Le nombre d’enfants nés par Assistance Médicale à la Procréation (AMP) dans le monde est estimé à plus de 5 millions, représentant jusqu’à 4% des naissances. Environ 10% des couples en âge de procréer sont actuellement infertiles, et leur apporter des techniques pour devenir parents est devenu un problème de santé publique. Cependant, l’innocuité de ces techniques n’a pas été totalement démontrée. Notamment, le risque de pathologies d’origine placentaire pourrait être augmenté. De plus, des issues périnatales défavorables, un risque majoré de malformations majeures et de pathologies liées à l’empreinte ont été rapportés chez ces enfants. Ceci soulève la question d’une éventuelle vulnérabilité épigénétique induite par l’AMP. L’objectif de ce travail de thèse était d’étudier la régulation épigénétique des gènes soumis à empreinte (GSE) et des éléments transposables (TE) dans le placenta et le sang de cordon d’enfants conçus par AMP comparés à des enfants conçus naturellement. En guise d’introduction, nous avons rédigé une revue détaillée des modifications phénotypiques et épigénétiques induites par l’AMP dans les embryons, le placenta et le sang de cordon chez l’Homme et sur les modèles animaux.Au cours de cette thèse, une cohorte de presque 250 patientes a été incluse prospectivement, répartie en 4 groupes de patientes selon la technique d’AMP et 4 groupes de témoins selon la durée d’infertilité.A partir de cette cohorte, la première question posée a été l’effet de la Fécondation in vitro (FIV) sur la méthylation de l’ADN et/ou la transcription des GSE et TE dans le sang de cordon et le placenta à la naissance. Pour cela, nous avons sélectionné 51 patientes enceintes après FIV avec ou sans ICSI avec transfert d’embryon frais à J2 et les avons comparées à 48 témoins enceintes dans l’année après l’arrêt de la contraception. Nous avons étudié la méthylation de l’ADN et l’expression de 3 GSE et 4 TE. Les niveaux de méthylation de l’ADN placentaire pour H19/IGF2, KCNQ1OT1, LINE-1 et ERVFRD-1 et le niveau d’expression placentaire d’ERVFRD-1 étaient plus bas dans le groupe FIV/ICSI que dans le groupe contrôle. Ces modifications épigénétiques pourraient faire partie des mécanismes de compensation développés pendant la grossesse après AMP, comme discuté dans notre revue.Ensuite, nous avons voulu déterminer si ces changements de méthylation de l’ADN des GSE pouvaient être associés à des modifications des histones. A partir de la cohorte précédente, nous avons sélectionné 16 patientes du groupe FIV/ICSI avec des niveaux de méthylation dans le placenta inférieurs au 5ème percentile pour au moins un des GSE étudiés. Elles ont été appariées à 16 témoins sur la parité, le sexe du nouveau-né et l’âge gestationnel à l’accouchement. Des marques permissives (H3K4me2 et me3 et H3K9ac) et répressives (H3K9me2 et me3) ont été étudiées. Les résultats ont révélé une quantité significativement augmentée de H3K4me2 dans le groupe FIV/ICSI pour H19/IGF2 et KCNQ1OT1. La quantité des deux marques répressives pour H19/IGF2 et SNURF était significativement abaissée dans le groupe FIV/ICSI.Ces données montrent que l’hypométhylation de l’ADN au niveau des GSE pourrait être associée à une augmentation des marques permissives et une diminution des marques répressives des histones, ce qui permettrait de favoriser un état « actif » de la chromatine au niveau de l’allèle normalement réprimé.Nos résultats, ainsi que les données de la littérature, renforcent l’hypothèse de potentiels mécanismes mis en place dans le placenta après AMP, utiles pour compenser des anomalies précoces de la placentation, qui seraient écrits à travers des modifications épigénétiques comme la méthylation de l’ADN mais aussi les modifications des histones.Bien que certaines questions restent en suspens, cette thèse a permis de bâtir les fondations de travaux futurs, notamment pour étudier l’impact de la congélation/décongélation des embryons et le rôle joué par l’infertilité en elle-même. / It is estimated that more than five million children have been born by Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) worldwide, representing up to 4% of all births. As around 10% of reproductive-aged couples are currently infertile, providing them with treatment options is a public health issue. However, the safety of these techniques has not been fully demonstrated. Notably, the rate of placenta-related adverse pregnancy outcomes could be increased after ART. Moreover, adverse perinatal outcomes, a higher risk of major malformations and imprinting disorders have also been reported in children born following ART. These issues combined raise the question of a potential ART-induced epigenetic vulnerability.The aim of this thesis was to investigate the epigenetic regulation of imprinted genes (IGs) and transposable elements (TEs) in the placenta and cord blood of children conceived by ART and to compare them to children conceived naturally.By way of introduction, we wrote a comprehensive review about phenotypic and epigenetic modifications induced by ART in embryos, placenta and cord blood either in human or animal models.Then, an extensive cohort of almost 250 patients was prospectively included, resulting in 4 groups of ART techniques and 4 groups of controls stratified on the time to pregnancy.From this cohort, the first question we investigated was the effect of in vitro fertilization (IVF) on DNA methylation and/or transcription of TEs and IGs in cord blood and placenta