Enzyme co-immobilization for the sequential determination of lactic acid and glucose in serum

An enzymatic method for the sequential determination of lactic acid and glucose is proposed. Sample matrix effects are overcome by using an internally coupled valve system. The problem arising from the dissimilar concentrations of the two analytes commonly occurring in serum is solved by applying the scale-expansion technique with a diode-array spectrophotometer. The determination ranges are 10–400 and 2–100 μg ml^?1 for lactic acid and glucose, respectively (r.s.d. 1.63 and 2.30%; n=11). Mixtures of these compounds in ratios up to 1:10 can be readily resolved, which allows their determination in serum with good results.     

One-step fabrication of glucose sensors based on entrapment of glucose oxidase within poly(ester-sulfonic acid) coatings

A simple, rapid, reproducible and effective one-step procedure for biosensor construction, based on casting mixed poly(ester-sulfonic acid)-glucose oxidase solutions onto solid electrodes is described. The cation exchanger simultaneously performs the entrapment, charge permselectivity and antifouling functions. The discrimination against potential interferences is accompanied with a fast and sensitive response to glucose. With flow injection operation, 180 samples can be processed per hour, with a detection limit of 3 × 10^?6 M. The effects of numerous experimental variables are explored. These properties of poly(ester-sulfonic acid) ionomers, coupled with their availability as aqueous dispersions, make them attractive and versatile for biosensor work.     

Multicommutated flow system for the determination of glucose in honey with immobilized glucose oxidase reactor and spectrophotometric detection

A new automated method for the determination of glucose in honey is proposed. The method is based on multicommutated flow analysis (MCFA) and employs an immobilized glucose oxidase reactor and spectrophotometric detection at 505 nm of the red quinoneimine formed (Trinder's method).The calibration curve obeyed a second order equation in the range 0-0.14 g L⁻¹ (h = −2.2199 C² + 1.3741C + 0.0077, r² = 0.9991, where h is the peak height (absorbance) and C the concentration in g L⁻¹). The method was validated analyzing eight commercial samples, both by the AOAC 954.11 and 977.20 official methods. According to Student's t-test of mean values, at the confidence level of 95% the results obtained with the proposed method were in agreement with those obtained by the official methods. Precision (s_r(%), n = 10) was 3% and the sampling frequency of the system was 20 samples h⁻¹.     

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.     

A rapid and easy procedure of biosensor fabrication by micro-encapsulation of enzyme in hydrophilic synthetic latex films. Application to the amperometric determination of glucose

Novel enzyme electrodes based on synthetic hydrophilic latex matrices are described for the detection of glucose. Glucose oxidase was immobilised through micro-encapsulation, by the simple adsorption of enzyme–latex suspensions on the surface of a platinum electrode. Two latex films functionalised by a hydroxy or a gluconamide group were used. The response of these biosensors to glucose additions was measured by potentiostating the modified electrodes at 0.6 V/SCE in order to oxidise the hydrogen peroxide generated by the enzymatic oxidation of glucose in the presence of dioxygen. The response of such electrodes was evaluated as a function of film thickness and temperature. The sensitivity for a two-layer latex-based biosensor was found to be 38.78 mA M⁻¹ cm⁻² with a response time of 3–5 s. Moreover, a marked improvement of the thermal stability of the biosensor was observed. Only at temperatures higher than 65°C the enzyme started to be denatured and being inactive.     

pH-effects in the complex formation of polymers I. Interaction of poly(acrylic acid) with poly(acrylamide)

The effects of polymer concentration, molecular weight of poly(acrylic acid) (PAA), addition of sodium, potassium, ammonium and copper (II) chlorides on the complex formation ability of the system PAA-poly(acrylamide) (PAAM) have been studied in aqueous solutions. The critical pH values of the complexation were determined in different conditions. The complex formation ability of PAAM is compared with other non-ionic polymers. It was shown that an increase in polymers concentration, molecular weight of PAA and ionic strength favours the complexation and shifts the critical pH values to the higher pH region. An addition of CuCl₂ to the mixture of two polymers enhances the complexation drastically due to the formation of triple complexes.     

