Abstract
Many organic sulfur, selenium and tellurium compounds show considerable activity against microorganisms, including bacteria and fungi. This pronounced activity is often due to the specific, oxidizing redox behavior of the chalcogen-chalcogen bond present in such molecules. Interestingly, similar chalcogen-chalcogen motifs are also found in the elemental forms of these elements, and while those materials are insoluble in aqueous media, it has recently been possible to unlock their biological activities using naturally produced or homogenized suspensions of respective chalcogen nanoparticles. Those suspensions can be employed readily and often effectively against common pathogenic microorganisms, still their practical uses are limited as such suspensions are difficult to transport, store and apply. Using mannitol as stabilizer, it is now possible to lyophilize such suspensions to produce solid forms of the nanoparticles, which upon resuspension in water essentially retain their initial size and exhibit considerable biological activity. The sequence of Nanosizing, Lyophilization and Resuspension (NaLyRe) eventually provides access to a range of lyophilized materials which may be considered as easy-to-handle, ready-to-use and at the same time as bioavailable, active forms of otherwise insoluble or sparingly substances. In the case of elemental sulfur, selenium and tellurium, this approach promises wider practical applications, for instance in the medical or agricultural arena.
Highlights
Organic chalcogen compounds have been investigated for several decades due to their often pronounced biological activities against parasites, microorganisms and cancer cells
We have recently shown that such particles can be obtained rather by physical or chemical methods and, in the case of selenium, even with the assistance of certain bacteria which readily generate natural, protein-coated selenium nanoparticles in adequate quality and yield
The results as part ofto this study support the idea that suspensions chalcogen-nanoparticles can of beparticle lyophilized to and with resuspended on demand without notable loss of particle quality of interesting biological activities against common pathogens such asno
Summary
Organic chalcogen compounds have been investigated for several decades due to their often pronounced biological activities against parasites, microorganisms and cancer cells. The field of natural Organic Sulfur Compounds (OSCs) has attracted tremendous attention, as Reactive Sulfur. Antioxidants 2018, 7, 23 biologically active organochalcogens has stimulated considerable efforts in chemical synthesis and has produced volumes of more or less exotic molecules [7,8]. The chalcogen-chalcogen bond often at the centre of such redox action is found in the elemental forms of sulfur (S8 , common yellow form), selenium (Se8 , red allotrope) and tellurium (Te8 , dark grey), implying that such elemental modifications, from the perspective of reactivity, may themselves be biologically active [9]
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