collected at birth. For this purpose, we selected 51 pregnant women after IVF with fresh embryo transfer at day -2 and compared them with 48 controls pregnant within 1 year of stopping contraception. We studied the DNA methylation and expression of 3 imprinted DMRs and 4 TEs. DNA methylation levels for H19/IGF2 and KCNQ1OT1 DMRs, LINE-1 and ERVFRD-1 in the placenta were lower in the IVF/ICSI group than in the control group. The expression level of ERVFRD-1 in the placenta was also lower in the IVF/ICSI group than in the control group. These modifications in epigenetic regulation may influence some compensation mechanisms developed throughout pregnancy after ART, as discussed in our review.We then intended to determine if these DNA methylation changes in IGs were associated with histone modifications. From the previously mentioned cohort, we selected the 16 patients from the IVF/ICSI group who presented with below the 5th percentile of percentage placenta DNA methylation for at least one of the previously studied DMRs. These patients were compared with 16 controls matched for parity, new-born sex, and gestational age at delivery. Permissive (H3K4me2 and me3 and H3K9ac) and repressive (H3K9me2 and me3) histone marks were studied. The results revealed a significantly higher quantity of H3K4me2 in the IVF/ICSI group than in the natural conception group for H19/IGF2 and KCNQ1OT1 DMRs. The quantity of both repressive marks at H19/IGF2 and SNURF DMRs was significantly lower in the IVF/ICSI group than in the natural conception group.These data demonstrate that DNA hypomethylation at imprinted DMRs may be associated with an increase in permissive histone marks and a decrease in repressive histone marks. This is consistent with a more “active” chromatin conformation on the normally repressed allele.Our findings, together with the literature data, reinforce the hypothesis that some mechanisms are established in the placenta after ART, probably to mediate placental plasticity and compensate primary disorders in trophoblastic invasion, and written through epigenetic changes such as DNA methylation but also histone modifications.Although some questions remain unanswered, this thesis paves the way for further original studies, notably to assess the impact of frozen-thawed embryo transfer and to decipher the role of infertility per se.

Este trabalho descreve o desenvolvimento de novos métodos cromatográficos em conjunto com técnicas de microextração para determinação de parabenos em produtos cosméticos e leite humano e rifampicina em amostras de plasma. Destaca-se também o desenvolvimento da fase extratora molecularmente impressa para extração em fase sólida (SPE) de parabenos em amostras de leite humano. O capítulo I descreve a avaliação da extração sortiva em barra de agitação (SBSE) em conjunto com a cromatografia líquida (LC) com detecção espectrofotométrica (LC-UV) para análises de parabenos em produtos cosméticos para fins de controle de qualidade. As variáveis do processo de extração SBSE, tais como tempo e temperatura de extração, pH e força iônica da amostra e condições de dessorção foram otimizadas para aumentar a sensibilidade analítica do método e diminuir o tempo de análise. O método SBSE/LC-UV desenvolvido apresentou faixa linear correspondente ao limite de quantificação (LQ) a 2,50 µg. mg-1 e coeficientes de determinação maiores que 0,993. Os valores de coeficiente de variação resultantes das análises de precisão interensaios foram 5,0% para todos os parabenos analisados e a exatidão variou de 90 a 100%. O método desenvolvido foi aplicado para análises de amostras de produtos cosméticos comerciais (cremes hidratantes, antitranspirantes em creme e filtros solares). O método SBSE/LC-UV padronizado e validado resultou nas seguintes vantagens em relação aos métodos convencionais: simplicidade no preparo de amostra, redução do volume de solvente orgânico e da quantidade de amostra utilizada. O capítulo II descreve o desenvolvimento da fase extratora molecularmente impressa para SPE de parabenos em amostras de leite humano e análises por cromatografia em fase líquida com detecção espectrofotométrica (SPE/LC-UV). Os polímeros de impressão molecular, materiais sintéticos baseados em sistemas biomiméticos, foram sintetizados através do processo sol-gel tendo como molde, o benzilparabeno. Após a remoção do molde, cavidades seletivas (sítios de reconhecimento molecular) ao benzilparabeno e análogos estruturais foram reveladas. O método SPE/LC desenvolvido apresentou faixa linear correspondente ao limite de quantificação a 150 ng. mL-1 e coeficientes de determinação 0,992. Os valores de coeficiente de variação resultantes das análises de precisão interensaios foram 13% e a exatidão variou de 86 a 117%. A aplicabilidade do método SPE/LC foi demonstrada através das análises de amostras de leite humano de lactantes. Segundo os parâmetros de validação analítica avaliados, o método padronizado SPE/LC-UV é adequado para análises de parabenos em amostras de leite humano. O capítulo III descreve a avaliação da microextraçao em fase sólida no capilar (in-tube SPME) acoplada à cromatografia líquida (LC) com detecção espectrofotométrica (LC-UV) para análises de rifampicina em amostras de plasma para fins de monitorização terapêutica. As variáveis in-tube SPME, tais como fase estacionária da coluna capilar, volume de amostra, ciclos aspirar/dispensar e vazão foram otimizadas visando obter maior eficiência do processo. O método in-tube