Abstract
The stability of biologically important molecules, such as amino acids, being subjected to highradiation fields is relevant for chemical evolution studies. Bodies of water were very important in the primitive Earth. In these bodies, the presence of dissolved salts, together with organic molecules, could influence the behavior of the systems in prebiotic environments.The objective of this work is to examine the influence of sodium chloride on the stability of the amino acid glycine when subjected to high radiation doses. The analysis of the irradiated samples was followed by HPLC coupled with a UV-VIS detector. The results show that glycine in aqueous solutions (without oxygen) decomposed around 90% at a dose of 91 kGy. In the presence of salts, up to 80% of the amino acid was recovered at the same dose. Laboratory simulations demonstrate a protective role for sodium chloride (specifically the chloride ion) to glycine against an external source of ionizing radiation.
Highlights
The understanding of the processes occurring on our planet leads us to use the principle of actualism
The results show that glycine in aqueous solutions decomposed around 90% at a dose of 91 kGy
Our aim is to study the effect of salts in aqueous glycine solution exposed to high-radiation fields to simulate the chemical reactions that occurred in a primordial saline system
Summary
The understanding of the processes occurring on our planet leads us to use the principle of actualism. High radiation induces the formation of free radicals on water. Free radicals generally have a high diffusion capacity [4] and can quickly attack organic molecules in the environment. On Earth, liquid water began to accumulate at around 4.4 Ga [5] and salts originated from the gases in volcanic activity and the weathering of rocks. In this context, the Earth’s surface had bodies of water with a wide range of conditions and salinities. Our aim is to study the effect of salts (chloride) in aqueous glycine solution exposed to high-radiation fields to simulate the chemical reactions that occurred in a primordial saline system
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