Cyanide Derivatives Research Articles

QSAR Studies on a Class of Benzofuranene Cyanide Derivatives as Potential Inhibitors Targeting Staphylococcus aureus Sortase A.

Staphylococcus aureus is a widely distributed and highly pathogenic zoonotic bacterium. Sortase A represents a crucial target for the research and development of novel antibacterial drugs. This study aims to establish quantitative structure-activity relationship models based on the chemical structures of a class of benzofuranene cyanide derivatives. The models will be used to screen new antibacterial agents and predict the properties of these molecules. The compounds were randomly divided into a training set and a test set. A large number of descriptors were calculated using the software, and then the appropriate descriptors were selected to build the models through the heuristic method and the gene expression programming algorithm. In the heuristic method, the determination coefficient, determination coefficient of cross-validation, F-test, and mean squared error values were 0.530, 0.395, 9.006, and 0.047, respectively. In the gene expression programming algorithm, the determination coefficient and the mean squared error values in the training set were 0.937 and 0.008, respectively, while in the test set, they were 0.849 and 0.035. The results showed that the minimum bond order of a C atom and the relative number of benzene rings had a significant positive contribution to the activity of compounds. In this study, two quantitative structure-activity relationship models were successfully established to predict the inhibitory activity of a series of compounds targeting Staphylococcus aureus Sortase A, providing insights for further development of novel anti-Staphylococcus aureus drugs.

CN and CCH derivatives of ethylene and ethane: Confirmation of the detection of CH3CH2CCH in TMC-1

We present a study of CH3CH2CCH, CH3CH2CN, CH2CHCCH, and CH2CHCN in TMC-1 using the QUIJOTE line survey. We confirm the presence of CH3CH2CCH in TMC-1, which was previously reported as tentative by our group. From a detailed study of the ethynyl and cyanide derivatives of CH2CH2 and CH3CH3 in TMC-1, we found that the CH2CHCCH/CH2CHCN and CH3CH2CCH/CH3CH2CN abundance ratios are 1.5±0.1 and 4.8±0.5, respectively. The derived CH2CHCCH/CH3CH2CCH abundance ratio is 15.3±0.8, and that of CH2CHCN over CH3CH2CN is 48±5. All the single substituted isotopologs of vinyl cyanide have been detected, and we found that the first and second carbon substitutions in CH2CHCN provide a 12C/13C ratio in line with that found for other three-carbon bearing species such as HCCNC and HNCCC. However, the third 13C isotopolog, CH2CH13CN, presents an increase in its abundance similar to that found for HCCCN. Finally, we observed eight b-type transitions of CH2CHCN, and we find that their intensity cannot be fitted adopting the dipole moment µb derived previously. These transitions involve the same rotational levels as those of the a-type transitions. From their intensity, we obtain µb = 0.80±0.03 D, which is found to be in between earlier values derived in the laboratory using intensity measurements or the Stark effect. Our chemical model indicates that the abundances of CH3CH2 CCH, CH3CH2CN, CH2CHCCH, and CH2CHCN observed in TMC-1 can be explained in terms of gas-phase reactions.

Novel Imidazole‐based Hydrazonoyl Cyanides and Amidrazones Containing N(N,O)‐Heterocycles: Selective Synthesis, Reaction Mechanisms and Preliminary Anticancer Evaluation

AbstractTwo series of novel hybrid heterocyclic compounds that combine the imidazole ring with bioactive piperidine, morpholine or piperazine heterosystems, through a hydrazone unit, were easily obtained by two competitive pathways. Starting from 5‐amino‐4‐cyanoformimidoyl imidazoles and 1‐aminopiperidine, 4‐aminomorpholine or 1‐amino‐4‐methylpiperazine under mild acidic media led to the selective synthesis of 5‐aminoimidazole 4‐carboxamidrazones, whereas the corresponding 4‐hydrazonoyl cyanide derivatives were obtained under stronger acidic conditions. These highly functionalized imidazoles provide convenient synthetic precursors to a vast array of heterocycles with potential pharmaceutical applications. The reaction mechanisms were elucidated on the basis of experimental assays and in silico calculations. The compounds were screened against colorectal cancer HCT116‐p53 wt cell line, and significant IC50 values of 3.69 μM and 4.83 μM were obtained.

A review: Biological activities of novel cyanopyridine derivatives.

