The study of a chemiluminescence immunoassay using the peroxyoxalate chemiluminescent reaction and its application

The paper presented a novel chemiluminescence (CL) immunoassay method, which combines the advantages of traditional enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) and bis (2,4,6-trichlorophenyl) oxalate (TCPO)-hydrogen peroxide CL detection system. A fluorescent product 2,3-diaminophenazine (DAPN) was produced by reaction between o-phenylenediamine (OPDA, 1,2-diaminobenzene) and H₂O₂ catalyzed by horseradish peroxidase (HRP). DAPN was excited by the reactive intermediate of TCPO-H₂O₂ chemiluminescent reaction, and led to CL. The dependence of the CL intensity on the concentrations of antigen was studied. As analytical application, the proposed method was used for determination of recombinant human interleukin 6 (rHu IL-6) and β-human chorionic gonadotropin (β-HCG). Under the selected experimental conditions, a linear relationship was obtained between the CL intensity and the concentration of rHu IL-6 in the range of 4.0-625.0 pg/ml, and β-HCG in the range of 12.5-400.0 mIU/ml. The detection limits were 0.5 pg/ml for rHu IL-6 and 3 mIU/ml for β-HCG with relative standard deviation of 2.3 for 78.0 pg/ml rHu IL-6, and 3.9 for 50.0 mIU/ml β-HCG. This method has been applied to the determination of rHu IL-6 in human serum and β-HCG in urine with satisfactory results.     

Anti-Her-2 monoclonal antibody conjugated polymer fluorescent nanoparticles probe for ovarian cancer imaging

Fluorescent nanoparticles (FNPs) with unique optical properties may be useful as biosensors in living cancer cell imaging and cancer targeting. A novel kind of polymer fluorescent nanoparticles (PFNPs) was synthesized and its application for ovarian cancer imaging with fluorescence microscopy imaging technology was presented in this study. The PFNPs were synthesized with precipitation polymerization by using methacrylic acid (MAA) as monomer, trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate (Trim) as cross-linker, azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as radical initiator and butyl rhodamine B (BTRB) as fluorescent dye. And the fluorescent dye was embedded into the three-dimensional network of the polymer when the polymer was produced. With this method the PFNPs can be prepared easily. And then the PFNPs were successfully modified with anti-Her-2 monoclonal antibody. The fluorescence probe based on anti-Her-2 monoclonal antibody conjugated PFNPs has been used to detect ovarian cancer cells with fluorescence microscopy imaging technology. The experimental results demonstrate that the anti-Her-2 monoclonal antibody conjugated PFNPs can effectively recognize ovarian cancer cells and exhibit good sensitivity and exceptional photostability, which would provide a novel way for the diagnosis and curative effect observation of ovarian cancer cells.     

Fluoroimmunoassay for tumor necrosis factor-α in human serum using Ru(bpy)3Cl2-doped fluorescent silica nanoparticles as labels

A novel fluoroimmunoassay (FIA) method was developed for the determination of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in this study. The proposed method has the advantage of showing the specificity of immunoassays and sensitivity of fluorescent nanoparticles label technology. With the well-established inverse microemulsion polymerisation process, the tris(2′,2-bipyridyl)dichlororuthenium(II) hexahydrate (Rubpy)-doped fluorescent silica nanoparticles (RuDFSNs) were prepared. Then a RuDFSNs-labeled anti-TNF-α monoclonal antibody was prepared and used for FIA of TNF-α in human serum samples with a sandwich FIA by using the low fluorescent 96-well transparent microtiter plates. The assay response was linear from 1.0 to about 250.0 pg/mL with a detection limit of 0.1 pg/mL for TNF-α. The intra- and inter-assay precision are 4.9%, 4.4%, 4.6%; 6.1%, 5.9%, 5.3% for five parallel measurements of 2.0, 20.0, 200.0 pg/mL TNF-α respectively, and the recoveries are in the range of 96-104% for human serum sample measurements by standard-addition method. We also explored the application of fluorescence microscopy imaging in the study of the FIA for TNF-α with the fluorescent nanoparticle labels. The results demonstrate that the method offers potential advantages of sensitivity, simplicity and good reproducibility for the determination of TNF-α, and is applicable to the determination of TNF-α in serum samples and being capable of fluorescence microscopy imaging for the determination of TNF-α.     

