Edge plane pyrolytic graphite as a sensing surface for the determination of fluvoxamine in urine samples of obsessive-compulsive disorder patients

There is an increasing demand for fast and sensitive determination of antidepressants in human body fluids because of the present scenario of rising depression cases at the global level. A simple and sensitive voltammetric method using edge plane pyrolytic graphite electrode (EPPGE) as a novel sensor is presented for the determination of antidepressant fluvoxamine in urine and blood plasma samples of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) patients. EPPGE is delineated the first time for this determination. EPPGE exhibited strong electrocatalytic activity and enhanced reduction signal towards the sensing of fluvoxamine. Fluvoxamine gave a well-defined reduction peak at ~ - 670 mV using EPPGE. The fluvoxamine reduction peak current was linear to its concentration in the range 5.00 × 10^-9 - 0.1 × 10^-6 mol L^-1 and the limit of detection was found to be 3.5 × 10^-9 mol L^-1. The pre-eminence of EPPGE over mercury electrodes has been proved in terms of sensitivity and imperative analytical parameters. The pH study reveals the involvement of an equal number of electrons and protons in the reduction reaction mechanism. The frequency study indicated the adsorption controlled irreversible reaction mechanism. The stability and reproducibility of the offered sensor were also found most favorable. The interference study confirmed the optimum selectivity of the proposed sensor. The edge plane pyrolytic graphite sensing platform is recommended as a potential contender for the accurate and fast determination of fluvoxamine in depression medications as well as biological specimens of OCD patients.

Conducting polymer-based electrochemical biosensors for neurotransmitters: A review

Neurotransmitters are important biochemical molecules that control behavioral and physiological functions in central and peripheral nervous system. Therefore, the analysis of neurotransmitters in biological samples has a great clinical and pharmaceutical importance. To date, various methods have been developed for their assay. Of the various methods, the electrochemical sensors demonstrated the potential of being robust, selective, sensitive, and real time measurements. Recently, conducting polymers (CPs) and their composites have been widely employed in the fabrication of various electrochemical sensors for the determination of neurotransmitters. Hence, this review presents a brief introduction to the electrochemical biosensors, with the detailed discussion on recent trends in the development and applications of electrochemical neurotransmitter sensors based on CPs and their composites. The review covers the sensing principle of prime neurotransmitters, including glutamate, aspartate, tyrosine, epinephrine, norepinephrine, dopamine, serotonin, histamine, choline, acetylcholine, nitrogen monoxide, and hydrogen sulfide. In addition, the combination with other analytical techniques was also highlighted. Detection challenges and future prospective of the neurotransmitter sensors were discussed for the development of biomedical and healthcare applications.

Electrochemical investigations of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine and its determination at an edge plane pyrolytic graphite electrode

Electrochemical oxidation of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) and its detection with low detection limit is reported at pyrolytic graphite electrode.

Research progress in electroanalytical techniques for determination of antimalarial drugs in pharmaceutical and biological samples

The review focusses on the role of electroanalytical methods for determination of antimalarial drugs in biological matrices and pharmaceutical formulations with a critical analysis of published voltammetric and potentiometric methods.

Glutaraldehyde sandwiched amino functionalized polymer based aptasensor for the determination and quantification of chloramphenicol

Highly sensitive determination of chloramphenicol has been carried out using glutaraldehyde sandwiched polymer based aptasensor.

Graphene and Co-polymer composite based molecularly imprinted sensor for ultratrace determination of melatonin in human biological fluids

A novel molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) sensor based on a composite of graphene (GR) and a co-polymer of 4-amino-3-hydroxy-1-naphthalenesulfonic acid (AHNSA) and melamine (MM) has been fabricated for detecting melatonin.

A carbon ion beam irradiated MWCNT/AuNPs composite sensor for a sensitive assay of purine-nucleosides of DNA

Sensor for purine nucleosides has been developed using irradiation with high energy carbon ion beam.