SPME/LC desenvolvido apresentou faixa linear correspondente ao limite de quantificação (0,1 µg. mL-1) a 100 µg. mL-1 e coeficientes de determinação igual a 0,998. Os valores de coeficiente de variação resultantes das análises de precisão interensaios foram 2% e a exatidão variou de 83 a 92%. A aplicabilidade do método in-tube SPME/LC, padronizado e validado foi comprovada através das análises de amostras de plasma de pacientes em tratamento com rifampicina. O método in-tube SPME/LC resultou na automação do processo de análise, maior precisão analítica, menor tempo de análise, menor volume de solvente orgânico e de fluido biológico. / This work describes the development of chromatographic methods in combination with microextraction techniques for the determination of parabens in cosmetic and human milk samples and of rifampicin in plasma samples. The design of a molecularly imprinted extraction phase for the solid-phase extraction (SPE) analysis of parabens in human milk samples is also reported. Chapter I describes the evaluation of the stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) in combination with liquid chromatography (LC) with UV detection (LC-UV) for the analysis of parabens in cosmetics aiming at quality control. The SBSE variables such as extraction time, temperature, pH of the matrix, ionic strength, and desorption conditions have been optimized, in order to establish the parabens partition equilibrium in a short analysis time. The linear range of the SBSE/LC method lay from LOQ to 2.5 µg. mg-1, with a coefficient of determination higher than 0.993. The interday precision of the SBSE/LC method presented a coefficient of variation lower than 5%, and the accuracy ranged from 90 to 99%. The effectiveness of the proposed method for the analysis of commercial cosmetic products such as body creams, antiperspirant creams, and sunscreens has been proven. Therefore, the combination of SBSE with liquid desorption, followed by LC analysis, provides a simple, and selective tool for the analysis of parabens in cosmetic products using minimized volume of organic solvent as well as very small amount of the target sample. Chapter II presents the development of a molecularly imprinted extraction phase for the SPE analysis of parabens in human milk samples. The molecularly imprinted polymers, which are synthetic materials based on biomimetic systems, were synthesized by the sol-gel technology in the presence of the template (benzilparaben). After template removal, selective cavities (benzilparaben) were revealed for parabens selective extraction. The linear range of the SPE/LC method lay from LOQ to 150 ng. mL-1, with a coefficient of determination higher than 0.992. The interday precision of the SPE/LC method presented a coefficient of variation lower than 13%, and the accuracy ranged from 86 to 117%. The effectiveness of the proposed method for the analysis of human milk samples has been demonstrated. According to the evaluated analytical validation parameters, the SPE/LC-UV method is suitable for the analysis of parabens in human milk samples. Chapter III depicts the evaluation of solid-phase microextraction in the capillary (in-tube SPME) in combination with liquid chromatography (LC) with UV detection (LC-UV) for the analysis of rifampicin in plasma samples for therapeutic drug monitoring. The in-tube SPME/LC method was linear over the LOQ (0.1) to 100 g. mL-1 range, with a linear coefficient value (r2) of 0.998. The inter-assay precision presented coefficient of variation 2%, and the accuracy ranged from 83 to 92%. The effectiveness and practicability of the proposed method have been by analysis of plasma samples from ageing patients undergoing therapy with rifampicin. The in-tube SPME/LC method allowed for automated continuous sample preparation (extraction, concentration, desorption, and injection of analytes) and minimized the analysis time as well as the volumes of organic solvent and biological fluid.

As sulfonamidas são antibióticos amplamente utilizados na medicina humana e animal. Por apresentarem um custo relativamente baixo, além de seu uso medicinal são comumente utilizadas como aditivos nos alimentos para promover o crescimento de animais. O alto consumo das sulfonamidas é preocupante, pois grandes quantidades desses compostos são descartadas no ambiente por meio de excreções humanas, excreções animais e por águas residuárias industriais e hospitalares. A presença de sulfonamidas no ambiente, mesmo em níveis de traços, pode gerar uma toxicidade direta nas espécies expostas bem como a proliferação seletiva de bactérias resistentes, que podem transferir os genes de resistência para outras espécies bacterianas. O impacto ambiental negativo ocasionado por esse tipo de composto exige o monitoramento adequado e o consequentemente desenvolvimento de técnicas e métodos de análise e de preparo de amostra que consigam atingir suficientes intervalos e limites de detecção. Na atualidade a SPE é uma técnica bastante utilizada para extração de analitos em amostras ambientais, pois permite trabalhar com um consumo de solvente reduzido, sua reprodutibilidade é alta, o tempo de preparo de amostra é curto e permite a automatização. No formato automatizado on-line a fase extratora é empacotada em uma pré-coluna e ligada ao sistema cromatográfico geralmente por meio de uma válvula de seis pórticos. Dentre as possíveis fases para a SPE os polímeros molecularmente impressos (MIP) têm tornado-se atrativos