggest that preventing the formation of these substances could help extend its freshness. Their findings appear in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Thomas Hofmann and colleagues point out that beer can develop an unpleasant, bitter aftertaste as it ages. Unlike wine, scotch whiskey, and bourbon, beer tastes best when consumed fresh. Experts estimate that the average beer goes bad after 6 to 12 months of storage. Scientists have identified several dozens of the key bitter-tasting substances formed during beer manufacturing — mostly so-called “prenylated polyketides” derived from hops. Until now, however, nobody had solid information about the bitter substances that form as beer ages.

The scientists analyzed a variety of commercial beers both before and after storage. They identified 56 substances that contribute to beer’s bitter taste, including five that appear to be largely responsible for its harsh flavor after aging. “The present study offers the scientific basis for a knowledge-based extension of the shelf life of the desirable beer’s bitter taste and the delay of the onset of the less preferred harsh bitter aftertaste by controlling the initial pH value of the beer and by keeping the temperature as low as possible during storage of the final beverage,” the study concludes.

Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry: "Comprehensive Sensomics Analysis of Hop-Derived Bitter Compounds during Storage of Beer" [J. Agric. Food Chem., 2011, 59 (5), pp 1939–1953; DOI: 10.1021/jf104392y].

Banana peels get a second life as water purifier

To the surprisingly inventive uses for banana peels - which include polishing silverware, leather shoes, and the leaves of house plants - scientists have added purification of drinking water contaminated with potentially toxic metals. Their report, which concludes that minced banana peel performs better than an array of other purification materials, appears in ACS’s journal Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research.

Gustavo Castro and colleagues note that mining processes, runoff from farms, and industrial wastes can all put heavy metals, such as lead and copper, into waterways. Heavy metals can have adverse health and environmental effects. Current methods of removing heavy metals from water are expensive, and some substances used in the process are toxic themselves. Previous work has shown that some plant wastes, such as coconut fibers and peanut shells, can remove these potential toxins from water. In this report, the researchers wanted to find out whether minced banana peels could also act as water purifiers.

The researchers found that minced banana peel could quickly remove lead and copper from river water as well as, or better than, many other materials. A purification apparatus made of banana peels can be used up to 11 times without losing its metal-binding properties, they note. The team adds that banana peels are very attractive as water purifiers because of their low cost and because they don’t have to be chemically modified in order to work.

The authors acknowledge funding from the São Paulo Research Foundation.

Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research: "Banana Peel Applied to the Solid Phase Extraction of Copper and Lead from River Water: Preconcentration of Metal Ions with a Fruit Waste" [Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 2011, 50 (6), pp 3446–3451; DOI: 10.1021/ie101499e].

Toward a 'green grid' for delivering solar and wind-based electricity

After years of neglect, scientists and policy makers are focusing more attention on developing technologies needed to make the so-called “green grid” possible, according to an article in ACS’ Chemical Reviews. That’s the much-needed future electrical grid, an interconnected network for delivering solar and wind-based electricity from suppliers to consumers.

Zhenguo (Gary) Yang and colleagues point out that concerns over the use of coal, oil, and other fuels that contribute to global warming and are in limited supply, have spurred interest in generating electrical energy from clean, renewable resources such as solar and wind power. But solar and wind are not constant and reliable sources of power, since wind power fluctuates from moment to moment and solar power is generated only in the daytime. This situation poses a significant challenge for electrical grid operators because other power plants need to compensate for this variability and the U.S. power grid currently has little energy storage capability. To enable a significant level of penetration and effective use of renewable energy sources amid growing energy demands, electrical grids of the future will need a low-cost, efficient way to integrate and store this electrical energy, the scientists note.

The scientists analyzed the conclusions of more than 300 scientific studies and identified several technologies that can be used for energy storage for the green grid. These include high-tech batteries now in development that can efficiently store electricity in the form of chemicals and reversible release it on demand. Among the promising technologies are so-called redox flow and sodium-ion batteries, which could provide a low cost, high efficiency way to store energy. In addition to the United States, several other countries such as China and countries in Europe are planning to increase research activities related to energy storage and development. “The growing interests as well as worldwide research and development activities suggest a bright outlook for developing stationary energy storage technologies for the future electric grid,” the article concludes.

Chemical Reviews: "Electrochemical Energy Storage for Green Grid" [Chem. Rev., Article ASAP, 2011, DOI: 10.1021/cr100290v].

Simple chemical cocktail shows first promise for limb re-growth in mammals

Move over, newts and salamanders. The mouse may join you as the only animal that can re-grow their own severed limbs. Researchers are reporting that a simple chemical cocktail can coax mouse muscle fibers to become the kinds of cells found in the first stages of a regenerating limb. Their study, the first demonstration that mammal muscle can be turned into the biological raw material for a new limb, appears in the journal ACS Chemical Biology.

Darren R. Williams and Da-Woon Jung say their “relatively simple, gentle, and reversible” methods for creating the early stages of limb regeneration in mouse cells “have implications for both regenerative medicine and stem cell biology.” In the future, they suggest, the chemicals they use could speed wound healing by providing new cells at the injured site before the wound closes or becomes infected. Their methods might also shed light on new ways to switch adult cells into the all-purpose, so-called “pluripotent,” stem cells with the potential for growing into any type of tissue in the body.

The scientists describe the chemical cocktail that they developed and used to turn mouse muscle fibers into muscle cells. Williams and Jung then converted the muscle cells turned into fat and bone cells. Those transformations were remarkably similar to the initial processes that occur in the tissue of newts and salamanders that is starting to regrow severed limbs.

The authors acknowledge funding from the National Research Foundation of Korea.

ACS Chemical Biology: "Novel Chemically Defined Approach To Produce Multipotent Cells from Terminally Differentiated Tissue Syncytia" [ACS Chem. Biol., 2011; DOI: 10.1021/cb2000154].

Vegans’ elevated heart risk requires omega-3s and B12

People who follow a vegan lifestyle - strict vegetarians who try to eat no meat or animal products of any kind - may increase their risk of developing blood clots and atherosclerosis or “hardening of the arteries,” which are conditions that can lead to heart attacks and stroke. That’s the conclusion of a review of dozens of articles published on the biochemistry of vegetarianism during the past 30 years. The article appears in ACS’ bi-weekly Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Duo Li notes in the review that meat eaters are known for having a significantly higher combination of cardiovascular risk factors than vegetarians. Lower-risk vegans, however, may not be immune. Their diets tend to be lacking several key nutrients - including iron, zinc, vitamin B12, and omega-3 fatty acids. While a balanced vegetarian diet can provide enough protein, this isn’t always the case when it comes to fat and fatty acids. As a result, vegans tend to have elevated blood levels of homocysteine and decreased levels of HDL, the “good” form of cholesterol. Both are risk factors for heart disease.

It concludes that there is a strong scientific basis for vegetarians and vegans to increase their dietary omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin B12 to help contend with those risks. Good sources of omega-3s include salmon and other oily fish, walnuts and certain other nuts. Good sources of vitamin B12 include seafood, eggs, and fortified milk. Dietary supplements also can supply these nutrients.

Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry: "Chemistry behind Vegetarianism" [J. Agric. Food Chem., 2011, 59 (3), pp 777–784; DOI: 10.1021/jf103846u].

Tungsten may not be the best shot for making 'reen' bullets

With efforts underway to ban lead-based ammunition as a potential health and environmental hazard, scientists are reporting new evidence that a prime alternative material for bullets - tungsten - may not be a good substitute The report, which found that tungsten accumulates in major structures of the immune system in animals, appears in ACS’ journal Chemical Research in Toxicology.

Jose Centeno and colleagues explain that tungsten alloys have been introduced as a replacement for lead in bullets and other munitions. It resulted from concern that lead from spent ammunition could harm wildlife when it dissolves into water in the soil, streams, and lakes. Scientists thought that tungsten was relatively non-toxic, and a “green” replacement for lead. Recent studies suggested otherwise, and with small amounts of tungsten also used in some artificial hips and knees, Centeno’s group decided to gather further information on tungsten.

They added small amounts of a tungsten compound to the drinking water of laboratory mice, used as surrogates for people in such research, and examined the organs and tissues to see exactly where tungsten ended up. The highest concentrations of tungsten were in the spleen, one of the main components of the immune system, and the bones, the center or “marrow” of which is the initial source of all the cells of the immune system. Further research, they say, will be needed to determine what effects, if any, tungsten may have on functioning of the immune system.

The authors acknowledge funding from the Naval Health Research Center Detachment - Environmental Health Effects Laboratory.

Chemical Research in Toxicology: "Tissue distribution of tungsten in mice following oral exposure to sodium tungstate" [Chem. Res. Toxicol., 2011, DOI: 10.1021/tx200011k].

Archaeological whodunit from the hometown of Romeo and Juliet

Three new bright blue pigments with origins in the hometown of Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet have become stars in a drama that is unsettling experts on conservation of archaeological treasures around the world. That’s the topic of an article on the solution of an archaeological ‘whodunit’ involving those new-to-science pigments in the current edition of Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), ACS’ weekly newsmagazine.

C&EN Associate Editor Carmen Drahl notes in the article that the drama began last year when prehistoric flint tools began showing visible signs of contamination - a bright blue tinge. The tainted relics came from a museum in Verona, Italy, the setting for Shakeaspeare’s great tragedy. Archaeologists were fascinated, having never encountered such a color change in their careers, especially one involving a hard stone like flint.

Scientists just identified the pigments responsible for the blue color, naming them Romeo Blue, Juliet Blue, and Flint Blue. They traced the possible origins of the pigments to an ingredient in synthetic rubber mats which held the tools, and contaminated them. The incident is creating a new awareness among museum conservation experts about the possibility of other, previously unknown interactions occurring between ancient treasures and the environments in which they are stored.

