ABSTRACT
Microcystin-LR (MC-LR) is a hepatotoxin generated by the excessive proliferation of cyanobacteria, which is a threat to humans and wildlife. Therefore, rapid detection of MC-LR is an important challenge. This study describes a rapid electrochemical biosensor comprising nanozymes and aptamers. Alternating current electrothermal flow (ACEF) significantly reduced the MC-LR detection period to 10 min. We also used MnO2/MC-LR aptamer conjugates to improve the sensitivity to MC-LR detection. Here, MnO2 amplified the electrochemical signal and the aptamer showed high selectivity for MC-LR. Under the optimal conditions, the limit of detection (LOD) and selectivity in freshwater were detected using cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry. As a result, an LOD of 3.36 pg mL-1 was observed in the linear concentration range of 10 pg mL-1 to 1 µg mL-1. This study quickly and sensitively detected MC-LR in a situation where it causes serious damage worldwide. In addition, the ACEF technology introduction is the first example of MC-LR detection, suggesting a wide range of possibilities for MC-LR biosensors.
Subject(s)
Aptamers, Nucleotide , Biosensing Techniques , Humans , Microcystins , Manganese Compounds , OxidesABSTRACT
The proteolytic enzyme ficin exhibits peroxidase-like activity but it is low and insufficient for real applications. Herein, we developed ficin-copper hybrid nanoflowers and demonstrated that they have significantly enhanced peroxidase-like activity of over 6-fold higher than that of free ficin, with one of the lowest Km and highest kcat values among all reported ficin-based peroxidase-like nanozymes. This was most likely caused by the synergistic catalysis of co-existing ficin and crystalline copper phosphate within nanoflower matrices having a large surface area. The nanoflowers were easily prepared by incubating ficin and copper sulfate at ambient temperature, causing coordination interactions between ficin's amine/amide moieties and copper ions, followed by concomitant anisotropic growth of petals composed of copper phosphate crystals with ficin. When compared to free ficin and natural horseradish peroxidase, the resulting nanoflowers' affinity toward H2O2 was greatly increased, yielding Km values of half and one-tenth, respectively, as well as noticeably improved stability. The nanoflowers were then applied to colorimetric determination of biological thiols (biothiols), such as cysteine (Cys), glutathione (GSH), and homocysteine (Hcy), based on their inhibition of nanoflowers' peroxidase-like activity, producing reduced color intensities as the concentration of biothiols increased. This strategy achieved highly sensitive colorimetric determinations of Cys, GSH, and Hcy after only 25-min incubation. Additionally, using this technique, biothiols in human serum were successfully determined with excellent precision, suggesting the potential application of this technology in clinical settings, particularly in point-of-care testing environments.
Subject(s)
Copper , Ficain , Humans , Colorimetry , Hydrogen Peroxide , Glutathione , Cysteine , Homocysteine , PhosphatesABSTRACT
During the recent several decades, lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) constructed with gold nanoparticle (AuNP) has been widely utilized to conveniently detect target analyte. However, AuNP-based LFIA has limitations, such as limited detection sensitivity and quantification capability. Herein, to overcome these constraints, we have developed cerium oxide nanoparticle (nanoceria)-based LFIA for C-reactive protein (CRP) detection in human serum samples. It was fabricated with nanoceria, a notable nanozyme that shows an oxidase activity to quickly oxidize organic substrate, such as 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB), to produce colored product without any oxidizing agent (e.g., hydrogen peroxide), which is advantageous for realizing point-of-care testing (POCT) applications. By employing human blood serum spiked with CRP, the nanoceria-based LFIA showed two blue-colored lines on the test and control region within 3 min via TMB oxidation, by the captured nanoceria through antigen-antibody interaction. The produced blue-colored lines were distinguished by naked eyes and quantitated with real images acquired by a conventional smartphone with the ImageJ software. With this strategy, target CRP was specifically determined down to 117 ng mL-1 with high detection precisions yielding coefficient of variation of 9.8-11.3% and recovery of 90.7-103.2% using human blood serum samples. This investigation demonstrates the potential of oxidase-like nanoceria for developing LFIA, which is particularly useful in instrumentation-free POCT environments.
