Speculation of Sphingolipids in Capsanthin by Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography Coupled with Electrospray Ionization-Quadrupole-Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry.

Sphingolipids are constituents of cellular membranes and play important roles in cells. As nutraceutical compounds in foods, sphingolipids have been proven to be critical for human health. Therefore, the sphingolipids content of capsanthin was established based on ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry. A total number of 40 sphingolipids were successfully identified, including 20 Glucosylceramides and 20 Ceramides. The predominant GlcCers contain 4-hydroxy-8-sphingenine t18:1 (8) with different structures of α-OH fatty acids. For the Cers, the main long-chain bases are 4-hydroxy-8-sphingenine t18:1 (8) and 4-hydroxysphingenine (t18:0) with different structures of α-OH or α, ß-di (OH) fatty acids.

Microwave-assisted preparation of ZnFe2O4-Ag/rGO nanocomposites for amplification signal detection of alpha-fetoprotein.

In this study, a novel signal-amplified immunosensor was designed by using a microwave-assisted self-assembly method to synthesize ZnFe2O4-Ag/rGO nanocomposites. The conductivity of ZnFe2O4-rGO nanocomposites was significantly improved due to the effective inhibition of rGO accumulation by the insertion of ZnFe2O4 and Ag nanoparticles (NPs) into graphene sheets. Excellent sensitivity and reproducibility were achieved through the microwave-assisted preparation of ZnFe2O4-Ag/rGO nanocomposites as a substrate, with the Ag NPs enhancing the signal because of the effective conductive matrix. The layer assembly process of the immunosensor was verified by cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Under optimal conditions, the fabricated immunosensor showed good linearity over a wide concentration range from 1 pg mL-1 to 200 ng mL-1 with a low detection limit of 0.98 pg mL-1, and exhibited excellent specificity, good stability, and reproducibility. These qualities can contribute to the successful application of a label-free immunosensor in the detection of AFP in human serum.