Chemical and Engineering News: "Blue Whodunit" [April 4, 2011 Issue].

Mussel adhesive inspires tough coating for living cells

Inspired by Mother Nature, scientists are reporting development of a protective coating with the potential to enable living cells to survive in a dormant condition for long periods despite intense heat, dryness and other hostile conditions. In a report in Journal of the American Chemical Society, they liken the coating to the armor that encloses the spores that protect anthrax and certain other bacterial cells, making those microbes difficult to kill.

Insung S. Choi and colleagues say their simple method for coating the yeast cells could “serve as a new strategy for controlling cell division and protection of artificial spore like structures in a designed way.” The technique could be used to encapsulate individual cells for a variety of purposes, including the creation of tiny chemical probes, single-cell chemical factories, and perhaps armor for transplanted cells used in anti-cancer therapies.

The new coating is an organic material called polydopamine, chemically similar to mussel adhesive. In laboratory experiments, the coating slowed down cell division in the yeast, while protecting them from cell-digesting chemicals. “We believe that polydopamine encapsulation would be a good starting point for both fundamental research and applications based on artificial spores,” Choi and colleagues note in their study, “as it endows living cells with durability against harsh environments, controllability in cell cycles, and reactivity for cell-surface modification.”

The authors acknowledge funding from the Korea Research Foundation and the National Research Foundation of Korea.

Journal of the American Chemical Society: "Mussel-Inspired Encapsulation and Functionalization of Individual Yeast Cells" [J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2011, 133 (9), pp 2795–2797; DOI: 10.1021/ja1100189].

Greener process for key ingredient for everything from paint to diapers

Scientists are reporting discovery of an environmentally friendly way to make a key industrial material - used in products ranging from paints to diapers - from a renewable raw material without touching the traditional pricey and increasingly scarce petroleum-based starting material. Their report on a new catalyst for making acrylic acid appears in ACS Catalysis, the newest in the American Chemical Society’s suite of 39 peer-reviewed scientific journals.

Weijie Ji, Chak-Tong Au, and colleagues note that acrylic acid is essential for making paints, adhesives, textiles, leather treatments, and hundreds of other products. Global demand for the colorless liquid totals about 4 million tons annually. Acrylic acid is typically made from propylene obtained from petroleum. With prices rising, manufacturers have been seeking alternative ways of making acrylic acid without buying propylene. One possibility involves making it from lactic acid. But current processes for using lactic acid are inefficient, less selective, and require higher temperatures and the accompanying high inputs of energy.

The scientists’ potential solution is a new catalyst that can convert lactic acid into acrylic acid more efficiently. Lactic acid is a classic renewable starting material, produced by bacteria growing in vats of biomass such as glucose and starch from plants. In laboratory studies, the scientists showed that the new catalyst can convert lactic acid to acrylic acid more selectively at lower temperatures. This could mean better use of lactic acid, lower fuel consumption, and less impact on the environment, the scientists suggest.

ACS Catalysis: "Efficient Acrylic Acid Production through Bio Lactic Acid Dehydration over NaY Zeolite Modified by Alkali Phosphates" [ACS Catal., 2011, 1 (1), pp 32–41; DOI: 10.1021/cs100047p].

Does selenium prevent cancer? It may depend on which form people take

Scientists are reporting that the controversy surrounding whether selenium can fight cancer in humans might come down to which form of the essential micronutrient people take. It turns out that not all "seleniums" are the same - the researchers found that one type of selenium supplement may produce a possible cancer-preventing substance more efficiently than another form of selenium in human cancer cells. Their study appears in the ACS' journal Biochemistry.

Hugh Harris and colleagues note that although the Nutritional Prevention of Cancer clinical trial showed that selenium reduced the risk of cancer, a later study called the Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial did not show a benefit. A major difference between the trials was the form of selenium that was used. To find out whether different types of selenium have different chemopreventive properties, the researchers studied how two forms - SeMet and MeSeCys - are processed in human lung cancer cells.

The researchers found that MeSeCys killed more lung cancer cells than SeMet did. Also, lung cancer cells treated with MeSeCys processed the selenium differently than than cells treated with SeMet. They say that these findings could explain why studies on the health benefits of selenium sometimes have conflicting results.

The authors acknowledge funding from the Australian Research Council.

ACS Biochemistry: "Uptake, Distribution, and Speciation of Selenoamino Acids by Human Cancer Cells: X-ray Absorption and Fluorescence Methods" [January 2011, 50 (10), pp 1641–1650].

New 'dissolvable tobacco' products may increase risk of mouth disease

The first study to analyze the complex ingredients in the new genre of dissolvable tobacco products has concluded that these pop-into-the-mouth replacements for cigarettes in places where smoking is banned have the potential to cause mouth diseases and other problems. The report appears in ACS's Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

John V. Goodpaster and colleagues point out that the first dissolvable tobacco products went on sale in 2009 in test markets in Indianapolis, Ind., Columbus, Ohio, and Portland, Ore. The products contain finely-ground tobacco and other ingredients processed into pellet, stick, and strip forms that are advertised as smoke and spit-free. Health officials are concerned about whether the products, which dissolve inside the mouth near the lips and gums, are in fact a safer alternative to cigarette smoking. Goodpaster and colleagues note the possibility that children may be accidentally poisoned by the nicotine in these products. "The packaging and design of the dissolvables may also appeal to children, and some dissolvables, such as Orbs, may be mistaken for candy," the report states.

The researchers' analysis found that the products contain mainly nicotine and a variety of flavoring ingredients, sweeteners, and binders. They note abundant scientific evidence about the potential adverse health effects of nicotine, including those involving the teeth and gums. Other ingredients in dissolvables have the potential to increase the risk of tooth decay and one, coumarin, has been banned as a flavoring agent in food because of its link to a risk of liver damage.

"The results presented here are the first to reveal the complexity of dissolvable tobacco products and may be used to assess potential health effects," said Goodpaster, noting that it is "therefore important to understand some of the potential toxicological effects of some of the ingredients of these products." Nicotine in particular, he noted, is a toxic substance linked to the development of oral cancers and gum disease.

Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry: "Chemical Characterization of Dissolvable Tobacco Products Promoted To Reduce Harm" [J. Agric. Food Chem., 2011, 59 (6), pp 2745–2751].

Laser beam makes cells 'breathe in' water and potentially anti-cancer drugs

Shining a laser light on cells and then clicking off the light makes the cells "breathe in" surrounding water, providing a potentially powerful delivery system for chemotherapy drugs, as well as a non-invasive way to target anti-Alzheimer's medicines to the brain. That's the conclusion of a report in ACS's The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters.

Andrei Sommer's group, with Emad Aziz and colleagues note using this technique before to force cancer cells to sip up anti-cancer drugs and fluorescent dyes. Pulses of laser light can also change the volume of water inside cells in a way that plumps up wrinkles and makes skin look younger, the researchers found in an earlier study. "The potential applications of the technique range from anticancer strategies to the design principles of nano-steam engines," the report states. Using the so-called Liquidrom ambient approach, developed by Aziz's group, the researchers combined for the first time laser irradiation with soft X-rays obtained from a cyclotron radiation source to explore the molecular structure of interfacial water layers under ambient conditions.

The researchers now showed that laser light aimed at a cell causes the water inside the cell to expand. When the light goes off, the volume of water collapses again, creating a strong pull that also sucks in the water surrounding the cell. This "breathing in and out" of the water molecules can pull chemotherapy drugs into a cell faster than they would normally penetrate, the researchers found. "In other words, we discovered a powerful method to kill cancer cells by pumping anti-cancer drugs into them via laser light," said Sommer.

The study was partly supported by the Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft.

The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters: "Breathing Volume into Interfacial Water with Laser Light" [J. Phys. Chem. Lett., 2011, 2 (6), pp 562–565].

Discovery of a biochemical basis for broccoli's cancer-fighting ability

They found for the first time that certain substances in the vegetables appear to target and block a defective gene associated with cancer. Their report, which could lead to new strategies for preventing and treating cancer, appears in ACS' Journal of Medicinal Chemistry.

Fung-Lung Chung and colleagues showed in previous experiments that substances called isothiocyanates (or ITCs) — found in broccoli, cauliflower, watercress, and other cruciferous vegetables — appear to stop the growth of cancer. But nobody knew exactly how these substances work, a key to developing improved strategies for fighting cancer in humans. The tumor suppressor gene p53 appears to play a key role in keeping cells healthy and preventing them from starting the abnormal growth that is a hallmark of cancer. When mutated, p53 does not offer that protection, and those mutations occur in half of all human cancers. ITCs might work by targeting this gene, the report suggests.

The scientists studied the effects of certain naturally-occurring ITCs on a variety of cancer cells, including lung, breast and colon cancer, with and without the defective tumor suppressor gene. They found that ITCs are capable of removing the defective p53 protein but apparently leave the normal one alone. Drugs based on natural or custom-engineered ITCs could improve the effectiveness of current cancer treatments or lead to new strategies for treating and preventing cancer.

The authors acknowledged funding from the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award and a grant from the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health.

Journal of Medicinal Chemistry: "Selective Depletion of Mutant p53 by Cancer Chemoprevention Isothiocyanates and Their Structure-Activity Relationships" [J. Med. Chem., 2011, 54 (3), pp 809–816; DOI: 10.1021/jm101199t].

