A simple procedure to incorporate enzymes (horseradish
peroxidase,
HRP, and lactate oxidase, LOx) within alginate hydrogels is reported
with electrochemiluminescence (ECL) used to detect the enzymatic reactions
with the corresponding substrates. First, HRP and LOx were successfully
immobilized into CaCO3 microspheres, followed by the electrostatic
layer-by-layer deposition of a nanoshell onto the microspheres, and
finally by their dispersion into alginate solution. The as-prepared
dispersion was drop cast onto the glassy carbon electrodes and cross-linked
by the external and internal gelation methods using Ca2+ cations. The enzymes encapsulated within the alginate hydrogels
were characterized using cyclic voltammetry and kinetic studies performed
using ECL. The results showed that the enzymatic activity was significantly
maintained as a result of the immobilization, with values of the apparent
Michaelis–Menten constants estimated as 7.71 ± 0.62 and
8.41 ± 0.43 μM, for HRP and LOx, respectively. The proposed
biosensors showed good stability and repeatability with an estimated
limit of detection of 5.38 ± 0.05 and 0.50 ± 0.03 μM
for hydrogen peroxide and lactic acid, respectively. The as-prepared
enzymes encapsulated within the alginate hydrogels showed good stability
up to 28 days from their preparation. The sensitivity and selectivity
of the enzymes encapsulated within the alginate hydrogels were tested
in real matrices (HRP, hydrogen peroxide, in contact lens solution;
LOx, lactic acid in artificial sweat) showing the sensitivity of the
ECL detection methods for the detection of hydrogen peroxide and lactic
acid in real samples.