Determination of glucose using a coupled-enzymatic reaction with new fluoride selective optical sensing polymeric film coated in microtiter plate wells

The determination of glucose in beverages is demonstrated using newly developed fluoride selective optical sensing polymeric film that contains aluminum (III) octaethylporphyrin (Al[OEP]) ionophore and the chromoionophore ETH7075 cast at the bottom of wells of a 96-well polypropylene microtiter plate. The method uses a dual enzymatic reaction involving glucose oxidase enzyme (GOD) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP), along with an organofluoro-substrate (4-fluorophenol) as the source of fluoride ions. The concentration of fluoride ions after enzymatic reaction is directly proportional to the glucose level in the sample. The method has a detection limit of 0.8 mmol L⁻¹, a linear range of 0.9-40 mmol L⁻¹ and a sensitivity of 0.125 absorbance/decade of glucose concentration. Glucose levels in several beverage samples determined using the proposed method correlate well with a reference spectrophotometric enzyme method based on detection of hydrogen peroxide using bromopyrogallol red dye (BPR). The new method can also be used to determine H₂O₂ concentrations in the 0.1-50 mmol L⁻¹ range using a single enzymatic reaction involving H₂O₂ oxidation of 4-fluorophenol catalyzed by HRP. The methodology could potentially be used to detect a wide range of substrates for which selective oxidase enzymes exist (to generate H₂O₂), with the high throughput of simple microtiter plate detection scheme.     

Biotinylated alginate immobilization matrix in the construction of an amperometric biosensor: application for the determination of glucose

The use of biotinylated alginate as an immobilization matrix of enzymes on the surface of the amperometric transducer is described herein. The model used is that of the well-established glucose detection. Several types of immobilization protocols were tested. In the exception of one protocol, biotin labeled glucose oxidase was shown to first require conjugation with avidin, before its immobilization onto a biotin-alginate gel matrix. The response of the biosensors to incremental additions of glucose, was measured by potentiostating the modified electrodes at 0.6 V/SCE. The permeability of the modified electrodes was thereafter measured by using rotating disk electrode (RDE) voltammetry with ferrocenemonocarboxylic acid as the electroactive probe.     

Studies on the dynamics of poly(carboxylic acids) with covalently bound thionine and phenosafranine in dilute aqueous solutions

The poly(carboxylic acid) bound phenosafranine and thionine dyes show that, the fluorescence intensity and lifetime increases first and starts to decrease after reaching a maximum at pH 4.0. The fluorescence decay curve of the fluorophore bound polymers follow the biexponential decay fit independent of pH, while poly(MAA-Th) follows single exponential function above pH 4.0. At low pH, a more compact environment of the fluorophore exerts a more hydrophobic environment. In the subnanosecond time domain the solvation process is found to be incomplete while in the nanosecond time scale the solvation of the macromolecular chains is found to be over. The time resolved fluorescence spectra of the polymer bound fluorophores at different pH indicate distinct hydrophobic and hydrophilic environments due to the dynamics of the macromolecules in dilute aqueous solutions. For the first time structural transitions involving solvent are observed in the nanosecond and picosecond time domains for the same macromolecule.     

An improved enzymatic assay for glucose determination in blood serum using a l,1′-dimethylferricinium dye

l,l′-dimethylferricinium (DMFe⁺),a stable and pH-insensitive blue dye, was prepared via enzymatic oxidation of a 1,1′-dimethylferrocene (DMFe):2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPCD) watersoluble inclusion complex, using bilirubin oxidase immobilized onto porous aminopropyl glass beads via glutaraldehyde activation. In the presence of glucose, DMFe⁺ was reduced to DMFe by reacting with the reduced glucose oxidase (FADH₂), and the absorbance decrease was followed at 650 nm. In acetate pH 5.2 buffer, the response to glucose in blood serum was nonlinear, especially in the low concentration range, because of a competition for the reduced glucose oxidase between the DMFe⁺ dye and oxygen. At this pH, endogenous ceruloplasmin was also observed to oxidize residual DMFe (16%) in the dye preparation, causing an increase in absorbance at 650 nm. An assay protocol was then developed using maleate buffer, pH 6.5, to overcome these interferences as well as mutarotation of α-D-glucose. The results obtained for glucose in the blood serum samples agreed well with those of the reference hexokinase/glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase method.     