por causa de sua alta seletividade em comparação com as fases extratoras tradicionais; além disso, permitem, mediante procedimentos simples, associar a tecnologia MIP com a tecnologia de materiais de acesso restrito - RAM (do inglês: restricted access media) obtendo assim os materiais RAM-MIP. Nesse trabalho foi sintetizado e avaliado o desempenho de um polímero de impressão molecular (MIP), e três polímeros de impressão molecular restritos à ligação de macromoléculas (RAM-MIP, BSA-MIP e RAM-MIP-BSA) para a pré-concentração seletiva de sete sulfonamidas (SNs) em amostras complexas para análise em sistema HPLC-bidimensional. Os materiais obtidos foram avaliados em termos de fator de retenção, seletividade, seletividade competitiva e capacidade de eliminação de macromoléculas. O polímero BSA-MIP apresentou os melhores resultados, demonstrando-se muito mais seletivo para sulfonamidas do que para alguns interferentes como fluoroquinolonas, cafeína, ácido acetilsalicílico entre outros, também demonstrou uma capacidade de exclusão de macromoléculas de 97,63% ao ser testado com uma solução de 44 mg mL-1 de BSA. / Sulfonamides are antibiotics widely used in human and veterinary medicine. Due to their relatively low cost and their therapeutic effects, they are frequently employed as growth promoting additive in animal food. This high consumption causes that high amounts of them are being ejected to the environment through the animal and human excrements or industrial and hospital wastewater. Even in trace amount, these compounds can produce direct toxicity in several species and the selective spread of the antibiotic resistant bacteria that can transfer the resistance genes to others bacteria species. This negative impact has to be adequately monitored and, thus, there is a claim to the development of analytical and sample preparation techniques and methods that permit reaching to very low detection limits and intervals. Currently solid phase extraction (SPE) is the technique commonly used for isolation of analytes from environmental samples, since it allows working with smaller volumes of solvent, shorter sample preparation times, achieving high reproducibility and allowing automation. In automated on-line SPE the extracted phase is packed into a precolumn and linked to the chromatographic system, generally by a 6-port valve. Among the possible phases for SPE the molecular imprinted polymer (MIP) has become interesting because it is more selective than traditional extraction; moreover, through simple procedure it can be associated with the restricted acess media (RAM) producing the RAM-MIP and the MIP-BSA materials. Here we synthesized and evaluated the performance of one MIP and three molecular imprinted polymers linked to macromolecules (RAM-MIP, BSA-MIP e RAM-MIP-BSA) for a selective preconcentration of seven sulfonamides in complex samples for two-dimensional HPLC analysis. The synthesized materials was evaluated regarding the retention factor, competitive selectivity and elimination capacity of macromolecules. The BSA-MIP option showed the best results, achieving high selectivity for sulfonamides against others interferences such as fluoroquinolone, caffeine and acetylsalicylic acid; additionally presenting an exclusion capacity of 97,63% of macromolecules when was tested with a BSA solution at 44 mg ml-1.

Food quality control is a mandatory task in the food industry, and for coffee manufacturers, one of the key target compounds is caffeine, because of its well-known biological effects and currently expensive analytical methods are employed for caffeine quantification. This project was thought with the aim of developing a cost-effective caffeine sensor for application in industrial environments. Two main approaches were investigated: i) the use of imprinted polymers; ii) electrochemical using bare carbon electrodes. Chapter 1 is the main introduction, it focuses on the importance of food quality control, the limitation of the methodologies currently employed and it presents the advantages of using imprinted polymers recognition and electrochemistry signal transduction. Chapter 2 presents data related to studies of self-association of caffeine in water using a novel computational approach. The wider applicability of the method was assessed by studying self-association of paraxanthine and the results were validated via a collaboration with Miss R. Anastasiadi who employed isothermal titration calorimetry. Chapter 3 describes the synthesis of MIPs in water, starting with the selection of the functional monomers: HPTS (8-hydroxypyrene-1,3,6-trisulfonic acid, trisodium salt). The polymerisation conditions were optimised in terms of solvent to be used, initiator content, temperature and total monomer concentration. Afterwards, the polymers were synthesised, characterised, and preliminary data on the rebinding ability towards caffeine were presented. Chapter 4 focuses on electrochemical methods for the detection of caffeine using bare carbon electrodes. A voltammetric method for accurate determination of caffeine in beverages was developed. Based on the encouraging results obtained, further studies on the applicability of electrochemical methods for coffee quality analysis were done. A second method was developed for simultaneous detection of caffeine and polyphenols and an amperometric chemosensor for sucrose determination was acquired and its applicability for the analysis of green coffee beans was evaluated.

