Polydiacetylene/triblock copolymer/surfactant nanoblend: A simple and rapid method for the colorimetric screening of enrofloxacin residue.

Colorimetric nanosensors formed of polydiacetylene (PDA), triblock copolymer (L64 or F68), and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), so-called nanoblends, were developed to detect enrofloxacin (ENRO) in aqueous media. The nanosensors show hydrodynamic diameter ranging from 234.2 ±â€¯3.5 to 801.6 ±â€¯17.8 nm for SDS concentrations of 13.0-21.0 mM, respectively. The lowest limit of detection was 0.054 µM, which is five times smaller than the maximum limit allowed by the European Union. The response surfaces showed that both the SDS and ENRO concentrations influenced the colorimetric response (p < 0.05), and kinetic rate of colorimetric transition (RCT). SDS concentration between 11.0 and 14.0 mM in the nanoblend yielded the most sensitive nanosensors for detecting ENRO. When L64 was replaced by F68, the colorimetric response of the nanoblends was similar, but PDA/F68/SDS showed a slower RCT than PDA/L64/SDS. The developed nanosensor is a sensitive and simple device for the fast detection of ENRO.

Interaction of cinnamic acid and methyl cinnamate with bovine serum albumin: A thermodynamic approach.

Cinnamic acid (CA) and methyl cinnamate (MC) have attracted interest of researchers because of their broad therapeutic functions. Here, we investigated the interaction of CA and MC with bovine serum albumin (BSA) at pH 3.5, 5.0, and 7.4 using fluorescence spectroscopy, differential scanning nanocalorimetry, and measurements of interfacial tension, size, and zeta potential. BSA formed a complex with the ligands with stoichiometry of approximately 1.0. At pH 7.4, CA-BSA complex formation was entropically driven. The interaction between MC and BSA was more favorable than with CA and was enthalpically driven under the same conditions. The pH played an important role in BSA conformation, which altered the manner in which it interacts with the ligands. Interestingly, both CA and MC had no effect on the surface tension of BSA/air interfaces. These data contribute to the knowledge of CA/MC-BSA interactions and provide important data for application in the food industry.