Design variations of a polymer–enzyme composite biosensor for glucose: Enhanced analyte sensitivity without increased oxygen dependence

The glucose sensitivity and oxygen dependence of a variety of implantable biosensors based on glucose oxidase (GOx), incorporating an electrosynthesized poly-o-phenylenediamine (PPD) permselective barrier on 125-μm diameter Pt disks (Pt_D) and cylinders (Pt_C, 1-mm length), were measured and compared. Full glucose calibrations and experimental monitoring of solution oxygen concentration allowed us to determine apparent Michaelis–Menten parameters for glucose and oxygen. In the linear region of glucose response, the most sensitive biosensor design studied was Pt_D/PPD/GOx (enzyme deposited over polymer) that was 20 times more sensitive than the more widely used Pt_C/GOx/PPD (enzyme immobilized before polymer deposition) configuration. The oxygen dependence, quantified as K_M(O₂), of both active and less active designs was surprisingly similar, a finding that could be rationalized in terms of an increase in K_M(G) with increased enzyme loading. The Pt_D/PPD/GOx design will now enable us to explore glucose concentration dynamics in smaller and layered brain regions with good sensitivity and minimal interference from fluctuations in tissue pO₂.     

Preparation and characterization of sensing membranes for the detection of glucose, lactate and tyramine in microtiter plates

In this work, sensing membranes for the detection of glucose, lactate and tyramine were successfully prepared by immobilizing enzymes and fluorophore on sol-gels. The membranes were fabricated on the bottom of the wells in a microtiter plate. Glucose oxidase (GOD), lactate oxidase (LOD) and tyramine oxidase (TOD) were immobilized on individual sol-gels or a mixture of different sol-gels (3-glycidoxypropyl-trimethoxysilane (GPTMS), methyl-triethoxysilane (MTES), aminopropyl-trimethoxysilane (APTMS)). The oxidation of the analytes specifically catalyzed by the enzymes resulted in the reduction of the oxygen concentration, which changed the fluorescence intensity (FI) of the oxygen sensitive ruthenium complex acting as the transducer. The linear calibration graphs were in the ranges of 0.0-5.0 g/l for glucose, 0.0-9.0 mg/l for lactate and 0.0-100 mg/l for tyramine. The values of the detection limit were found to be 0.10-0.52 g/l for glucose, 7.77 mg/l for lactate and 6.30-8.73 mg/l for tyramine. The covalent binding between the epoxy and amine groups of the sol-gels and enzymes, respectively, prevented the enzymes from being washed out and preserved the high stability of the sensing membranes. The different ratios of silanes in the sol-gels, which were used as the supporting matrix for the immobilization of the enzymes led to different responses of the sensing membranes to various concentrations of glucose, lactate and tyramine. The kinetic parameters of the enzymatic reactions, and the stability and other parameters for the sensing membranes were also investigated.     

Immobilization of glucose oxidase on the films prepared by electrochemical copolymerization of pyrrole and 1-(2-carboxyethyl)pyrrole for glucose sensing

Glucose oxidase (GOx) was immobilized through amide linkages on the surfaces of the conducting polymer films prepared by electrochemical copolymerization of pyrrole (Py) and 1-(2-carboxyethyl)pyrrole (Py-COOH) for the purpose of fabricating GOx-immobilized electrodes for amperometric sensing of glucose. The conductivity of the copolymer film was in the range 10⁻⁸-10⁻³ S/cm and showed a tendency to decrease with increasing content of Py-COOH units in the copolymer. The amount of immobilized GOx increased significantly with increasing content of Py-COOH units in the copolymer film up to 30%, and showed a tendency to level off when the content of Py-COOH units became larger. The activity of immobilized GOx per area of the copolymer film decreased slightly with increasing content of Py-COOH units in the copolymer. Although the GOx-immobilized copolymer films gave the amperometric response to glucose depending on its concentration, the magnitude of the response to a given concentration was found to decrease with increasing content of Py-COOH units in the copolymer. The variation in the amperometric response was attributed to the difference in conductivity of the copolymer film. The appropriate content of Py-COOH units in the copolymer was considered to be 5% or less for the amperometric sensing of glucose with the GOx-immobilized copolymer film.     