Evaluation of high-field asymmetric waveform ion mobility spectrometry mass spectrometry for the analysis of the mycotoxin zearalenone

A high-field asymmetric waveform ion mobility spectrometry (FAIMS)-based method for the determination of the mycotoxin zearalenone (ZON) and its metabolites α-zearalenol (α-ZOL), β-zearalenol (β-ZOL), and β-zearalanol (β-ZAL), in a cornmeal (maize) matrix is described. Detection limits achieved using the FAIMS device coupled with electrospray ionization (ESI) and mass spectrometric (MS) detection are 0.4 ng mL⁻¹ for ZON and 3 ng mL⁻¹ for α-ZOL + β-ZOL, and β-ZAL. This represents a significant improvement when compared to detection limits determined using ESI-MS or ESI-tandem mass spectrometry (MSMS) analytical methods. The developed flow-injection (FIA)-ESI-FAIMS-MS method was applied to reference materials ERM-BC-716 and ERM-BC-717 certified for ZON and excellent agreement with the certified values was observed.     

Simultaneous detection of five biomarkers of lung cancer by electrochemical immunoassay

Four kinds of redox species including three kinds of polymerized dye-gold composites and one kind of a polyaniline-gold composite were synthesized by a one-pot method at room temperature. Gold in these composites plays the roles of improving the conductivity and fixing the detection antibodies. The four composites together with hexacyanocobaltate were used as redox active species for simultaneous detection of five biomarkers of lung cancer including the carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), neuron specific enolase (NSE), carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125), cytokeratin 19 fragment antigen 21–1 (Cyfra21–1), and squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCCA). The immunoassays display good linear relationship between the current response and the logarithm of the analyte. The analytical ranges extend from 1 to 150 ng?mL-¹ for CEA, NSE and Cyfra21–1, from 1 to 150 U?mL-¹ for CA125, and from 0.1 to 100 ng?mL-¹ for SCCA. The corresponding detection limits are 0.2 ng?mL-¹, 0.9 ng?mL-¹, 0.4 ng?mL-¹, 0.9 U?mL-¹ and 30 pg?mL-¹, respectively. The immunoassay was applied to the analysis of human serum samples, and the results were found to agree well with those of the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

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Graphical abstract Five kinds of redox species were synthesized by a one-pot method and used to simultaneous detection of five tumor biomarkers of lung cancer by electrochemical immunoassay.

     

Determination of Diethylstilbestrol by Time-resolve Fluoroimmunoassay

Abstract

A time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay (TRFIA) was developed for the determination of diethylstilbestrol (DES). The method was based on a competitive immunoassay using europium-labeled anti-DES antibody and DES-bovine serum albumin (DES-BSA) as coated antigen. The TRFIA exhibited a typical response for DES at concentrations of 0.001–100 ng · mL^?1, the linear correlation coefficient is 0.9933, and the detection limit (LOD) is 0.595 pg · mL^?1. Some serum and water samples have been analyzed by using this method with satisfactory results. Compared with the routine fluorescence immunoassay (FIA), this method was more sensitive. The TRFIA may offer a valuable alternative method for the DES detection and could be applied to routine analysis.     