Subject(s)
Colorimetry , Metal Nanoparticles , C-Reactive Protein , Cerium , Gold , Humans , Hydrogen Peroxide , ImmunoassayABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Laccase-based biosensors are efficient for detecting phenolic compounds. However, the instability and high cost of laccases have hindered their practical utilization. RESULTS: In this study, we developed hierarchical manganese dioxide-copper phosphate hybrid nanoflowers (H-Mn-Cu NFs) as excellent laccase-mimicking nanozymes. To synthesize the H-Mn-Cu NFs, manganese dioxide nanoflowers (MnO2 NFs) were first synthesized by rapidly reducing potassium permanganate using citric acid. The MnO2 NFs were then functionalized with amine groups, followed by incubation with copper sulfate for three days at room temperature to drive the coordination interaction between the amine moieties and copper ions and to induce anisotropic growth of the petals composed of copper phosphate crystals, consequently yielding H-Mn-Cu NFs. Compared with those of free laccase, at the same mass concentration, H-Mn-Cu NFs exhibited lower Km (~ 85%) and considerably higher Vmax (~ 400%), as well as significantly enhanced stability in the ranges of pH, temperature, ionic strength, and incubation periods evaluated. H-Mn-Cu NFs also catalyzed the decolorization of diverse dyes considerably faster than the free laccase. Based on these advantageous features, a paper microfluidic device incorporating H-Mn-Cu NFs was constructed for the convenient visual detection of phenolic neurotransmitters, including dopamine and epinephrine. The device enabled rapid and sensitive quantification of target neurotransmitters using an image acquired using a smartphone. CONCLUSIONS: These results clearly show that H-Mn-Cu NFs could be potential candidates to replace natural laccases for a wide range of applications in biosensing, environmental protection, and biotechnology.
Subject(s)
Laccase , Manganese Compounds , Amines , Coloring Agents/chemistry , Copper/chemistry , Laccase/chemistry , Manganese Compounds/chemistry , Neurotransmitter Agents , Oxides/chemistry , Phenols , PhosphatesABSTRACT
This publisher's note contains corrections to Opt. Lett.45, 6767 (2020)OPLEDP0146-959210.1364/OL.409743.
ABSTRACT
Hybrid nanoflowers consisting of graphitic carbon nitride (GCN) and copper were successfully constructed without the involvement of any biomolecule, by simply mixing them at room temperature to induce proper self-assembly to achieve a flower-like morphology. The resulting biomolecule-free GCN-copper hybrid nanoflowers (GCN-Cu NFs) exhibited an apparent peroxidase-mimicking activity, possibly owing to the synergistic effect from the coordination of GCN and copper, as well as their large surface area, which increased the number of catalytic reaction sites. The peroxidase-mimicking GCN-Cu NFs were then employed in the colorimetric determination of selected phenolic compounds hydroquinone (HQ), methylhydroquinone (MHQ), and catechol (CC). For samples without phenolic compounds, GCN-Cu NFs catalyzed the oxidation of the peroxidase substrate 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) in the presence of H2O2, producing an intense blue color signal. Conversely, in the presence of phenolic compounds, the oxidation of TMB was inhibited, resulting in a significant reduction of the color signal. Using this strategy, HQ, MHQ, and CC were selectively and sensitively determined in a linear range up to 100 µM with detection limits down to 0.82, 0.27, and 0.36 µM, respectively. The practical utility of this assay system was also validated by using it to detect phenolic compounds spiked in tap water, yielding a good recovery of 97.1-108.9% and coefficient of variation below 3.0%, demonstrating the excellent reliability and reproducibility of this strategy. Colorimetric determination of phenolic compounds using peroxidase mimics based on biomolecule-free hybrid nanoflowers consisting of graphitic carbon nitride and copper.
