Three-Dimensional-Printed Electrochemical Multiwell Plates for Monitoring Food Intolerance from Intestinal Organoids

Abstract

Common symptoms of food intolerance are caused by chemical components within food that have a pharmacological activity to alter the motility of the gastrointestinal tract. Food intolerance is difficult to diagnose as it requires a long-term process of eliminating foods that are responsible for gastrointestinal symptoms. Enterochromaffin (EC) cells are key intestinal epithelium cells that respond to luminal chemical stimulants by releasing 5-HT. Changes in 5-HT levels have been shown to directly alter the motility of the intestinal tract. Therefore, a rapid approach for monitoring the impact of chemicals in food components on 5-HT levels can provide a personalized insight into food intolerance and help stratify diets. Within this study, we developed a threedimensional (3D)-printed electrochemical multiwell plate to determine changes in 5-HT levels from intestinal organoids that were exposed to varying chemical components found in food. The carbon black/poly-lactic acid (CB/PLA) electrodes had a linear range in physiological concentrations of 5-HT (0.1−2 μM) with a limit of detection of 0.07 μM. The electrodes were stable for monitoring 5-HT overflow from intestinal organoids. Using the electrochemical multiwell plate containing intestinal organoids, increases in 5-HT were observed in the presence of 0.1 mM cinnamaldehyde and 10 mM quercetin but reduction in 5-HT levels was observed in 1 mM sorbitol when compared to control. These changes in the presence of chemicals commonly found in food were verified with ex vivo ileum tissue measurements using chromatography and amperometry with boron-doped diamond electrodes. Overall, our 3D electrochemical multiwell plate measurements with intestinal organoids highlight an approach that can be a high-throughput platform technology for rapid screening of food intolerance to provide personalized nutritional diet.

Exploring different carbon allotrope thermoplastic composites for electrochemical sensing

“…Electrodes were evaluated for the determination of 5-HT, which is an important neurotransmitter that plays key roles in signalling within the central and peripheral nervous system and thus is of key interest for stable monitoring [56][57][58][59][60] . Our previous studies have shown that micromolar concentration of these molecules have been detected from biological tissues 35,[61][62] . Differential pulse voltammograms of 5-HT at concentrations from 2 to 10 µM were obtained on CB/PLA (Figure 4A), graphite/PLA (Figure 4B) graphene/PLA (Figure 4C) and MWCNT/PLA (Figure 4D) electrodes.…”

Exploring Different Carbon Allotrope Thermoplastic Composites for Electrochemical Sensing

“…Given the interesting findings from the redox probe, the sensing capabilities of the different carbon allotrope thermoplastic electrodes were explored. Electrodes were evaluated for the determination of 5-HT, which is an important neurotransmitter that plays key roles in signaling within the central and peripheral nervous system and thus is of key interest for stable monitoring. − Our previous studies have shown that micromolar concentrations of these molecules have been detected in biological tissues. ,, …”

“…56−60 Our previous studies have shown that micromolar concentrations of these molecules have been detected in biological tissues. 35,61,62 Differential pulse voltammograms of 5-HT at concentrations from 2 to 10 μM were obtained on CB/PLA (Figure 4A), graphite/PLA (Figure 4B), graphene/PLA (Figure 4C), and MWCNT/PLA (Figure 4D) electrodes. The normalized calibration responses for all materials are shown in Figure 4E, where clear linear responses were observed over the concentration range of 5-HT.…”