Spectrophotometric determination of molybdenum with Alizarin Red S in the presence of poly(sulfonylpiperidinylmethylene hydroxide)

The present work describes a selective and rapid method for the determination of molybdenum with Alizarin Red S (ARS) in the presence of a water soluble polymer, poly(sulfonylpiperidinylmethylene hydroxide) (PSPMH). The ARS modified by PSPMH reacts with molybdenum(VI) in the solutions of pH 3.4-4.0 to produce a red complex. The composition of the complex is 1:4:1 mol ratio of Mo(VI): ARS:PSPMH. The complex obeys Beer's law from 0.05 to 5.50 μg ml⁻¹ with an optimum range. The molar absorptivity is 2.1×10⁴ l mol⁻¹ cm⁻¹ at 500 nm. The interference effects of the foreign cations have been examined and it has been determined that only Cu(II), Al(III) and Fe(III) have to be masked by EDTA and tungsten can be tolerated till 4-fold of molybdenum in case of masking by citrate. The method has been applied to the determination of geological samples without solvent extraction or separation steps.     

Caffeic Acid‐Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode for the Simultaneous Determination of Epinephrine and Dopamine

A stable electroactive thin film of poly(caffeic acid) has been deposited on the surface of a glassy carbon electrode by potentiostatic technique in an aqueous solution containing caffeic acid. The electrochemical behaviors of epinephrine (EP), dopamine (DA) and their mixture have been studied. The oxidation peaks of EP and DA at the poly(caffeic acid) modified glassy carbon electrode appeared at the same potential, but the anodic peak currents of the mixture of DA and EP were almost equal to the sum of individual anodic peak currents of EP and DA, whereas the cathodic peak current only related to the concentration of DA under appropriate condition. Base on these, the simultaneous voltammetric measurement of EP and DA at the poly(caffeic acid) film modified electrode has been developed. Ascorbic acid (AA) had no interference with the simultaneous determination of EP and DA under the same condition because the oxidative peak potential of AA was less than those of DA and EP. The modified electrode has been satisfactorily used for the simultaneous determination of EP and DA in real samples.     

Poly (acrylic acid) microchannel modification for the enhanced resolution of catecholamines microchip electrophoresis with electrochemical detection

A new modification of glass electrophoresis microchips based on poly (acrylic) acid immobilization has been performed. It is based on the reaction of PAA with an amine functionalized surface, obtained through the bifunctional reagent 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane. Parameters affecting all the three steps involved: surface activation, silanization and polymer immobilization were optimized employing soda-lime glass plates. Characterization by SEM and XPS was carried out. Application of the modified microchips to the separation of a model system: dopamine (D), epinephrine (E) and norepinephrine (NE), that on the other hand are of high clinical relevance was performed employing amperometric detection. Modification is necessary for obtaining partial resolution of all the three analytes in a microchip with an effective separation length of 30 mm. Situation changes from no resolution (Rs) at all (only one peak was achieved for the mixture) to a partial resolution (Rs D–NE and Rs NE–E are 0.25 and 0.24 respectively). Microchips with 60 mm of separation channel were also modified, implying this procedure a resolution enhancement (Rs of 0.49 and 0.28 for D–NE and NE–E respectively), even when methanol is employed as organic modifier (Rs values of 0.70 (D–NE) and 0.66 (NE–E) for a 3% MeOH).     

