Fluorometric Detection of Thiamine Based on Hemoglobin–Cu3(PO4)2 Nanoflowers (NFs) with Peroxidase Mimetic Activity

Abstract

Component analysis plays an important role in food production, pharmaceutics and agriculture. Nanozymes have attracted wide attention in analytical applications for their enzyme-like properties. In this work, a fluorometric method is described for the determination of thiamine (TH) (vitamin B1) based on hemoglobin–Cu3(PO4)2 nanoflowers (Hb–Cu3(PO4)2 NFs) with peroxidase-like properties. The Hb–Cu3(PO4)2 NFs catalyzed the decomposition of H2O2 into ·OH radicals in an alkaline solution that could efficiently react with nonfluorescent thiamine to fluoresce thiochrome. The fluorescence of thiochrome was further enhanced with a nonionic surfactant, Tween 80. Under optimal reaction conditions, the linear range for thiamine was from 5 × 10−8 to 5 × 10−5 mol/L. The correlation coefficient for the calibration curve and the limit of detection (LOD) were 0.9972 and 4.8 × 10−8 mol/L, respectively. The other vitamins did not bring about any obvious changes in fluorescence. The developed method based on hybrid nanoflowers is specific, pragmatically simple and sensitive, and has potential for application in thiamine detection.

Photo-Enhanced Chemo-Transistor Platform for Ultrasensitive Assay of Small Molecules

“…Small molecules refer to compounds with a molecular weight less than 1000 Da, some of which such as methylglyoxal (MGO), dopamine, thiamine, and sarcosine have trace contents down to the pM (1 pM = 10 –12 M) level in bio-fluids, yet play important roles in life activities. − Sensitive assay of small molecules is highly desired not only for biological and medical research but also for early diagnosis of diseases . Although assay technologies such as chromatography, spectroscopy, and electrochemistry , have been developed, they suffer from some disadvantages such as low sensitivity, costly instrumentation, small throughput, complicated sample preparation, lack of portability, or the need for well-trained operators. , In addition, these technologies normally require labels, introducing additional contaminations that are involved in the detection system and interfere with the desired signals .…”