A DNA assay protocol in a lab-on-valve meso-fluidic system with detection by laser-induced fluorescence

An automatic protocol for in-situ assay of dsDNA is presented by employing a micro-sequential injection lab-on-valve meso-fluidic system, which facilitates precise fluidic handling at the 0.1-10 microl level. Sub-nano-liter to a few micro-liters of DNA sample and ethidium bromide (EB) solutions were introduced into the meso-fluidic system, where EB binding onto DNA takes place and an intercalated DNA-EB adduct was formed, which was afterwards excited in the flow cell of the LOV by a 473 nm laser beam, and the emitted fluorescence was monitored in-situvia optical fibers. The experimental variables, i.e., pH of the buffer solution, the concentration and volume of EB solution, the reaction time and the fluid flow rates, were investigated. By loading 600 nl sample and 1.0 microl EB solution, a linear calibration graph was obtained within 0.03-3.0 microg ml(-1)(dsDNA), and a detection limit (3sigma) of 0.009 microg ml(-1) was achieved, along with a sampling frequency of 60 h(-1) and a precision of 1.9% at the 1.0 microg ml(-1) level. The detection limit was further improved to 0.006 microg ml(-1) by increasing the sample volume to 2.0 microl. Plasmid DNA in E. Coli extraction and lambda-DNA/Hind III in four synthetic samples were assayed by using this procedure. For the plasmid DNA, a good agreement with the documented UV method was obtained, while spiking recoveries for the synthetic samples were 95.6-103.4%.     

An enzymatic assay of chloramphenicol coupled with fluorescence reaction

An alternative method for the assay of chloramphenicol using an enzymatic reaction coupled with a fluorescence detection system has been developed. Chloramphenicol was enzymatically acetylated by chloramphenicol acetyltransferase in the presence of acetyl-coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA) as the acetyl-donor, after which the liberated CoA-SH was derivatized with a fluorogenic reagent, 4-(aminosulfonyl)-7-fluoro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole. The assay was linear over the range of 2.5-40 micrograms/ml. Analytical recoveries of chloramphenicol at concentrations of 7.5 and 22.5 micrograms/ml, added to human serum, plasma, or a slightly hemolyzed serum, were in the range of 93.3 to 106.2%. The enzymatic assay was not affected by the presence of ten other antibiotics tested.     

An alternative analysis of enzyme systems based on the whole reaction time: evaluation of the kinetic parameters and initial enzyme concentration

This work presents an alternative analysis of the integrated rate equations corresponding to the simple Michaelis-Menten mechanism without product inhibition. The suggested new results are reached under a minimal set of assumptions and include, as a particular case, the classical integrated Michaelis–Menten equation. Experimental designs and a kinetic data analysis are suggested to the estimation of the maximum steady-state rate, V _max, the Michaelis–Menten constant, K _m, the initial enzyme concentration, [E]₀, and the catalytic constant, k ₂. The goodness of the analysis is tested with simulated time progress curves obtained by numerical integration.     

Kinetic analysis of arginase-urease coupled reaction with a surface acoustic wave enzyme sensor system

An extended set of equations which describe coupled arginase-urease reactions is presented. The mathematical treatment leads to the development of new equations which relate the lag-time required for the concentration of urea to reach a defined fraction of its steady-state concentration to the kinetic parameters of the enzymes, when the steady-state concentration of urea is small compared to its Michaelis constant value, the coupled arginase-urease reaction was monitored with a surface acoustic wave (SAW) enzyme sensor system, to couple the biochemical selectivity of enzymes with the sensitivity of SAW sensors. The proposed theoretical expressions were verified experimentally. The kinetic parameters of urease and arginase (extracted directly from bovine liver) were examined under theoretical guidance. Dependence of the lag-time of the coupled enzyme reaction on the concentrations of urease and arginase is also described.     

