Search results for "chlorophylls"
showing 10 items of 12 documents
A New Niche for Anoxygenic Phototrophs as Endoliths
2018
ABSTRACT Anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria (APBs) occur in a wide range of aquatic habitats, from hot springs to freshwater lakes and intertidal microbial mats. Here, we report the discovery of a novel niche for APBs: endoliths within marine littoral carbonates. In a study of 40 locations around Isla de Mona, Puerto Rico, and Menorca, Spain, 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing of endolithic community DNA revealed the presence of abundant phylotypes potentially belonging to well-known APB clades. An ad hoc phylogenetic classification of these sequences enabled us to refine the assignments more stringently. Even then, all locations contained such putative APBs, often reaching a significant pro…
Ultrafast structural changes within a photosynthetic reaction centre
2021
Nature <London> / Physical science 589, 310 - 314 (2021). doi:10.1038/s41586-020-3000-7
Ultrasound-assisted green solvent extraction of high-added value compounds from microalgae Nannochloropsis spp.
2015
Abstract The aim of this work was to investigate ultrasound (US)-assisted green solvent extraction of valuable compounds from the microalgae Nannochloropsis spp. Individual green solvents (water, ethanol (EtOH), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)) and binary mixture of solvents (water-DMSO and water-EtOH) were used for the extraction procedures. Maximum total phenolic compounds yield ( Y p ≈ 0.33) was obtained after US pre-treatment ( W = 400 W, 15 min), being almost 5-folds higher compared to that found for the untreated samples and aqueous extraction ( Y p ≈ 0.06). The highest yield of total chlorophylls ( Y c ≈ 0.043) was obtained after US ( W = 400 W, 7.5 min), being more than 9-folds highe…
Semiempirical PM5 molecular orbital study on chlorophylls and bacteriochlorophylls: Comparison of semiempirical,ab initio, and density functional res…
2003
The semiempirical PM5 method has been used to calculate fully optimized structures of magnesium-bacteriochlorin, magnesium-chlorin, magnesium-porphin, mesochlorophyll a, chlorophylls a, b, c(1), c(2), c(3), and d, and bacteriochlorophylls a, b, c, d, e, f, g, and h with all homologous structures. Hartree-Fock/6-31G* ab initio and density functional B3LYP/6-31G* methods were used to optimize structures of methyl chlorophyllide a, chlorophyll c(1), and methyl bacteriochlorophyllides a and c for comparison. Spectroscopic transition energies of the chromophores and their 1:1 or 1:2 solvent complexes were calculated with the Zindo/S CIS method. The self-consistent reaction field model was used t…
Quantum chemical simulation of excited states of chlorophylls, bacteriochlorophylls and their complexes
2006
The present review describes the use of quantum chemical methods in estimation of structures and electronic transition energies of photosynthetic pigments in vacuum, in solution and imbedded in proteins. Monomeric Mg-porphyrins, chlorophylls and bacteriochlorophylls and their solvent 1:1 and 1:2 complexes were studied. Calculations were performed for Mg-porphyrin, Mg-chlorin, Mg-bacteriochlorin, mesochlorophyll a, chlorophylls a, b, c(1), c(2), c(3), d and bacteriochlorophylls a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, plus several homologues. Geometries were optimised with PM3, PM3/CISD, PM5, ab initio HF (6-31G*/6-311G**) and density functional B3LYP (6-31G*/6-311G**) methods. Spectroscopic transition energ…
Pressurized hot water extraction (PHWE) for the green recovery of bioactive compounds and steviol glycosides from Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni leaves
2018
Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni leaves are a natural source of diterpenic glycosides, and various bioactive compounds. The objectives were to characterize antioxidants and steviol glycosides in the extracts obtained from Stevia after "green" pressurized hot water extraction (PHWE). PHWE extracts were obtained at different temperatures (100, 130, 160 °C); static extraction times (5 and 10 min), and cycle numbers (1, 2, 3) using a constant pressure of 10.34 MPa. Temperature was the most important parameter for extraction, where the highest recoveries of all bioactive compounds (except for carotenoids) were at 160 °C. Extracts obtained at longer static times had more steviol glycosides, condensed ta…
Combined hyperthermia and chlorophyll-based photodynamic therapy: tumour growth and metabolic microenvironment
2003
The effects of combined and simultaneously applied localised 43 degrees C hyperthermia (HT) and an antivascular bacteriochlorophyll-serine-based photodynamic therapy (Bchl-ser-PDT) on tumour growth and several microenvironmental parameters were examined. Rats bearing DS-sarcomas were allocated to treatment groups: (i) sham-treatment (control), (ii) Bchl-ser-PDT (20 mg kg(-1) i.v.), (iii) localised HT, (iv) Bchl-ser-PDT+HT. The light source used was an infrared-A irradiator, which, by use of appropriate filters, delivered the different ranges of wavelengths required. Following treatment, tumour volume was monitored. The greatest tumour growth inhibition was seen with Bchl-ser-PDT+HT, and sub…
Hot Topic Water-filtered infrared-A radiation: a novel technique for localized hyperthermia in combination with bacteriochlorophyll-based photodynami…
1999
A novel application of an infrared-A (IR-A) radiation source equipped with a water-filter in the radiation path is described, which allows for tumour treatment with a simultaneous combination of localized hyperthermia (HT) and bacteriochlorophyll-serine (Bchl-ser) based photodynamic therapy (PDT). Using this system, the IR-A radiation was used to heat tumours to 43 degrees C for 60 min, while at the same time activating the Bchl-ser which was injected i.v. at a dose of 20 mg/kg, 10 min following commencement of HT. The growth of tumours undergoing this combined therapy was compared to that of tumours undergoing HT alone or sham-treated controls. Within the 90 day observation period, 100% of…
Comments on the through space singlet energy transfers and energy migration (exciton) in the light harvesting systems
2008
Recent findings on the photophysical investigations of several cofacial bisporphyrin dyads for through space singlet and triplet energy transfers raised several serious questions about the mechanism of the energy transfers and energy migration in the light harvesting devices, notably LH II, in the heavily studied purple photosynthetic bacteria. The key issue is that for simple cofacial or slipped dyads with controlled geometry using rigid spacers or spacers with limited flexibilities, the fastest possible rates for singlet energy transfer for three examples are in the 10 x 10(9)s(-1) (i.e. just in the 100 ps time scale) for donor-acceptor distances approaching 3.5-3.6 A. The reported time s…
Exciton description of chlorosome to baseplate excitation energy transfer in filamentous anoxygenic phototrophs and green sulfur bacteria.
2013
A description of intra-chlorosome and from chlorosome to baseplate excitation energy transfer in green sulfur bacteria and in filamentous anoxygenic phototrophs is presented. Various shapes and sizes, single and multiwalled tubes, cylindrical spirals and lamellae of the antenna elements mimicking pigment organization in chlorosomes were generated by using molecular mechanics calculations, and the absorption, LD, and CD spectra of these were predicted by using exciton theory. Calculated absorption and LD spectra were similar for all modeled antenna structures; on the contrary, CD spectra turned out to be sensitive to the size and pigment orientations in the antenna. It was observed that, bri…