Structural and electrochemical characterization of carbon ion beam irradiated reduced graphene oxide and its application in voltammetric determination of norepinephrine

A high energy carbon ion beam irradiated sensor has been used for the sensitive determination of norepinephrine.

NiO–ZrO2 nanocomposite modified electrode for the sensitive and selective determination of efavirenz, an anti-HIV drug

A highly sensitive NiO–ZrO₂ nanocomposite modified electrode was fabricated for trace analysis of efavirenz in pharmaceutical and biological samples.

In vitro chloramphenicol detection in a Haemophilus influenza model using an aptamer-polymer based electrochemical biosensor

A sensitive and selective electrochemical biosensor is developed for the determination of chloramphenicol (CAP) exploring its direct electron transfer processes in in-vitro model and pharmaceutical samples. This biosensor exploits a selective binding of CAP with aptamer, immobilized onto the poly-(4-amino-3-hydroxynapthalene sulfonic acid) (p-AHNSA) modified edge plane pyrolytic graphite. The electrochemical reduction of CAP was observed in a well-defined peak. A quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) study is performed to confirm the interaction between the polymer film and the aptamer. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and square wave voltammetry (SWV) were used to detect CAP. The in-vitro CAP detection is performed using the bacterial strain of Haemophilus influenza. A significant accumulation of CAP by the drug sensitive H. influenza strain is observed for the first time in this study using a biosensor. Various parameters affecting the CAP detection in standard solution and in in vitro detection are optimized. The detection of CAP is linear in the range of 0.1-2500 nM with the detection limit and sensitivity of 0.02 nM and 0.102 µA/nM, respectively. CAP is also detected in the presence of other common antibiotics and proteins present in the real sample matrix, and negligible interference is observed.

AuNPs-poly-DAN modified pyrolytic graphite sensor for the determination of Cefpodoxime Proxetil in biological fluids

A sensitive and selective electrochemical method for Cefpodoxime Proxetil (CP) determination has been developed by incorporating gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) onto the poly-1,5-diaminonapthalene layer (p-DAN) coated pyrolytic graphite. The modified sensor was characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The sensor exhibited an effective catalytic response towards oxidation of CP with excellent reproducibility and stability. The peak current of CP was found to be linear in the range of 0.1-12 μM and detection limit and sensitivity of 39 nM (S/N=3) and 4.621 μA μM(-1), respectively, were observed. The method was successfully applied for the determination of CP in pharmaceutical formulations and human urine samples. The common metabolites present in human urine such as uric acid, ascorbic acid, xanthine and hypoxanthine did not interfere in the determination. A comparison of the results obtained by using developed method with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) indicated a good agreement. The method is simple, sensitive, rapid and precise and is useful for the routine determination of CP in pharmaceutical dosages and biological samples.

Detection of norfloxacin and monitoring its effect on caffeine catabolism in urine samples

A multi-walled carbon nano tube (MWCNT) modified pyrolytic graphite (MPG) electrode is prepared and applied to detect norfloxacin (NFX) based on its electrochemical reduction. The experimental parameters affecting the NFX determination were optimized in terms of MWCNT amount, pH, reaction time, and square wave frequency. The dynamic range for the NFX analysis ranged between 1.2 and 1000µM with a detection limit of 40.6±3.3nM. The effect of NFX on the catabolism of caffeine has been studied by determining its concentration in the urine samples after the prolonged administration of NFX using the MPG electrode. The results show that the catabolism of caffeine is inhibited by ~65% after five days of NFX administration, consequently the caffeine concentration in the urine sample is increased, which is reflected in terms of ~2.5 times increase in the peak current of caffeine. The determinations of NFX and caffeine were selective and the method was successfully applied in biological fluids and pharmaceutical tablets for the test compound analysis. In future this method can be useful for the selective determination of NFX and studying its effect on caffeine catabolism.

