Extracts from various vegetables and fruits were investigated for their abilities to reduce nitro-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(NPAHs).The extracts from grape and onion exhibited an interesting selectivity,yielding corresponding hydroxylamines or amines as major products under mild conditions of 30 °C and pH 7.0.Grape extracts reduced the 4-nitro-1,8-naphthalic anhydride with the highest conversion rate(>99%) and the highest ratio of hydro-xylamine to amine(95:5).In contrast,the onion extracts reduced 4-nitro-1,8-naphthalic anhydride with a conversion rate of 94% and a ratio of hydroxylamine to amine of 8:92.The thiol-reducing agent,β-mercaptoethanol,and metal cations,Ca2+ and Mg2+,greatly increased the reductive efficiency.This work provides an alternative strategy for bio-transformation of nitro-polycyclic compounds.