Subject(s)
Biosensing Techniques/methods , Colorimetry/methods , Graphite/chemistry , Hydrogen Peroxide/chemistry , Nanoparticles/chemistry , Nitrogen Compounds/chemistry , Peroxidase/chemistry , HumansABSTRACT
An effective strategy to detect biological thiols (biothiols), including glutathione (GSH), cysteine (Cys), and homocysteine (Hcy), holds significant incentive since they play vital roles in many cellular processes and are closely related to many diseases. Here, we demonstrated that hybrid nanoflowers composed of crystalline copper phosphate and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) served as a functional unit exhibiting dual catalytic activities of biothiol oxidase and HRP, yielding a cascade reaction system for a sensitive one-pot fluorescent detection of biothiols. The nanoflowers were synthesized through the anisotropic growth of copper phosphate petals coordinated with the amine/amide moieties of HRP, by simply incubating HRP and copper(II) sulfate for three days at room temperature. Copper phosphates within the nanoflowers oxidized target biothiols to generate H2O2, which activated the entrapped HRP to oxidize the employed Amplex UltraRed substrate to produce intense fluorescence. Using this strategy, biothiols were selectively and sensitively detected by monitoring the respective fluorescence intensity. This nanoflower-based strategy was also successfully employed for reliable quantification of biothiols present in human serum, demonstrating its great potential for clinical diagnostics.
Subject(s)
Copper/chemistry , Horseradish Peroxidase/metabolism , Nanoparticles/chemistry , Phosphates/chemistry , Sulfhydryl Compounds/analysis , Calibration , Catalysis , Humans , Sulfhydryl Compounds/bloodABSTRACT
The ease of the molecular orientation of a chromophore has an important effect on the electro-optical (EO) properties of polymeric photorefractive (PR) composites. A derivative of 4-piperidinobenzylidene-malononitrile (PDCST) with an alkoxy group added as a side branch was synthesized to improve the molecular orientation characteristics. Electrophoresis was performed on the polymeric PR composite to which the improved PDCST had been added. The optical properties and response times were examined to evaluate the effects of the substitution of the alkoxy group. PDCST substituted with the alkoxy group showed enhanced EO properties and a PR grating formation rate.
ABSTRACT
The pervasive spread of infectious diseases and pandemics, such as the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19), are becoming increasingly serious and urgent threats to human health. Preventing the spread of such diseases prioritizes the development of sensing devices that can rapidly, selectively, and reliably detect pathogens at minimal cost. Paper-based analytical devices (PADs) are promising tools that satisfy those criteria. Numerous paper-based biosensors have been established that rival conventional pathogen detection methods. Among them, colorimetric strategies are promising since results can be interpreted by eye, and are simple to operate, which is advantageous for point-of-care testing (POCT). Particularly, the application of nanomaterials on paper-based biosensors has become important as these materials are capable of converting signals from pathogens through unique mechanisms to yield an amplified colorimetric readout. To highlight the research progress on using nanomaterials in colorimetric paper-based biosensor for pathogen detection, we discuss the sensing mechanisms of how they work, structural and analytical characteristics of the devices, and representative recent applications. Current challenges and future directions of using PADs and nanomaterial-mediated strategies are also discussed.
ABSTRACT
Rosette-shaped graphitic carbon nitride (rosette-GCN) is described as a promising alternative to natural peroxidase for its application to fluorescence-based glucose assays. Rosette-GCN was synthesized via a rapid reaction between melamine and cyanuric acid for 10 min at 35 °C, followed by thermal calcination for 4 h. Importantly, rosette-GCN possesses a peroxidase-like activity, producing intense fluorescence from the oxidation of Amplex UltraRed in the presence of H2O2 over a broad pH-range of, including neutral pH; the peroxidase activity of rosette-GCN was ~ 10-fold higher than that of conventional bulk-GCN. This enhancement of peroxidase activity is presumed to occur because rosette-GCN has a significantly larger surface area and higher porosity while preserving its unique graphitic structure. Based on the high peroxidase activity of rosette-GCN along with the catalytic action of glucose oxidase (GOx), glucose was reliably determined down to 1.2 µM with a dynamic linear concentration range of 5.0 to 275.0 µM under neutral pH conditions. Practical utility of this strategy was also successfully demonstrated by determining the glucose levels in serum samples. This work highlights the advantages of GCNs synthesized via rapid methods but with unique structures for the preparation of enzyme-mimicking catalysts, thus extending their applications to the diagnostics field and other biotechnological fields. Graphical abstract.