A fotocatálise heterogênea é um processo que apresenta baixa seletividade de degradação. Nesse sentido, a síntese de materiais dotados de impressão molecular (IM) deve ajudar a contornar este problema. Os fotocatalisadores dotados de IM foram sintetizados de acordo com duas classes: uma inorgância (via diferentes rotas sol-gel e TEOS como percursor de sílica) e outra orgânica (via impressão não-covalente por precipitação e ácido metacrílico como monômero). No caso da primeira, a impressão molecular foi investigada através do uso de corante (rodamina B) e diferentes fármacos como template (substrato molde). No caso da matriz orgânica, o fármaco diclofenaco foi usado como molécula template. Os materiais foram caracterizados por análises texturais, estruturais e morfológicas. Com respeito à matriz à base de sílica, os sistemas com maiores valores de área específica foram observados pela rota ácida. Como efeito da rota, foi observado que a rota ácida apresentou um fator de seletividade 47% maior que a rota não-hidrolítica em testes de adsorção seletiva. Os resultados obtidos por análise de isotermas também convergem no sentido de revelarem que a rota ácida apresentou a maior capacidade de adsorção (997,9 mg/g) dentre as diferentes rotas de síntese pelo método sol-gel. Nos ensaios de fotocatálise (rodamina como template), foi conseguido um aumento de seletividade e competitividade na fotodegradação da rodamina de até 187% e 290%, respectivamente, comparado ao P25 (amostra comercial de TiO2). Quanto ao uso de fármacos como template em matriz inorgânica, os fotocatalisadores com impressão molecular obtiveram um aumento na adsorção e fotodegradação de até 751 e 427%, respectivamente, em comparação ao P25. Os materiais baseados em matriz orgânica também apresentaram seletividade em comparação ao P25. O valor médio do coeficiente de seletividade (estimado a partir da degradação de moléculas não-alvo, a fluxetina e o paracetamol) foi estimado em 2,8 – portanto sugerindo que a presença de cavidades tridimensionais é um dos principais fatores da seletividade observada. Com o objetivo de explorar o potencial de adsorção das cavidades de impressão molecular, os estudos dos fotocatalisadores seletivos com adição de P25 foram conduzidos de maneira a manter baixa a concentração de TiO2 (de 7 a 44 mg/L em cada teste fotocatalítico). Estudos de reuso do fotocatalisador (com e sem regeneração) também foram conduzidos. Tanto os materiais de matriz inorgânica como orgânica mantiveram em pelo menos 60% da eficiência fotocatalítica original após vários ciclos. / Heterogeneous photocatalysis is a process that has a low selectivity for degradation. In this sense, the synthesis of materials with molecularly imprinting (MI) should help to overcome this problem. The photocatalyst containing MI was synthesized according to two classes: An inorganic one (via different sol-gel routes and TEOS as silica precursor) and an organic one (via non-covalent imprinting by precipitation having methacrylic acid as monomer). In the first case, MI was investigated by use of the dye (rhodamine B) and several pharmaceutical compounds as template. In case the organic matrix, diclofenac was used as the template molecule. The samples were extensively characterized by textural, structural and morphological analysis. With respect to the silica-based matrix, the systems with larger surface area values were obtained by acid route. As effect of the route, it was observed that the acid route showed a selectivity factor 47% higher than that of the non-hydrolytic route in selective adsorption tests. Among the different synthesis routes prepared by sol-gel method, the isotherms analysis showed that acid route has the highest adsorption capacity (997.9 mg/g). Compared to the P25 (commercial sample of TiO2), the photocatalysis assays (rhodamine as the template) have shown an increase in selectivity and competitiveness up to 187% and 290%, respectively. Regarding the use of pharmaceutical as template in the inorganic matrix, the imprinted photocatalyst had an increase in adsorption and photodegradation up to 751 and 427%, respectively. The systems based on the organic matrix have also showed selectivity compared to the P25. The mean value of selectivity coefficient for degradation (estimated from the non-target molecules, such as fluoxetine and paracetamol) was estimated to be 2.8 – thus, suggesting that the presence of three-dimensional cavities is a major factor in the observed selectivity. In order to explore the full potential of adsorption from the MI cavities, the photocatalyst containing P25 were prepared with the low concentration of TiO2 (from 7 to 44 mg/L in each photocatalytic test). The reuse of photocatalysts (with and without regeneration) was also studied. Both inorganic and organic matrix retained at least 60% of the original efficiency after several cycles.

As sulfonamidas são antibióticos amplamente utilizados na medicina humana e animal. Por apresentarem um custo relativamente baixo, além de seu uso medicinal são comumente utilizadas como aditivos nos alimentos para promover o crescimento de animais. O alto consumo das sulfonamidas é preocupante, pois grandes quantidades desses compostos são descartadas no ambiente por meio de excreções humanas, excreções animais e por águas residuárias industriais e hospitalares. A presença de sulfonamidas no ambiente, mesmo em níveis de traços, pode gerar uma toxicidade direta nas espécies expostas bem como a proliferação seletiva de bactérias resistentes, que podem transferir os genes de resistência para outras espécies bacterianas. O impacto ambiental negativo ocasionado por esse tipo de composto exige o monitoramento adequado e o consequentemente desenvolvimento de técnicas e métodos de análise e de preparo de amostra que consigam atingir suficientes intervalos e limites de detecção. Na atualidade a SPE é uma técnica bastante utilizada para extração de analitos em amostras ambientais, pois permite trabalhar com um consumo de solvente reduzido, sua reprodutibilidade é alta, o tempo de preparo de amostra é curto e permite a automatização. No formato automatizado on-line a fase extratora é empacotada em uma pré-coluna e ligada ao sistema cromatográfico geralmente por meio de uma válvula de seis pórticos. Dentre as possíveis fases para a SPE os polímeros molecularmente impressos (MIP) têm tornado-se atrativos por causa de sua alta seletividade em comparação com as fases extratoras tradicionais; além disso, permitem, mediante procedimentos simples, associar a tecnologia MIP com a tecnologia de materiais de acesso restrito - RAM (do inglês: restricted access media) obtendo assim os materiais RAM-MIP. Nesse trabalho foi sintetizado e avaliado o desempenho de um polímero de impressão molecular (MIP), e três polímeros de impressão molecular restritos à ligação de