Development of functionalized terbium fluorescent nanoparticles for antibody labeling and time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay application

Silica-based functionalized terbium fluorescent nanoparticles were prepared, characterized and developed as a fluorescence probe for antibody labeling and time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay. The nanoparticles were prepared in a water-in-oil (W/O) microemulsion containing a strongly fluorescent Tb³⁺ chelate, N,N,N¹,N¹-[2,6-bis(3′-aminomethyl-1′-pyrazolyl)phenylpyridine] tetrakis(acetate)-Tb³⁺ (BPTA-Tb³⁺), Triton X-100, octanol, and cyclohexane by controlling copolymerization of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) and 3-[2-(2-aminoethylamino)ethylamino]propyl-trimethoxysilane (AEPS) with ammonia water. The characterizations by transmission electron microscopy and fluorometric methods show that the nanoparticles are spherical and uniform in size, 45 ± 3 nm in diameter, strongly fluorescent with fluorescence quantum yield of 10% and a long fluorescence lifetime of 2.0 ms. The amino groups directly introduced to the nanoparticle’s surface by using AEPS in the preparation made the surface modification and bioconjugation of the nanoparticles easier. The nanoparticle-labeled anti-human α-fetoprotein antibody was prepared and used for time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay of α-fetoprotein (AFP) in human serum samples. The assay response is linear from 0.10 ng ml⁻¹ to about 100 ng ml⁻¹ with the detection limit of 0.10 ng ml⁻¹. The coefficient variations (CVs) of the method are less than 9.0%, and the recoveries are in the range of 84-98% for human serum sample measurements.     

Diffusions of β-cyclodextrins in mucus studied by <Superscript>19</Superscript>F diffusion NMR

β-Cyclodextrin (β-CD) based materials have been widely used as drug carriers for pharmaceutical applications. To understand the diffusion of β-CDs in mucus is important for selecting β-CD based drug carriers for applications targeting mucosal absorption because the surfaces of many biological membranes are covered with a highly viscous aqueous mucus layer which forms relatively effective diffusion barriers for drugs. In this study, ¹⁹F self-diffusion NMR technique has been applied to study the self-diffusions of β-CDs in mucus. The ¹⁹F NMR signals arose from 1-fluoroadamantane molecules entrapped in the cavities of β-CDs. The diffusive abilities of different β-CDs in mucus were assessed through analyzing the diffusion coefficients using the presented kinetic model, and Ogston’s and Renkin’s diffusion models for hydrogel systems. The kinetic results show that 2-hydroxypropyl-β-CD and 2-Carboxyethyl-β-CD have the smallest binding affinities to bovine submaxillary mucin and human nasal mucin among five tested β-CDs. The mesh sizes of the bovine submaxillary mucus at different concentrations and that of the human nasal mucus were evaluated using the diffusion models. We hope that this ¹⁹F diffusion method will be useful to study the diffusion of β-CD based materials in other biological systems.     

Fluorescence-based immunoassay for human chorionic gonadotropin based on polyfluorene-coated silica nanoparticles and polyaniline-coated Fe3O4 nanoparticles

We report on an ultrasensitive fluorescence immunoassay for human chorionic gonadotrophin antigen (hCG). It is based on the use of silica nanoparticles coated with a copolymer (prepared from a fluorene, a phenylenediamine, and divinylbenzene; PF@SiO₂) that acts as a fluorescent label for the secondary monoclonal antibody to β-hCG antigen. In parallel, Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles were coated with polyaniline, and these magnetic particles (Fe₃O₄@PANI) served as a solid support for the primary monoclonal antibody to β-hCG antigen. The PF@SiO₂ exhibited strong fluorescence and good dispersibility in water. A fluorescence sandwich immunoassay was developed that enables hCG concentrations to be determined in the 0.01–100 ng·mL^?1 concentration range, with a detection limit of 3 pg·mL^?1.

Investigation on the interaction of tetrachloride fluorescein-bovine serum albumin-beta-cyclodextrin and the determination of protein by flow injection analysis

In this paper, a simple and sensitive flow injection analysis (FIA) for the determination of protein with spectroscopic probe was developed. This method was based on the investigation of the interaction of tetrachloride fluorescein (2,4,5,7-tetrachloro-3,6-fluorandiol)-bovine serum albumin (BSA), the coupling reaction of protein with tetrachloride fluorescein (TCFS) which was used as a spectroscopic probe in the presence of β-cyclodextrin (β-CD). The interaction mechanism and the main factors affecting the determination were investigated in details. Under the optimum conditions, the linear range and detection limit were 0.0-28.0 μg mL⁻¹ and 0.76 μg mL⁻¹, respectively. The proposed method has been used to determine albumin in serum albumin with satisfactory results.     