Subject(s)
Fluorescence , Glucose Oxidase/chemistry , Glucose/analysis , Graphite/chemistry , Hydrogen Peroxide/chemistry , Nitrogen Compounds/chemistry , Peroxidases/chemistry , Biocatalysis , Glucose/metabolism , Glucose Oxidase/metabolism , Graphite/metabolism , Humans , Hydrogen Peroxide/metabolism , Hydrogen-Ion Concentration , Molecular Structure , Nitrogen Compounds/metabolism , Particle Size , Peroxidases/metabolism , Porosity , Surface PropertiesABSTRACT
Highly effective and minimally toxic antimicrobial agents have been prepared by immobilizing glucose oxidase (GOx) onto biocompatible chitosan nanoparticles (CS-NPs). CS-NPs were prepared via ionotropic gelation and used for the immobilization of GOx via approaches of covalent attachment (CA), enzyme coating (EC), enzyme precipitate coating (EPC), and magnetic nanoparticle-incorporated EPC (Mag-EPC). EPC represents an approach consisting of enzyme covalent attachment, precipitation, and cross-linking, with CA and EC being control samples while Mag-EPC was prepared by mixing magnetic nanoparticles (Mag) with enzymes during the preparation of EPC. The GOx activities of CA, EC, EPC, and Mag-EPC were 8.57, 17.7, 219, and 247 units/mg CS-NPs, respectively, representing 26 and 12 times higher activity of EPC than those of CA and EC, respectively. EPC improved the activity and stability of GOx and led to good dispersion of CS-NPs, while Mag-EPC enabled facile magnetic separation. To demonstrate the expandability of the EPC approach to other enzymes, bovine carbonic anhydrase was also employed to prepare EPC and Mag-EPC samples for their characterizations. In the presence of glucose, EPC of GOx generated H2O2 in situ, which effectively inhibited the proliferation of Staphylococcus aureus in both suspended cultures and biofilms, thereby demonstrating the potential of EPC-GOx as environmentally friendly and highly effective antimicrobial materials.
Subject(s)
Anti-Infective Agents , Chitosan , Enzymes, Immobilized , Glucose Oxidase , Magnetite Nanoparticles/chemistry , Staphylococcus aureus/growth & development , Anti-Infective Agents/chemistry , Anti-Infective Agents/pharmacology , Chitosan/chemistry , Chitosan/pharmacology , Enzymes, Immobilized/chemistry , Enzymes, Immobilized/pharmacology , Glucose Oxidase/chemistry , Glucose Oxidase/pharmacologyABSTRACT
Nanomaterials with enzyme-like characteristics (nanozymes) have emerged as potential replacements for natural enzymes due to their potential to overcome several critical limitations of natural enzymes, including low stability as well as high costs in preparation and purification. Herein, we have developed hybrid nanostructures that incorporate cobalt oxide nanoparticles (Co3O4 NPs) and gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) through electrostatic attraction induced by simple incubation in an aqueous buffer for 2 hours. Owing to the synergistic effect of Co3O4 NPs and AuNCs, the constructed Co3O4/Au hybrid nanostructures yielded highly enhanced peroxidase-like activity and enabled rapid catalytic oxidation of a chromogenic substrate, 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB), producing a blue colored solution depending on the amount of H2O2. Moreover, we observed catalytic activity of the Co3O4/Au hybrid over a broad pH range, especially at physiologically relevant pH in the range of 5.0-7.4, which is advantageous for applications in biological systems. Using the hybrid as peroxidase mimic, we successfully determined the level of target H2O2 or glucose by coupling with glucose oxidase with excellent specificity and sensitivity. Based on this study, we expect that Co3O4/Au hybrid nanostructures can serve as potent peroxidase mimics for the detection of clinically important target molecules.
