Development and comparison of liquid–liquid extraction and accelerated solvent extraction methods for quantitative analysis of chloramphenicol,thiamphenicol, florfenicol,and florfenicol amine in poultry eggs

Accelerated solvent extraction was investigated as a novel alternative technology for the separation and quantitative analysis of chloramphenicol, thiamphenicol, florfenicol, and florfenicol amine from poultry eggs, and the results were compared with the results of liquid–liquid extraction. Rapid quantification of the target compounds was carried out by ultra‐performance liquid chromatography‐electrospray ionization tandem triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. This optimized method was validated according to the requirements defined by the European Union and the United States Food and Drug Administration. Finally, the new approach was successfully applied to the quantitative determination of these analytes in 90 commercial poultry eggs from local supermarkets.     

Enhanced peroxidase activity of hemoglobin in a DNA membrane and its application to an unmediated hydrogen peroxide biosensor.

Hemoglobin can exhibit not only a direct electron transfer reacting after being entrapped in a DNA membrane, but also a greatly enhanced peroxidase activity toward the reduction of hydrogen peroxide. Based on the direct electrochemical property and nice enzymatic activity of the protein in a DNA membrane, a reagentless hydrogen peroxide biosensor was prepared. The peak current related to hydrogen peroxide was linearly proportional to its concentration in the range of 1.9 x 10(-6)-6.8 x 10(-4) mol L(-1). The detection limit was 1 x 10(-6) mol/L.     

Electrochemical investigation of the chloride effect on hemoglobin

Direct electron transfer between hemoglobin and gold electrode is achieved at both a bare and a 4, 4'-bipyridine-modified gold electrode in the presence of chloride ions. The addition of chloride to hemoglobin solution also increases the reversibility of the direct electrochemistry and shifts the formal potential of hemoglobin to the negative direction. While the existence of chloride does not significantly change the tertiary structure of the protein, it might induce a slight variation of the structure, which is beneficial to the electrochemical response. It is suggested that the chloride binding to hemoglobin is a combination of specific and unspecific bindings.     

An easy and rapid method to determine aristolochic acids I and II with high sensitivity

Aristolochic acid (AA), a natural component in some Chinese medicinal plants, is nephrotoxic and carcinogenic, and is involved in a specific type of renal fibrosis, called Chinese herbs nephropathy (CHN). In this paper, we report the electrochemistry of AA and a novel method to detect the species based on the electrochemical studies. The detection limit is estimated to be 1.0×10^-8 M with a linear range from 5.0×10^-8 M to 1.3×10^-6 M. Meanwhile, this method is applicable in detection in real samples, such as Caulis Aristolochiae Manshuriensis (CAM), Radix Aristolochiae (RA), Fructus Aristolochiae (FA) and Radix Stephaniae Tetrandrae (RST). The concentration of AA in the CAM sample was 3.50±0.12×10^-4 M. Consistent results have been obtained from both the electrochemical approach described here and the previously reported HPLC method.     

Detection of flavonoids and assay for their antioxidant activity based on enlargement of gold nanoparticles

We report our findings that natural flavonoids such as quercetin, daizeol and puerarin can act as reductants for the enlargement of gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs). Consequently, the UV–vis spectra of a solution containing Au-NPs will be gradually changed, and the molecules of the natural herbs can be detected by making use of changes in the UV–visible spectra. Furthermore, we have prepared a self-assembled monolayer modified electrode by modifying cysteamine on a gold substrate electrode, which is further modified by some Au-NP seeds. When the modified electrode is immersed in a solution containing flavonoids and tetrachloroauric acid as a gold source for the growth of the Au-NP seeds, with the increase of the concentration of flavonoids, the Au-NP seeds on the surface of the modified electrode can be enlarged to varying degrees. As a result, the peak currents in the corresponding cyclic voltammograms are inversely decreased, and simultaneously the peak separation is increased. Therefore, an electrochemical method to detect flavonoids is also proposed. Compared with the optical detection method, the electrochemical method has an extraordinarily lower detection limit and a significantly extended detection range. Moreover, the optical and electrochemical experimental results can be also used to assay and compare the relative antioxidant activities of the flavonoids. Figure Enlargement of Au nanoparticles by flavonoids at cysteamine modified electrode     

Study of Hemoglobin and Human Serum Albumin Glycation with Electrochemical Techniques

High concentration glucose in diabetes mellitus may stimulate nonenzymatic glycation of proteins. Hemoglobin (Hb) and human serum albumin (HSA) are among the most sensitive proteins for the modification by glucose. In this paper, we report our study of Hb and HSA modification by glucose using electrochemical methods. Compared with native Hb, it is found that highly glycated Hb presents lower electron transfer reactivity and electrocatalytic activity toward O₂ and H₂O₂, and the glycation is glucose concentration and time dependent. Meanwhile, the changes of the electrochemical signal of heme after binding with HSA and glycated HSA have also suggested that proteins modified by high concentration glucose lasting for months and years in diabetes mellitus might be the reason for diabetes mellitus complication.     

Apoferritin as a bionanomaterial to facilitate the electron transfer reactivity of hemoglobin and the catalytic activity towards hydrogen peroxide

In this report, apoferritin as a stable bionanomaterial was modified with hemoglobin on pyrolytic graphite electrode. Rapid electron transfer reactions of hemoglobin were achieved with the help of apoferritin in a large pH range. Moreover, hemoglobin as an enzyme exhibits fine electrocatalytic activity towards the reaction of hydrogen peroxide, and a wide concentration range of linear relationship between the reduction peak current and the concentration of hydrogen peroxide has been obtained with a higher upper detection limit, which may be further developed for a hydrogen peroxide biosensor. Therefore, a new property of apoferritin is explored, in which apoferritin works as a bionanomaterial to be an accelerant of the electron transfer of Hb and a stabilizer to retain the catalytic ability of the protein under mal-condition.     

Electrochemical studies of (−)-epigallocatechin gallate and its interaction with DNA

In this paper, an electrochemical investigation of (−)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and its interaction with DNA is presented. Via an electrochemical approach assisted by ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy, we propose that EGCG can intercalate into DNA strands forming a nonelectroactive complex, which results in the decrease of the anodic peak current of EGCG. Meanwhile, an electrochemical study with the DNA–Cu(II)–EGCG system shows that damage to DNA can be recognized electrochemically via the increase in the anodic peak current resulting from the oxidation of guanine and adenine bases. The damage can also be recognized spectrophotometrically via an increase in the 260 nm absorption band. In addition, it was found that EGCG is able to discriminate dsDNA from ssDNA, making a potential electrochemical indicator for the detection of DNA hybridization events. A rapid and convenient method of detecting EGCG was also developed in this work. Figure Interaction of EGCG with DNA and damage to DNA in the presence of Cu(II) Electronic supplementary material Supplementary material is available in the online version of this article at and is accessible for authorized users.