Amperometric Determination of Quercetin in Some Foods by Magnetic Core/Shell Fe3O4@ZnO Nanoparticles Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode

Convenient Heme Nanorod Modified Electrode for Quercetin Sensing by Two Common Electrochemical Methods

Quercetin (Qu) is one of the most abundant flavonoids in the human diet. High concentrations of Qu can easily cause adverse effects and induce inflammation, joint pain and stiffness. In this study, Heme was used as a sensitive element and deposited and formed nanorods on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) for the detection of Qu. The Heme/GCE sensor was characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), cyclic voltammetry (CV), differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques. Under optimized conditions, the developed sensor presented a linear concentration ranging from 0.1 to 700 μmol·L-1 according to the CV and DPV methods. The detection limit for the sensor was 0.134 μmol·L-1 and its sensitivity was 0.12 μA·μM-1·cm-2, which were obtained from CV analysis. Through DPV analysis we obtained a detection limit of 0.063 μmol·L-1 and a sensitivity of 0.09 μA·μM-1·cm-2. Finally, this sensor was used to detect the Qu concentration in loquat leaf powder extract, with recovery between 98.55-102.89% and total R.S.D. lower than 3.70%. The constructed electrochemical sensor showed good anti-interference, repeatability and stability, indicating that it is also usable for the rapid detection of Qu in actual samples.

Construction of a CRISPR-Biolayer Interferometry Platform for Real-Time, Sensitive, and Specific DNA Detection

The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) technology has been widely applied for nucleic acid detection because of its high specificity. By using the highly specific and irreversible bond between HaloTag and its alkane chlorine ligand, we modified dCas9 (deactivated CRISPR/Cas9) with biotin as a biosensor to detect nucleic acids. The CRISPR biosensor was facilely prepared to adequately maintain its DNA-recognition capability. Furthermore, by coupling biolayer interferometry (BLI) with the CRISPR biosensor, a real-time, sensitive, and rapid digital system called CRISPR-BLI was established for the detection of double-stranded DNA. The CRISPR biosensor immobilised on the biolayer could recruit the target DNA onto the biosensor surface and change its optical thickness, resulting in a shift in the interference pattern and responding signal of the BLI. The CRISPR-BLI system was further applied to detect the ALP gene of Escherichia coli DH5α combined with a polymerase chain reaction, which demonstrated a linear range from 20 to 20 000 pg and a low detection limit (1.34 pg). The CRISPR-BLI system is a promising approach for rapid and sensitive detection of target DNA analytes.

A new hybrid nanocomposite electrode based on Au/CeO2-decorated functionalized glassy carbon microspheres for the voltammetric sensing of quercetin and its interaction with DNA

A new hybrid composite containing cerium oxide nanoparticle (CeO2NP) and gold nanoparticle (AuNP)-decorated functionalized glassy carbon microspheres (FGCM) was synthesized (Au/CeO2@FGCM). As a result, an Au/CeO2@FGCM-paraffin oil paste electrode (PE) (Au/CeO2@FGCM-PE) was fabricated and employed for the voltammetric sensing of quercetin (QRT). The structure and surface morphology of Au/CeO2@FGCM were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Cyclic voltammetry (CV), square wave voltammetry (SWV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were employed for the investigation of the electrochemical behavior of Au/CeO2@FGCM-PE. Under the optimum conditions, the SWV oxidation peak current showed linear dependence on the QRT concentration in the range from 48 nM to 1.09 μM. The achieved limits of detection and quantitation were 0.37 nM and 1.22 nM, respectively. Au/CeO2@FGCM-PE was reproducible, sensitive and stable and displayed anti-interference ability for various common interferents. The proposed method was also successfully applied for real sample analysis. The QRT content extracted from natural sources was determined, and satisfactory results were achieved. Furthermore, the interaction of QRT with salmon testes and calf thymus dsDNA (st-DNA and ct-DNA) on Au/CeO2@FGCM-PE was studied by CV and SWV. The corresponding binding constant (K), surface concentration (Γ), and Gibbs free energy (ΔG°) were computed for the free QRT and the bound QRT-dsDNA complex. The calculated K values for the QRT-ct-DNA and QRT-st-DNA complexes were found to be 6.24 × 105 M-1 and 3.63 × 105 M-1, respectively, which revealed that QRT strongly interacted with ct-DNA compared to that with st-DNA. The decreased intensity of the QRT oxidation peak resulting from its interaction with dsDNA provides a chance to use QRT as a new indicator to analyze ct-DNA and st-DNA.

Highly sensitive and selective optosensing of quercetin based on novel complexation with yttrium ions

A simple and fast method was developed for the determination of quercetin. The concentration of quercetin can be determined based on the fluorescence emission resulting from the coordinative interactions between quercetin and the yttrium ion (Y³⁺). Notably, a portable platform to quantitatively analyze quercetin was constructed. This platform incorporates our custom-built homemade reader based on a photodiode, and Arduino hardware, which accepts a paper ribbon on which Y³⁺ is deposited as an input. In addition, the color change of the paper ribbon was identified using a smartphone via the hue values of the photographs. The limits of detection for quercetin using spectroscopy, a smartphone, and a custom-built reader were calculated to be 27, 110, and 129 nM, respectively. The use of a custom-built device and a smartphone for detecting quercetin via fluorescence from the prepared paper ribbon reduces the time and cost of quercetin detection. This approach could be employed for on-site sensing of quercetin in real samples.

A biomass-derived porous carbon-based nanocomposite for voltammetric determination of quercetin

Porous carbon was prepared from wheat flour by alkali treatment and carbonization. The resulting biomass-derived porous carbon (BPC) was employed to prepare a Pt-Au-BPC nanocomposite by a hydrothermal method. The material was then placed on the surface of a carbon ionic liquid electrode (CILE). The Pt-Au-BPC was characterized by SEM, XPS, and the modified CILE by electrochemical methods. They revealed a porous structure, a large specific surface with high conductivity. Pt-Au-BPC/CILE was applied to the sensitive determination of quercetin. Electrochemical response was studied by cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). Under optimized experimental conditions, the oxidation peak current (measured at 0.48 V vs. Ag/AgCl by DPV) increases linearly in the 0.15 to 6.0 μM and in the 10.0 to 25.0 μM quercetin concentration range. The detection limit is 50.0 nM (at 3σ). The Pt-Au-BPC/CILE was applied to the direct determination of quercetin in ginkgo tablets sample and gave satisfactory results. Graphical abstract A Pt-Au-BPC nanocomposite modified carbon ionic liquid electrode was applied to differential pulse voltammetric determination of quercetin. BPC: biomass-derived porous carbon.

A glassy carbon electrode modified with a copper tungstate and polyaniline nanocomposite for voltammetric determination of quercetin

A binary nanocomposite of type copper tungstate and polyaniline (CuWO₄@PANI) is described that was obtained by single step polymerization on the surface of a glassy carbon electrode (GCE). The resulting electrode is shown to be a viable tool for voltammetric sensing of quercetin (Qn) in blood, urine and certain food samples. The nanocomposite was characterized by UV-visible absorption spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Differential pulse voltammetry was applied to quantify Qn, typically at the relatively low working potential of 0.15 V (vs. Ag/AgCl). The modified GCE has a wide analytical range (0.001-0.500 μM) and a low detection limit (1.2 nM). The sensor is reproducible, selective and stable. This makes it suitable for determination of Qn in real samples without complicated sample pretreatment. Graphical abstract Schematic of a copper tungstate and polyaniline nanocomposite modified glassy carbon electrode for voltammetric determination of quercetin in real samples.