Unveiling metabolo-genomic insights of potent antitumoral and antibiotic activity in sp. VB1 from Valparaíso Bay.

sp. VB1, an actinomycete isolated from marine sediments in Valparaíso Bay, Chile, synthesizes antimicrobial and antiproliferative compounds. This study presents comprehensive metabolomics and comparative genomics analyses of strain VB1.

Global issues in setting legal limits on soil metal contamination: A case study of Chile.

The establishment of legal limits for soil contamination with trace elements is a global issue that has not yet been resolved. However, the resolution of any global problem begins at the national level. In this vein, we present the case of Chile, the world's leading copper producer, where soil contamination by trace elements in mining areas has been severe.

Advanced determination of the spatial gradient of human health risk and ecological risk from exposure to As, Cu, Pb, and Zn in soils near the Ventanas Industrial Complex (Puchuncaví, Chile).

The townships of Puchuncaví and Quintero, on the coast of central Chile, have soils contaminated by atmospheric deposition of sulfur dioxide and trace elements from the nearby Ventanas Industrial Complex. The purpose of this study was to evaluate potential human health and ecological risks, by determining the spatial distribution of soil total concentrations arsenic (As), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) in these townships. Total concentrations of these elements were determined in 245 topsoil samples, used to generate continuous distribution maps.

Water-soluble Ru(II)-anethole compounds with promising cytotoxicity toward the human gastric cancer cell line AGS.

Aims: Ruthenium-based compounds exhibit critical biochemical properties making them suitable for diverse pharmacological applications. The aim of this work was to study the anticancer effects of three ruthenium complexes on a human gastric cancer cell line.

Main Methods: We synthetized three [Ru(η-anethole)(en)X]PF complexes, where (en) is ethylenediamine and X is Cl (1), Br (2) or I (3), which were then evaluated by MTT assay, RT-qPCR and flow cytometry on the human gastric cancer cell line AGS.

Chromatographic approaches for determination of low-molecular mass aldehydes in bio-oil.

HPLC-UV and GC/MS determination of aldehydes in bio-oil were evaluated. HPLC-UV preceded by derivatization with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine allows separation and detection of bio-oil aldehydes, but the derivatization affected the bio-oil stability reducing their quantitative applicability. GC/MS determination of aldehydes was reached by derivatization with o-(2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorobenzyl) hydroxylamine hydrochloride.

High performance thin layer chromatography determination of cellobiosan and levoglucosan in bio-oil obtained by fast pyrolysis of sawdust.

In this work, high performance thin layer liquid chromatography (HTPLC) is applied to the determination of sugars in fast pyrolysis liquids (bio-oil) and fractions thereof. The proposed procedure allows the separation of anhydrosugar levoglucosan and cellobiosan, as well as glucose, arabinose, xylose and cellobiose. Pre-treatment and derivatization of samples are not necessary and volatile compounds present in bio-oil do not interfere with sugar analysis.

Alternatives for sample pre-treatment and HPLC determination of Ochratoxin A in red wine using fluorescence detection.

Ochratoxin A is a mycotoxin widely studied due to its nephrotoxic, immunotoxic, teratogenic and carcinogenic effects. The European Commission has fixed maximum limits for Ochratoxin A in wines and in other foods. In order to determine Ochratoxin A levels in red wine, the present paper contrasts and discusses the results of a systematic study of analytical parameters for sample pre-treatment using different immunoaffinity cartridges as well as C-18 cartridges with three solvent combinations.

Butyltin compounds and their relation with organic matter in marine sediments from San Vicente Bay-Chile.

Tributyltin and its degradation products, mono-and dibutyltin have been determined in sediments collected in some representative sites in San Vicente Bay, Chile. The organic matter contents of sediments and water collected simultaneously from the same sampling sites were also determined. High levels of total organic carbon were found in sediments, especially in those from the northern part of the bay (1.