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Characterization of extracellular and intracellular organic matter produced by phytoplankton in relation to water treatment
Zezulová, Tereza ; Pivokonský, Martin (advisor) ; Janda, Václav (referee)
This study investigated characteristics of algal organic matter (AOM) derived from four species (cyanobacteria Microcystis aeruginosa and Merismopedia tenuissima, diatom Fragilaria crotonensis and green alga Chlamydomonas geitleri) dominating phytoplanktonic populations in the reservoirs supplying drinking water treatment plants - the water reservoirs Švihov (the Želivka water treatment plant) and Josefův Důl (the Jizerské Mountains), Czech Republic. The four mentioned microorganisms were cultivated under laboratory conditions and the algal growth was quantified by a number of cells, chrorophyll-a and optical density. Production of AOM was evaluated by dissolved organic carbon concentration measurements, by specific UV absorbance, the amount of peptide/protein and non-peptide (carbohydrate) contents, water affinity and molecular weight (MW). AOM of all considered microorganisms are formed predominantly by hydrophilic substances with low values of specific UV absorbance (< 2 L/(m.mg)). Considerable portions of both types of AOM, i.e. extracellular and cellular organic matters are represented by substances with MW < 1 kDa or with MW > 100 kDa. However, the total amount and composition of AOM significantly depend on algal species and their growth. The obtained results imply that the knowledge of AOM...
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Influence of nanoparticles and polymers on the amyloid fibril formation
Holubová, Monika ; Štěpánek, Petr (advisor) ; Štěpánek, Miroslav (referee) ; Nardin, Corrine (referee)
The thesis deals with the testing of amyloidogenicity of various carbon nanoparticles and polymers. The first part of the thesis provides the theoretical background of amyloidoses, a group of diseases in which proteins are stored in the insoluble form of amyloid. In addition, the theoretical part also deals with a general overview of nanomaterials and the most important methods. Several types of nanomaterials were tested within the thesis, so the part Results and Discussion was divided into two subchapters: 1) Carbon nanospecies and amyloid fibril formation, and 2) Polysaccharides, glycogen modifications and amyloid fibril formation. The first subchapter concerns the testing of four types of carbon nanoparticles (single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT), fullerenes (C60), carbon quantum dots (CDs) and nanodiamonds (NDs)). These materials were tested on a model system hen egg white lysozyme (HEWL). Using fluorescence measurements and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), the nanoparticles were ranked from the most to the least amyloidogenic as follows: NDs> control> C60> CDs> SWNT. The second subchapter deals with the effect of selected polysaccharides (glycogen (GG), mannan (MAN), phytoglycogen (PG)) and modified GG on amyloid fibril formation. These materials were tested on the HEWL model system,...
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Testing of biological effect of glucans on cell lines in vitro
Šimková, Eva ; Holub, Jiří (referee) ; Němcová, Andrea (advisor)
The aim of this bachelor thesis is isolation and testing of -glucans from selected strains of yeast. In the theoretical part, characterisation of -glucans, microbial production of -glucans by yeast, determination of polysaccharides, exopolysaccharides and in vitro testing are described. Yeast have a cell wall made up of -glucans and -glucans are known for their healing properties. In the experimental part of this work deals with characterization of selected biomass yeasts in different forms and comparison of their effects and the amount of -glucans in each form. Stains of Metschnikowia pulcherrima, Cystofilobasidium infirmominiatum and Rhodotorula kratochvilovae have been selected for this thesis. Subsequently, the thesis deals with the isolation and testing of isolated -glucans from a selected lyophilised strain of yeast Rhodotorula kratochvilovae. The selected strain was isolated in 2 ways. The first method of isolation that was more friendly to conformation of -glucans due to the effect of ultrasonic homogenization of cells. The second method of isolation was less friendly to -glucans, using acid and base to homogenise them. Analyses of both extraction methods confirmed the presence of isolated -glucans, however it was found that the recovery of both methods was relatively low and requires further optimisation of the procedure. Overall, the better extraction procedure was the second method. A sample of this extract was further tested on the HaCaT cell line. The results of the pilot tests confirmed the cytotoxicity of the extract obtained by us.
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Influence of nanoparticles and polymers on the amyloid fibril formation
Holubová, Monika ; Štěpánek, Petr (advisor) ; Štěpánek, Miroslav (referee) ; Nardin, Corrine (referee)
The thesis deals with the testing of amyloidogenicity of various carbon nanoparticles and polymers. The first part of the thesis provides the theoretical background of amyloidoses, a group of diseases in which proteins are stored in the insoluble form of amyloid. In addition, the theoretical part also deals with a general overview of nanomaterials and the most important methods. Several types of nanomaterials were tested within the thesis, so the part Results and Discussion was divided into two subchapters: 1) Carbon nanospecies and amyloid fibril formation, and 2) Polysaccharides, glycogen modifications and amyloid fibril formation. The first subchapter concerns the testing of four types of carbon nanoparticles (single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT), fullerenes (C60), carbon quantum dots (CDs) and nanodiamonds (NDs)). These materials were tested on a model system hen egg white lysozyme (HEWL). Using fluorescence measurements and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), the nanoparticles were ranked from the most to the least amyloidogenic as follows: NDs> control> C60> CDs> SWNT. The second subchapter deals with the effect of selected polysaccharides (glycogen (GG), mannan (MAN), phytoglycogen (PG)) and modified GG on amyloid fibril formation. These materials were tested on the HEWL model system,...
