The Bioinorganic Chemistry of Chromium


Book Description

Chromium exists in nature as complexes of two stable oxidation states – trivalent chromium(III) and hexavalent chromium(VI). Although trivalent chromium is required in trace amounts for sugar and lipid metabolism in humans and its deficiency may cause a disease called chromium deficiency; hexavalent chromium is toxic and carcinogenic. As chromium compounds were used in dyes and paints and the tanning of leather, these compounds are often found in soil and groundwater at abandoned industrial sites, now needing environmental cleanup and remediation. The Bioinorganic Chemistry of Chromium: From Biochemistry to Environmental Toxicology takes a critical look at what the biochemical data indicate about chromium's role in the body and the biological mechanisms of its toxicology. Topics covered include: What do we know about the biochemical roles and mechanisms of chromium? Is chromium an essential element in the mammalian diet? Is chromium(III) effective as a nutraceutical, a therapeutic agent, and as a supplement in animal feed? What is the biochemistry behind the toxicology of chromium(III) and chromium(VI):the mechanisms of metabolism, genetic and epigenetic effects, and disruption of cell signalling? What are the current chromium(VI) policies and positions from regulatory agencies? The Bioinorganic Chemistry of Chromium: From Biochemistry to Environmental Toxicology is an important contribution to the bioinorganic and trace element biochemical fields which will find a place on the bookshelves of bioinorganic chemists, biochemists, inorganic chemists, toxicologists, nutritionists and regulatory affairs professionals.




Biological Inorganic Chemistry


Book Description

The importance of metals in biology, the environment and medicine has become increasingly evident over the last twenty five years. The study of the multiple roles of metal ions in biological systems, the rapidly expanding interface between inorganic chemistry and biology constitutes the subject called Biological Inorganic Chemistry. The present text, written by a biochemist, with a long career experience in the field (particularly iron and copper) presents an introduction to this exciting and dynamic field. The book begins with introductory chapters, which together constitute an overview of the concepts, both chemical and biological, which are required to equip the reader for the detailed analysis which follows. Pathways of metal assimilation, storage and transport, as well as metal homeostasis are dealt with next. Thereafter, individual chapters discuss the roles of sodium and potassium, magnesium, calcium, zinc, iron, copper, nickel and cobalt, manganese, and finally molybdenum, vanadium, tungsten and chromium. The final three chapters provide a tantalising view of the roles of metals in brain function, biomineralization and a brief illustration of their importance in both medicine and the environment.Relaxed and agreeable writing style. The reader will not only fiind the book easy to read, the fascinating anecdotes and footnotes will give him pegs to hang important ideas on.Written by a biochemist. Will enable the reader to more readily grasp the biological and clinical relevance of the subject.Many colour illustrations. Enables easier visualization of molecular mechanismsWritten by a single author. Ensures homgeneity of style and effective cross referencing between chapters




Bioinorganic Chemistry -- Inorganic Elements in the Chemistry of Life


Book Description

The field of Bioinorganic Chemistry has grown significantly in recent years; now one of the major sub-disciplines of Inorganic Chemistry, it has also pervaded other areas of the life sciences due to its highly interdisciplinary nature. Bioinorganic Chemistry: Inorganic Elements in the Chemistry of Life, Second Edition provides a detailed introduction to the role of inorganic elements in biology, taking a systematic element-by-element approach to the topic. The second edition of this classic text has been fully revised and updated to include new structure information, emerging developments in the field, and an increased focus on medical applications of inorganic compounds. New topics have been added including materials aspects of bioinorganic chemistry, elemental cycles, bioorganometallic chemistry, medical imaging and therapeutic advances. Topics covered include: Metals at the center of photosynthesis Uptake, transport, and storage of essential elements Catalysis through hemoproteins Biological functions of molybdenum, tungsten, vanadium and chromium Function and transport of alkaline and alkaline earth metal cations Biomineralization Biological functions of the non-metallic inorganic elements Bioinorganic chemistry of toxic metals Biochemical behavior of radionuclides and medical imaging using inorganic compounds Chemotherapy involving non-essential elements This full color text provides a concise and comprehensive review of bioinorganic chemistry for advanced students of chemistry, biochemistry, biology, medicine and environmental science.




