An enzymatic method for the rapid measurement of the hemoglobin A1c by a flow-injection system comprised of an electrochemical detector with a specific enzyme-reactor and a spectrophotometer

A flow-injection analytical (FIA) system, comprised of an electrochemical detector with a fructosyl-peptide oxidase (FPOX-CET) reactor and a flow-type spectrophotometer, was proposed for the simultaneous measurement of glycohemoglobin and total hemoglobin in blood cell. The blood cell samples were hemolyzed with a surfactant and then treated with protease. In the first stage of operation, total hemoglobin in digested sample was determined spectrophotometrically. In the second stage, fructosyl valyl histidine (FVH) released from glycohemoglobin by the selective proteolysis was determined specifically using the electrochemical detector with the FPOX-CET reactor. The FIA system could be automatically processed at an analytical speed of 40 samples per hour. The proposed assay method could determine selectively only the glycated N-terminal residue of β-chain in glycohemoglobin and total hemoglobin in blood cell. The enzymatic hemoglobin A_1c (HbA_1c) value calculated by the concentration ratio of the FVH to total hemoglobin, was closely correlated with the HbA_1c values certified by the Japan Diabetic Society (JDS) and the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry (IFCC).     

Development of a flow-injection analysis (FIA) enzyme sensor for fructosyl amine monitoring

An enzyme-sensor system with flow-injection analysis (FIA) has been developed for the detection of fructosyl amine compounds; the sensor utilizes fructosyl amine oxidase isolated from the marine yeast Pichia sp. N1-1 strain. With this FIA system 0.2 to 10 mmol L(-1) fructosyl valine can be determined. The sensor is approximately five times more sensitive to fructosyl valine, a model compound for glycated hemoglobin HbA1c, than to N(epsilon)-fructosyl lysine, a model compound for glycated albumin. This FIA system can also be used to detect fructosyl dipeptides. The operational stability of the sensor enabled more than 120 consecutive sample injections over a period of approximately 20 h.     

Determination of ammonium in Kjeldahl digests by gas-diffusion flow-injection analysis with a bulk acoustic wave-impedance sensor

A novel flow-injection analysis (FIA) system has been developed for the rapid and direct determination of ammonium in Kjeldahl digests. The method is based on diffusion of ammonia across a PTFE gas-permeable membrane from an alkaline (NaOH/EDTA) stream into a stream of diluted boric acid. The trapped ammonium in the acceptor is determined on line by a bulk acoustic wave (BAW)-impedance sensor and the signal is proportional to the ammonium concentration present in the digests. The proposed system exhibits a favorable frequency response to 5.0 x 10(-6)-4.0 x 10(-3) mol l(-1) ammonium with a detection limit of 1.0 x 10(-6) mol l(-1), and the precision was better than 1% (RSD) for 0.025-1.0 mM ammonium at a through-put of 45-50 samples h(-1). Results obtained for nitrogen determination in amino acids and for proteins determination in blood products are in good agreement with those obtained by the conventional distillation/titration method, respectively. The effects of composition of acceptor stream, cell constant of conductivity electrode, sample volume, flow rates and potential interferents on the FIA signals were discussed in detail.     

Sequential determination of salicylic and acetylsalicylic acids by amperometric multisite detection flow injection analysis

An amperometric multisite detection flow injection analysis (FIA) system was developed for sequential determination of 2 analytes with a single sample injection and single detector. Tubular composite carbon electrodes with an inner diameter similar to that of the FIA manifold tubing were constructed so that measurements could be made without impairing the sample plug hydrodynamic characteristics. The electrochemical behavior of the tubular voltammetric cell in a low-dispersion FIA manifold and the behavior of the FIA system incorporating this type of voltammetric cell intended for multisite detection were evaluated by performing measurements with potassium hexacyanoferrate(II). Feasibility of the approach was demonstrated in the sequential determination of salicylic and acetylsalicylic acids in pharmaceutical products at a fixed potential of 0.98 V. The system allows sequential determination of salicylic acid concentrations ranging from 1.0 x 10(-5) to 5.0 x 10(-5) M and acetylsalicylic acid concentrations between 1.0 x 10(-3) and 5.0 x 10(-3) M with good precision on both detection sites and with relative standard deviations (RSDs) > or = 1.5% (n = 10) and 2.1% (n = 10), respectively. A comparison of these results with those of the U.S. Pharmacopeia procedure showed RSDs <5.0 and 1.0% for salicylic acid and acetylsalicylic acid, respectively. The proposed method enables 15 determinations per hour, which corresponds to the analysis of approximately 8 samples per hour. The detection limits of the methodology were approximately 3.5 x 10(-6) and 1.1 x 10(-5) M, respectively, for the first and second monitoring sites.     

