Antimicrobial Proteinoid Nanostructures via Thermal Condensation of L-Glutamic Acid and L-Tyrosine.

ABSTRACT: The synthesis of biocidal peptide materials using simple, low-cost, solvent-free methods is a crucial challenge for developing new antimicrobial approaches. In this study, we produced proteinoid nanostructures through simple, inexpensive, and environmentally friendly thermal reactions between glutamic acid (Glu) and tyrosine (Tyr) in various molar ratios. Mechanistically, the thermal cyclization of glutamic acid into pyroglutamic acid (pGlu) facilitated the formation of short peptide chains containing pGlu as the N-terminus moiety and subsequent L-tyrosine or glutamic acid residues, which self-assembled into nanometric spheroidal structures that exhibit blue emission. Spectroscopic (FTIR, UV-Vis, photoluminescence) and mass (LC-MS) analyses confirmed the formation of mixed pGlu-/Tyr

SUBMITTER: Cadeddu M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12736111 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature