Electrochemically activated pencil lead electrode as a sensitive voltammetric sensor to determine gallic acid

An electrochemical sensor for the determination of some polyphenolic compounds such as Gallic acid (GA) and Galloyl esters was developed using the activated pencil lead electrode (APLE). At first, a study has been made of the optimum conditions for electrochemical activation of the pencil lead electrode. Potentiodynamic and potentiostatic strategies were investigated for activation of the pencil lead electrode and the results show that the potentiodynamic pretreatment gives better performance toward measurement of the polyphenolic compounds. Electrochemical properties of GA were investigated using chronoamperometry and cyclic voltammetry; and some thermodynamic and kinetic variables such as α, n _α, and D were calculated. Sensitive differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) technique was applied for the determination of Gallic acid and Galloyl esters in different samples. Enhanced oxidation peak currents of Gallic acid were observed at APLE when compared with non-activated PLE. The calibration graph has two linear ranges of 0.49-24.3 µM and 0.07-0.83 mM, and the obtained limit of detection for S/N = 3 was 0.25 µM. Adsorptive stripping differential pulse voltammetry (AdSDPV) was also conducted to determine Gallic acid and Galloyl esters in sub-micromolar concentration range. Using the AdSDPV method, the limit of detection was improved and calculated to be 5.2 nM. The proposed method was successfully applied for quantification of the total concentration of Gallic acid and Galloyl esters in a variety of real samples such as black and green tea, and mango juice samples, and desirable recovery values indicated the good accuracy of the developed sensor.

The development of an electrochemical DNA biosensor based on quercetin as a new electroactive indicator for DNA hybridization detection

An electrochemical DNA biosensor was designed for the detection of a specific target DNA after hybridization with a complementary DNA probe immobilized onto a glassy carbon electrode surface. Quercetin was successfully used as a new electroactive indicator for the hybridization detection. Different interactions of quercetin with single-stranded DNA (ss-DNA) and double-stranded DNA (ds-DNA) led to different electrochemical signals, which were recorded as cyclic and differential pulse voltammograms enabling hybridization detection. Various parameters influencing the biosensor performance were evaluated, and optimized conditions were obtained. Also, the detection limit of 83 pM with a relative standard deviation of 4.6% was obtained for the determination of complementary oligonucleotides. Then, the developed biosensor was applied successively for the detection of short sequences of hepatitis C virus (HCV1). The hybridization between the probe (PHCV1) and its complementary sequence (HCV1a) as the target was studied. Some hybridization experiments with noncomplementary oligonucleotides also showed that the suggested DNA sensor responds selectively to the target.

Electrochemical label-free and sensitive nanobiosensing of DNA hybridization by graphene oxide modified pencil graphite electrode

Based on the strong interaction between single-stranded DNA (ss-DNA) and graphene material, we have constructed a novel label-free electrochemical biosensor for rapid and facile detection of short sequences ss-DNA molecules related to hepatitis C virus 1a using graphene oxide modified pencil graphite electrode. The sensing mechanism is based on the superior adsorption of single-stranded DNA to GO over double stranded DNA (ds-DNA). The intrinsic guanine oxidation signal measured by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) has been used for duplex DNA formation detection. The probe ss-DNA adsorbs onto the surface of GO via the π- π* stacking interactions leading to a strong background guanine oxidation signal. In the presence of complementary target, formation of helix which has weak binding ability to GO induced ds-DNA to release from the electrode surface and significant variation in differential pulse voltammetric response of guanine bases. The results indicated that the oxidation peak current was proportional to the concentration of complementary strand in the range of 0.1 nM-0.5 μM with a detection limit of 4.3 × 10^-11 M. The simple fabricated electrochemical biosensor has high sensitivity, good selectivity, and could be applied as a new platform for a range of target molecules in future.

Development of a novel voltammetric sensor for the determination of methamphetamine in biological samples on the pretreated pencil graphite electrode

We developed a simple and reliable sensor for the determination of methamphetamine without expensive and time-consuming pretreatments using PPGE.

Studies of interaction between terbium(III)-deferasirox and double helix DNA by spectral and electrochemical methods

DNA binding studies of terbium(III)-deferasirox (Tb3+-DFX) complex were monitored to understand the reaction mechanism and introduce a new probe for the assay of DNA. In the present work, UV absorption spectrophotometry, fluorescence spectroscopy, circular dichroism (CD), cyclic voltammetry (CV) and viscosity measurement were employed to study the interactions of Tb3+-DFX with calf thymus DNA (ctDNA). The binding of Tb3+-DFX complex to ctDNA showed a hyperchromic effect in the absorption spectra and the increase in fluorescence quenching effect (amount) of Tb3+-DFX complex in the presence of ctDNA. The binding constants (Kb) for the complex with ctDNA were estimated to be 1.8×10(4) M(-1) through UV absorption spectrophotometry and fluorescence spectroscopy. Upon addition of the complex, clear decreases were observed in the viscosity of ctDNA. The CD spectra indicated that there are certain detectable conformational changes in the DNA double helix when the complex was added. The CV method showed that both anodic and cathodic peak potentials of Tb3+-DFX complex showed negative shifts on the addition of the ctDNA. Further, competitive methylene blue binding studies with fluorescence spectroscopy have shown that the complex can bind to ctDNA through nonintercalative mode. The experimental results suggest that Tb3+-DFX complex binds to DNA via groove binding and/or electrostatic binding mode.