Rapid determination of lactulose in milk by microdialysis and biosensors

A simple and rapid flow system for the determination of lactulose in milk samples was developed. It is based on the hydrolysis of lactulose to galactose and fructose by the enzyme beta-galactosidase immobilised in a reactor. The amount of fructose produced was measured with an electrochemical biosensor based on the fructose dehydrogenase enzyme, K3[Fe(CN)6] as mediator and a platinum based electrochemical transducer. Parameters such as the enzyme immobilisation in the reactor and under the electrode surface, the lifetime of the beta-galactosidase reactor and of the dehydrogenase biosensor and the flow parameters were studied and optimised. Fructose was determined in the range 1 x 10(-6)-5 x 10(-3) mol l-1 with an RSD of about 2% and a detection limit of 5 x 10(-7) mol l-1. The use of a microdialysis probe as the sampling system permitted the direct measurement of lactulose in milk samples without pre-treatment in the range 1 x 10(-5)-5 x 10(-3) mol l-1. The sensitivity of the procedure allowed pasteurised, UHT and in-container sterilised milk to be distinguished.     

Enzymatic methods for the determination of alpha-glycerophosphate and alpha-glycerophosphate oxidase with an automated FIA system

A procedure for the enzymatic determination of alpha-glycerophosphate (alpha-GP) has been developed, using an automated in-house FIA system, with immobilized glycerol-3-phosphate oxidase (GPO) on non-porous glass beads, following optimization of the immobilization and analytical parameters. Fabricated single bead string reactors (SBSR) were used in connection with the FIA system, following optimization of its parameters. The half-life of GPO-SBSR regarding reduction of the enzyme activity was found to be 110 days for its use in 20 triplicate measurements daily and storage at 4 degrees C in the appropriate buffer. The regression equation of the calibration graph for the determination of alpha-GP was: A(max)=(10+/-2)x10(-4)+(22 134+/-12)x10(-4) (mmol l(-1)alpha-GP). The lower limit of quantitation was 0.74 mumol l(-1)alpha-GP and the RSD of the method 0.05% (r=0.9999). The same FIA system and procedure can be also used for the determination of the GPO activity, with the alpha-GP as substrate. The regression equation for this calibration graph was: A(max)=(23+/-18)x10(-4)+(190+/-1)x10(-4) (mug ml(-1) GPO), the lower limit of quantitation was 0.782x10(-3) mg ml(-1) (0.782 ppm) GPO and the RSD of the method 0.53% (r=0.9999). Serum samples obtained from hospitalized patients were deproteinized by gel filtration and analyzed under pseudo-first order conditions, at various concentrations of alpha-GP. A kinetic study of the reduction of alpha-GP in serum versus time is given and an observed reaction rate constant k(ob)=106.5x10(-4) min(-1) was determined.     