macromoléculas (RAM-MIP, BSA-MIP e RAM-MIP-BSA) para a pré-concentração seletiva de sete sulfonamidas (SNs) em amostras complexas para análise em sistema HPLC-bidimensional. Os materiais obtidos foram avaliados em termos de fator de retenção, seletividade, seletividade competitiva e capacidade de eliminação de macromoléculas. O polímero BSA-MIP apresentou os melhores resultados, demonstrando-se muito mais seletivo para sulfonamidas do que para alguns interferentes como fluoroquinolonas, cafeína, ácido acetilsalicílico entre outros, também demonstrou uma capacidade de exclusão de macromoléculas de 97,63% ao ser testado com uma solução de 44 mg mL-1 de BSA. / Sulfonamides are antibiotics widely used in human and veterinary medicine. Due to their relatively low cost and their therapeutic effects, they are frequently employed as growth promoting additive in animal food. This high consumption causes that high amounts of them are being ejected to the environment through the animal and human excrements or industrial and hospital wastewater. Even in trace amount, these compounds can produce direct toxicity in several species and the selective spread of the antibiotic resistant bacteria that can transfer the resistance genes to others bacteria species. This negative impact has to be adequately monitored and, thus, there is a claim to the development of analytical and sample preparation techniques and methods that permit reaching to very low detection limits and intervals. Currently solid phase extraction (SPE) is the technique commonly used for isolation of analytes from environmental samples, since it allows working with smaller volumes of solvent, shorter sample preparation times, achieving high reproducibility and allowing automation. In automated on-line SPE the extracted phase is packed into a precolumn and linked to the chromatographic system, generally by a 6-port valve. Among the possible phases for SPE the molecular imprinted polymer (MIP) has become interesting because it is more selective than traditional extraction; moreover, through simple procedure it can be associated with the restricted acess media (RAM) producing the RAM-MIP and the MIP-BSA materials. Here we synthesized and evaluated the performance of one MIP and three molecular imprinted polymers linked to macromolecules (RAM-MIP, BSA-MIP e RAM-MIP-BSA) for a selective preconcentration of seven sulfonamides in complex samples for two-dimensional HPLC analysis. The synthesized materials was evaluated regarding the retention factor, competitive selectivity and elimination capacity of macromolecules. The BSA-MIP option showed the best results, achieving high selectivity for sulfonamides against others interferences such as fluoroquinolone, caffeine and acetylsalicylic acid; additionally presenting an exclusion capacity of 97,63% of macromolecules when was tested with a BSA solution at 44 mg ml-1.

Submitted by Rosivalda Pereira (mrs.pereira@ufma.br) on 2017-09-19T17:06:54Z No. of bitstreams: 1 JosimarAraujo.pdf: 950712 bytes, checksum: 6ec752a1c9c3751ffeba0d040eb09762 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-09-19T17:06:54Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 JosimarAraujo.pdf: 950712 bytes, checksum: 6ec752a1c9c3751ffeba0d040eb09762 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-09-06 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / The present work describes a study of the construction of an electrochemical sensor involving sol-gel process and molecular imprinting for detection of triclosan. The sol-gel process is a process in which a network is formed from a solution, by progressively changing a liquid precursor, from a sol to a gel and, in most cases, finally to a dry network. In turn, molecular imprinting is a method of induced formation of some predetermined selectivity recognition element for some template molecule. Thus, for the determination of the template molecule triclosan, 5-chloro-2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)-phenol, the following steps were performed: 1) verification of a glassy carbon electrode modified with chitosan and multi-walled carbon nanotubes, and molecularly imprinted siloxanes, would be suitable for the voltammetric detection of triclosan; 2) to observe if a network would be formed with the sol-gel process and to evaluate the mechanical stability of the electrochemical sensor constructed; 3) to evaluate the modified electrode as an electrochemical sensor with selectivity, specificity and detection limit for the determination of triclosan in aqueous solutions; 4) to verify the applicability of the proposed sensor by detecting of triclosan oxidation in real samples. The results showed that glassy carbon electrode modified with chitosan, multi-walled carbon nanotubes and molecularly imprinted siloxanes, constructed by sol-gel and molecular imprinting processes, presented mechanical stability, sensitivity, selectivity, specificity and applicability as an electrochemical sensor for the detection of triclosan in commercial samples of physical moisturizer and of toothpaste. / O presente trabalho descreve um estudo da construção de um sensor eletroquímico envolvendo processo sol-gel e impressão molecular para detecção de triclosan. O processo sol-gel é um procedimento no qual uma rede é formada a partir de uma solução. Esta formação é por meio de uma mudança progressiva deste líquido inicial, de um sol para um gel e, na maioria dos casos, finalmente para uma rede seca. Por sua vez, a impressão molecular é um método de formação induzida de elementos de reconhecimento com seletividade predeterminada para alguma molécula molde. Assim, para a determinação da molécula molde triclosan, 5-cloro-2- (2,4-diclorofenoxi)-fenol, as seguintes etapas foram executadas: 1) verificar se um eletrodo de carbono vítreo modificado com quitosana, nanotubos de carbono de paredes múltiplas e siloxanos molecularmente impressos seria adequado para a detecção voltamétrica do triclosan; 2) averiguar a formação de uma rede com o processo sol-gel e avaliar a estabilidade mecânica do sensor eletroquímico construído; 3) avaliar a sensibilidade do eletrodo modificado como um sensor eletroquímico com seletividade, especificidade e limite de detecção para a determinação de triclosan em soluções aquosas; e 4) comprovar a aplicabilidade do sensor proposto mediante a detecção de sinal de oxidação de triclosan em amostras reais. Os resultados mostraram que eletrodos de carbono vítreo modificados com quitosana, nanotubos de carbono de paredes múltiplas e siloxanos molecularmente impressos, construídos por processo sol-gel e impressão molecular, apresentaram estabilidade mecânica, sensibilidade, seletividade, especificidade e aplicabilidade como um sensor eletroquímico para a detecção de triclosan em amostras comerciais de hidratante corporal e de creme dental.