A semi-continuous laboratory-scale polymer enhanced ultrafiltration process for the recovery of cadmium and lead from aqueous effluents

A semi-continuous process of polymer enhanced ultrafiltration for removal of lead and cadmium has been elaborated. This operation mode would let a better coupling between industrial and laboratory-scale processes. Basically, it includes two stages: (1) metal retention, where we can obtain a permeate stream free of heavy metals; (2) polymer regeneration, where the polymer is regenerated in order to be reused in metal retention stage. In order to work in this way, a control system of permeate and feed stream flows has been installed in a batch laboratory-scale plant. In the first place, more suitable hydrodynamic operating parameters were obtained by ultrafiltration experiments. The influence of pH has been studied to fix the pH for metal retention and polymer regeneration experiments, and the operative polymer binding capacity has been determined to know the metal amount that can be treated. A mathematical model taking into account both conservation equations and competitive reactions which occur in the medium has been established. The development of this mathematical model (which is in good agreement with experimental data) enables to estimate design parameters to dimension pilot and industrial scale installations based on this process.     

Application of Some Room Temperature Ionic Liquids in the Development of Biosensors at Carbon Film Electrodes

Two room temperature ionic liquids, 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium bistriflimide and 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium nitrate, were employed for enzyme immobilization in a new sol‐gel matrix and, for the first time, were successfully applied as electrolyte carriers in a biosensing system. The new sol‐gel matrix, based on 3‐aminopropyltrimethoxysilane and 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium bistriflimide mixtures, did not crack even after several weeks when kept dry, and exhibited similar analytical properties to aqueous sol‐gel based glucose biosensors. The linear range was up to 1.1 mM of glucose, sensitivity was 62 nA mM^?1 and the limit of detection was 28.8 μM. The optimum ionic liquid electrolyte carrier was found to be 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium nitrate, where the biosensor was made by electrodeposition of the redox mediator, poly(neutral red), and the enzyme was immobilized by cross‐linking with glutaraldehyde. The results showed that application of room temperature ionic liquids to biosensors is very promising and can be further exploited.     

New method for simultaneous determination of Fe(II) and Fe(III) in water using flow injection technique

The method exploits the possibilities of flow injection gradient titration in a system of reversed flow with spectrophotometric detection. In the developed approach a small amount of titrant (EDTA) is injected into a stream of sample containing a mixture of indicators (sulfosalicylic acid and 1,10-phenanthroline). In acid environment sulfosalicylic acid forms a complex with Fe(III), whereas 1,10-phenanthroline forms a complex with Fe(II). Measurements are performed at wavelength λ = 530 nm when radiation is absorbed by both complexes. After injection EDTA replaces sulfosalicylic acid and forms with Fe(III) more stable colourless complex. As a result, a characteristic “cut off” peak is registered with a width corresponding to the Fe(III) concentration and with a height corresponding to the Fe(II) concentration. Calibration was performed by titration of four two-component standard solutions of the Fe(II)/Fe(III) concentrations established in accordance with 2² factorial plan. The method was tested with the use of synthetic samples and then it was applied to the analysis of water samples taken from artesian wells. Under optimized experimental conditions Fe(II) and Fe(III) were determined with precision less than 0.8 and 2.5% (RSD) and accuracy less than 3.2 and 5.1% (relative error) within the concentration ranges of 0.1-3.0 and 0.9-3.5 mg L⁻¹ of both analytes, respectively.     

One single standard substance for the determination of multiple anthraquinone derivatives in rhubarb using high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection

Due to the complexity of the chemical constitution of traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs), now there is a trend to establish methods, using multi-components analysis, for the effective quality control of TCMs. However, the limited availability of multiple reference substances hinders the wide popularization for routine quality control of TCMs. Using an easily available single component contained in the analyte as an internal standard to determine multiple analogues should be a practical option. In this study, we selected rhubarb rhizome as an example, and used emodin, the easily available active component, as the external standard to determine directly the content of emodin in rhubarb, and the same component as the internal standard to simultaneously determine the other six anthraquinones in rhubarb. Compared with the results obtained using the external standard method, this alternative method was found to have no statistically significant differences in our laboratory as verified by the F-test (p = 95%, n = 6). However, due to weak robustness caused by the fluctuation of relative response factors in different laboratories, such a method can only serve as a practical measure to solve the lack of so many chemical standard substances when relative response factors have been determined. This alternative method can then be used without reference substances. Once the corresponding chemical standards are available and are acceptable as well as cost-effective, then the external standard method for the simultaneous determination of multiple components (SDMC) in TCMs will prevail.