Electrochemical reduction of dehydroamino acids: synthesis and photophysical properties of β,β-diarylalanines

Several β,β-disubstituted dehydroalanines were prepared from β,β-dibromo or β-bromo, β-substituted dehydroalanines and aryl boronic acids using a Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction. The electrochemical behaviour of these compounds was studied by cyclic voltammetry. All compounds studied showed similar reduction potentials and these were similar to the peak potential of the methyl ester of N-tert-butoxycarbonyl dehydrophenylalanine. Thus, the presence of a second aryl moiety in the dehydroalanine scaffold does not significantly change the reduction potential.Controlled potential electrolyses were performed at the cathodic peak potential in the presence of triethylammonium chloride as proton donor. The only products isolated in good to high yields were the corresponding β,β-diarylalanines. This reaction was also carried out using a dipeptide containing a β,β-diaryldehydroalanine to give a 1:1 diastereomeric mixture of the reduction product.The photophysical properties of two of the β,β-diaryldehydroalanines and of the corresponding β,β-diarylalanines were studied in three solvents of different polarity. The β,β-diaryldehydroalanines show low fluorescent quantum yields (Φ_F<9%) due to the conjugation of the aromatic moieties with the α,β-double bond and with the carbonyl group, which favours the non-radiative deactivation pathways. The absence of conjugation in the reduction products leads to a significant increase in the fluorescence quantum yields. These results show that the β,β-disubstituted alanines could be used as fluorescent markers.     

Gold nanoparticle-based colorimetric sensor for studying the interactions of β-amyloid peptide with metallic ions

In this paper, a kind of β-amyloid peptide (Aβ1-16) conjugated gold nanoparticles (Aβ1-16@GNPs) are prepared and employed as colorimetric indicator for studying the interaction of β-amyloid peptide with metallic ions (e.g. Zn²⁺ and Ca²⁺). In the presence of Zn²⁺, mono-dispersing Aβ1-16@GNPs enable to form aggregates or attach on the SHG-44 (human glioma cell) cellular surface which results in significant color change of the solution. The experimental results indicate that Zn²⁺ can interact with Aβ1-16 and form Zn²⁺-β-amyloid peptide complexes. In particular, in the presence of Zn²⁺, a time-dependent interaction of cells with Aβ1-16@GNPs has been observed that may suggest different expression levels of β-amyloid peptide related proteins in various cell cycles. In addition, the aggregating/binding process can be easily reversed by adding EDTA, a good chelated ligand of Zn²⁺, which gives further proof of the interaction mechanism.     

Determination of beta-conglycinin in soybean and soybean products using a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

Soybean protein has long been recognized as a source of dietary allergens for humans and animals with β-conglycinin being the major allergen. This paper presents a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) that allows for the detection of trace amount of β-conglycinin in soybean and soybean products. In the sandwich ELISA, mouse anti-β-conglycinin monoclonal antibody (Mab 5C5) was used as coating antibody, and rabbit anti-β-conglycinin polyclonal antibody (Pab) was used as secondary antibody. The assay showed high specificity for β-conglycinin with minimum cross-reactions with other soy proteins. The practical working range for the determination of β-conglycinin using the developed assay was 3–100 ng mL⁻¹ and the limit of determination (LOD) was 1.63 ng mL⁻¹. The recoveries of β-conglycinin in spiked soybean samples were between 88.1% and 106.6% with relative standard deviation less than 8.9% (intra-day) and 13.1% (inter-day). The developed method was used to analyze 469 soybean seed samples from different sources as well as five soybean products treated with different processing techniques. The data showed that the concentration of β-conglycinin decreased significantly after processing, especially for soybean protein isolation, where the concentration of β-conglycinin dropped to nearly zero. The assay provides a specific and sensitive method for the screening of β-conglycinin and allows for further investigation into hypersensitive mechanisms of soybean proteins and development of soybean processing techniques to reduce their negative effects.     