As Sulfonamidas (SAs) são antibióticos de uso muito comum na medicina veterinária, sendo também aplicadas na medicina humana. Os resíduos dessas substâncias, ou dos seus metabolitos na carne e outros alimentos, podem causar efeitos adversos para a saúde dos consumidores como, por exemplo, resistências a antibióticos e alergias. Este trabalho apresenta o desenvolvimento e aplicação de métodos modernos de preparo de amostra para determinação de multiresíduo de sulfonamidas em alimentos por cromatografia líquida acoplada a espectrometria de massas e ultravioleta visível. Dentre os métodos de preparo de amostra, aplicou-se o método de extração QuEChERS (Quicky, Easy, Cheap. Effective, Rugged, Safe) modificado, em combinação com a cromatografia liquida acoplada a espectrometria de massas, para a análise de dez sulfonamidas em amostras de músculo de frango e bovino. No segundo estudo, seguindo a tendência de miniaturização, sintetizou-se um polímero molecularmente impresso (Sulfadimetoxina-MIP) para uso como sorbente em dispositivos de Microextração com Sorbentes Empacotado (MEPS). O método, denominado SDM-MIP-MEPS, foi otimizado e aplicado em amostras de músculo de frango usando a cromatografia liquida com detecção por ultravioleta-visivel. Embora o uso do polímero molecularmente impresso (MIP) como sorbente seletivo para o MEPS já tenha sido reportada em dois trabalhos, pela primeira vez é descrito a aplicação de um MIP impresso com sulfdimetoxina (SDM), usando MEPS para extração de sulfonamidas em músculo de frango. Portanto, a novidade neste caso, é o uso da nova técnica extração miniaturizada (MEPS) com o polímero sintetizado sulfadimetoxina-MIP como sorbente de empacotamento. As metodologias foram validadas com sucesso de acordo com as diretrizes 657/2002/EU. / Sulfonamides are widely used in veterinary and human medicine. Residues of these compounds, or their metabolites in animal meats and other foods, are toxic and can cause side effects in human\'s health, such as resistance to antibiotics and allergic reactions. This study describes the development and application of a modern sample preparation approach for sulfonamides multiresidue determination in food by chromatographic methods coupled to mass spectrometry and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. Among those sample preparation methods, the modified QuEChERS extraction in combination with liquid chromatography in tandem with mass spectrometric detection was applied to the analysis of residues of 10 sulfonamides in chiken and cattle muscle. In the second study, following the miniaturization trends, it was synthesized a molecularly imprinted polymer (Sulfadimethoxine-MIP), for application as sorbent in Microextraction by Packed Sorbents (MEPS). The extraction method was optimized and successfully applied to chicken muscle samples in combination with highperformance liquid chromatography by ultraviolet-visible detection. Although the use of MIPs as selective packing materials for MEPS has already been reported in two papers, is first time that application of a MIP imprinted with Sulfadimethoxine is evaluated for the extraction of sulfonamides in chicken muscle. Therefore the novelty of the present work is the use of this new miniaturization extraction technique with synthesized sulfadimethoxine-MIP polymer as packing sorbent. The methods were successfully validated according to the 2002/657/EC guidelines.

By using the technology of molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP), we propose to synthesize a protein conformational imprint that also acts as a plastic enzyme, inducing protein structural transitions. The imprint aims at MIP-induced stabilization and / or formation of bound protein secondary structure and the applications associated with analysis and correction of misfolded proteins. The screening of polymeric functional monomers being able to induce the conformational transitions in proteins is investigated in this report. The fluoro-silanes (3-heptafluoroisopropoxy)propalethoxysilane (7F) and 3,3,3-trifluoropropylmethoxysilane (3F) were employed as functional monomers for synthesis of this catalytic protein conformational imprint via sol-gel reactions. 3F was demonstrated superior to 7F for fluoro-modification of tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) gel in terms of retaining gel transparency and increasing hydrophobicity while maintaining a uniform distribution of encapsulated protein. Both hydrolyzed 3F and polymerized 3F exhibited strong influences on structure transitions of three template proteins: bovine serum albumin (BSA), beta-lactoglobulin (BLG), and bovine carbonic anhydrase (BCA). The formation of molten globule intermediates that stabilized by increased alpha-helices was induced by the trifluoro-silane in BLG and BCA. Additionally, 3F was effective at a lower concentration than the benchmark fluoro-alcohol 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol (HFIP), validating the application of 3F as a functional monomer for protein conformational imprinting.