Sensitive assay for serum angiotensin-converting enzyme and separation of angiotensin analogues by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method is described for the assay of angiotensin-converting enzyme in human serum and for the separation of angiotensins and their analogues after pre-column fluorescence derivatization with benzoin. Angiotensin II, formed enzymatically from angiotensin I, is converted into a fluorescent derivative which is then separated isocratically from the substrate and biological substances in the enzyme reaction mixture on a reversed-phase column (TSK gel ODS-120T). The lower limit of detection for angiotensin II is 0.66 pmol per enzyme assay tube. The method is simple and sensitive, and requires as little as 5 microliter of human serum. Angiotensin analogues can also be separated and quantified by the chromatographic technique, and thus this method permits the use of the analogues of angiotensin I as substrates.     

The kinetic determination of clinically significant enzymes in an automated flow-injection system with fluorescence detection

An automated flow-injection manifold is described for the kinetic determination of enzyme activities by a stopped-flow procedure with fluorescence detection. The linear calibration range for alkaline phosphatase is 0/2-250 U l^?1 with a precision of 2%; sample thoughput is 35/2-40 h^?1. Linear responses were also obtained for lipase (0/2-100 U l^?1), acethylcholinesterase (0/2-500 U l^?1) and chymotrypsin (0/2-200 U l^?1). The advantages of this approach to the determination of plasma enzyme activities include sensitivity and the small sample and reagent volumes needed.     

An integrated enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay system with an organic light-emitting diode and a charge-coupled device for fluorescence detection

A fluorescence detection system for a microfluidic device using an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) as the excitation light source and a charge-coupled device (CCD) as the photo detector was developed. The OLED was fabricated on a glass plate by photolithography and a vacuum deposition technique. The OLED produced a green luminescence with a peak emission at 512 nm and a half bandwidth of 55 nm. The maximum external quantum efficiency of the OLED was 7.2%. The emission intensity of the OLED at 10 mA/cm(2) was 13 μW (1.7 mW/cm(2)). The fluorescence detection system consisted of the OLED device, two band-pass filters, a five microchannel poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) microfluidic device and a linear CCD. The fluorescence detection system was successfully used in a flow-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay on a PDMS microfluidic device for the rapid determination of immunoglobulin A (IgA), a marker for human stress. The detection limit (S/N=3) for IgA was 16.5 ng/mL, and the sensitivity was sufficient for evaluating stress. Compared with the conventional 96-well microtiter plate assay, the analysis time and the amounts of reagent and sample solutions could all be reduced.     

A new total antioxidant potential measurements using RP-HPLC assay with fluorescence detection

In this paper, an improved total antioxidant potential (TAP) estimation using high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) assay with fluorometric detection has been described. The principle of this method is based on the hydroxyl radicals generated in the Fenton-like reaction and subsequently detected using hydroxyterephthalic acid (HTPA), which is a reaction product of hydroxyl radicals and terephthalic acid (TPA), working as a sensing compound. HTPA quantity in the samples was measured by fluorescence detector working at excitation and emission wavelengths equal to 312 and 428 nm, respectively. A number of key experimental conditions including the influence of the reaction (incubation) time on the surface areas of HTPA peaks, concentration of Fe(II) ions as well as the influence of concentration of TPA on the surface area of the chromatographic peak of HTPA were optimized to the characteristic feature of TAP measurements. The elaborated assay has been used to evaluate TAP values of selected low-molecular mass compounds like pyrogallol, tryptamine, and n-alcohols (methanol, ethanol, and n-propanol) as well as chlorogenic and ascorbic acids and benzoic acid derivatives, which are commonly present in the food samples.     

Application of the assay of aflatoxins by liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection in food analysis

HPLC using fluorescence detection has already become the most accepted method for the determination of aflatoxins due to its several advantages over other analytical methods. Both normal- and reversed-phase HPLC can be used. However the reversed-phase HPLC methods are more popular. Liquid chromatographic determination of aflatoxins using fluorescence detection and its application in food analysis is reviewed in this article.     