Subject(s)
Biosensing Techniques , Metal Nanoparticles , Nanostructures , Cobalt , Colorimetry , Gold , Hydrogen Peroxide , Oxides , Peroxidase , PeroxidasesABSTRACT
We have developed a colorimetric biosensing system for the detection of antibody against MPT64, a protein secreted by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, using aptamer DNA adsorbed Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) for diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB). In this system, MNPs were first incubated with single stranded (ss) DNA-type aptamer having a high affinity toward target antibody against MPT64 (anti-MPT64), resulting in quick inhibition of the peroxidase-like activity of MNPs via the adsorption of aptamer on the surface of MNPs. By the addition of sample solutions containing anti-MPT64, aptamer bound on the surface of MNPs would strongly interact with free anti-MPT64 and be detached from the MNPs, thereby increasing the available surface area of the MNPs and consequently yielding enhanced peroxidase activity. Using this strategy, target anti-MPT64 was successfully detected by displaying increased colorimetric intensities from the higher oxidation of employed peroxidase substrate, 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzo-thiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS). Based on these results, we anticipate that aptamer adsorbed MNPs can serve as a potent probe system for the detection of clinically important target molecules.
Subject(s)
Aptamers, Nucleotide , Biosensing Techniques , Magnetite Nanoparticles , Tuberculosis , Antigens, Bacterial , Colorimetry , HumansABSTRACT
Poly-γ-glutamic acid (γ-PGA)-based nanoparticles draw remarkable attention as drug delivery agents due to their controlled release characteristics, low toxicity, and biocompatibility. 4HGF is an herbal mixture of Phellinus linteus grown on germinated brown rice, Cordyceps militaris grown on germinated soybeans, Polygonum multiflorum, Ficus carica, and Cocos nucifera oil. Here, we encapsulated 4HGF within PGA-based hydrogel nanoparticles, prepared by simple ionic gelation with chitosan, to facilitate its penetration into hair follicles (HFs). In this study, we report the hair promoting activity of 4HGF encapsulated with PGA nanoparticles (PGA-4HGF) and their mechanism, compared to 4HGF alone. The average size of spherical nanoparticles was ~400 nm in diameter. Continuous release of PGA-4HGF was observed in a simulated physiological condition. As expected, PGA-4HGF treatment increased hair length, induced earlier anagen initiation, and elongated the duration of the anagen phase in C57BL/6N mice, compared with free 4HGF treatment. PGA-4HGF significantly increased dermal papilla cell proliferation and induced cell cycle progression. PGA-4HGF also significantly increased the total amount of ß-catenin protein expression, a stimulator of the anagen phase, through induction of cyclinD1 and CDK4 protein levels, compared to free 4HGF treatment. Our findings underscore the potential of PGA nanocapsules to efficiently deliver 4HGF into HFs, hence promoting hair-growth. Therefore, PGA-4HGF nanoparticles may be promising therapeutic agents for hair growth disorders.