L’interface entre deux solutions électrolytiques immiscibles (ITIES) peut agir comme un support pour l’assemblage de nanoobjets. Cela présente de nombreux avantages : les particules ne requièrent pas d’ingénierie particulière pour leur obtention, peuvent s’assembler dans des conditions qui leur sont propres, sont pratiquement non dégradables et facilement renouvelables. Les recherches actuelles portent tant sur leur utilisation potentielle en tant que plateformes pour des appareils optiques ajustables, pour des capteurs ou encore pour de la catalyse. L’adsorption de nanoparticules de silice, dense ou mésoporeuse, à l’interface liquide-liquide a été étudiée par voltammétrie en courant alternatif. L’interaction des nanoparticules de silice avec le bleu de méthylène et l’éosine B a été étudiée par voltammétrie cyclique et spectrophotométrie. Les constantes thermodynamiques d’adsorption du bleu de méthylène ont été déterminées à 1.66 105 et 3.68 103 sur les particules de silice dense et mésoporeuse respectivement. La variation de constante entre les deux types de silice repose essentiellement sur leur état d’ionisation respectif. L’énergie de Gibbs de transfert entre phase liquide est modifiée de 8.9 kJ mol-1 en présence de nanoparticules denses ce qui donne des indications sur le mécanisme de transfert du bleu de méthylène en présence de nanoparticules. Mettant à profit l’aptitude de la silice à accumuler le bleu de méthylène et à s’adsorber sur l’interface liquide il nous a été possible d’améliorer la sensibilité de la détection électrochimique. L’éosine B n’a aucune interaction avec les particules de silice. Nos efforts ont ensuite porté sur l’amélioration de la sélectivité du transfert électrochimie par l’utilisation de nanoparticules de silice à empreinte moléculaire. Des nanoparticules de silice dense à empreinte moléculaire de Diclofénac (DIN) ont été synthétisées. Cette molécule est un anti-inflammatoire non stéroïdien très largement utilisé et figurant sur la liste européenne des polluants émergents. Les constantes d’affinité du Diclofénac pour les DIN et les particules équivalentes sans empreinte sont de 7.47 108 et 2.96 107 respectivement ce qui démontre clairement la présence d’empreintes ayant une forte affinité pour le diclofénac au sein des particules. Des molécules analogues (Diclofénac acide, Aceclofenac, acide 4 phenyl-azo benzoique) ont été testées et ont une affinité faible pour les DIN. En électrochimie, l’ajout de DIN bloque le transfert de Diclofénac à l’interface liquide-liquide / The interface between two immiscible electrolyte solutions (ITIES) can act as a scaffold for the assembly of nanometer-sized objects. The assembly of nanoparticles at liquid-liquid interfaces has numerous advantages – the nanoparticles do not require engineering, can assemble given proper conditions, are practically non-degrading and easily renewable. Research is ongoing into their use as a platform for tunable optical devices, sensors and catalysis. The adsorption of both dense and mesoporous silica nanoparticles at the ITIES was studied by AC voltammetry. Their interactions with methylene blue (MB+) and Eosin B (EB-), selected as a model ions, were studied by cyclic voltammetry and UV/Vis absorption spectroscopy. The thermodynamic constants of adsorption of MB+ were found to be 1.66 105 and 3.68 103 onto dense and mesoporous silica nanoparticles respectively. The difference of adsorption constants for the two types of silica was explained by their differing ionisation states. The Gibbs energy of transfer of MB+ is shifted by -8.9 kJ mol-1 in the presence of dense silica nanoparticles, giving some insights to the transfer mechanism of MB+ in presence of nanoparticles. Combining the ability of silica to adsorb onto the ITIES and their affinity for MB+, MB+ was accumulated at the ITIES and so an increase in sensitivity of electrochemical detection was achieved. Eosin B demonstrated no affinity for the silica nanoparticles and its transfer at the ITIES was not influenced by their presence. Next the focus was placed on improving the selectivity of the interaction by synthesising imprinted silica nanoparticles, more specifically, Diclofenac-imprinted dense silica nanoparticles. This drug was chosen as it is a commonly used nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug which has been placed on the European watch list of emerging pollutants. The thermodynamic constants were calculated as 7.47 108 for Diclofenac-imprinted silica and only 2.96 107 for non-imprinted silica. Thus the presence of imprint cavities greatly influences the affinity of diclofenac for the silica nanoparticles. The analogues of Diclofenac (Aceclofenac, Acid diclofenac, 4-phenyl azo benzoic acid) were shown to have a very limited affinity for the imprinted particles. Electrochemical experiments at the liquid-liquid interface revealed that the diclofenac transfer is blocked by the presence of imprinted particles