Banana peels get a second life as water purifier

To the surprisingly inventive uses for banana peels — which include polishing silverware, leather shoes, and the leaves of house plants — scientists have added purification of drinking water contaminated with potentially toxic metals. Their report, which concludes that minced banana peel performs better than an array of other purification materials, appears in ACS's journal Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research.

Gustavo Castro and colleagues note that mining processes, runoff from farms, and industrial wastes can all put heavy metals, such as lead and copper, into waterways. Heavy metals can have adverse health and environmental effects. Current methods of removing heavy metals from water are expensive, and some substances used in the process are toxic themselves. Previous work has shown that some plant wastes, such as coconut fibers and peanut shells, can remove these potential toxins from water. In this report, the researchers wanted to find out whether minced banana peels could also act as water purifiers.

The researchers found that minced banana peel could quickly remove lead and copper from river water as well as, or better than, many other materials. A purification apparatus made of banana peels can be used up to 11 times without losing its metal-binding properties, they note. The team adds that banana peels are very attractive as water purifiers because of their low cost and because they don't have to be chemically modified in order to work.

The authors acknowledge funding from the São Paulo Research Foundation.

Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research: "Banana Peel Applied to the Solid Phase Extraction of Copper and Lead from River Water: Preconcentration of Metal Ions with a Fruit Waste" [Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 2011, 50 (6), pp 3446–3451].

An advance toward blood transfusions that require no typing

Scientists are reporting an "important step" toward development of a universal blood product that would eliminate the need to "type" blood to match donor and recipient before transfusions. A report on the "immunocamouflage" technique, which hides blood cells from antibodies that could trigger a potentially fatal immune reaction that occurs when blood types do not match, appears in the ACS journal, Biomacromolecules.

Maryam Tabrizian and colleagues note that blood transfusions require a correct match between a donor and the recipient's blood. This can be a tricky proposition given that there are 29 different red blood cells types, including the familiar ABO and Rh types. The wrong blood type can provoke serious immune reactions that result in organ failure or death, so scientists have long sought a way to create an all-purpose red blood cell for transfusions that doesn't rely on costly blood typing or donations of a specific blood type.

To develop this "universal" red blood cell, the scientists discovered a way to encase living, individual red blood cells within a multilayered polymer shell. The shell serves as a cloaking device, they found, making the cell invisible to a person's immune system and able to evade detection and rejection. Oxygen can still penetrate the polymer shell, however, so the red blood cells can carry on their main business of supplying oxygen to the body. "The results of this study mark an important step toward the production of universal RBCs," the study states.

The authors acknowledge funding from the Fonds de la Recherche en Santé du Québec, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada, the Canadian Institutes for Health Research and FQRNT-Centre for Biorecognition and Biosensors.

Biomacromolecules: "Investigation of Layer-by-Layer Assembly of Polyelectrolytes on Fully Functional Human Red Blood Cells in Suspension for Attenuated Immune Response" [Article ASAP; DOI: 10.1021/bm101200c].

New molecular robot can be programmed to follow instructions

Scientists have developed a programmable "molecular robot" - a sub-microscopic molecular machine made of synthetic DNA that moves between track locations separated by 6nm. The robot, a short strand of DNA, follows instructions programmed into a set of fuel molecules determining its destination, for example, to turn left or right at a junction in the track. The report, which represents a step toward futuristic nanomachines and nanofactories, appears in ACS's Nano Letters.

Andrew Turberfield and colleagues point out that other scientists have developed similar DNA-based robots, which move autonomously. Some of these use a biped design and move by alternately attaching and detaching themselves from anchor points along the DNA track, foot over foot, when fuel is added. Scientists would like to program DNA robots to autonomously walk in different directions to move in a programmable pattern, a key to harnessing their potential as cargo-carrying molecular machines.

The scientists describe an advance toward this goal — a robot that can be programmed to choose among different branches of a molecular track, rather than just move in a straight line. The key to this specialized movement is a so-called "fuel hairpin," a molecule that serves as both a chemical energy source for propelling the robot along the track and as a routing instruction. The instructions tell the robot which point is should move to next, allowing the selection between the left or right branches of a junction in the track, precisely controlling the route of the robot — which could potentially allow the transport of pharmaceuticals or other materials.

The authors acknowledged funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

Nano Letters: "A Programmable Molecular Robot" [Nano Lett., 2011, 11 (3), pp 982–987].

Hair dyeing poised for first major transformation in 150 years

Technological progress may be fast-paced in many fields, but one mundane area has been almost left in the doldrums for the last 150 years: The basic technology for permanently coloring hair. That's the conclusion of an analysis of almost 500 articles and patents on the chemistry of permanent hair dyeing, which foresees much more innovation in the years ahead, including longer lasting, more-natural-looking dyes and gene therapy to reverse the gray. The article appears in ACS's journal Chemical Reviews.

Robert Christie and Olivier Morel note that hair dye already is a multibillion dollar international industry, poised for even greater expansion in the future due to the graying of a global population yearning to cling to appearances of youth. Most permanent hair coloring technology, however, is based on a 150-year-old approach that uses p-phenylenediamine (PPD), a chemical that produces darker, browner shades when exposed to air. Concern over the safety of PPD and other hair dye ingredients, and demand for more convenient hair dyeing methods, has fostered an upswing in research on new dyes and alternative hair coloring technologies.

The scientists describe progress toward those goals. Future hair coloring techniques include nano-sized colorants, for instance. Composed of pigments 1/5,000th the width of a human hair, they will penetrate the hair and remain trapped inside for longer-lasting hair coloration. Scientists also are developing substances that stimulate the genes to produce the melanin pigment that colors hair. These substances promise to produce a wider range of more natural-looking colors, from blond to dark brown and black, with less likelihood of raising concerns about toxicity and better prospects for more natural results. Other new technologies may stop graying of the hair or prevent its formation altogether, the scientists say.

Chemical Reviews: "Current Trends in the Chemistry of Permanent Hair Dyeing" [Chem. Rev., Article ASAP 2011; DOI: 10.1021/cr1000145].

Does fluoride really fight cavities by 'the skin of the teeth'?

In a study that the authors describe as lending credence to the idiom, "by the skin of your teeth," scientists are reporting that the protective shield fluoride forms on teeth is up to 100 times thinner than previously believed. It raises questions about how this renowned cavity-fighter really works and could lead to better ways of protecting teeth from decay, the scientists suggest. Their study appears in ACS's journal Langmuir.

Frank Müller and colleagues point out that tooth decay is a major public health problem worldwide. In the United States alone, consumers spend more than $50 billion each year on the treatment of cavities. The fluoride in some toothpaste, mouthwash and municipal drinking water is one of the most effective ways to prevent decay. Scientists long have known that fluoride makes enamel — the hard white substance covering the surface of teeth — more resistant to decay. Some thought that fluoride simply changed the main mineral in enamel, hydroxyapatite, into a more-decay resistant material called fluorapatite.

The new research found that the fluorapatite layer formed in this way is only 6 nanometers thick. It would take almost 10,000 such layers to span the width of a human hair. That's at least 10 times thinner than previous studies indicated. The scientists question whether a layer so thin, which is quickly worn away by ordinary chewing, really can shield teeth from decay, or whether fluoride has some other unrecognized effect on tooth enamel. They are launching a new study in search of an answer.

The authors acknowledge support from Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft and Saarland Ministry of Finances.

Langmuir: "Elemental Depth Profiling of Fluoridated Hydroxyapatite: Saving Your Dentition by the Skin of Your Teeth?" [2010, 26 (24), pp 18750–18759; DOI: 10.1021/la102325e].

Polishing the apple's popular image as a healthy food

Scientists are reporting the first evidence that consumption of a healthful antioxidant substance in apples extends the average lifespan of test animals, and does so by 10 percent. The new results, obtained with fruit flies — stand-ins for humans in hundreds of research projects each year — bolster similar findings on apple antioxidants in other animal tests. The study appears in ACS's Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Zhen-Yu Chen and colleagues note that damaging substances generated in the body, termed free radicals, cause undesirable changes believed to be involved in the aging process and some diseases. Substances known as antioxidants can combat this damage. Fruits and vegetables in the diet, especially brightly colored foods like tomatoes, broccoli, blueberries, and apples are excellent sources of antioxidants. A previous study with other test animals hinted that an apple antioxidant could extend average lifespan. In the current report, the researchers studied whether different apple antioxidants, known as polyphenols, could do the same thing in fruit flies.

The researchers found that apple polyphenols not only prolonged the average lifespan of fruit flies but helped preserve their ability to walk, climb and move about. In addition, apple polyphenols reversed the levels of various biochemical substances found in older fruit flies and used as markers for age-related deterioration and approaching death. Chen and colleagues note that the results support those from other studies, including one in which women who often ate apples had a 13-22 percent decrease in the risk of heart disease, and polish the apple's popular culture image as a healthy food.

Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry: "Apple Polyphenols Extend the Mean Lifespan of Drosophila melanogaster" [J. Agric. Food Chem., 2011, 59 (5), pp 2097–2106].

New treaty on search for life-saving medicines in remote areas

Real-life scientists, whose work has overtones of Indiana Jones as they search for plants in remote areas of the world that could become the source of life-saving new medicines, are currently trying to figure out how a new international agreement on biodiversity will affect their work. That's the topic of an article in Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), ACS's weekly newsmagazine.

C&EN Associate Editor Carmen Drahl explains that environment ministers from 200 countries hammered out the agreement late last year. Called the Nagoya protocol, it extends a 1993 United Nations treaty declaring that nations have sovereign rights to the biological materials within their territory. Those materials - which include plants, microbes, and other living things - have been a rich source of so-called "natural products." Almost 70 percent of today's medicines are either natural products or are derived from natural products.