Development of a long-life capillary enzyme bioreactor for the determination of blood glucose

A long-life capillary enzyme bioreactor was developed that determines glucose concentrations with high sensitivity and better stability than previous systems. The bioreactor was constructed by immobilizing glucose oxidase (GOx) onto the inner surface of a 0.53 mm i.d. fused-silica capillary that was part of a continuous-flow system. In the presence of oxygen, GOx converts glucose to gluconic acid and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). Hydrogen peroxide detection was accomplished using an amperometric electrochemical detector. The integration of this capillary reactor into a flow-injection (FIA) system offered a larger surface-to-volume ratio, reduced band-broadening effects, and reduced reagent consumption compared to packed column in FIA or other settings. To obtain operational (at ambient temp) and storage (at 4 °C) stability for 20 weeks, the glucose biosensing system was prepared using an optimal GOx concentration (200 mg/mL). This exhibited an FIA peak response of 7 min and a detection limit of 10 μM (S/N = 3) with excellent reproducibility (coefficient of variation, CV < 0.75%). It also had a linear working range from 10¹ to 10⁴ μM. The enzyme activity in this proposed capillary enzyme reactor was well maintained for 20 weeks. Furthermore, 20 serum samples were analyzed using this system, and these correlated favorably (correlation coefficient, r² = 0.935) with results for the same samples obtained using a routine clinical method. The resulting biosensing system exhibited characteristics that make it suitable for in vivo application.     

Fabrication of a Nitrate Selective Electrode for Determination of Nitrate in Fertilizers by Using Flow Injection Analysis System

A nitrate ion selective electrode (nitrate-ISE) based on pyrrole modification on a common pencil lead was proposed. The lab-made nitrate-ISE was easily constructed by pyrrole polymerization with nitrate ion as the dopant using cyclic voltammetry. The fabricated nitrate-ISE was then coupled with flow injection analysis (FIA) for an automatic system. The flow potentiometry provided working range of 1x10^-4 to 4x10^-3 mol L^-1 of nitrate and allowed sample throughput up to 50 samples h^-1. Linear regression analysis showed good agreement (r²=0.9961) with Nernstian response. This system was applied to determine nitrate-nitrogen (nitrate-N) in fertilizer samples.     

Development of an FIA system with amperometric detection for determination of bentazone in estuarine waters

On the basis of its electrochemical behaviour a new flow-injection analysis (FIA) method with amperometric detection has been developed for quantification of the herbicide bentazone (BTZ) in estuarine waters. Standard solutions and samples (200 microL) were injected into a water carrier stream and both pH and ionic strength were automatically adjusted inside the manifold. Optimization of critical FIA conditions indicated that the best analytical results were obtained at an oxidation potential of 1.10 V, pH 4.5, and an overall flow-rate of 2.4 mL min(-1). Analysis of real samples was performed by means of calibration curves over the concentration range 2.5x10(-6) to 5.0x10(-5) mol L(-1), and results were compared with those obtained by use of an independent method (HPLC). The accuracy of the amperometric determinations was ascertained; errors relative to the comparison method were below 4% and sampling rates were approximately 100 samples h(-1). The repeatability of the proposed method was calculated by assessing the relative standard deviation (%) of ten consecutive determinations of one sample; the value obtained was 2.1%.     

Determination of glycerol in alcoholic beverages using packed bed reactors with immobilized glycerol dehydrogenase and an amperometric FIA system

A flow injection analysis system incorporating amperometric detection and enzyme reactor for glycerol determination in alcoholic beverages is described. The reactor is based on the glycerol dehydrogenase system, and the enzyme was immobilized through chemical modification on several supporting materials such as aminopropyl and isothiocyanate controlled pore glass, aminopolystyrene resin and m-aminobenzyloxymethyl cellulose. NADH, the product of the enzymatic reaction, was monitored amperometrically with a three-electrode wall-jet type flow through cell, at + 0.5 V vs. Ag/AgCl. The method was evaluated in the presence or absence of potassium and the following linear dynamic ranges were found: 2 x 10(-5) -2 x 10(-4) mol l(-1) and 4 x 10(-5) -4 x 10(-4) mol l(-1), respectively. The interference effects of various compounds were also studied. The relative standard deviation was found to be better than 1.0% (n = 6). The reactors are stable for over a period of 3 months and after about 2500 injections. Under optimum working conditions the sampling frequency was 30 samples h(-1). The successive application of the method was confirmed by comparison with a reference method. The mean relative error is 2.2% and the recovery 95-102%.     