The discovery of new therapeutic drugs is heavily reliant on the structural diversity and pharmacological properties of heterocyclic compounds. Pyridine heterocyclic-related medicines, in particular, have garnered considerable attention due to their wide pharmacological activities and therapeutic effects. Among them, cyanopyridine derivatives have demonstrated diverse pharmacological effects. This review aims to systematically compile and discuss the diverse pharmacological effects of cyanopyridine derivatives. The review is divided into multiple sections, highlighting the biological activities of cyanide derivatives, with emphasis on anticancer, antimicrobial (i.e., antibacterial, insecticidal anticonvulsant, and antiviral activities), anticonvulsant, anti-Alzheimer's, and enzyme inhibitory activities. Furthermore, the review emphasizes the interesting therapeutic potential of cyanopyridine derivatives as kinase inhibitors and cytotoxic agents, which are promising candidates for anticancer drug development. The relationship between structure and activity is also discussed, with molecular docking used to provide insights into the mechanism of action of these compounds.

Synthesis, DFT studies, and cytotoxicity against (HepG-2) of some hetero furan-hydrazide derivatives

Herein, the building block synthon cyano-(furan-2-ylmethylene)-acetohydrazide (3) was synthesized and utilized for constructing a wide variety of nitrogen heterocyclic compounds. Cyclization of acetohydrazide 3 in boiling EtOH and 0.5 ml piperidine afforded 2-cyano-(furan-2-ylmethylene)-3-phenylacrylohydrazide (5). Also, a new series of a new chromen-2-imine derivatives 8a-d have been synthesized via stirring starting moiety 3 with 2-hydroxy-5-(phenyldiazenyl)benzaldehyde derivatives 6a-d under heating at 50 °C in the presence of piperidine as a catalyst. Moreover, coupling of active methylene 3 with arylamine diazonium salts 10 a-h formed the corresponding 2-(2-furan-2-ylmethylene)hydrazineyl)-N-(4-substitutedphenyl)-2-oxoaceto-hydrazonoyl cyanide derivatives 11a-h in overall good yields. Furthermore, creating molecules with pyrazole rings was prepared by coupling acetohydrazide 3 with heterocyclic amine diazonium salts 14–16. The structural elucidation was achieved for the target molecules by different spectral parameters such as FTIR, 1H NMR, and 13C NMR spectra. Molecular modeling studies displayed the geometrical structures for the investigated compounds by using the geometrical studies (DFT) of the synthesized molecules that were investigated by the initio/3021 G quantum mechanical method. The in vitro cytotoxic activity of new furan-hydrazide derivatives against the HepG-2 cell line was evaluated using the reference doxorubicin. Compounds 8a and 8b exhibited high reactivity against the HepG-2 cell line, with IC-50 values of 9, and 8.1 μM, respectively. Cell cycle studies indicate that the most potent furan derivatives 8a and 8b arrested cells at the G2/M phase and induced apoptosis.

Substituent Effects in Tetrel Bonds Involving Aromatic Silane Derivatives: An ab initio Study.

In this manuscript substituent effects in several silicon tetrel bonding (TtB) complexes were investigated at the RI-MP2/def2-TZVP level of theory. Particularly, we have analysed how the interaction energy is influenced by the electronic nature of the substituent in both donor and acceptor moieties. To achieve that, several tetrafluorophenyl silane derivatives have been substituted at the meta and para positions by several electron donating and electron withdrawing groups (EDG and EWG, respectively), such as -NH2, -OCH3, -CH3, -H, -CF3 and -CN substituents. As electron donor molecules, we have used a series of hydrogen cyanide derivatives using the same EDGs and EWGs. We have obtained the Hammett's plots for different combinations of donors and acceptors and in all cases we have obtained good regression plots (interaction energies vs. Hammet's σ parameter). In addition, we have used the electrostatic potential (ESP) surface analysis as well as the Bader's theory of atoms in molecules (AIM) and noncovalent interaction plot (NCI plot) techniques to further characterize the TtBs studied herein. Finally, a Cambridge Structural Database (CSD) inspection was carried out, retrieving several structures where halogenated aromatic silanes participate in tetrel bonding interactions, being an additional stabilization force of their supramolecular architectures.