The new treaty clarifies what agencies scientists who collect plant and other materials should approach for official clearance. It also requires countries that ratify the agreement to establish a "national focal point," such as a university, government agency, or other contracting institution, for making such decisions. In addition, biodiversity-rich nations would receive compensation for medicines and other items commercialized from natural products discovered in their country. Many natural product hunters are grateful for the clarity the treaty provides. But some worry that it could also trigger new regulations that could delay or stifle their searches.

Chemical and Engineering News: "Navigating Nagoya" [Volume 89, Number 9, DOI 10.1021/CEN022211145306].

Blood protein in lung cancer could improve diagnosis and treatment

Scientists are reporting discovery of a protein in the blood of lung cancer patients that could be used in a test for the disease — difficult to diagnose in its earliest and most treatable stages — and to develop drugs that stop lung cancer from spreading. Their study appears in ACS's Journal of Proteome Research.

In the report, Je-Yoel Cho and colleagues note that lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Lung cancer is so deadly because of its tendency to spread — or metastasize — to distant sites in the body, such as the liver or the brain. Early detection could improve survival rates, but it is very difficult to detect lung cancer at early stages with today's technology. To find a better diagnostic tool, the researchers studied the proteins in the blood of lung cancer patients in search of red flags that could signal the disease's presence. They focused on adenocarcinoma, which accounts for 1 in 3 cases and is the most rapidly increasing form of lung cancer in women.

Cho and colleagues found elevated levels of a protein called serum amyloid A (SAA) in the blood and lung tissue of lung adenocarcinoma patients, compared to healthy people. Their work showed that high amounts of SAA were unique to lung cancers (compared with other lung diseases or other cancers) and that the protein was involved in metastasis of cancer cells from the original tumor site. The researchers say that the protein could be used as a diagnostic marker for lung cancer and as a target for developing drugs that stop metastasis.

The authors acknowledge funding from the Korean Ministry of Education, Science and Technology; the Small and Medium Business Administration; and the Ministry of Knowledge Economy.

Journal of Proteome Research: "Identification and Validation of SAA as a Potential Lung Cancer Biomarker and its Involvement in Metastatic Pathogenesis of Lung Cancer" [J. Proteome Res., Article ASAP 2010; DOI: 10.1021/pr101154j].

New high-performance lithium-ion battery 'top candidate' for electric cars

Scientists are reporting development of an advanced lithium-ion battery that is ideal for powering the electric vehicles now making their way into dealer showrooms. The new battery can store large amounts of energy in a small space and has a high rate capacity, meaning it can provide current even in extreme temperatures. A report on this innovation appears in ACS' Journal of the American Chemical Society.

Bruno Scrosati, Yang-Kook Sun, and colleagues point out that consumers have a great desire for electric vehicles, given the shortage and expense of petroleum. But a typical hybrid car can only go short distances on electricity alone, and they hold less charge in very hot or very cold temperatures. With the government push to have one million electric cars on U.S. roads by 2015, the pressure to solve these problems is high. To make electric vehicles a more realistic alternative to gas-powered automobiles, the researchers realized that an improved battery was needed.

The scientists developed a high-capacity, nanostructured, tin-carbon anode, or positive electrode, and a high-voltage, lithium-ion cathode, the negative electrode. When the two parts are put together, the result is a high-performance battery with a high energy density and rate capacity. "On the basis of the performance demonstrated here, this battery is a top candidate for powering sustainable vehicles," the researchers say.

The authors acknowledge funding from WCU (World Class University) program through the Korea Science and Engineering Foundation.

Journal of the American Chemical Society: "An Advanced Lithium Ion Battery Based on High Performance Electrode Materials" [J. Am. Chem. Soc., Article ASAP; DOI: 10.1021/ja110522x].

Needle-in-a-haystack search identifies potential brain disease drug

Scientists who examined more than 10,000 chemical compounds during the last year in search of potential new drugs for a group of untreatable brain diseases, are reporting that one substance shows unusual promise. The early positive signs for so-called prion diseases come from research in laboratory mice and cell cultures, they say in a report in ACS' Journal of Medicinal Chemistry.

Adam Renslo and colleagues, who include Nobel Laureate Stanley B. Prusiner, explain that prion diseases include conditions like mad cow disease in animals and Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease in humans, result from deposits of abnormal prion protein in brain tissue. Prion diseases are invariably fatal and no treatments are yet available.

The scientists describe narrowing their search among the 10,000 candidate drugs to a few dozen of the most promising and then synthesizing new variations of the compounds, termed aminothiazoles. Tests on laboratory mice showed that the new compounds can reach the brain and reach high concentrations when taken orally and do not appear toxic. Tests on prion-infected mouse brain cells showed that the compounds reduced the amount of the abnormal prion protein. The compounds appear to be among the most promising potential treatments for prion diseases yet discovered, the report suggests.

Journal of Medicinal Chemistry: "2-Aminothiazoles as Therapeutic Leads for Prion Diseases" [J. Med. Chem., 2011, 54 (4), pp 1010–1021; DOI: 10.1021/jm101250y].

High vitamin-D bread could help solve widespread insufficiency problem

With most people unable to get enough vitamin D from sunlight or foods, scientists are suggesting that a new vitamin D-fortified food - bread made with high-vitamin D yeast - could fill that gap. Their study, confirming that the approach works in laboratory tests, appears in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Connie Weaver and colleagues cite studies suggesting that up to 7 in 10 people in the United States may not get enough vitamin D, which enables the body to absorb calcium. Far from just contributing to healthy bones, however, vitamin D seems to have body-wide beneficial effects. Vitamin D insufficiency has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease, cancer, allergy in children, and other conditions. With few good natural sources of vitamin D, milk producers long have added it to milk. Weaver explains, however, that dairy products do not provide enough. The body makes its own vitamin D when the skin is exposed to sunlight. But people are not exposed to sun in winter and are avoiding the sun and using sun blocks in summer. Scientists thus have been looking for new ways to add vitamin D to the diet.

Weaver's group did experiments with laboratory rats, a stand-in for humans in such research, that ease doubts over whether bread baked with high vitamin D yeast could be a solution. The doubts originated because yeast produces one form of the vitamin, termed vitamin D2, which has been thought to be not as biologically active as the form produced by sun, vitamin D3. They showed bread made with vitamin D2-rich yeast, fed to the laboratory rats, had effects that seemed just as beneficial as vitamin D3. "Our results suggest that bread made with high vitamin D yeast could be a valuable new source of vitamin D in the diet," they concluded.

The authors acknowledge support from Lallemand/American Yeast.

Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry: "Bioavailability and Efficacy of Vitamin D2 from UV-Irradiated Yeast in Growing, Vitamin D-Deficient Rats" [J. Agric. Food Chem., Article ASAP, 2011; DOI: 10.1021/jf104679c].

Chemistry and Life

The science of chemistry is Janus-faced. One face embodies the countless services it provides for mankind; the other, pollution and industrial disasters. Are we right to trust chemistry, or should we be suspicious of it? Everyone must make up his or her own mind. Reading the views expressed by the specialists who have contributed to this special issue – Jean-Marie Lehn, Michal Meyer, Tebello Nyokong, Anlong Xu, Klaus Lackner and Akira Suzuki – will help inform this choice:

- The Science and Art of Matter; - How it all started; - I love laser: it’s my guiding light; - Herbs and metal; - India’s pharmaceutical boom; - New diet for the ozone eaters; -Iron tonic for the ocean’s anaemia; - Synthetic trees; - From dark to green ages; - Letter to a young chemist.

Read More:

Chemistry and Life,

The UNESCO Courier (Januay-March 2011).

Inhaling 'Red Mud Disaster' dust may not be as harmful to health as feared

Scientists in Hungary are reporting that the potential health effects of last October's Red Mud Disaster, one of the worst environmental accidents in Europe, may be less dangerous than previously feared. Their study, reported in ACS's journal Environmental Science and Technology, concludes that the dust from the mud may be no more harmful than particles of ordinary urban air pollution.

Mihály Pósfai and colleagues point out that a burst dam at a factory that processes aluminum ore last October inundated areas near Ajka in northern Hungary with more than 700,000 cubic yards of caustic red mud. Ten people died and dozens were injured. Since the mud contained potentially toxic substances, concern arose about the health effects of inhaling dust formed when the mud dried and was swept into the air by wind.

They studied the chemical and physical properties of the red mud particles and dust and concluded that particles of red mud dust were too large to be inhaled deeply into lungs, where they could cause the most damage. Although the resuspension potential of red mud dust is large, inhalation likely would cause irritation and coughing, but would not increase the risk of other more serious health problems, the report suggested.

Environmental Science & Technology: "The red mud accident in Ajka (Hungary): Characterization and potential health effects of fugitive dust" [Environ. Sci. Technol., 2011, 45 (4), pp 1608–1615; DOI: 10.1021/es104005r].

Killer paper for next-generation food packaging

Scientists are reporting development and successful lab tests of "killer paper," a material intended for use as a new food packaging material that helps preserve foods by fighting the bacteria that cause spoilage. The paper, described in ACS's journal, Langmuir, contains a coating of silver nanoparticles, which are powerful anti-bacterial agents.

Aharon Gedanken and colleagues note that silver already finds wide use as a bacteria fighter in certain medicinal ointments, kitchen and bathroom surfaces, and even odor-resistant socks. Recently, scientists have been exploring the use of silver nanoparticles - each 1/50,000 the width of a human hair - as germ-fighting coatings for plastics, fabrics, and metals. Nanoparticles, which have a longer-lasting effect than larger silver particles, could help overcome the growing problem of antibiotic resistance, in which bacteria develop the ability to shrug-off existing antibiotics. Paper coated with silver nanoparticles could provide an alternative to common food preservation methods such as radiation, heat treatment, and low temperature storage, they note. However, producing "killer paper" suitable for commercial use has proven difficult.