Subject(s)
Drug Carriers , Hair Follicle/drug effects , Hair/growth & development , Nanoparticles , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Polyglutamic Acid/analogs & derivatives , Animals , Biomarkers , Cell Cycle/drug effects , Cell Line, Tumor , Cell Proliferation/drug effects , Drug Carriers/chemistry , Humans , Mice , Mice, Transgenic , Nanoparticles/chemistry , Nanoparticles/ultrastructure , Phellinus , Plant Extracts/chemistry , Polyglutamic Acid/chemistry , Wnt Signaling Pathway/drug effectsABSTRACT
Nanomaterials that exhibit enzyme-like characteristics, which are called nanozymes, have recently attracted significant attention due to their potential to overcome the intrinsic limitations of natural enzymes, such as low stability and relatively high cost for preparation and purification. In this study, we report a highly efficient colorimetric allergy detection system based on an immunoassay utilizing the peroxidase-mimicking activity of hierarchically structured platinum nanoparticles (H-Pt NPs). The H-Pt NPs had a diameter of 30 nm, and were synthesized by a seed-mediated growth method, which led to a significant amount of peroxidase-like activity. This activity mainly occurs because of the high catalytic power of the Pt element, and the fact that the H-Pt NPs have a large surface area available for catalytic events. The H-Pt NPs were conjugated to an antibody for the detection of immunoglobulin E (IgE) in the analytes; IgE is a representative marker for the diagnosis of allergies. They were then successfully integrated into a conventionally used allergy diagnostic test, the ImmunoCAP diagnostic test, as a replacement for natural signaling enzymes. Using this strategy, total and specific IgE levels were detected within 5 min at room temperature, with high specificity and sensitivity. The practical utility of the immunoassay was also successfully verified by correctly determining the levels of both total and specific IgE in real human serum samples with high precision and reproducibility. The present H-Pt NP-based immunoassay system would serve as a platform for rapid, robust, and convenient analysis of IgE, and can be extended to the construction of diagnostic systems for a variety of clinically important target molecules.
Subject(s)
Colorimetry , Immunoassay , Metal Nanoparticles/chemistry , Platinum , Humans , Immunoglobulin E/blood , Peroxidases , Reproducibility of Results , Sensitivity and SpecificityABSTRACT
Epoxy resins are widely used in various industrial fields due to their low cost, good workability, heat resistance, and good mechanical strength. However, they suffer from brittleness, an issue that must be addressed for further applications. To solve this problem, additional fillers are needed to improve the mechanical and thermal properties of the resins; zirconia is one such filler. However, it has been reported that aggregation may occur in the epoxy composites as the amount of zirconia increases, preventing enhancement of the mechanical strength of the epoxy composites. Herein, to reduce the aggregation, zirconia was well dispersed on halloysite nanotubes (HNTs), which have high thermal and mechanical strength, by a conventional wet impregnation method. The HNTs were impregnated with zirconia at different loadings using zirconyl chloride octahydrate as a precursor. The mechanical and thermal strengths of the epoxy composites with these fillers were investigated. The zirconia-impregnated HNTs (Zr/HNT) were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and tunneling electron microscopy (TEM). The hardening conditions of the epoxy composites were analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The thermal strength of the epoxy composites was studied by thermomechanical analysis (TMA) and micro-calorimetry and the mechanical strength of the epoxy composites (flexural strength and tensile strength) was studied by using a universal testing machine (UTM). The mechanical and thermal strengths of the epoxy composites with Zr/HNT were improved compared to those of the epoxy composite with HNT, and also increased as the zirconia loading on HNT increased.
ABSTRACT
We have developed a microscale well-plate colorimetric assay for the multiplexed detection of cholesterol in clinical human blood samples. This system utilizes a novel multi-enzyme incorporated organic-inorganic hybrid nanoflower which entrap both cholesterol oxidase (ChOx) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) as the organic components with copper phosphate as the inorganic component to detect cholesterol levels in blood samples. The hybrid nanoflowers, synthesized via an extremely simple but rapid sonication-mediated method within 5 min at room temperature, enable an efficient one-pot two-enzyme cascade reaction. The ChOx in the nanoflowers catalyze the generation of H2O2 only in the presence of cholesterol in the sample. This subsequently activates the HRP co-entrapped in the nanoflowers, thereby leading to the conversion of the employed chromogenic substrate, 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB), into a blue-colored product. This strategy can be used to detect target cholesterol concentrations as low as 8 µM, with a linear range from 10 to 70 µM, which is suitable to diagnose high levels of cholesterol (hypercholesterolemia) with excellent stability over three weeks at room temperature. The biosensor also exhibited an excellent selectivity to detect target cholesterol even in the presence of common interfering biomolecules in human blood and showed a high degree of precision when employing human blood serum samples. Therefore, this hybrid nanoflower-based assay can be used in clinical practice for the multiplexed and reliable quantification of cholesterol, and readily extended to other enzymes to prepare multi-step cascade enzymatic reactions for various biotechnological applications.