Label-free electrochemical detection of the specific oligonucleotide sequence of dengue virus type 1 on pencil graphite electrodes

A biosensor that relies on the adsorption immobilization of the 18-mer single-stranded nucleic acid related to dengue virus gene 1 on activated pencil graphite was developed. Hybridization between the probe and its complementary oligonucleotides (the target) was investigated by monitoring guanine oxidation by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The pencil graphite electrode was made of ordinary pencil lead (type 4B). The polished surface of the working electrode was activated by applying a potential of 1.8 V for 5 min. Afterward, the dengue oligonucleotides probe was immobilized on the activated electrode by applying 0.5 V to the electrode in 0.5 M acetate buffer (pH 5.0) for 5 min. The hybridization process was carried out by incubating at the annealing temperature of the oligonucleotides. A time of five minutes and concentration of 1 μM were found to be the optimal conditions for probe immobilization. The electrochemical detection of annealing between the DNA probe (TS-1P) immobilized on the modified electrode, and the target (TS-1T) was achieved. The target could be quantified in a range from 1 to 40 nM with good linearity and a detection limit of 0.92 nM. The specificity of the electrochemical biosensor was tested using non-complementary sequences of dengue virus 2 and 3.

Introduction of hematoxylin as an electroactive label for DNA biosensors and its employment in detection of target DNA sequence and single-base mismatch in human papilloma virus corresponding to oligonucleotide

For the detection of DNA hybridization, a new electrochemical biosensor was developed on the basis of the interaction of hematoxylin with 20-mer deoxyoligonucleotides (from human papilloma virus, HPV). The study was performed based on the interaction of hematoxylin with an alkanethiol DNA probe self-assembled gold electrode (ss-DNA/AuE) and its hybridization form (ds-DNA/AuE). The optimum conditions were found for the immobilization of HPV probe on the gold electrode (AuE) surface and its hybridization with the target DNA. Electrochemical detection of the self-assembled DNA and the hybridization process were performed by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) over the potential range where the accumulated hematoxylin at the modified electrode was electroactive. Observing a remarkable difference between the voltammetric signals of the hematoxylin obtained from different hybridization samples (non-complementary, mismatch and complementary DNAs), we confirmed the potential of the developed biosensor in detecting and discriminating the target complementary DNA from non-complementary and mismatch oligonucleotides. Under optimum conditions, the electrochemical signal had a linear relationship with the concentration of the target DNA ranging from 12.5 nM to 350.0 nM, and the detection limit was 3.8 nM.

Direct detection and discrimination of double-stranded oligonucleotide corresponding to hepatitis C virus genotype 3a using an electrochemical DNA biosensor based on peptide nucleic acid and double-stranded DNA hybridization

Development of an electrochemical DNA biosensor for the direct detection and discrimination of double-stranded oligonucleotide (dsDNA) corresponding to hepatitis C virus genotype 3a, without its denaturation, using a gold electrode is described. The electrochemical DNA sensor relies on the modification of the gold electrode with 6-mercapto-1-hexanol and a self-assembled monolayer of 14-mer peptide nucleic acid probe, related to the hepatitis C virus genotype 3a core/E1 region. The increase of differential pulse voltammetric responses of methylene blue, upon hybridization of the self-assembled probe with the target ds-DNA to form a triplex is the principle behind the detection and discrimination. Some hybridization experiments with non-complementary oligonucleotides were carried out to assess whether the developed DNA sensor responds selectively to the ds-DNA target. Diagnostic performance of the biosensor is described and the detection limit was found to be 1.8 x 10(-12) M in phosphate buffer solution, pH 7.0. The relative standard deviation of measurements of 100 pM of target ds-DNA performed with three independent probe-modified electrodes was 3.1%, indicating a remarkable reproducibility of the detection method.

Electrochemical detection of short sequences of hepatitis C 3a virus using a peptide nucleic acid-assembled gold electrode

Development of an electrochemical DNA biosensor, using a gold electrode modified with a self-assembled monolayer composed of a peptide nucleic acid (PNA) probe and 6-mercapto-1-hexanol, is described. The sensor relies on covalent attachment of the 14-mer PNA probe related to the hepatitis C virus genotype 3a (pHCV3a) core/E1 region on the electrode. Covalently self-assembled PNA could selectively hybridize with a complementary sequence in solution to form double-stranded PNA-DNA on the surface. The increase of peak current of methylene blue (MB), upon hybridization of the self-assembled probe with the target DNA in the solution, was observed and used to detect the target DNA sequence. Some hybridization experiments with noncomplementary oligonucleotides were carried out to assess whether the suggested DNA sensor responds selectively to the target. Diagnostic performance of the biosensor is described and the detection limit was found to be 5.7 x 10(-11)M with a relative standard deviation of 1.4% in phosphate buffer solution, pH 7.0. This sensor exhibits high reproducibility and could be used for detection of the target DNA for seven times after the regeneration process.

Brilliant cresyl blue as electroactive indicator in electrochemical DNA oligonucleotide sensors

A new electrochemical DNA biosensor is presented based on carbon past electrode (CPE) for immobilization and detection of short DNA sequences with brilliant cresyl blue (BCB) as electroactive label. The interaction of BCB with DNA is electrochemically detected and BCB displays different signals in the interaction to ssDNA and dsDNA and variation in the BCB signal represents the extent of hybridization at the electrode surface. The effect of solution pH on electrochemical behavior of BCB was investigated. Additionally, the effect of solution pH on BCB accumulation on the CPE was studied. Furthermore, experiments showed that the solution pH could influence the differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) signal of BCB accumulated on the electrode and the highest BCB signal was obtained in pH 7.00. The effect of electrochemical pretreatment of CPE on the ability of electrode in probe adsorption, BCB accumulation and conditions of probe immobilization including potential and time was investigated and optimum conditions were suggested. The peak currents of BCB were linearly related to the concentration of the target oligonucleotide sequence in the range of 1.0x10(-8) to 5.0x10(-6)M. The detection limit of this approach was 9.00nM. The selectivity of the biosensor was studied using noncomplementary oligonucleotide.

Direct and rapid electrochemical biosensing of the human interleukin-2 DNA in unpurified polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-amplified real samples

Electrochemical detection of polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-amplified human interleukin-2 (IL-2) coding DNA sample (399bp size) without any purification and pre-treatment is described. To achieve this goal, a sensor was made by immobilization of a 20-mer oligonucleotide (chIL-2) as the probe on the pencil graphite electrode (PGE). This probe is related to the antisense strand of human interleukin-2 gene. The results showed that the electrode could effectively sense the PCR product of human interleukin-2 DNA by anodic differential pulse voltammetry (ADPV) based on guanine oxidation signal. In order to inhibit PCR components interfering effects and improve biosensing performance, various factors were investigated. We found that the desorption of non-specifically adsorbed components of the unpurified PCR samples from PGE surface is easily achieved by washing of the electrode in washing solution for about 300s. The effectiveness of this procedure was confirmed using purified PCR samples. The selectivity of the sensor was assessed with negative control PCR sample and seven different non-complementary PCR products corresponding to 16S rDNA (bigger than 1500bp) of various bacterial genuses. Diagnostic performance of the biosensor is described and the detection limit is found to be 69pM. The reliability of the electrochemical biosensing results was verified by electrophoresis of the PCR products.

Construction, electrochemically biosensing and discrimination of recombinant plasmid (pEThIL-2) on the basis of interleukine-2 DNA insert

Construction, electrochemically biosensing and discrimination of recombinant pEThIL-2 plasmid, with 5839bp size, on the basis of interleukine-2 (IL-2) DNA insert are described. Plasmid pEThIL-2 was constructed by PCR amplification of IL-2 encoding DNA and subcloning into pET21a(+) vector using BamHI and SacI sites. The recombinant pEThIL-2 plasmid was detected with a label-free DNA hybridization biosensor using a non-inosine substituted probe. The proposed sensor was made up by immobilization of a 20-mer antisense single strand oligonucleotide (chIL-2) related to the human interleukine-2 gene on the pencil graphite electrode (PGE) as a probe and then the sensing of recombinant pEThIL-2 plasmid was conducted by anodic differential pulse voltammetry (ADPV) based on guanine oxidation signal. Selectivity of the detection was assessed with pET21a(+) non-complementary plasmid, with 5443bp size, lacking IL-2 encoding DNA. Different factors such as electrode activation conditions and washing strategy were tested in order to eliminate the nonspecific adsorption of pET21a(+). We have found that the PGE activation for 300s produces a condition in which desorption of nonspecifically adsorbed plasmids from the electrode surface can be achieved by 300s washing of the electrode in 20mM Tris-HCl buffer solution (pH 7.0) containing 20mM NaCl. Diagnostic performance of the biosensor is described and the detection limit is found to be 10.31pg/microL.