Comparison between the volatile substances in spirits beverages distilled by two different initial materials of Prunus domestica “Stanley” in an industrial environment

Analysis of the chemical composition of volatile substances in two distillates from Prunus domestica “Stanley” cultivated in the village of Rumyantsevo, Lovech, Bulgaria. Production is in an industrial environment, fermentation and distillation are carried out under equal conditions, but on different starting materials. One batch PDS-1 distilled from fermented mash and second batch PDS-2 distilled from fermented juice. The distillation apparatus is equipped with a rectifying column with 4 trays, as well as a water reflux condenser. Determination of congeners in both samples was done by gas chromatography principle OIV-MA-BS-14:2009. Methodology used for measuring alcohol content, cyanide derivatives, furfural and total acidity is according to the requirements of the OIV. In PDS-1 methanol (1094.7 g/hL a.a.) is almost 8% higher than in PDS-2 (1015.8 g/hL a.a.), it was found insignificant increase of furfural content in distillates of PDS-1 than in PDS-2. Concerning esters, aldehydes and higher alcohols the amount in PDS- 1 is significantly higher than in PDS-2, respectively 203.06 g/hL, 14.2 g/hL and 484.6 g/hL in batch fermented with hard particles, and 14.2 g/hL, 8.6 g/hL, 267.9 g/hL in batch produced from fermented juice.

Tracing the sources and fate of nitrogen at a Canadian underground gold mine

The contamination of mine water by nitrogen-based compounds represents an ongoing challenge for the mining industry. These contaminants, often present in concentrations that are toxic to aquatic life, need to be carefully managed. This study aims at developing hydrogeochemical mass balances and isotopic approaches to trace the sources, fluxes and transformations of nitrogen bearing species in a mining context. The work was carried out at an underground gold mine located in Quebec, Canada. The main sources of nitrogen at this mine site are explosive residues and cyanide derivatives. The management of ammoniacal nitrogen (NH3−NH4+) is of particular interest to the mining company operating the site. Analyses were carried out for concentrations of nitrite (NO2−), nitrate (NO3−), NH3−NH4+, total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TNK), total cyanide (CN−), cyanate (CNO−), thiocyanate (SCN−), chloride (Cl−) and sulfate (SO42−), as well as the isotopic composition of the water molecule (δ2HH2O,δ18OH2O), nitrate (δ15NNO3−,δ18ONO3−) and ammoniacal nitrogen (δ15NNH4+). Mass balance calculations performed using the δ2HH2O and δ18OH2O of water suggest evaporation over inflow (E/I) ratios ranging between 0% and 34% onsite. Mass balances using the δ2HH2O and δ18OH2O of water and dissolved Cl− concentrations allow for estimating that 65% of the water, 43% of the NH4+ and 84% of the NO3− in the final effluent originated from the dewatering of the underground workings. The chemical and isotopic analyses of nitrogen bearing species revealed that nitrification and denitrification are the most likely mechanisms transforming nitrogen onsite. From these findings, recommendations were elaborated to optimize the management of the water on the mine site, with a focus on promoting the reactions that lead to a decrease in the concentration of NH4+ prior to the final effluent discharge to the environment. The proposed approach is innovative for the mining context and has great potential for applications at other mine sites.

Engineering a sustainable future for point-of-care diagnostics and single-use microfluidic devices.

Single-use, disposable, point-of-care diagnostic devices carry great promise for global health, including meeting urgent needs for testing and diagnosis in places with limited laboratory facilities. Unfortunately, the production and disposal of single-use devices, whether in lateral flow assay, cartridges, cassettes, or lab-on-chip microfluidic format, also poses significant challenges for environmental and human health. Point-of-care devices are commonly manufactured from unsustainable polymeric materials derived from fossil sources. Their disposal often necessitates incineration to reduce infection risk, thereby creating additional release of CO2. Many devices also contain toxic chemicals, such as cyanide derivatives, that are damaging to environmental and human health if not disposed of safely. Yet, in the absence of government regulatory frameworks, safe and sustainable waste management for these novel medical devices is often left unaddressed. There is an urgent need to find novel solutions to avert environmental and human harm from these devices, especially in low- and middle-income countries where waste management infrastructure is often weak and where the use of point-of-care tests is projected to rise in coming years. We review here common materials used in the manufacture of single-use point-of-care diagnostic tests, examine the risks they pose to environmental and human health, and investigate replacement materials that can potentially reduce the impact of microfluidic devices on the production of harmful waste. We propose solutions available to point-of-care test developers to start embedding sustainability at an early stage in their design, and to reduce their non-renewable plastic consumption in research and product development.