The scientists describe development of an effective, long-lasting method for depositing silver nanoparticles on the surface of paper that involves ultrasound, or the use of high frequency sound waves. The coated paper showed potent antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus, two causes of bacterial food poisoning, killing all of the bacteria in just three hours. This suggests its potential application as a food packaging material for promoting longer shelf life, they note.

Langmuir: "Sonochemical Coating of Paper by Microbiocidal Silver Nanoparticles" [2011, 27 (2), pp 720–726; DOI: 10.1021/la103401z].

The race to bring biofuels to the pump

Poised at the starting gate are palm oil, sugar cane, corn cobs, and switch grass. On your mark, get set... This is not a race among fruits and vegetables, but instead a real-life contest to decide which biofuel raw materials and technologies make it to the gas pump. That quest to develop a sustainable supply of affordable biofuels and bring them to the market is the topic of the cover story in the current edition of Chemical and Engineering News (C&EN), ACS's weekly newsmagazine.

C&EN Senior Correspondent Stephen Ritter notes that scientists have largely met the technical challenges of developing biofuels - fuels made from renewable biological resources - to supplement and eventually replace gasoline and diesel fuel. Starting points for biofuels include sugars, starches, vegetable oils, recycled paper, and other biomass. All of those materials can be processed into fuels. The benefits include energy security by eliminating dependence on imported oil and a reduction in the carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to global warming.

But the technological fog of uncertainties obscures the road to the finish line. One major problem, for example, involves the logistics of biomass availability, transport, and storage. To be commercially viable, biomass fuel factories will need up to 30 million pounds of biomass per day. Fermentation facilities, which convert sugar to ethanol, would need about 10 million pounds. To win, companies must develop long-term reliable feedstock supplies and find partners to buy and market their fuel.

Chemical and Engineering News: "Race to the Pump" [Volume 89, Number7, February 14,2011, DOI: 10.1021/CEN020911090424].

First identification of endocrine disruptors in algae blooms

Scientists are reporting for the first time that previously unrecognized substances released by algae blooms have the potential to act as endocrine disruptors, which can interfere with the normal activity of reproductive hormones. The effect is not caused by microcystin toxins, long recognized as potentially harmful to humans and aquatic animals, but as yet unidentified substances. As a result, the scientists are calling for a revision of environmental monitoring programs to watch for these new substances. The findings appear in ACS's journal Environmental Science and Technology.

Theodore Henry and colleagues note that harmful blooms of toxin-producing algae, called cyanobacteria or blue-green algae, occur in waters throughout the world and are a growing health and environmental concern. The algae produce microcystins that can harm fish, plants, and human health. Possible human health effects include skin rashes, fever, and liver damage. Although scientists have focused mainly on microcystins' biological effects, new evidence suggests that other potentially harmful substances also may be present.

In an effort to find out, Emily Rogers supervised by Theodore Henry, and co-authors Michael Twiner, Julia Gouffon, Jackson McPherson, Gregory Boyer, Gary Sayler, and Steven Wilhelm turned to zebrafish, often used as a stand-in for people and other animals in laboratory experiments. They found that something released by algae, other than microcystins, had an endocrine disrupting effect on the fish. The report recommends that environmental protection agencies may need to update monitoring programs for algae blooms to include potential endocrine-disrupting substances.

The scientists acknowledge funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Environmental Science & Technology: "Global gene expression profiling in larval zebrafish exposed to microcystin-LR and Microcystis reveals endocrine disrupting effects of cyanobacteria" [Environ. Sci. Technol., Article ASAP; DOI: 10.1021/es103538b].

Greener process for key ingredient for everything from paint to diapers

Scientists are reporting discovery of an environmentally friendly way to make a key industrial material - used in products ranging from paints to diapers - from a renewable raw material without touching the traditional pricey and increasingly scarce petroleum-based starting material. Their report on a new catalyst for making acrylic acid appears in ACS Catalysis, the newest in the American Chemical Society's suite of 39 peer-reviewed scientific journals.

Weijie Ji, Chak-Tong Au, and colleagues note that acrylic acid is essential for making paints, adhesives, textiles, leather treatments, and hundreds of other products. Global demand for the colorless liquid totals about 4 million tons annually. Acrylic acid is typically made from propylene obtained from petroleum. With prices rising, manufacturers have been seeking alternative ways of making acrylic acid without buying propylene. One possibility involves making it from lactic acid. But current processes for using lactic acid are inefficient, less selective, and require higher temperatures and the accompanying high inputs of energy.

The scientists' potential solution is a new catalyst that can convert lactic acid into acrylic acid more efficiently. Lactic acid is a classic renewable starting material, produced by bacteria growing in vats of biomass such as glucose and starch from plants. In laboratory studies, the scientists showed that the new catalyst can convert lactic acid to acrylic acid more selectively at lower temperatures. This could mean better use of lactic acid, lower fuel consumption, and less impact on the environment, the scientists suggest.

ACS Catalysis: "Efficient Acrylic Acid Production through Bio Lactic Acid Dehydration over NaY Zeolite Modified by Alkali Phosphates" [ACS Catal., 2011, 1 (1), pp 32–41; DOI: 10.1021/cs100047p].

Toward a fast, simple test for detecting cholera rampaging in 40 countries

With cholera on the rampage in Haiti and almost 40 other countries, scientists are reporting the development of a key advance that could provide a fast, simple test to detect the toxin that causes the disease. The report appears in ACS' journal Bioconjugate Chemistry. Cholera affects more than 200,000 people annually, mainly in developing countries, and causes about 5,000 deaths. Many involve infants, children, and the elderly.

J. Manuel Perez and colleagues note that cholera is an intestinal infection from food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. It produces a toxin that can cause severe diarrhea, which can lead to rapid dehydration and death. Prompt treatment thus is essential, and yet existing tests to diagnose cholera are time-consuming, expensive, and require the use of complex equipment.

The scientists describe a key advance toward a better, faster test. The new method uses specially prepared nanoparticles of iron oxide, each barely 1/50,000th the width of a single human hair, coated with a type of sugar called dextran. To achieve this, they looked for specific characteristics of the cholera toxin receptor (GM1) found on cells' surface in the victim's gut, and then they introduced these features to their nanoparticles. When the magnetic nanoparticles are added to water, blood, or other fluids to be tested, the cholera toxin binds to the nanoparticles in a way that can be easily detected by instruments. The test hardware can be turned into portable gear that health care workers could use in the field, the scientists say. The approach also shows promise for treating cholera intoxication.

The authors acknowledge funding from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences at the National Institutes of Health.

Bioconjugate Chemistry: "Identification of Molecular-Mimicry-Based Ligands for Cholera Diagnostics using Magnetic Relaxation" [Bioconjugate Chem., Article ASAP; DOI: 10.1021/bc100442q].

Chocolate is a 'Super Fruit'

It is widely known that fruit contains antioxidants which may be beneficial to health. New research published in the open access journal Chemistry Central Journal demonstrates that chocolate is a rich source of antioxidants and contains more polyphenols and flavanols than fruit juice.

When researchers at the Hershey Center for Health & Nutrition™ compared the antioxidant activity in cocoa powder and fruit powders they found that, gram per gram, there was more antioxidant capacity, and a greater total flavanol content, in the cocoa powder.

Similarly when they compared the amount of antioxidants, per serving, of dark chocolate, cocoa, hot chocolate mix and fruit juices they found that both dark chocolate and cocoa had a greater antioxidant capacity and a greater total flavanol, and polyphenol, content than the fruit juices. However hot chocolate, due to processing (alkalization) of the chocolate, contained little of any.

Dr Debra Miller, the senior author of the paper, says that, “Cacao seeds are a “Super Fruit” providing nutritive value beyond that of their macronutrient composition”. Which is great news for chocolate lovers.

Chemistry Central Journal: "Cacao seeds are a 'Super Fruit': A comparative analysis of various fruit powders and products" [2011, 5:5, 7 February 2011].

Air pollutants from fireplaces and wood-burning stoves raise health concerns

WASHINGTON - With millions of people warding off winter's chill with blazing fireplaces and wood-burning stoves, scientists are raising red flags about the potential health effects of the smoke released from burning wood. Their study, published in the American Chemical Society's (ACS') journal, Chemical Research in Toxicology, found that the invisible particles inhaled into the lungs from wood smoke may have several adverse health effects. It is among 39 peer-reviewed scientific journals published by ACS, the world's largest scientific society.

Steffen Loft, Ph.D., and colleagues cite the abundant scientific evidence linking inhalation of fine particles of air pollution - so-called "particulate matter" - from motor vehicle exhaust, coal-fired electric power plants, and certain other sources with heart disease, asthma, bronchitis and other health problems. However, relatively little information of that kind exists about the effects of wood smoke particulate matter (WSPM), even though millions of people around the world use wood for home heating and cooking and routinely inhale WSPM.

The scientists analyzed and compared particulate matter in air from the center of a village in Denmark where most residents used wood stoves to a neighboring rural area with few wood stoves, as well as to pure WSPM collected from a wood stove. Airborne particles in the village and pure WSPM tended to be of the most potentially hazardous size - small enough to be inhaled into the deepest parts of the lungs. WSPM contained higher levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which include "probable" human carcinogens. When tested on cultures of human cells, WSPM also caused more damage to the genetic material, DNA; more inflammation; and had greater activity in turning on genes in ways linked to disease.