High Resolution EPR


Book Description

Metalloproteins comprise approximately 30% of all known proteins, and are involved in a variety of biologically important processes, including oxygen transport, biosynthesis, electron transfer, biodegradation, drug metabolism, proteolysis, and hydrolysis of amides and esters, environmental sulfur and nitrogen cycles, and disease mechanisms. EPR spectroscopy has an important role in not only the geometric structural characterization of the redox cofactors in metalloproteins but also their electronic structure, as this is crucial for their reactivity. The advent of x-ray crystallographic snapshots of the active site redox cofactors in metalloenzymes in conjunction with high-resolution EPR spectroscopy has provided detailed structural insights into their catalytic mechanisms. This volume was conceived in 2005 at the Rocky Mountain Conference on Analytical Chemistry (EPR Symposium) to highlight the importance of high-resolution EPR spectroscopy to the structural (geometric and electronic) characterization of redox active cofactors in metalloproteins. We have been fortunate to have enlisted internationally recognized experts in this joint venture to provide the scientific community with an overview of high-resolution EPR and its application to metals in biology. This volume, High-Resolution EPR: Applications to Metalloenzymes and Metals in Medicine, covers high-resolution EPR methods, iron proteins, nickel and copper enzymes, and metals in medicine. An eloquent synopsis of each chapter is provided by John Pilbrow in the Introduction. A second volume, Metals in Biology: Applications of High-Resolution EPR to Metalloenzymes, will appear later this year covering the complement of other metalloproteins. One of the pioneers in the development of pulsed EPR and its application to metalloproteins was Arthur Schweiger, whose contribution we include in this volume. Unfortunately, he passed away suddenly during the preparation of this volume. The editors and coauthors are extremely honored to dedicate this volume to the memory of Arthur Schweiger in recognition of his technical advances and insights into pulsed EPR and its application to metalloproteins. Arthur was extremely humble and treated everyone with equal respect. He was a gifted educator with an ability to explain complex phenomena in terms of simple intuitive pictures, had a delightful personality, and continues to be sadly missed by the community. It is an honor for the editors to facilitate the dissemination of these excellent contributions to the scientific community. Suggestions for future volumes are always appreciated.




Progress in Inorganic Chemistry


Book Description

Progress in Inorganic Chemistry continues in its tradition of being the most respected forum for exchanging innovative research. This series provides inorganic chemists and materials scientists with a community where critical, authoritative evaluations of advances in every area of the discipline are exchanged. With contributions from internationally renowned chemists, this latest volume offers an in-depth, far-ranging examination of the changing face of the field, providing a tantalizing glimpse of the emerging state of the science.




Microscopy Applied to Materials Sciences and Life Sciences


Book Description

This new volume, Microscopy Applied to Materials Sciences and Life Sciences. focuses on recent theoretical and practical advances in polymers and their blends, composites, and nanocompos¬ites related to their microscopic characterization. It highlights recent accomplishments and trends in the field of polymer nanocomposites and filled polymers related to microstructural characterization. This book gives an insight and better understanding into the development in microscopy as a tool for characterization. The book emphasizes recent research work in the field of microscopy in life sciences and materials sciences mainly related to its synthesis, characterizations, and applications. The book explains the application of microscopic techniques in life sciences and materials sciences, and their applications and state of current research carried out. The book aims to foster a better understanding of the properties of polymer composites by describing new techniques to measure microstructure property relationships and by utilizing techniques and expertise developed in the conventional filled polymer composites. Characterization techniques, particularly microstructural characterization, have proven to be extremely difficult because of the range of length-scales associated with these materials. Topics include: •Instrumentation and Techniques: advances in scanning probe microscopy, SEM, TEM, OM. 3D imaging and tomography, electron diffraction techniques and analytical microscopy, advances in sample preparation techniques in-situ microscopy, correlative microscopy in life and material sciences, low voltage electron microscopy. •Life Sciences: Structure and imaging of biomolecules, live cell imaging, neurobiology, organelles and cellular dynamics, multi-disciplinary approaches for medical and biological sciences, microscopic application in plants, microorganism and environmental science, super resolution microscopy in biological sciences. •Materials Sciences: materials for nanotechnology, metals alloys and inter-metallic, ceramics, composites, minerals and microscopy in cultural heritage, thin films, coatings, surfaces and interfaces, carbon based materials, polymers and soft materials and self-assembled materials, semiconductors and magnetic materials. Polymers and inorganic nanoparticles. The volume will be of significant interest to scientists working on the basic issues surrounding polymers, nanocomposites, and nanoparticulate-filled polymers, as well as those working in industry on applied problems, such as processing. Because of the multidisciplinary nature of this research, the book will be valuable to chemists, materials scientists, physicists, chemical engineers, and processing specialists who are involved and interested in the future frontiers of blends.