Stability-indicating high-performance liquid chromatographic assay of atorvastatin with fluorescence detection

The purpose of this work was to develop a sensitive, selective, and validated stability-indicating high-performance liquid chromatographic (LC) assay of atorvastatin (ATV) in bulk drug and tablet form. ATV was subjected to different stress conditions, including UV light, oxidation, acid-base hydrolysis, and temperature. ATV and its degradation products were analyzed on an Agilent Zorbax XDB C18 column using isocratic elution with acetonitrile-0.02 M sodium acetate, pH 4.2 (45 + 55, v/v) for 25 min. The samples were monitored with fluorescence (FL) detection at 282 nm (excitation)/400 nm (emission). The response ratio of FL to UV detection (at 247 nm) for ATV was 1.66. The method showed good resolution of ATV from its decomposition products. The photodegradation products were separated by silica gel thin-layer chromatography using double development with ethyl acetate-n-hexane-glacial acetic acid-methanol (40 + 55 + 0.5 + 4.5, v/v/v/v) followed by (39 + 55 + 0.5 + 5.5, v/v/v/v), and confirmed by LC-FL analysis. The FL response was linear over the investigated range for ATV. The linear range was 10-1200 ng/injection, and the limit of quantitation was 2.0 ng/injection.     

High-performance liquid chromatographic assay with fluorescence detection for the evaluation of inhibitors against fatty acid amide hydrolase

A fluorescent assay for the evaluation of inhibitors of fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) is described. Microsomes from rat brain served as enzyme source. N-(2-Hydroxyethyl)-4-pyren-1-ylbutanamide was designed and synthesized as novel fluorogenic substrate. For substrate solubilization, Triton X-100 was employed. The FAAH activity was determined directly without further sample clean-up by measuring the amount of 4-pyren-1-ylbutanoic acid released by the enzyme with reversed-phase HPLC and fluorescence detection. The known FAAH inhibitors URB597, phenyl hexanoyl oxazolopyridine (PHOP) and [6-(2-methyl-4,5-diphenyl-1H-imidazol-1-yl)hexyl]carbamic acid phenyl ester were used to validate the test assay.     

Evaluation of enzymatic kinetic parameters by thin-layer chromatography with radiometric detection

A radiochromatographic method is described for evaluating K_m and v_max based on a simple modification of the integrated Michaelis-Menten equation. Experimental points are ritted directly to this equation be an iterative technique, the validity of which is tested on simulated experimental data. Results for lysine, ornithine, and glutamic acid decarboxylases are reported.     

Modular stopped-flow/diode-array detection system for simultaneous kinetic analysis

The coupling of a stopped-flow module to a diode-array spectrophotometric detector has been exploited for the simultaneous kinetic resolution of mixtures. The analytical possibilities are shown with the resolution of a mixture of two analytes (hydrazine and phenylhydrazine), yielding products with different spectral features (after reaction with p-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde), so that only the simultaneous measurement of their respective initial rates at their corresponding maximum absorption wavelengths is possible. The method allows 0.02–30 μg ml^?1 hydrazine and 8–2200 μg ml^?1 phenylhydrazine to be determined simultaneously.     

Coulometric titration of acid with a single beam fluorescence detection system

Summary An improved single-beam fluorescence detection system for coulometric titrations is presented. A null point procedure is used wherein the initial fluorescence emission intensity of an acid-base indicator is re-established by electrogeneration of base following addition of a sample of acid. Amounts of hydrogen ion from 1284 to 12.84 nanoequivalents were automatically determined with errors of a few percent in most cases. Precision ranged from ±0.5% relative for the largest amount of hydrogen ion studied to ±8.8% for the smallest.

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Zusammenfassung Ein verbesserter Fluoreszenznachweis wurde für coulometrische Titrationen vorgeschlagen. Dazu wurde ein Nullpunktverfahren verwendet, wobei die ursprüngliche Fluoreszenzintensität eines Säure-Base-Indikators durch Elektrogeneration einer Base nach der Zugabe einer Säureprobe wiederhergestellt wird. 1284 bis 12,84 Nanoäquivalente Wasserstoffionen können so mit wenigen Prozent Fehler automatisch bestimmt werden. Die Genauigkeit liegt zwischen ±0,5% für die größten und ±8,8% für die geringsten Mengen H⁺.