Time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay for ractopamine in swine tissue

This study describes the development and validation of a time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay (TR-FIA) for screening ractopamine (RAC) in swine tissue. The method is based on the direct competitive-type immunoassay using europium-labeled anti-RAC monoclonal antibody as a tracer and RAC–ovalbumin as a solid-phase antigen. When RAC was spiked at levels of 1–10 μg kg⁻¹, recoveries ranged from 88.2 to 118.5% for swine liver and muscle with coefficients of variation from 7.1 to 20.5%. The detection limit was 0.1 μg kg⁻¹. The proposed TR-FIA method was applied to the determination of RAC in an actual residue study and the applicability was confirmed by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry.     

Study on the complexation of isoquercitrin with β-cyclodextrin and its derivatives by spectroscopy

The inclusion complexes of isoquercitrin (IQ) with cyclodextrins (CDs) including β-cyclodextrin (β-CD), hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) and dimethyl-β-cyclodextrin (DM-β-CD) have been investigated using the methods of steady-state fluorescence, UV-vis absorption and induced circular dichroism. The stoichiometric ratio of the three complexes was found to be 1:1 and the stability constants (K) were estimated from spectrofluorometric titrations, as well as the thermodynamic parameters. Maximum inclusion ability was measured in the case of DM-β-CD due to the increased hydrophobicity of the host cavity, followed by HP-β-CD and β-CD. The effect of pH on the complexation process was also quantitatively assessed. IQ exists in different molecular forms depending on pH and β-CDs were most suitable for inclusion of the neutral form of IQ. The phase-solubility diagrams obtained with β-CD, HP-β-CD and DM-β-CD were all classical A_L type. And DM-β-CD provided the best solubility enhancement, 12.3-fold increase compared to 2.8- and 7.5-fold increase for β-CD and HP-β-CD. The apparent stability constants obtained from the solubility data at 25 °C were comparable with those obtained from the fluorescence assays. Moreover, ¹H NMR was carried out, which revealed that the IQ favorably inserted into the inner cavity from the chromone part instead of the phenyl part, which was in agreement with molecular modeling studies.     

Spectrofluorimetric Study of the Complexes Between Calcein and Lanthanide(III) Ions

ABSTRACT

The equilibrium of calcein, an H6L type fluorescent ligand, with lanthanide(III) ions, Ln(III), was studied spectrofluorimetrically in aqueous solution at constant ionic strength =0.1 (KC1), pH 8.0 and 25.0±0.1°C. Application of the mole ratio and continuous variation methods reveals the formation of 1:1 complexes. The conditional stability constants (β') were calculated from the analysis of the observed fluorescence vs. [Ln(III)]/[calcein] mole ratio data by using an iterative non-linear least-squares computer program. The values obtained for β' are in the range 5.24×10⁶-5.77×10⁷ The thermodynamic stability constant (β) were estimated by calculating the sidereaction coefficients (α) fro lanthanides and calcein. The β values obtained were from 3.2×10¹² to 3.6×10¹³     

Boron-Thioketonates: A New Class of S,O-Chelated Boranes as Acceptors in Optoelectronic Devices

Development of new n-type semiconductors with tunable band gap and dielectric constant has significant implication in dissociating bound charge carrier relevant for demonstrating high performance optoelectronic devices. Boron-β-thioketonates (MTDKB), analogues to boron-β-diketonates containing a sulfur atom in the framework of β-diketones were synthesized. Bulk transport measurement exhibited an outstanding bulk electron mobility of ≈0.003 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹, which is among the best values reported till date in these class of semiconducting materials and correspondingly a single junction photo responsivity of upto 6 mA W⁻¹ was obtained. This new family of O,S-chelated boron compounds exhibited luminescence in the far red/near-infrared region. The remarkable red shift of 89 nm (fluorescence) observed for 4 a in comparison with analogues boron-β-diketonate signifies the importance of sulfur in these molecules. MTDKBs with amine functionality have also been investigated as an ON/OFF fluorescent sensor.     

