A novel sensitive detection platform for antitumor herbal drug aloe-emodin based on the graphene modified electrode

This paper has presented a novel strategy to carry out direct and sensitive determination of antitumor herbal drug aloe-emodin in complex matrices based on the graphene-Nafion modified glassy carbon (GN/GC) electrode. This proposed modified electrode showed good electrochemical response towards aloe-emodin (AE). Compared with the multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) modified electrode, the GN/GC electrode has the advantages of higher sensitivity and lower cost. Under the optimized conditions, the calibration curve for AE concentration was linear in the range from 5 nmol/L to 1 μmol/L with the detection limit of 2 nmol/L. In addition, the practical analytical performance of the GN/GC electrode was examined by evaluating the selective detection of AE in natural aloe extracts and human urine samples with satisfied recovery. Therefore, the GN/GC electrode may hold great promise for fast, simple and sensitive detection and biomedical analysis of AE in complex matrices.