Discovery of Sortase A covalent inhibitors with benzofuranene cyanide structures as potential antibacterial agents against Staphylococcus aureus

Sortase A (SrtA) is a cysteine transpeptidase of most gram-positive bacteria that is responsible for the anchoring of many surface protein virulence factors to the cell wall. SrtA ablation has demonstrated to alleviate the infection without affecting the viability of bacteria. Herein, a series of benzofuran cyanide derivatives were synthesized and evaluated. Several compounds exhibited excellent inhibitory activity against SrtA with IC50 values from 3.3 μM to 21.8 μM compared with the known SrtA inhibitor pHMB (IC50 = 130 μM). Ⅲ-1, Ⅲ-15, Ⅲ-34 and V-1 showed potent inhibitory effects on biofilm formation with IC50 values from 2.1 μM to 54.2 μM. Invasion assays showed the four compounds caused a decrease of 4%–24.0% in the uptake of the S. aureus strain by 293T cells. Further assay showed that compound Ⅲ-15 decreased the amount of cell wall-associated protein A by 26.5%. Structure-activity relationship and docking studies demonstrated that the acrylonitrile moiety of the compounds played an important role in enhancing the activity. When the double bond of acrylonitrile changed to single bond, the activity was decreased significantly. This indicates that acrylonitrile, which is a Michael receptor, can inhibit the activity of SrtA by covalent binding effectively to the thiol group of Cys184.

Using fluoroform for constructing aromatic and heterocyclic trifluoromethylselenyl compounds

Fluoroform is used to prepare CuCF3 according to literature procedures. This nucleophilic trifluoromethyl moiety was reacted with aromatic and heterocyclic selenium cyanide derivatives to form the corresponding trifluoromethylselenium compounds. Selenium cyanides were made with 1,3-dicyanotriselenide prepared in situ from malononitrile and selenium dioxide. The electrophilicity of the reagent (δ+SeCN) was enough to attack aniline derivatives at the para position, but with other aromatics it was advantageous to use the corresponding boronic acid as the moiety was easily displaced by the selenium cyanate moiety.

Detection, Isolation, and 1H NMR Quantitation of the Nitrile Glycoside Sarmentosin from a Bryophyllum pinnatum Hydro-Ethanolic Extract.

Bryophyllum pinnatum (Lam) Pers. (Crassulaceae) is widely used in folk medicine as leaf juice, aqueous, or hydro-ethanolic extracts. It is also listed as a medicinal plant in several countries such as France and Brazil. The main reported constituents are flavone glycosides, especially those with the rare 3-O-α-l-arabinopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-α-l-rhamnopyranoside moiety. Despite several phytochemical screenings indicating the presence of cyanide derivatives or alkaloids, there are no reports of nitrogenous metabolite characterization from this plant species. Nevertheless, the occurrence and the type of such compounds are of particular interest, as they may account for some of the numerous biological activities and ethnomedicinal uses described for B. pinnatum and could be regarded as chemical/taxonomic markers. Consequently, a hydro-ethanolic extract of B. pinnatum was investigated by using UHPLC-HRMS/MS and the nitrile glucoside sarmentosin was detected for the first time within the genus Bryophyllum/Kalanchoe. Considering the wide use of B. pinnatum and its closely related species for health purposes, the target metabolite was isolated by a combination of centrifugal partition chromatography in elution/extrusion mode and MPLC in order to confirm its structure. A linear, selective, precise, fast, and reliable 1H NMR quantitation method was then developed and validated and may become a tool for easy quality assessment of the plant species. The amount of sarmentosin was determined as 2.07% of the examined sample. Sarmentosin was also detected in Kalanchoe laciniata, confirming the occurrence of this compound within the genus.

Gas chromatography-mass spectrometric identification of cyanide using a nucleophilic substitution based derivatization with S-phenyl benzenethiosulfonate.

A novel, simple and efficient analytical method for GC-MS based identification of cyanide has been developed using a single step nucleophilic substitution based derivatization of cyanide in aqueous medium. The nucleophilic substitution reaction of cyanide with S-phenyl benzenethiosulfonate results in the formation of phenyl thiocyanate as a cyanide derivative and it was found that the relative response of the resultant cyanide derivative was much higher than that of the cyanide derivatives resulting from disulfide based derivatizing agents. The sample preparation protocol for the identification of cyanide in aqueous samples was also optimized with the new derivatizing agent. Derivatization followed by liquid-liquid extraction was employed for the preparation of aqueous samples containing cyanide salts. The resultant samples were subjected to GC-MS analysis for the identification of the cyanide derivative. Under optimized conditions, the detection and quantification limits for cyanide aqueous samples were found to be 0.075 μg mL-1 and 0.25 μg mL-1 respectively. The calibration curve had a linear relationship with y = 0.086x - 0.076 and r2 = 0.997 for the working range of 0.25 μg mL-1 to 50 μg mL-1. The intraday RSDs were between 2.24 and 8.17%, and the interday RSDs were between 2.22 and 12.85%. The method can also be successfully employed for the identification of hydrogen cyanide in aqueous medium. The applicability of the present method was demonstrated by analysing a real sample from apple seed extraction.