Strategies for the reversible immobilization of enzymes by use of biotin-bound anti-enzyme antibodies

Glucose oxidase (E.C. 1.1.3.4) is reversibly immobilized in a reactor coupled to a flow-injection analysis system using an immunological reaction. The antibody used is irreversibly immobilized on the reactor support by an avidin-biotin linkage. The bond between avidin and biotin is nearly irreversible under normal elution conditions for antibody-antigen reactions. The reactor is packed with a support on which avidin is covalently attached and a biotin-bound second antibody is passed over the reactor packing, which immobilizes this antibody. An immune complex of the enzyme, or first anti-enzyme antibody followed separately by enzyme, is introduced into the flow system, resulting in enzyme immobilization. The reactor produced can be used in the determination of 1 x 10(-11) -1 x 10(-6) mole of glucose with a sample size of 20 mul and a sample throughput of 20-30/hr. These results are comparable to or better than those obtained with glucose oxidase directly immobilized on the same support. The enzyme can be removed by elution with low-pH buffers, and the reactor regenerated by injection of the anti-enzyme antibody and the enzyme.     

Flow injection spectrophotometric determination of bromoxynil herbicide by diazotization method.

A flow injection spectrophotometric method is proposed for the determination of bromoxynil herbicide. Bromoxynil was hydrolyzed with HCl and the resulting product, 3,5-dibromo-4-hydroxyaniline, was diazotized with nitrite and coupled with aniline. The absorbance of the azo dye was measured at 500 nm. The conditions were optimized for diazotization using FIA. The range of linearity was found to be 0.01 to 5 ppm with a molar absorptivity of 1.27 x 10(5) L mol(-1) cm(-1). The % recovery for the determination of bromoxynil was found to be 91%. The sampling frequency was 80 samples per hour for FIA. The method is simple, fast, and has been successfully applied to the determination of bromoxynil in commercial formulations and food samples.     

Differential amperometric determination of hydrogen peroxide in honeys using flow-injection analysis with enzymatic reactor

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) present in honey was rapidly determined by the differential amperometric method in association with flow-injection analysis (FIA) and a tubular reactor containing immobilized enzymes. A gold electrode modified by electrochemical deposition of platinum was employed as working electrode. Hydrogen peroxide was quantified in 14 samples of Brazilian commercial honeys using amperometric differential measurements at +0.60V vs. Ag/AgCl((sat)). For the enzymatic consumption of H2O2, a tubular reactor containing immobilized peroxidase was constructed using an immobilization of enzymes on Amberlite IRA-743 resin. The linear dynamic range in H2O2 extends from 1 to 100 x 10(-6) mol L(-1), at pH 7.0. At flow rate of 2.0 mL min(-1) and injecting 150 microL sample volumes, the sampling frequency of the 90 determinations per hour is afforded. This method is based on three steps involving the flow-injection of: (1) the sample spiked with a standard solution, (2) the pure sample and (3) the enzymatically treated sample with peroxidase immobilized. The reproducibility of the current peaks for hydrogen peroxide in 10(-5) mol L(-1) range concentration showed a relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) better than 1%. The detection limit of this method is 2.9 x 10(-7) mol L(-1). The honey samples analyses were compared with the parallel spectrophotometric determination, and showed an excellent correlation between the methods.     

Development of a system with enzyme reactors for the determination of fish freshness

A continuous system for the determination of fish freshness with double enzyme reactors was developed and applied to the determination of the freshness indicator K [Formula: see text] where IMP, HxR and Hx are Inosine monophosphate, Inosine and Hypoxanthine, respectively. The system was assembled with a three electrode screen-printed element (graphite as working electrode, silver as counter and silver, silver chloride as reference electrode) placed in a flow cell, a sample injection valve and two enzyme reactors. The determination of the total amount of HxR and Hx is realized by flowing the sample through two reactors in series: one reactor was packed with nucleoside phosphorylase (Np) and the other with xanthine oxidase (XO) immobilized on aminopropyl glass. Similarly, the other term of the equation was evaluated by flowing through the two reactors the sample treated by Alkaline phosphatase (AlP) for 5-10 min at 45 degrees C. One assay could be completed within 5 min. The system for the determination of fish freshness was reproducible within 2-3% (n=4). The immobilized enzymes were fairly stable for at least 3 months at 4 degrees C. More than 200-300 samples could be analyzed in about one month by using these enzyme reactors provided the disposable screen-printed electrode should be changed every 30-40 real samples. The results obtained suggest that the proposed sensor system provides a simple, rapid and economical method for the determination of fish freshness (K). We applied the present system with two reactors for the determination of K values in fish samples and compared the results with those obtained by the XO-reactor. Correlation factor and regression line between the two methods were 0.992 and Y=-3.14+1.03X respectively. We concluded that the present flow injection analysis (FIA) system with XO and Np reactors was suitable as a simple, easy to handle and reliable instrument for quality control in the fish industry.     