Amperometric method for rapid detection of Escherichia coli by flow injection analysis using a bismuth nano-film modified glassy carbon electrode

A new method for rapid detection of Escherichia coli (E. coli) was developed by flow injection analysis (FIA) using bismuth nano-film modified glassy carbon electrode (BiNFE) in this paper. The method depended on a good marker β-d-glucuronidase which is found in E. coli strains. β-d-Glucuronidase was produced by the induction of methyl-β-d-glucuronide sodium (MetGlu), then released from E. coli cells through the permeabilization of cell membrane caused by polymyxin B nonapeptide and lysozyme. The released β-d-glucuronidase could catalyze the hydrolysis of the substrate 4-nitrophenyl β-d-glucuronide (PNPG) in the culture medium to produce 4-nitrophenol. Since 4-nitrophenol is electroactive and its quantity is proportional to the concentration of E. coli, E. coli could be determined by electroanalysis of 4-nitrophenol. The BiNFE was fabricated by an electrodeposition of metallic bismuth onto a glassy carbon electrode, which showed a high sensitivity in determination of 4-nitrophenol when used in conjunction with FIA system. Experimental results showed that the amplified response current of 4-nitrophenol obtained at the BiNFE was linear with the concentration of E. coli ranging from 1.5 × 10² to 1.0 × 10⁶ cfu/ml, the detection limit of this method for E. coli is 100 cfu/ml, and the complete assay was performed in 3 h.     

An extension of the ‘Bip method’: induced axial chirality in a series of dipeptides based on Bip/β2,2-HBip combined with Ala/β3-HAla

In the search for an extension of the ‘Bip method’ for determining the absolute configuration of β-amino acids and β-peptides, dipeptides based on β^2,2-HBip/l(d)-Ala, Bip/l-β³-HAla, and β^2,2-HBip/l-β³-HAla were synthesized in solution and the induced circular dichroism (ICD) in their biphenyl core evaluated in comparison with the previously investigated Bip/l(d)-Ala series. Weak, poorly informative ICDs were observed in MeOH solution for the linear N-Boc protected dipeptide methyl esters based on β^2,2-HBip, as well as for those with Ala/β³-HAla at the N-terminus of Bip/β^2,2-HBip. However, a significant ICD was recorded for Boc-Bip-l-β³-HAla-OMe. These results were confirmed by low-temperature ¹H NMR spectroscopy studies of the dipeptides in CDCl₃ and CD₃OD solutions, showing two diastereoisomeric conformers in significantly different populations for Boc-Bip-l-β³-HAla-OMe in CD₃OD. In general, ICDs were found to be weaker for dipeptides containing β-amino acids as compared to those of their α-amino acid counterparts.     

Analysis of isoproturon at trace level by solid phase competitive fluoroimmunosensing after enrichment in a sol-gel immunosorbent

Isoproturon was extracted selectively from environmental materials (water samples) using an immunosorbent column containing anti-isoproturon antibodies encapsulated in a silica matrix by a sol-gel process. A phosphate buffered saline (PBS) conditioned immunosorbent column was used to on-line preconcentrate 5 ml well and tap water containing 0.05 μg l⁻¹ of isoproturon, which were desorbed with 75 μl of citric acid and determined with a solid phase competitive fluoroimmunoassay. The solid phase of the immunosensor, consisting of a sol-gel glass doped with anti-isoproturon monoclonal antibody, was placed on the flow-cell of the spectrofluorometer. Free isoproturon in solution competed with a fluorescent conjugated isoproturon and reduced the support bonded fluorescence in a concentration-dependent manner. The on-line method has a detection limit of 9.7 ng l⁻¹, relative standard deviation of 4 and 3% for 0.05 and 0.5 μg l⁻¹, respectively, and recoveries higher than 90% for tap and well water. For comparison the off-line extraction and clean up using a C18 cartridge is also reported.