Investigation on the downregulation of dopamine by acetaminophen administration based on their simultaneous determination in urine

A highly sensitive and selective method is developed for the simultaneous detection of dopamine (DA) and acetaminophen (AP) by reactive blue-4 (RB4) dye entrapped poly1,5-diaminonaphthalne (polyDAN) composite film layer. The polyDAN-RB4 composite is electrochemically developed at glassy carbon electrode. The polymeric film, characterized by XPS and SEM is able to catalyze the oxidation of DA and AP. Two well-defined oxidation peaks are observed in the differential pulse voltammogram (DPV). The experimental parameters affecting the analytical performance are optimized in terms of RB4 concentration, temperature, and pH. The dynamic range for DA and AP analysis is between 0.1-150 and 0.2-164μM with a detection limit of 0.061±0.002 and 0.083±0.003μM, respectively. The anionic form of the polyDAN-RB4 composite repels common metabolites present in serum and urine, and hence no interference is observed. The effect of AP on the DA concentrations in urine is also studied after the oral administration of a single as well as multiple doses. The DA concentrations have been found to decrease nearly 50±3% after prolonged AP administration.

Ag ion irradiated based sensor for the electrochemical determination of epinephrine and 5-hydroxytryptamine in human biological fluids

A promising and highly sensitive voltammetric method has been developed for the first time for the determination of epinephrine (EP) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) using 120 MeV Ag ion irradiated multi-walled carbon nano tube (MWCNT) based sensor. The MWCNT were irradiated at various fluences of 1e12, 3e12 and 1e13 ions cm(-2) using palletron accelerator. The simultaneous determination of EP and 5-HT has been carried out in phosphate buffer solution of pH 7.20 using square wave voltammetry and cyclic voltammetry. Experimental results suggested that irradiation of MWCNT by Ag ions enhanced the electrocatalytic activity due to increase in effective surface area and insertion of Ag ions, leading to a remarkable enhancement in peak currents and shift of peak potentials to less positive values as compared to the unirradiated MWCNT (pristine). The developed sensor exhibited a linear relationship between peak current and concentration of EP and 5-HT in the range 0.1-105 μM with detection limit (3σ/b) of 2 nM and 0.75 nM, respectively. The practical utility of irradiation based MWCNT sensor has been demonstrated for the determination of EP and 5-HT in human urine and blood samples.

Single-Walled-Carbon-Nanotube-Modified Pyrolytic Graphite Electrode Used as a Simple Sensor for the Determination of Salbutamol in Urine

A fast and sensitive voltammetric method has been proposed for the determination of salbutamol at single-walled-carbon-nanotube-modified edge-plane pyrolytic graphite electrode (SWNT/EPPGE) in human urine. The electrochemical response of salbutamol was determined by square wave voltammetry (SWV) in phosphate buffer solution (PBS) at physiological pH 7.2. The modified electrode showed improved voltammetric response towards the oxidation of salbutamol, and a well-defined anodic peak was observed at~600 mV with enhanced peak current in comparison to the bare electrode. Linear calibration plot using SWNT/EPPGE was obtained in the concentration range of 50 to 2500 ngml-1with sensitivity and detection limit of 2.15 nA/ngml-1and 4.31 ngml-1, respectively. The developed method has been successfully applied for the determination of salbutamol in commercial preparations and human body fluids. Fast analysis of salbutamol in human urine makes the proposed method of great interest for doping control purposes at the site of competitive games.

Substrate dependent structural and magnetic properties of pulsed laser deposited Fe3O4 thin films

Nanocrystalline iron oxide thin films have been deposited on various substrates such as quartz, MgO(100), and Si(100) by pulsed laser deposition technique using excimer KrF laser (248 nm). The orientations, crystallite size and lattice parameters were studied using X-ray diffraction. The XRD results show that the films deposited on MgO and Si substrates are highly oriented and show only (400) and (311) reflections respectively. On the other hand, the orientation of the films deposited on quarts substrate changed from (311) to (400) with an increase in the substrate temperature from 400 degrees C to 600 degrees C, indicating thereby that the film growth direction is highly affected with nature of substrate and substrate temperature. The surface morphology of the deposited films was studied using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and spherical ball like regular features of nanometer size grains were obtained. The magnetic properties were studied by Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID) magnetometer in the magnetic field +/- 6 Tesla. The magnetic field dependent magnetization (M-H) curves of all the Fe3O4 thin films measured at 5 K and 300 K show the ferrimagnetic nature. The electrochemical sensing of dopamine studied for these films shows that the film deposited on MgO substrate can be used as a sensing electrode.