Subject(s)
Biosensing Techniques , Cholesterol , Colorimetry , Cholesterol/analysis , Cholesterol Oxidase , Horseradish Peroxidase , Humans , Hydrogen PeroxideABSTRACT
Although Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have gathered particular interest as potent peroxidase mimetics, their practical utility has been critically limited by their low catalytic activity. Here, we have developed a nanohybrid material to significantly enhance the catalytic activity of MNPs by incorporating other enzyme mimetics, gold nanoclusters (AuNCs), through electrostatic attraction. Owing to the synergistic effect of MNPs and AuNCs, the constructed nanohybrid yielded highly enhanced peroxidase-like activity and higher resolution in electrochemical detection of H2O2 than bare MNPs. The nanohybrids were also successfully applied to detecting phenolic compounds including phenol and cresol, producing a concentration-dependent increase of cathodic current. Based on this result, we expect that the nanohybrids consisting of AuNCs and MNPs can serve as potent peroxidase mimetics for environmental monitoring.
ABSTRACT
Cerium oxide nanoparticles, also called nanoceria, have recently gained much attention as oxidase-mimicking nanozymes that catalyze the oxidation of chromogenic substrates for color generation without the addition of H2O2. Herein, we have developed a unique colorimetric biosensor for thrombin in human blood plasma, which relies on thrombin-binding aptamer (TBA)-mediated inhibition of the oxidase activity of nanoceria and its restoration by very selective interactions of TBA with target thrombin. In this system, nanoceria were first incubated with TBA, resulting in quick reduction of the oxidase activity of nanoceria via the adsorption of single-stranded (ss)DNA-type TBA on nanoceria. By the addition of sample solutions containing target thrombin, TBA bound on the nanoceria would strongly interact with free thrombin and be detached from the nanoceria, thereby increasing the available surface area of the nanoceria and consequently enhancing the oxidase activity. Using this strategy, target thrombin was successfully detected at concentrations as low as 100 pM over a wide linear range from 0.1 to 10 nM. The diagnostic capability of this method has been demonstrated by detecting thrombin in human blood plasma, showing its great potential in the practical applications.
Subject(s)
Aptamers, Nucleotide , Colorimetry , Thrombin , Cerium , Humans , Hydrogen Peroxide , Oxidoreductases , Thrombin/analysisABSTRACT
In this study, we describe a novel peroxidase-like activity of Co-aminoclay [CoAC] present at pH ~5.0 and its application to fluorescent biosensor for the determination of H2O2 and glucose. It is synthesized with aminoclays (ACs) entrapping cationic metals such as Fe, Cu, Al, Co., Ce, Ni, Mn, and Zn to find enzyme mimicking ACs by sol-gel ambient conditions. Through the screening of catalytic activities by the typical colorimetric reaction employing 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzo-thiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)diammonium salt (ABTS) as a substrate with or without H2O2, Fe, Cu, and CoACs are found to exhibit peroxidase-like activity, as well as oxidase-like activity was observed from Ce and MnACs. Among them, CoAC shows exceptionally high peroxidase-like activity, presumably due to its ability to induce electron transfer between substrates and H2O2. CoAC is then used to catalyze the oxidation of Amplex® UltraRed (AUR) into a fluorescent end product, which enables a sensitive fluorescent detection of H2O2. Moreover, a highly sensitive and selective glucose biosensing strategy is developed, based on enzyme cascade reaction between glucose oxidase (GOx) and CoAC. Using this strategy, a highly linear fluorescence enhancement is verified when the concentration of glucose is increased in a wide range from 10 µM to 1 mM with a lower detection limit of 5 µM. The practical diagnostic capability of the assay system is also verified by its use to detect glucose in human blood serum. Based on these results, it is anticipated that CoAC can serve as potent peroxidase mimetics for the detection of clinically important target molecules.