The chemical diversity and distribution of glucosinolates and isothiocyanates among plants

The information available on the biological activity of hydrogen sulfide has been examined for present status of critical results pertaining to the toxicity of hydrogen sulfide. This review of the literature is intended as an evaluative report rather than an annotated bibliography of all the source material examined on hydrogen sulfide. The information was selected as it might relate to potential toxic effects of hydrogen sulfide to man and summarized, noting information gaps that may require further investigation. Several recommendations are listed for possible consideration for either toxicological research or additional short- and long-term tests. Two bibliographies have been provided to assist in locating references considered in this report: (1) literature examined but not cited and (2) reference citations. The majority of the references in the first bibliography were considered peripheral information and less appropriate for inclusion in this report.

A Critical Review of the Literature on Hydrogen Sulfide Toxicity

Graphite oxide (GO) is a lamellar substance with an ambiguous structure due to material complexity. Recently published GO-related studies employ only one out of several existing models to interpret the experimental data. Because the models are different, this leads to confusion in understanding the nature of the observed phenomena. Lessening the structural ambiguity would lead to further developments in functionalization and use of GO. Here, we show that the structure and properties of GO depend significantly on the quenching and purification procedures, rather than, as is commonly thought, on the type of graphite used or oxidation protocol. We introduce a new purification protocol that produces a product that we refer to as pristine GO (pGO) in contrast to the commonly known material that we will refer to as conventional GO (cGO). We explain the differences between pGO and cGO by transformations caused by reaction with water. We produce ultraviolet–visible spectroscopic, Fourier transform infrared spectr...

Pristine graphite oxide.

The objectives of this research were to elucidate the mechanisms for production and degradation of volatile organic sulfur compounds (VOSCs), key odor causing compounds produced by biosolids. These compounds included methanethiol (MT), dimethyl sulfide (DMS), and dimethyl disulfide (DMDS). A series of experiments were used to probe various pathways hypothesized to produce and degrade these VOSCs. The production of MT was found to mainly occur from degradation of methionine and the methylation of hydrogen sulfide. DMS was formed through the methylation of MT. DMDS was formed by MT oxidation. All three of the VOSCs were readily degraded by methanogens and a cyclic pathway was proposed to describe the production and degradation of VOSCs. The research demonstrated that the main source of VOSCs was the biodegradation of protein within the biosolids and the results provided a framework for understanding the production of odor from anaerobically digested sludges before and after dewatering.

Cycling of volatile organic sulfur compounds in anaerobically digested biosolids and its implications for odors.

Publisher Summary The sulfhydryl group is one of the most reactive and ubiquitous ligands in biological systems. It is found in most proteins and also in a few low molecular-weight substances such as glutathione, CoA, lipoate, thioglycolate, and free cysteine. It is the most studied of ligands, particularly in relation to its role in enzymic activity and properties of proteins. It is also involved in many membrane functions, because chemical agents with a degree of specificity for sulfhydryl can disturb many functions attributed to the cell membrane. The sulfhydryl group not only constitutes a unique marker for delineating the general role of proteins in membrane functions, it can also serve as a marker for specific functional proteins through the use of radioactive reagents that form stable bonds with sulfhydryls. The various factors that are assumed to play a role in determining reactivity of particular sulfhydryl groups in proteins are discussed in the chapter. The mechanism of action of sulfhydryl agents and the functional role of membrane sulfhydryl groups are also discussed.

John T. Zimmer

Papers

Organic sulfur compounds