Chromium in Plants and Environment


Book Description

This edited book brings together a diverse group of environmental science, sustainability, and health researchers to address the challenges posed by global mass poisoning caused by chromium contamination of soil and plants. In recent years, contamination of the environment by chromium has become a major concern. Chromium is a non-degradable, harmful, and toxic pollutant which negatively affects the environment. It is unique among the heavy metals found in industrial wastewater and sewage and sludge, as it may exist as a trivalent cation and as anion in the hexavalent state in the pH range of agricultural soils. It is used on a large scale in many different industries, including metallurgy, electroplating, production of paints and pigments, tanning, wood preservation, chemical production, and pulp and paper production. These industries are contributing larger amount of chromium, which can ultimately have significant adverse effects on biological and ecological activities of ecosystem. Chromium enters the food chain through consumption of plant material. A high concentration of chromium has been found to be harmful to vegetation. As the chromium concentration in plants increases, it adversely affects several biological parameters and eventually renders the soil barren. The book sheds light on this global environmental issue and proposes solutions to contamination through multi-disciplinary approaches and case studies from different parts of the world. This book is a valuable resource to students, academicians, researchers, and environmental professionals who are doing field work on chromium contamination throughout the world.




Bioinorganic Chemistry


Book Description

Bioinorganic chemical knowledge grows more interesting and morecomplex with each passing year. As more details about the usage andutility of metals in biological species and more mechanistic andstructural information about bioinorganic molecules becomesavailable, scientists and students continue to turn their attentionto this blossoming discipline. Rosette Roat-Malone's BioinorganicChemistry: A Short Course provides an accessible survey ofbioinorganic chemistry for advanced undergraduate and graduatestudents. Comprehensive coverage of several topics offers insightinto the increasingly diverse bioinorganic area. Roat-Malone's textconcentrates on bioinorganic chemistry's two major focuses:naturally occurring inorganic elements and their behavior inbiological systems, and the introduction of inorganic elements intobiological systems, often as medicines. The book begins with two review chapters, Inorganic ChemistryEssentials and Biochemistry Fundamentals. Chapter 3, Instrumentaland Computer-Based Methods, provides an introduction to someimportant instrumental techniques, including basic informationabout computer hardware and software. Chapters on specific topics include: Iron Containing Oxygen Carriers and Their SyntheticModels Copper Enzymes The Enzyme Nitrogenase Metals in Medicine The author also encourages instructors and students to pursuetheir own independent investigations in bioinorganic topics,providing a helpful, detailed list of suggestions. With a host ofcurrent bibliographic references, Bioinorganic Chemistry: A ShortCourse proves the premier text in its field.







Nutritional and Therapeutic Interventions for Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome


Book Description

Diabetes mellitus affects approximately 20 million people in the US, or nearly 7% of the population. It is expected to increase by 70% within the next 25 years, and numerous epidemiologic studies have demonstrated that type 2 diabetes increases the risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. It is estimated to cost over $92 billion in health care costs and lost productivity. The increased risk is due to the detrimental vascular effects of prolonged exposure to a hyperglycemic, oxidant-rich environment yielding associated cardiovascular risk factors: atherosclerosis, hypertension and clotting abnormalities. Hypertension and dyslipidemia in diabetic patients produces substantial decreases in cardiovascular and microvascular diseases. Nutritional and Therapeutic Interventions for Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome provides an overview of the current epidemic, outlines the consequences of this crisis and lays out strategies to forestall and prevent diabetes, obesity and other intricate issues of metabolic syndrome. The contributing experts from around the world give this book relevant and up-to-date global approaches to the critical consequences of metabolic syndrome and make it an important reference for those working with the treatment, evaluation or public health planning for the effects of metabolic syndrome and diabetes. - Scientific discussion of the epidemiology and pathophysiology of the relationship between diabetes and metabolic syndrome - Includes coverage of Pre-diabetes conditions plus both Type I and Type II Diabetes - Presents both prevention and treatment options