Fabrication of alpha-Fe2O3 nanopowder modified glassy carbon electrode for applications in electrochemical sensing

In the present study, Fe2O3 nanopowder has been grown by Ultrasonic mist chemical vapor deposition (UM-CVD), which is a promising method for large area deposition at low temperatures taking in to account of its simplicity, inexpensiveness and safety. Room temperature XRD results revealed prominent hematite phase with intense (104) reflection and was also in agreement with the HR-TEM results. In situ high temperature X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies clearly indicated the change of phase from hematite to magnetite as the temperature increases above 300 degrees C. The surface morphology and particle size distribution of Fe2O3 nanopowder were characterized using field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) and high resolution transmission electron microscope (HR-TEM), which revealed that the particles were spherical in nature and distributed in range of 50-100 nm. SQUID magnetometry results indicate the ferromagnetic nature of the nanopowder with crystallite size of 6 nm as calculated from M-H curve. Transmittance of approximately 55% and estimated direct band gap of 2.5 eV was observed. Further, the nanopowder was used to modify glassy carbon electrode (GCE) and the modified electrode was found to exhibit electrocatalytic activity for the oxidation of dopamine. It is expected that the nanopowder will exhibit promising applications in the development of sensors.

Fullerene C60 modified gold electrode and nanogold modified indium tin oxide electrode for prednisolone determination

The electrochemical determination of prednisolone has been investigated at fullerene-C(60)-modified gold (C(60)/Au) electrode and gold nanoparticles modified indium tin oxide (nano Au/ITO) electrode in phosphate buffer solution (PBS) of pH 7.2. During oxidation of prednisolone, an anodic peak with peak potential (E(p)) at 570 mV and 400 mV appeared at nano Au/ITO and C(60)/Au electrode, respectively. The experimental results revealed that gold nanoparticles as well as fullerene (C(60)) promote the rate of prednisolone oxidation by increasing the peak current (i(p)) and oxidizing at lower peak potentials as compared to the respective bare electrodes due to their electrocatalytic effect. The linear concentration range at both the electrodes was in the range of 1 microM to 0.10 mM. The detection limit obtained at C(60)/Au electrode was 26 nM, while at nano Au/ITO electrode the detection limit was 90 nM. The applicability of the method to direct assays of human urine and whole blood sample is described to use the method for testing cases of doping by athletes.

Determination of methylprednisolone acetate in biological fluids at gold nanoparticles modified ITO electrode

The electrochemical behavior of a corticosteroid methylprednisolone (MP), used for doping, has been studied at gold nanoparticles modified indium tin oxide (nanoAu/ITO) electrode. The nanoAu/ITO electrode exhibited an effective catalytic response towards its oxidation and lowered its oxidation potential by approximately 127 mV when compared with bare ITO electrode. Oxidation of MP has been carried out in phosphate containing electrolyte in the pH range 2.13-10.00 and a well-defined oxidation peak was noticed. Linear concentration curves are obtained over the concentration range 0.01-1.0 microM with a detection limit of 2.68 x 10(-7)M at nanoAu/ITO electrode. A diffusion coefficient of 2.36 x 10(-6)cm(2)/s is calculated for MP using chronoamperometry. The proposed method is effectively applied to detect the concentration of MP in pharmaceutical formulations and human blood plasma and urine samples. A comparison of MP concentration determined in blood plasma and urine by the proposed method and GC/MS indicated that the results are essentially similar. It is believed that the method will be useful in determining this drug in case of doping.