     

A DNAzyme assay coupled with effective magnetic separation and rolling circle amplification for detection of lead cations with a smartphone camera

Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry - Rapid, portable, and efficient detection of lead cations (Pb2+) is of great significance for monitoring and evaluating environmental toxicity and human...     

Design and evaluation of capillary coupled with optical fiber light‐emitting diode induced fluorescence detection for capillary electrophoresis

A new detector, capillary coupled with optical fiber LED‐induced fluorescence detector (CCOF‐LED‐IFD, using CCOF for short), is introduced for CE. The strategy of the present work was that the optical fiber and separation capillary were, in the parallel direction, fastened in a fixation capillary with larger inner diameter. By employing larger inner diameter, the fixation capillary allowed the large diameter of the optical fiber to be inserted into it. By transmitting an enhanced excitation light through the optical fiber, the detection sensitivity was improved. The advantages of the CCOF‐CE system were validated by the detection of riboflavin, and the results were compared to those obtained by the in‐capillary common optical fiber LED‐induced fluorescence detector (IC‐COF‐LED‐IFD, using COF for short). The LODs of CCOF‐CE and COF‐CE were 0.29 nM and 11.0 nM (S/N = 3), respectively. The intraday (n = 6) repeatability and interday (n = 6) reproducibility of migration time and corresponding peak area for both types of CE were all less than 1.10 and 3.30%, respectively. The accuracy of the proposed method was judged by employing standard addition method, and recoveries obtained were in the range of 98.0–102.4%. The results indicated that the sensitivity of the proposed system was largely improved, and that its reproducibility and accuracy were satisfactory. The proposed system was successfully applied to separate and determine riboflavin in real sample.     

A microfluidic protease activity assay based on the detection of fluorescence polarization

This article describes a fluorescence polarization (FP)-based protease assay on a microfluidic device that is compatible with fast and reproducible analyses of protease activities. The optical systems were arranged for simultaneously measuring fluorescence intensities of vertical and horizontal polarization planes, and the binding of tetramethylrhodamine (TMR) labeled-biotin with streptavidin was utilized for optimizing FP detection in continuously flowing solutions within 74-μm wide, 12-μm deep microchannels of a glass chip. In developing off-chip FP-based assays for proteinase K, trypsin, papain and elastase, TMR conjugated-casein protein (TMR-α-casein) was employed as a universal substrate. After optimization of the hydrodynamic flow control to allow complete mixing of TMR-α-casein and short proteolysis time as possible, and of buffer composition to minimize protein sticking problems, the developed assay was transferred to the microfluidic chip by monitoring FP changes of TMR-α-casein in the main microchannel. The results indicate that the proposed device would serve as an integrated microfluidic platform with automated injection of reacting species, diffusion-controlled mixing, reaction and detection for protease activities without the need to separate the products.     

A strand displacement signal amplification-assisted fluorescence assay for sensitive detection of microRNA

MicroRNA is a vital biomarker because of its abnormal expression in the emergence and development of diseases, especially in cancers. Herein, a label-free fluorescent sensing platform is proposed for detecting microRNA-21, coupled with the cascade toehold-mediated strand displacement reaction and magnetic beads. Target microRNA-21 acts as an initiator to trigger the cascade toehold-mediated strand displacement reaction and it outputs double-stranded DNA. After magnetic separation, the double-stranded DNA is intercalated by SYBR Green I, resulting in an amplified fluorescent signal. Under the optimal conditions, a wide linear range (0.5–60 nmol/L) and low limits of detection (0.19 nmol/L) are exhibited. What's more, the biosensor shows great specificity and reliability between microRNA-21 and other microRNAs involved in cancer (microRNA-34a, microRNA-155, microRNA-10b, and let-7a). Owing to the properties of fabulous sensitivity, high selectivity, and simplicity of operator, the proposed method paves a promising way for microRNA-21 detection in cancer diagnosis and biological research.