The authors acknowledged funding from the National Research Councils, Denmark; and the Danish Environmental Protection Agency.

Chemical Research in Toxicology: "Oxidative Stress, DNA Damage, and Inflammation Induced by Ambient Air and Wood Smoke Particulate Matter in Human A549 and THP-1 Cell Lines" [Chem. Res. Toxicol., Article ASAP; DOI: 10.1021/tx100407m].

Vegans' elevated heart risk requires omega-3s and B12

People who follow a vegan lifestyle - strict vegetarians who try to eat no meat or animal products of any kind - may increase their risk of developing blood clots and atherosclerosis or "hardening of the arteries," which are conditions that can lead to heart attacks and stroke. That's the conclusion of a review of dozens of articles published on the biochemistry of vegetarianism during the past 30 years. The article appears in ACS' bi-weekly Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Duo Li notes in the review that meat eaters are known for having a significantly higher combination of cardiovascular risk factors than vegetarians. Lower-risk vegans, however, may not be immune. Their diets tend to be lacking several key nutrients - including iron, zinc, vitamin B12, and omega-3 fatty acids. While a balanced vegetarian diet can provide enough protein, this isn't always the case when it comes to fat and fatty acids. As a result, vegans tend to have elevated blood levels of homocysteine and decreased levels of HDL, the "good" form of cholesterol. Both are risk factors for heart disease.

It concludes that there is a strong scientific basis for vegetarians and vegans to increase their dietary omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin B12 to help contend with those risks. Good sources of omega-3s include salmon and other oily fish, walnuts and certain other nuts. Good sources of vitamin B12 include seafood, eggs, and fortified milk. Dietary supplements also can supply these nutrients.

Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry: "Chemistry behind Vegetarianism" [J. Agric. Food Chem., 2011, 59 (3), pp 777–784].

New gift from Mother Nature’s medicine chest may help prevent and treat bone diseases

One of Mother Nature's latest gifts to medical science is stirring excitement with the discovery that the substance - obtained from a coral-reef inhabiting cyanobacterium - appears to be an ideal blueprint for developing new drugs for serious fractures, osteoporosis, and other bone diseases. That's the conclusion of a study on the substance, Largazole, in the journal ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters.

By some estimates, more than half of today's medications are in Largazole's family, the "natural products." They come from trees, snails, scorpion venom, soil bacteria, other plants and animals; however, so far only a few come from the ocean. In the report, Jiyong Hong, Seong Hwan Kim, Hendrik Luesch and colleagues indicate that Largazole was derived from and named for marine cyanobacteria that grow in Key Largo, Florida. Largazole, they add, already has attracted scientific attention for its ability to kill cancer cells in laboratory experiments.

Their research in laboratory dishes and test animals showed that Largazole has an unusual dual action on injured or diseased bones. It stimulates a process in the body called osteogenesis, which involves the growth of new bone and the repair of damaged bone. Largazole also blocks the oppose process in which the body naturally breaks down and resorbs bone. Both of those benefits, the scientists found, come from Largazole's effects on proteins called histone deacetylases, which are a sort of master control switch for protein production. Drugs that block histone deacetylases are currently used to treat cancer, and they may have other health benefits as well. The researchers also showed that Largazole mixed with collagen and calcium phosphate, bone components, helped heal fractured bones in laboratory mice and rabbits.

ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters: "In Vitro and In Vivo Osteogenic Activity of Largazole" [ACS Med. Chem. Lett., Article ASAP, 2011; DOI: 10.1021/ml1002794].

'Red mud' disaster's main threat to crops is not toxic metals

As farmers in Hungary ponder spring planting on hundreds of acres of farmland affected by last October's red mud disaster, scientists are reporting that high alkalinity is the main threat to a bountiful harvest, not toxic metals. In a study in the ACS journal Environmental Science & Technology, they also describe an inexpensive decontamination strategy using the mineral gypsum, an ingredient in plaster.

Erik Smolders and colleagues note that a dam burst at a factory processing aluminum ore, flooding the surrounding land with more than 700,000 cubic yards of a byproduct termed red mud. At least 10 people died and hundreds were injured in Hungary's worst-ever environmental disaster. Red mud contains toxic metals like arsenic, chromium, cadmium and nickel. The mud also contains radioactive elements and is highly alkaline, caustic enough to burn skin and eyes. On the scale for measuring acidity or alkalinity, 7 is neutral, anything above 7 is alkaline and below is acid. Red mud is about one million times more alkaline than a neutral material. With up to 4 inches of red mud coating farmland, concerns arose about red mud's potential impact on the 2011 planting of corn, alfalfa, and other crops. With little scientific knowledge about red mud's effects on plant growth, much of the concern focused on toxic metals.

The scientists' tests showed that plants in contaminated soil grew about 25 percent slower than crops grown in uncontaminated soil. The main culprit, however, appeared to be not toxic metals or radioactivity, but red mud's intense alkalinity and salt content. Adding gypsum to the red mud can reduce alkalinity and will accelerate the removal of the salts, the scientists add, recommending long-term monitoring of metals in the crops to remove any concerns with food chain contamination.

Environmental Science & Technology: "The Red Mud Accident in Ajka (Hungary): Plant Toxicity and Trace Bioavailability in Red Mud Contaminated Soil" [Environ. Sci. Technol., Article ASAP, 2011; DOI: 10.1021/es104000m].

Shoo fly: Catnip oil repels bloodsucking flies

Catnip, the plant that attracts domestic cats like an irresistible force, has proven 99 percent effective in repelling the blood-sucking flies that attack horses and cows, causing $2 billion in annual loses to the cattle industry. That's the word from a report published in ACS' biweekly Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Junwei Zhu and colleagues note that stable flies not only inflict painful bites, but also transmit multiple diseases. Cattle harried by these bloodsuckers may produce less meat and milk, have trouble reproducing, and develop diseases that can be fatal. All traditional methods for controlling stable flies - even heavy applications of powerful insecticides - have proven less than effective. The scientists thus turned to catnip oil, already known to repel more than a dozen families of insects, including house flies, mosquitoes and cockroaches.

They made pellets of catnip oil, soy, and paraffin wax, and spread them in a cattle feedlot. Within minutes, the pellets shooed the flies away, with the repellent action lasting for about three hours. Pellets without catnip oil, in contrast, had no effect. The scientists now are working on making the repellent action last longer, which they say is the key to putting catnip to use in protecting livestock both in feedlots and pastures.

Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry "Repellency of a Wax-Based Catnip-Oil Formulation against Stable Flies" [J. Agric. Food Chem., 2010, 58 (23), pp 12320–12326; DOI: 10.1021/jf102811k].

Secrets of plant warfare underpin quest for safer, more secure global food supply

Like espionage agents probing an enemy's fortifications, scientists are snooping out the innermost secrets of the amazing defense mechanisms that plants use to protect themselves from diseases. The effort - intended to discover ways of bolstering those natural defenses and enhance the safety and security of the global food supply - is the topic of an article in the current edition of Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), ACS' weekly newsmagazine.

C&EN Associate Editor Sarah Everts notes that plants use a battery of cunning mechanisms to protect themselves from disease. When microbes breach those immune defenses, epidemics like the Irish potato famine or wheat stem rust can mean starvation and displacement for millions of people.

The article describes how scientists are intensively studying plant immune mechanisms. Over the last 20 years, for instance, scientists have made inroads into the complex chemical architecture of those defenses. The insights include the identification of a gene for the first receptor protein involved in plant immunity as well as the discovery of plant structures that recognize invading microorganisms. Those and other insights could underpin development of more effective and more sustainable ways of fighting crop pests.

Chemical & Engineering News: "Vegetative Warfare" [Volume 89, number 5, pp 53-55].

Discovery of a biochemical basis for broccoli's cancer-fighting ability

Scientists are reporting discovery of a potential biochemical basis for the apparent cancer-fighting ability of broccoli and its veggie cousins. They found for the first time that certain substances in the vegetables appear to target and block a defective gene associated with cancer. Their report, which could lead to new strategies for preventing and treating cancer, appears in ACS' Journal of Medicinal Chemistry.

Fung-Lung Chung and colleagues showed in previous experiments that substances called isothiocyanates (or ITCs) - found in broccoli, cauliflower, watercress, and other cruciferous vegetables - appear to stop the growth of cancer. But nobody knew exactly how these substances work, a key to developing improved strategies for fighting cancer in humans. The tumor suppressor gene p53 appears to play a key role in keeping cells healthy and preventing them from starting the abnormal growth that is a hallmark of cancer. When mutated, p53 does not offer that protection, and those mutations occur in half of all human cancers. ITCs might work by targeting this gene, the report suggests.

The scientists studied the effects of certain naturally-occurring ITCs on a variety of cancer cells, including lung, breast and colon cancer, with and without the defective tumor suppressor gene. They found that ITCs are capable of removing the defective p53 protein but apparently leave the normal one alone. Drugs based on natural or custom-engineered ITCs could improve the effectiveness of current cancer treatments or lead to new strategies for treating and preventing cancer.

The authors acknowledged funding from the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award and a grant from the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health.

Journal of Medicinal Chemistry: "Selective Depletion of Mutant p53 by Cancer Chemoprevention Isothiocyanates and Their Structure-Activity Relationships" [J. Med. Chem., Article ASAP, 2011; DOI: 10.1021/jm101199t].