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PRODUCTION OF BETA-GLUCANS AND OTHER POLYSACCHARIDES BY YEAST AND MICROALGAE
Byrtusová, Dana ; Kráčmar, Stanislav (referee) ; Kovalčík, Adriána (referee) ; Márová, Ivana (advisor)
Beta-glukany jsou polysacharidy složeny z monomerů D-glukózy. V dnešní době se -glukany těší zvýšené pozornosti zejména kvůli imunomodulační aktivitě a využitelnosti ve farmaceutickém a potravinařském průmyslu. Saccharomyces cerevisiae je dodnes jediným kvasinkovým zdrojem požívaným v biotechnologické produkci. Avšak některé kvasinky z oddělení Basidiomycetes, které jsou schopny produkce lipidů a karotenoidů, mohou být využity rovněž jako alternativní zdroj -glukanů. Dizertační práce se zabývá možností a optimalizací produkce -glukanů a dalších mikrobiálních sacharidů u karotenogenních kvasinek a mikrořas. Testovány byli zástupci rodů Rhodotorula, Sporobolomyces, Cystofilobasidium a Dioshegia. Z nekarotenogenních kvasinek byly do screeningu zařazeny kvasinky rodu Metschnikowia, askomycetní kvasinky a z mikrořas zástupci zelených a červených řas. Experimentální část cílí rovněž na možnosti koprodukce dalších metabolitů, jako jsou lipidy, pigmenty a extracelulární polymery. První část experimentu se zabývá vlivem čtyř C/N poměrů (10:1, 40:1, 70:1 a 100:1) na produkci biomasy, -glukanů, karotenoidů a lipidů. Ze všech testovaných kmenů, S. cerevisiae CCY 21-4-102, C. infirmominiatum CCY 17-18-4, P. rhodozyma CCY 77-1-1 a R. kratochvilovae CCY 20-2-26 vykazovaly nejvyšší produkci -glukanů a byly proto vybrány k podrobnější optimalizaci, zejména osmotického stresu, teploty a zdroje dusíku v kultivačním médiu. Dodatečně, kmen R. kratochvilovae CCY 20-2-26 je schopný produkce extracelulárních glykolipidů a S. pararoseus CCY 19-9-6 extracelulárních polysacharidů. Následně bylo stanoveno množství -glukanů u dalších dvanácti kmenů S. cerevisiae a rovněž možnost produkce polysacharidů u mikrořas.
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Determination of honey authenticity and adulteration by anion exchange chromatography
Ždiniaková, Tereza ; Diviš, Pavel (referee) ; Vespalcová, Milena (advisor)
Cieľom tejto diplomovej práce je stanoviť kvalitu a zloženie medu, taktiež stanoviť jeho botanický pôvod na základe profilu sacharidov v mede. Med je prírodný produkt vysokej kvality a vďaka značnej spotrebe a nemalej trhovej hodnote je tiež terčom na falšovanie. S cieľom identifikovať podvody a cudzorodé látky, pochádzajúce z cukrových sirupov, boli analyzované oligosacharidy a polysacharidy na báze maltodextrínov. Teoretická časť popisuje chemické zloženie medu a hlavné princípy aplikovanej inštrumentálnej techniky. Poskytuje literárny prehľad existujúcich analytických metód na stanovenie sacharidov prítomných v mede a na odhalenie jeho falšovania. Boli definované hlavné body falšovania a autenticity, vrátane legislatívnych aspektov a opisu bežných druhov falšovania. Experimentálna časť obsahuje postupy, ktoré vedú k vývoju a optimalizácii chromatografických podmienok a parametrov elektrochemického detektora na stanovenie sacharidov a maltodextrínov (oligosacharidov a polysacharidov) vo vzorkách medu. Použitá analytická technika bola vysoko účinná aniónovo-výmenná chromatografia (HPAEC) spojená s pulzným amperometrickým detektorom (PAD). Vyvinutá a optimalizovaná chromatografická metóda bola taktiež validovaná z hľadiska linearity, dynamického rozsahu, analytických limitov, presnosti a správnosti. Na záver bola táto vypracovaná metóda úspešne zhodnotená analýzou autentických a falšovaných vzoriek medu rôzneho botanického pôvodu pochádzajúcich z členských štátov EÚ.