Novel approaches based on hydrodynamic cavitation for treatment of wastewater containing potassium thiocyanate

Significant development in the industrial technologies and applications based on the use of cyanide derivatives has also led to significant environmental problems critically needing research in developing new technologies for effluent treatment. Present study investigates the use of novel treatment approach of hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) combined with chemical oxidation and catalyst for the degradation of Potassium Thiocyante (KSCN) for the first time. The effect of operating pressure (over the range of 2–5 bar) and initial pH (over the range of 2–7.1) on the degradation has been studied initially. Effect of combination of HC with H2O2 (varying KSCN:H2O2 ratios as 1:0.5–1:3), HC + O3 (varying ozone mass flow rate over the range of 200–400 mg/h), HC + O3 + catalyst (TiO2/ZnO/CuO at fixed loading of 0.1 g/L at optimized ozone flow rate) as process intensifying approaches on the KSCN degradation has also been studied. Combination of HC + O3 + CuO at different loadings of CuO has also been investigated. Use of combination of HC with H2O2 and HC with Ozone resulted in extent of KSCN degradation as 73% and 71.1% respectively. Among the different combinations of HC + O3 + Catalysts (TiO2/ZnO/CuO), HC + O3 + CuO (at loading of 0.15 g/l) resulted in highest KSCN degradation as 86.5%. Combination of HC + H2O2 + O3 + CuO was established to be the best approach yielding complete degradation with synergistic index of 2.98 and 92.9% as the COD removal. The study also focused on establishing kinetic rate constants which revealed that all the approaches followed first order mechanism with higher rate constants for the combination approaches as compared to individual approach. Overall, it has been conclusively established that hydrodynamic cavitation based combined treatment schemes are very effective for the treatment of biorefractory wastewaters containing cyanide derivatives.

GC-MS Analysis, Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Screening of Volatile Oil of Lepidium vesicarium

Background: Lepidium vesicarium (Cruciferae), one of the important medicinal plants with a long history of medicinal use. The current study was designed to evaluate the free radical scavenging and antimicrobial activities of the L. vesicarium EO as one of the Iranian plant species. Methods: The compositions of the EO from the aerial parts of L. vesicarium were analyzed by GC-MS and GC-FID. Furthermore, anti-oxidant and anti-microbial potentials were investigated via DPPH reagent and disk diffusion procedure, respectively. Results: A total of 18 compounds amounting 97.70% of the oil have been identified, while Benzyl cyanide (43.94%), Isothio cyanic acid (22.69%) and Benzyl isothio cyanate (20.69%) were the main constituents. The EO showed no activity against the free radicals and studied microbial strains (gram positive and gram negative and also fungi species). Conclusion: On the whole, the presence of cyanide derivatives in studied EO revealed the rational use of this plant in medicine. Comparing with other genesis of Lepidium, anti-oxidant and anti -microbial properties of L. vesicarium essential oil were not noticeable.

Oxidative cyanide-free cyanation on arylboronic acid derivatives using aryl/heteroaryl thiocyanate using novel IL-PdCl4 catalyst under mild condition

ABSTRACTAn efficient and simple method is reported for the cyanation on arylboronic acid using various simple/indole thiocyanates using a new IL-PdCl4 catalyst. The cascade process involves a coupling reaction without any additive to give a wide range of cyanide derivatives. Cyanation on various arylboronic acids underwent smoothly affording the corresponding arylnitriles in good to high yields.

Water-free Dyeing of Polyester and Nylon 6 Fabrics with Novel 2-Oxoacetohydrazonoyl Cyanide Derivatives under a Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Medium

A novel disperse azo dye for dyeing polyester and nylon 6 fabrics in supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) fluid has been synthesized. 3-cyano acetyl indol was used as the starting material, which reacted with aryl/heteroaryl diazonium salts to afford arylhydrazonopropanenitriles. The newly synthesized compounds were characterized by elemental analysis, IR and 1H-NMR spectroscopy, and the results were observed to be in good agreement with the proposed structures. The influence of scCO2 working conditions, such as dyeing concentration, pressure, temperature, and dyeing time, on fabric color strength were studied. Moreover, the color strength was examined in detail. In addition, the position of color in CIELAB coordinates (L*, a*, b*, h*, C*) was assessed. The color fastness of the dyed samples provided excellent results. The ATR-FTIR results of the dyed samples were found to match the proposed structure.