Getting more anti-cancer medicine into the blood

Scientists are reporting successful application of the technology used in home devices to clean jewelry, dentures, and other items to make anticancer drugs like tamoxifen and paclitaxel dissolve more easily in body fluids, so they can better fight the disease. The process, described in ACS' journal, Langmuir, can make other poorly soluble materials more soluble, and has potential for improving the performance of dyes, paints, rust-proofing agents and other products.

In the report, Yuri M. Lvov and colleagues point out that many drugs, including some of the most powerful anti-cancer medications, have low solubility in water, meaning they do not dissolve well. IV administration of large amounts can lead to clumping that blocks small blood vessels, so doses sometimes must be kept below the most effective level. In addition, drug companies may discontinue work on very promising potential new drugs that have low solubility. The scientists note numerous efforts to improve the solubility of such medications, none of which have been ideal.

The scientists describe using sonification, high-pitched sound waves like those in home ultrasonic jewelry and denture cleaners, to break anti-cancer drugs into particles so small that thousands would fit across the width of a human hair. Each particle of that power then gets several coatings with natural polysaccharides that keep them from sticking together. The technique, termed nanoencapsulation, worked with several widely used anti-cancer drugs, raising the possibility that it could be used to administer more-effective doses of the medications. The report also described successful use to increase the solubility of ingredients in rust proofing agents, paints, and dyes.

The authors acknowledge funding from the National Cancer Institute.

Langmuir: "Converting Poorly Soluble Materials into Stable Aqueous Nanocolloids" [2011, 27 (3), pp 1212–1217; DOI: 10.1021/la1041635].

Small particles show big promise in beating unpleasant odors

Scientists are reporting development of a new approach for dealing with offensive household and other odors - one that doesn't simply mask odors like today's room fresheners, but eliminates them at the source. Their research found that a deodorant made from nanoparticles - hundreds of times smaller than peach fuzz - eliminates odors up to twice as effectively as today's gold standard. A report on these next-generation odor-fighters appears in ACS' Langmuir, a bi-weekly journal.

Brij Moudgil and colleagues note that consumers use a wide range of materials to battle undesirable odors in clothing, on pets, in rooms, and elsewhere. Most common household air fresheners, for instance, mask odors with pleasing fragrances but do not eliminate the odors from the environment. People also apply deodorizing substances that absorb smells. These materials include activated carbon and baking soda. However, these substances tend to have only a weak ability to absorb the chemicals responsible for the odor.

The scientists describe development of a new material consisting of nanoparticles of silica (the main ingredient in beach sand) - each 1/50,000th the width of a human hair - coated with copper. That metal has well-established antibacterial and anti-odor properties, and the nanoparticles gave copper a greater surface area to exert its effects. Tests of the particles against ethyl mercaptan, the stuff that gives natural gas its unpleasant odor, showed that nanoparticles were up to twice as effective as the gold standard - activated carbon - at removing the material's foul-smelling odor. In addition to fighting odors, the particles also show promise for removing sulfur contaminants found in crude oil and for fighting harmful bacteria, they add.

Langmuir: "Copper Coated Silica Nanoparticles for Odor Removal" [2010, 26 (20), pp 15837–15844; DOI: 10.1021/la100793u].

Fish smile but some consumers frown at new genre of phosphate-free detergents

Phosphate-free automatic dishwashing detergents — introduced to combat the phosphate-fed algae blooms that foul the nation's lakes and rivers — may be making the fish happy. But they're putting a frown on the faces of some consumers who say the new products leave dishes dirty. That's the topic of the cover story in the current edition of Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), ACS' weekly newsmagazine.

C&EN Assistant Managing Editor Michael McCoy described how new laws in 16 states require manufacturers to eliminate phosphates from automatic dishwasher detergents sold in the United States. Once hailed as a wonder for making dishes squeaky clean, sodium tripolyphosphate later became a villain in the fight against water pollution. It can wash down household drains, through sewage treatment facilities, and into lakes and streams. Just like the phosphate fertilizer applied to crops, it kick-starts growth of algae, which die, decay, and deplete oxygen from the water, causing fish kills and other problems. McCoy explains that the well-intentioned phosphate-removal laws, however, have caused an unintended problem for some consumers, leaving dishes and glassware with spots and unsightly films.

Detergent manufacturers are now turning to chemists and the chemical industry in a search for phosphate-free formulas that don't leave dishes dirty. Some manufacturers have already found promising alternatives, while others are testing new detergent ingredients, including polymers and enzymes, that can clean like phosphates without contributing to water pollution.

Chemical & Engineering News: "Goodbye, Phosphates" [DOI:10.1021/CEN011811165646].

Toward controlling fungus that caused Irish potato famine

Scientists are reporting a key advance toward development of a way to combat the terrible plant diseases that caused the Irish potato famine and still inflict billions of dollars of damage to crops each year around the world. Their study appears in ACS' bi-weekly journal Organic Letters.

Teck-Peng Loh and colleagues point out that the Phytophthora fungi cause extensive damage to food crops such as potatoes and soybeans as well as to ornamental plants like azaleas and rhododendrons. One species of the fungus caused the Irish potato famine in the mid 1840s. That disaster resulted in nearly one million deaths from starvation and forced millions more people to flee Ireland for the United States and other countries. Still difficult to control despite the use of modern pesticides, the fungus continues to cause $6 billion in damage to global potato crops annually. Scientists, however, have isolated a key hormone, alpha-1, that allows Phytophthora to reproduce. The hormone exists in several different forms, and a synthetic version of the most biologically active form could provide the basis for developing a way to control the fungus and reduce its threat, the scientists suggest.

They describe an advance toward this goal, the synthesis of a particularly active form of the mating hormone called (3R,7R,11R,15R)-hormone alpha-1. The scientists also showed that they could make relatively large quantities of the hormone. The advance could open the door to an effective method to fight this ancient scourge, they suggest.

The authors acknowledged funding from the Nanyang Technological University, Ministry of Education and Biomedical Research Council (A*STAR grant M47110006).

Organic Letters: "Total Synthesis of Phytophthora Mating Hormone alpha-1" [Org. Lett., 2010, 12 (22), pp 5166–5169; DOI: 10.1021/ol102177j].

Killer paper for next-generation food packaging

Scientists are reporting development and successful lab tests of "killer paper," a material intended for use as a new food packaging material that helps preserve foods by fighting the bacteria that cause spoilage. The paper, described in ACS' journal, Langmuir, contains a coating of silver nanoparticles, which are powerful anti-bacterial agents.

Aharon Gedanken and colleagues note that silver already finds wide use as a bacteria fighter in certain medicinal ointments, kitchen and bathroom surfaces, and even odor-resistant socks. Recently, scientists have been exploring the use of silver nanoparticles — each 1/50,000 the width of a human hair — as germ-fighting coatings for plastics, fabrics, and metals. Nanoparticles, which have a longer-lasting effect than larger silver particles, could help overcome the growing problem of antibiotic resistance, in which bacteria develop the ability to shrug-off existing antibiotics. Paper coated with silver nanoparticles could provide an alternative to common food preservation methods such as radiation, heat treatment, and low temperature storage, they note. However, producing "killer paper" suitable for commercial use has proven difficult.

The scientists describe development of an effective, long-lasting method for depositing silver nanoparticles on the surface of paper that involves ultrasound, or the use of high frequency sound waves. The coated paper showed potent antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus, two causes of bacterial food poisoning, killing all of the bacteria in just three hours. This suggests its potential application as a food packaging material for promoting longer shelf life, they note.

Langmuir: "Sonochemical Coating of Paper by Microbiocidal Silver Nanoparticles" [Langmuir, 2011, 27 (2), pp 720–726; DOI: 10.1021/la103401z].

No longer just a spectator, silicon oxide gets into the electronics action on computer chips

In the materials science equivalent of a football fan jumping onto the field and scoring a touchdown, scientists are documenting that one fundamental component of computer chips, long regarded as a passive bystander, can actually be made to act like a switch. That potentially allows it to take part in the electronic processes that power cell phones, iPads, computers, and thousands of other products. In a report in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, the scientists document the multiple ways in which silicon dioxide, long regarded simply as an electric insulator, gets involved in the action. This behavior had formerly confused scientists working in the area of nanoelectronics — they thought that the switching was due to the nano-additive but it turns out that the source of the switching might be from the underlying silicon oxide itself.

Jun Yao, Douglas Natelson, Lin Zhong, and James Tour explain that manufacturers have long used silicon oxide, normally a very poor conductor of electricity, as both a supportive and insulating material in electronics. Silicon, a primary component of beach sand, is the semiconductor material at the heart of modern electronics. When bound to oxygen, the resulting silicon oxide is generally one of the highest quality electronic insulating materials. The scientists recently showed, however, that the oxide material can be converted to a switchable conductor by an electrical process. This phenomenon may hold the key to developing a new generation of smaller, more powerful computer chips, but the mechanism behind this switching was unclear, until now. It also clarifies the possible nature behind the switching events in former molecular and nano-scale systems.

The scientists sandwiched a nano-sized layer of silicon oxide, thousands of times smaller than the width of a human hair, between two electrodes and exposed the device to increasing amounts of electrical current. They demonstrated that electricity can cause the silicon oxide to breakdown into smaller components, nano-sized crystals of silicon, in a way that boosts its electrical conductivity and makes it a player in the working processes of computer chips.

The authors acknowledged funding from the Army Research Office, the David and Lucille Packard Foundation, the Texas Instruments Leadership University Fund, and National Science Foundation Award No. 0720825.

Journal of the American Chemical Society: "Silicon Oxide: A Non-innocent Surface for Molecular Electronics and Nanoelectronics Studies" [J. Am. Chem. Soc., Article ASAP; DOI: 10.1021/ja108277r].