Simple and specific method for flow injection analysis determination of cationic surfactants in environmental and commodity samples

A new, simple, rapid and specific flow injection analysis (FIA) procedure for the determination of cationic surfactants (CS) i.e. dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB), tetradecyltrimethyl-ammonium bromide (TTAB), cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) in the environmental and commodity samples is proposed. Their determinations are based on the enhancement of colour intensity of the Fe(III)-SCN(-) complex. The value of apparent molar absorptivity of the Fe(III)-SCN(-)-CS(+) complexes in the terms of CS lie in the range of (2.10-4.30)x10(3) l mol(-1) cm(-1) at absorption maximum 475 nm. The most sensitive surfactant, cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) imparted detection limit (absorbance >3 s) of 250 ppb CPC has been selected for the detailed studies. The working range is linear over 0.5-30.0 ppm CPC with slope, intercept, correlation coefficient and sample throughput of 0.67, 0.02, +0.99 and 100 samples h(-1), respectively. The effect of analytical and FIA variables on the determination of the surfactant and the composition of the complex are discussed. The method is free from interferences of almost all ions which commonly associated with the surfactant in the environmental samples. The analytical potentiality i.e. sensitivity, linearity, precision and optimal analytical conditions of FIA to the manual system for the determination of the surfactant are compared. It is reproducibly applicable for the analysis of CS to the various environmental i.e. ground, surface, municipal waste water, and commodity i.e. detergent, soap, shampoo samples.     

Flow injection determination of xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity and its application to food samples.

The enzyme xanthine oxidase (XOD) has been recognized as a key enzyme causing oxidative injury to tissues by ischemia-reperfusion. For this reason, XOD inhibitor, which effectively suppresses this enzyme, plays an important role in the inhibition of many diseases related to reactive oxygen species (ROS). In order to screen XOD inhibitors rapidly and conveniently, a novel assay using flow injection analysis (FIA) was proposed in the present investigation. To optimize the practical FIA system, we studied the effect of the reagent concentrations and the flow condition on the enzymatic reaction, and then selected the optimum condition as follows: 200-mU/ml XOD concentration, 0.5-mM xanthine concentration, 0.5-ml/min flow rate, and 2-m mixing coil length. Under this condition, a typical XOD inhibitor quercetin was determined in the concentration range 0.1 - 1.5 mM at a sampling frequency of 10 samples/h. Using the optimized FIA method, we determined the XOD inhibitory activity of some food samples: onions, apples and teas, which are the high sources of flavonoids known as the potential XOD inhibitors. Among these samples, tea leaves showed the highest activity, the second was onions and the lowest was apples. Based on the result of the assay, not only quercetin, but also other components in investigated samples, contributed to the XOD inhibitory activity.     