Millimeter wave spectra of carbonyl cyanide.

More than 30 cyanide derivatives of simple organic molecules have been detected in the interstellar medium, but only one dicarbonitrile has been found and that very recently. There is still a lack of high-resolution spectroscopic data particularly for dinitriles derivatives. The carbonyl cyanide molecule is a new and interesting candidate for astrophysical detection. It could be formed by the reaction of CO and CN radicals, or by substitution of the hydrogen atom by a cyano group in cyanoformaldehyde, HC(=O)CN, that has already been detected in the interstellar medium. The available data on the rotational spectrum of carbonyl cyanide is limited in terms of quantum number values and frequency range, and does not allow accurate extrapolation of the spectrum into the millimeter-wave range. To provide a firm basis for astrophysical detection of carbonyl cyanide we studied its millimeter-wave spectrum. The rotational spectrum of carbonyl cyanide was measured in the frequency range 152 - 308 GHz and analyzed using Watson's A- and S-reduction Hamiltonians. The ground and first excited state of v5 vibrational mode were assigned and analyzed. More than 1100 distinct frequency lines of the ground state were fitted to produce an accurate set of rotational and centrifugal distortion constants up to the eighth order. The frequency predictions based on these constants should be accurate enough for astrophysical searches in the frequency range up to 500 GHz and for transition involving energy levels with J ≤ 100 and Ka ≤ 42. Based on the results we searched for interstellar carbonyl cyanide in available observational data without success. Thus, we derived upper limits to its column density in different sources.

Effect of traditional nixtamalization on anthocyanin content and profile in Mexican blue maize (Zea mays L.) landraces

Mexican blue maize (Zea mays L.) grains have been poorly evaluated regarding their potential as functional food ingredients. The aims of this research were to identify and quantify anthocyanins from fifteen Mexican blue maize accessions of Elotero Sinaloa landrace recollected in the northwestern region of Mexico. Additionally, the effect of traditional nixtamalization processing on these compounds was evaluated. The acyl type anthocyanins, such as cyanidin-3-(6″-succinylglucoside) (Cy-Suc-Glu) and cyanidin-3-(6″-disuccinylglucoside) (Cy-diSuc-Glu) were the most abundant compounds in blue maize, accounting for 52.1% and 15.6% the total anthocyanins, respectively. Other predominant anthocyanins included cyanidin-3-glucoside (Cy-3-Glu), pelargonidin-3-glucoside (Pg-3-Glu), pelargonidin-3-(6″-malonylglucoside) (Pg-Mal-Glu) and cyanidin-3-(6″-malonyglucoside) (Cy-Mal-Glu). The raw blue maize presented a similar anthocyanins profile dominated by cyanidin derivatives on (86.9% on average). Nixtamalization processing increased the relative percentage of glycosylated anthocyanins (Cy-3-Glu, and Pg-3-Glu) and decreased the acylated anthocyanins (Cy-Suc-Glu, and Cy-diSuc-Glu) when compared to raw kernels. Results obtained indicate that the studied Mexican native blue maize contained anthocyanin patterns predominated by acylated cyanide derivatives. This information could be useful to select the best pigmented maize for the derivation of food products with nutraceutical potential.

Reducing the toxicity of gold-mine effluent using biological reactors and precipitation

Gold-mine effluents are often characterized by high concentrations of copper, ammonia and cyanide derivatives (mostly cyanates and thiocyanates). While not acutely toxic to birds, this water can be acutely toxic to fishes and invertebrates. In many jurisdictions, the effluent requires further treatment in order to pass a mandatory requirement to be nonlethal to species like the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) or Daphnia magna. Using actual mine water, it has been demonstrated that aerated moving bed biofilm reactors will biodegrade the ammonia, cyanides, cyanates and thiocyanates, thereby removing the toxicity associated with these components. By removing copper by precipitation the water can be made to pass acute toxicity tests. Tests have demonstrated that the process is stable between 4 and 25°C, with no significant changes in the treated water composition. Once the biomass is acclimatized, the process is resistant to upsets and requires very little inputs except for phosphorus and air. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that an anoxic reactor can be added downstream of the aerated reactors to remove nitrates if required.