Advance could speed use of genetic material RNA in nanotechnology

Scientists are reporting an advance in overcoming a major barrier to the use of the genetic material RNA in nanotechnology — the field that involves building machines thousands of times smaller than the width of a human hair and now is dominated by its cousin, DNA. Their findings, which could speed the use of RNA nanotechnology for treating disease, appear in the monthly journal ACS Nano.

Peixuan Guo and colleagues point out that DNA, the double-stranded genetic blueprint of life, and RNA, its single-stranded cousin, share common chemical features that can serve as building blocks for making nanostructures and nanodevices. In some ways, RNA even has advantages over DNA. The field of DNA nanotechnology is already well-established, they note. The decade-old field of RNA nanotechnology shows great promise, with potential applications in the treatment of cancer, viral, and genetic diseases. However, the chemical instability of RNA and its tendency to breakdown in the presence of enzymes have slowed progress in the field.

The scientists describe development of a highly stable RNA nanoparticle. They tested its ability to power the nano-sized biological motor of a certain bacteriophage - a virus that infects bacteria — that operates using molecules of RNA. The modified RNA showed excellent biological activity similar, even in the presence of high concentrations of enzymes that normally breakdown RNA. The finding show that "it is practical to produce RNase (an enzyme that degrades RNA) resistant, biologically active, and stable RNA for application in nanotechnology," the article notes.

ACS Nano: "Fabrication of Stable and RNase-Resistant RNA Nanoparticles Active in Gearing the Nanomotors for Viral DNA Packaging" [ACS Nano, Article ASAP; DOI: 10.1021/nn1024658].

40-year-old test procedure finds modern niche in developing new medicines

The blood test procedure used on newborn infants for 40 years is finding a second life in the search for new lifesaving medications, according to an article in the current edition of Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), ACS' weekly newsmagazine.

C&EN Senior Editor Celia Henry Arnaud notes that collecting drops of blood from patients and depositing the drops on special paper cards to dry has been used for decades to screen newborns for hereditary disorders and infectious disease. But the dried blood spot technology has found a new role at pharmaceutical companies in the development and testing of new drugs.

The approach, possible now because modern lab instruments are more sensitive, has distinct advantages. The dried blood approach, for instance, involves taking only a few drops of blood from patients in clinical trials, and these can be stored and shipped more easily and inexpensively than liquid samples. Those advantages, alone, could cut the cost of introducing new drugs by millions of dollars, the article indicates.

Chemical & Engineering News: "Technology Renews A Basic Approach" [Volume 89, Number 3, pp 13-17, January17, 2011].

'Thirdhand smoke' may be bigger health hazard than previously believed

Scientists are reporting that so-called "thirdhand smoke" - the invisible remains of cigarette smoke that deposits on carpeting, clothing, furniture and other surfaces - may be even more of a health hazard than previously believed. The study, published in ACS' journal, Environmental Science & Technology, extends the known health risks of tobacco among people who do not smoke but encounter the smoke exhaled by smokers or released by smoldering cigarette butts.

Yael Dubowski and colleagues note that thirdhand smoke is a newly recognized contributor to the health risks of tobacco and indoor air pollution. Studies show that that nicotine in thirdhand smoke can react with the ozone in indoor air and surfaces like clothing and furniture, to form other pollutants. Exposure to them can occur to babies crawling on the carpet, people napping on the sofa, or people eating food tainted by thirdhand smoke.

In an effort to learn more about thirdhand smoke, the scientists studied interactions between nicotine and indoor air on a variety of different materials, including cellulose (a component of wood furniture), cotton, and paper to simulate typical indoor surfaces. They found that nicotine interacts with ozone, in indoor air, to form potentially toxic pollutants on these surfaces. "Given the toxicity of some of the identified products and that small particles may contribute to adverse health effects, the present study indicates that exposure to [thirdhand smoke] may pose additional health risks," the article notes.

Environmental Science & Technology: "Thirdhand Smoke: Heterogeneous Oxidation of Nicotine and Secondary Aerosol Formation in the Indoor Environment" [Environ. Sci. Technol., 2011, 45 (1), pp 328–333; DOI: 10.1021/es102060v].

The quest for rat poisons that mimic the Pied Piper's magic flute

Scientists dream of developing a real-world version of the Pied Piper's magic flute - new poisons that pose no threat to people, pets or wildlife, while specifically targeting rats, those germ-laden creatures that outnumber humans 6 to 1 in some urban areas. An article in the current edition of Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), ACS' weekly newsmagazine, details some of the steps toward that goal.

C&EN Associate Editor Jyllian Kemsley points out that rats not only are notorious carriers of infectious disease, but threaten the survival of native plants and wildlife. Modern rat poisons, often based on anticoagulants, are effective. However, these substances can harm people and other animals and rats are developing resistance, so that they shrug off the effects of existing anticoagulants. The poisons thus may hurt other animals while leaving rats alive to continue their rampage.

The article explains that one of the major challenges today involves tracking whether and how much of a rodenticide is being consumed by rats or by other animals. Scientists are reporting progress on this front, which includes use of special fluorescent dyes to track how much bait rodents are eating and studying the fecal samples of their predators to identify contamination routes. Research also involves mutations in a gene that allows some rats to develop resistance to anticoagulants. These and other studies could lead to safer rat killers, the article suggests.

Chemical & Engineering News: "Regulating Rodents"; January 10, 2011 Volume 89, Number 2pp. 33 - 34; DOI: 10.1021/CEN010411160045.

Scientific evidence supports effectiveness of Chinese drug for cataracts

Scientists are reporting a scientific basis for the long-standing belief that a widely used non-prescription drug in China and certain other countries can prevent and treat cataracts, a clouding of the lens of the eye that is a leading cause of vision loss worldwide. Their study appears in Inorganic Chemistry, an ACS journal.

In the study, Tzu-Hua Wu, Fu-Yung Huang, Shih-Hsiung Wu and colleagues note that eye drops containing pirenoxine, or PRX, have been reputed as a cataract remedy for almost 60 years. Currently, the only treatment for cataracts in Western medicine is surgical replacement of the lens, the clear disc-like structure inside the eye that focuses light onto the nerve tissue in the back of the eye. Despite the wide use of pirenoxine, there have been few scientific studies on its actual effects, the scientists note.

To fill that gap, the scientists tested pirenoxine on cloudy solutions that mimic the chemical composition of the eye lens of cataract patients. The solutions contained crystallin - a common lens protein - combined with either calcium or selenite, two minerals whose increased levels appear to play key roles in the development of cataracts. Presence of PRX reduced the cloudiness of the lens solution containing calcium by 38 percent and reduced the cloudiness of the selenite solution by 11 percent. "These results may provide a rationale for using PRX as an anti-cataract agent and warrant further biological studies," the article notes.

Inorganic Chemistry: "Ditopic Complexation of Selenite Anions or Calcium Cations by Pirenoxine: An Implication for Anti-Cataractogenesis" [Inorg. Chem., 2011, 50 (1), pp 365–377; DOI: 10.1021/ic102151p].

New 'frozen smoke' material: 1 ounce could carpet three football fields

Scientists are reporting the development of a new, ultra-light form of "frozen smoke" - renowned as the world's lightest solid material - with amazing strength and an incredibly large surface area. The new so-called "multiwalled carbon nanotube (MCNT) aerogel" could be used in sensors to detect pollutants and toxic substances, chemical reactors, and electronics components. A report about the material appears in ACS Nano, a monthly journal.

Lei Zhai and colleagues explain that aerogels made from silicon dioxide (the main ingredient in sand) and other material already are used as thermal insulation in windows and buildings, tennis rackets, sponges to clean up oil spills, and other products. Aerogels are solid but so light that they have been compared to frozen smoke. However, only a few scientists have succeeded in making aerogels from carbon nanotubes, wisps of carbon so small that almost 50,000 would fit across the width of a human hair.

The report describes a process for making MCNT aerogels and tests to determine their properties. MCNT aerogels infused with a plastic material are flexible, for instance, like a spring that can be stretched thousands of times. If the nanotubes in a one-ounce cube were unraveled and placed side-to-side and end-to-end, they would carpet three football fields. The MCNT aerogels also are excellent conductors of electricity, making them ideal for sensing applications, such as sensing as little as 0.003527 ounce of a material resting in the palm of one hand, the report indicates.

Nano: "Ultralight Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube Aerogel" [ACS Nano, 2010, 4 (12), pp 7293–7302; DOI: 10.1021/nn102246a].

Seeing the invisible: New CSI tool visualizes bloodstains and other substances

Snap an image of friends in front of a window curtain and the camera captures the people - and invisible blood stains splattered on the curtain during a murder. Sound unlikely? Chemists from the University of South Carolina are reporting development of a camera with that ability to see the invisible, and more. Called multimode imaging in the thermal infrared, the new technology could find uses in crime scene investigations and elsewhere, they say in a series of three reports in ACS' Analytical Chemistry, a semi-monthly journal.

Michael Myrick, Stephen Morgan and their graduate student colleagues explain that the luminol test (mainstay method for detecting blood stains and other body fluids at crime scenes) has certain disadvantages. Luminol, for instance, is potentially toxic; has been reported to dilute blood solutions below DNA detection limits; can smear informative blood spatter patterns; and can provide false positive results.

In the reports, the scientists describe the construction and successful testing of a camera that takes images in several different ways. It captures hundreds of images in a few seconds, while illuminating its subjects with pulses of invisible infrared light waves. Some of these photos are taken through special filters, which block out particular wavelengths, allowing certain chemical components to stand out from their surroundings. The camera detects blood diluted to as little as one part blood in 100 parts water. In tests, the camera was able to make invis