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Functionalized hybrid polymer structures for biomedical applications
Rabyk, Mariia ; Štěpánek, Petr (advisor) ; Sedláková, Zdeňka (referee) ; Kotek, Jan (referee)
This doctoral thesis is dedicated to the synthesis and characterization of novel functionalized hybrid structures for biomedical purposes. Systems reported in this work can be subdivided into the two main groups: natural-based materials and synthetic amphiphilic block copolymers. Both groups were studied as perspective theranostic agents for medical applications. In the first group, natural polysaccharides glycogen and mannan were selected as starting materials for preparation of novel nanoconjugates that possess ability for multimodal detection in vivo. Because grafting of natural macromolecules with synthetic polymers generally slows down the biodegradation rate, both polysaccharides were modified in two different ways to form nanoprobes with or without poly(2-methyl-2-oxazoline)s chains. The prepared nanoconjugates were functionalized with N-hydroxysuccinimide-activated fluorescence and magnetic resonance imaging labels. The resulting materials were tested both in vitro and in vivo and were shown to be completely biocompatible, biodegradable and exhibit some extra benefits in terms of their practical usage in biomedicine. Glycogen was functionalized with allyl and propargyl groups with following freeze-drying from aqueous solutions to form nano- and microfibrous materials. The presence of both...
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Structure and dynamics of peptides and proteins in solution: application of Raman optical activity
Profant, Václav ; Baumruk, Vladimír (advisor) ; Kapitán, Josef (referee) ; Setnička, Vladimír (referee)
The thesis inquires the specific and advantageous applications of Raman optical activity (ROA) in wide range of diverse structural and conformational studies of biomolecules and other biologically important molecules. Our investigation was focused on several interconnected topics covering the fields of methodology, basic and applied research. The combination of experimental and theoretical approaches facilitated deeper understanding of studied phenomena, and allowed for the effects of solute-solvent interactions. High-quality spectra of model molecules in the C-H stretching region, acquired as a result of successful extension of ROA measurements to the whole region of fundamental molecular vibrations, enabled verification and further development of methods for ROA spectra simulations encompassing anharmonic corrections. Utilizing spirodilactams with highly nonplanar amide groups, we have traced the specific ROA spectral manifestations of amide nonplanarity. In case of antimicrobial peptide lasiocepsine, we have successfully simulated ROA signals of S-S stretching vibrations which contrary to current belief do not seem to reflect sense of the S-S group torsion. In larger molecular systems, we have better understood the process of the formation of stable polyproline II conformation and proved that ROA may...
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Characterization of extracellular and intracellular organic matter produced by phytoplankton in relation to water treatment
Zezulová, Tereza ; Pivokonský, Martin (advisor) ; Janda, Václav (referee)
This study investigated characteristics of algal organic matter (AOM) derived from four species (cyanobacteria Microcystis aeruginosa and Merismopedia tenuissima, diatom Fragilaria crotonensis and green alga Chlamydomonas geitleri) dominating phytoplanktonic populations in the reservoirs supplying drinking water treatment plants - the water reservoirs Švihov (the Želivka water treatment plant) and Josefův Důl (the Jizerské Mountains), Czech Republic. The four mentioned microorganisms were cultivated under laboratory conditions and the algal growth was quantified by a number of cells, chrorophyll-a and optical density. Production of AOM was evaluated by dissolved organic carbon concentration measurements, by specific UV absorbance, the amount of peptide/protein and non-peptide (carbohydrate) contents, water affinity and molecular weight (MW). AOM of all considered microorganisms are formed predominantly by hydrophilic substances with low values of specific UV absorbance (< 2 L/(m.mg)). Considerable portions of both types of AOM, i.e. extracellular and cellular organic matters are represented by substances with MW < 1 kDa or with MW > 100 kDa. However, the total amount and composition of AOM significantly depend on algal species and their growth. The obtained results imply that the knowledge of AOM...
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Optimization of chemical analysis of selected components in material of historical artworks
Pekař, Martin ; Čabala, Radomír (advisor) ; Hudeček, Jiří (referee)
The simplification of the historical pieces of work samples' treatment is described in the dissertation. The recent methods have been inappropriate therefore, modification of the treatment was necessary. The dammar and copal resin, important restoration materials, were used in the experiment. HPLC-MS, HPLC-ELSD, GC-FID, GC-MS and pyrolysis GC- MS were applied. The concentration of fatty acids in the historical sculpture was determined by GC-MS, and it was compared to the content of fatty acids inside an egg. For identification of monosaccharide in the gum, GC-MS (hexamethyldisilazan, trimethylchlorsilan, and pyridine) is the suitable method. GC-MS determines the same composition of dammar resin as stated in the cited sources. The simple process for the samples' treatment was designed.
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