Highly sensitive detection of l-glutamate by on-line amperometric micro-flow analysis based on enzymatic substrate recycling

A highly selective and sensitive on-line monitoring system is proposed for amperometric assay of trace amounts of l-glutamate. The system includes a microdialysis probe, immobilized enzyme reactor, and poly(1,2-diaminobenzene)-coated platinum electrode. The enzyme reactor prepared by the co-immobilization of l-glutamate oxidase and glutamate dehydrogenase are here employed to enhance the sensitivity of l-glutamate as an on-line amplifier based on the substrate recycling. The l-glutamate in the dialysate from the probe are recycled enzymatically during passage through the reactor in the presence of sufficient amounts of NADH and oxygen to produce a large amount of hydrogen peroxide, which is detected if selectively at a downstream poly(1,2-diaminobenzene)-coated platinum electrode without interference from oxidizable species such as l-ascorbate in the sample and NADH added to the carrier buffer. The cycle is also initiated with 2-oxoglutarate, and so saccharopine dehydrogenase reactor is positioned in series before the amplifier reactor to remove 2-oxoglutarate in the dialysate. By the present method, l-glutamate is selectively assayed with a 160-fold increase in sensitivity compared with the unamplified responses. The detection limit is 0.5x10(-7) M of l-glutamate.     

Flow injection spectrophotometric determination of isoproterenol using an avocado (Persea americana) crude extract immobilized on controlled-pore silica reactor

An enzymatic reactor was constructed by the immobilization of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) from avocado (Persea americana) crude extract in an inorganic support of controlled pore silica (CPS), after a previous step of silanization. This inorganic support has been used as an excellent carrier to immobilize this enzyme and the enzymatic reactor was used in a flow injection system for the determination of isoproterenol in pharmaceutical products. The procedure is based on the oxidation reaction of this drug with immobilized PPO and the product obtained was monitored at 492 nm. This system presented an analytical curve from 1.23x10(-4) to 7.38x10(-4) mol l(-1) isoproterenol with a detection limit of 6.25x10(-5) mol l(-1). Recoveries of isoproterenol between 98.5 and 103.1%, a relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) less than 1% (n=10) and 36 determinations per h were obtained.     

Determination of cyanide by a flow injection analysis-atomic absorption spectrometric method

A new flow injection analysis (FIA) procedure is proposed for the indirect atomic absorption spectrometric determination of cyanide. The FIA manifold is based on the insertion of the sample into a distilled water carrier, then the sample flows through a solid-phase reactor filled with silver iodide entrapped in polymeric resin beads. The calibration graph is linear over the range 0.2-6.0 mg l-1 of cyanide (correlation coefficient 0.9974), the detection limit is 0.1 mg l-1, the sample throughput is 193 h-1 and the RSD is 0.8%. The method is simple, quick and more selective than other published FIA procedures. The reproducibility obtained by using different solid-phase reactors and solutions is in the range 2.2-3.1% (RSD). The method was applied to the determination of cyanide in commercial samples such as pharmaceutical formulations and industrial electrolytic baths.     

Development of FIA equipped with a chemiluminescence detector using a mixed reagent of luminol and 1,10-phenanthroline.

We developed an FIA system equipped with a chemiluminescence detector using a mixed chemiluminescence reagent of luminol and 1,10-phenanthroline for the detection of metal ions and metal complexes. The carrier, mixed chemiluminescence reagent comprising luminol, 1,10-phenanthroline, and cethyltrimethylammonium bromide, and H2O2 solutions were fed by corresponding pumps at a definite flow rate. Sample solutions dissolving hematin, [Co(NH3)4(H2O)2]2(SO4)3, CuSO4, NiCl2, K3[Fe(CN)6], and K4[Fe(CN)6] were analyzed as models by the means of the present FIA system. Solutions of hematin, [Co(NH3)4(H2O)2]2(SO4)3, CuSO4, and NiCl2 were detected as positive peaks, as usual. The order of the catalytic activity of these samples for the present chemiluminescence reaction using the mixed chemiluminescence reagent was [Co(NH3)4(H2O)2]2(SO4)3 > hematin > CuSO4 > NiCl2. On the other hand, sample solutions of K3[Fe(CN)6] and K4[Fe(CN)6] were detected as negative peaks and were determined over the ranges of 1 x 10(-8) - 1 x 10(-6) M with a detection limit of 1 x 10(-8) M and 2 x 10(-8) - 4 x 10(-6) M with a detection limit of 2 x 10(-8) M, respectively. Their negative peaks were observed reproducibly with a relative standard deviation of 2 - 5%.