Francesco Palmisano

A sensitivity-enhanced field-effect chiral sensor

Organic thin-film transistor sensors have been recently attracting the attention of the plastic electronics community for their potential exploitation in novel sensing platforms. Specificity and sensitivity are however still open issues: in this respect chiral discrimination-being a scientific and technological achievement in itself--is indeed one of the most challenging sensor bench-tests. So far, conducting-polymer solid-state chiral detection has been carried out at part-per-thousand concentration levels. Here, a novel chiral bilayer organic thin-film transistor gas sensor--comprising an outermost layer with built-in enantioselective properties-is demonstrated to show field-effect amplified sensitivity that enables differential detection of optical isomers in the tens-of-parts-per-million concentration range. The ad-hoc-designed organic semiconductor endowed with chiral side groups, the bilayer structure and the thin-film transistor transducer provide a significant step forward in the development of a high-performance and versatile sensing platform compatible with flexible organic electronic technologies.

Highly Efficient Gluten Degradation by Lactobacilli and Fungal Proteases during Food Processing: New Perspectives for Celiac Disease

ABSTRACT Presently, the only effective treatment for celiac disease is a life-long gluten-free diet. In this work, we used a new mixture of selected sourdough lactobacilli and fungal proteases to eliminate the toxicity of wheat flour during long-time fermentation. Immunological (R5 antibody-based sandwich and competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA] and R5 antibody-based Western blot), two-dimensional electrophoresis, and mass spectrometry (matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight, strong-cation-exchange-liquid chromatography/capillary liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-quadrupole-time of flight [SCX-LC/CapLC-ESI-Q-TOF], and high-pressure liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-ion trap mass spectrometry) analyses were used to determine the gluten concentration. Assays based on the proliferation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and gamma interferon production by PBMCs and intestinal T-cell lines (iTCLs) from 12 celiac disease patients were used to determine the protein toxicity of the pepsin-trypsin digests from fermented wheat dough (sourdough). As determined by R5-based sandwich and competitive ELISAs, the residual concentration of gluten in sourdough was 12 ppm. Albumins, globulins, and gliadins were completely hydrolyzed, while ca. 20% of glutenins persisted. Low-molecular-weight epitopes were not detectable by SCX-LC/CapLC-ESI-Q-TOF mass spectrometry and R5-based Western blot analyses. The kinetics of the hydrolysis of the 33-mer by lactobacilli were highly efficient. All proteins extracted from sourdough activated PBMCs and induced gamma interferon production at levels comparable to the negative control. None of the iTCLs demonstrated immunoreactivity towards pepsin-trypsin digests. Bread making was standardized to show the suitability of the detoxified wheat flour. Food processing by selected sourdough lactobacilli and fungal proteases may be considered an efficient approach to eliminate gluten toxicity.

Simultaneous monitoring of glucose and lactate by an interference and cross-talk free dual electrode amperometric biosensor based on electropolymerized thin films

An interference and cross-talk free dual electrode amperometric biosensor integrated with a microdialysis sampling system is described, for simultaneous monitoring of glucose and lactate by flow injection analysis. The biosensor is based on a conventional thin layer flow-through cell equipped with a Pt dual electrode (parallel configuration). Each Pt disk was modified by a composite bilayer consisting of an electrosynthesised overoxidized polypyrrole (PPYox) anti-interference membrane covered by an enzyme entrapping gel, obtained by glutaraldehyde co-crosslinking of glucose oxidase or lactate oxidase with bovine serum albumin. The advantages of covalent immobilization techniques were coupled with the excellent interference-rejection capabilities of PPYox. Ascorbate, cysteine, urate and paracetamol produced lactate or glucose bias in the low micromolar range; their responses were, however, completely suppressed when the sample was injected through the microdialysis unit. Under these operational conditions the flow injection responses for glucose and lactate were linear up to 100 and 20 mM with typical sensitivities of 9.9 (+/- 0.1) and 7.2 (+/- 0.1) nA/mM. respectively. The shelf-lifetime of the biosensor was at least 2 months. The potential of the described biosensor was demonstrated by the simultaneous determination of lactate and glucose in untreated tomato juice samples; results were in good agreement with those of a reference method.

An Enzyme Switch Employing Direct Electrochemical Communication between Horseradish Peroxidase and a Poly(aniline) Film.

An enzyme switch, or microelectrochemical enzyme transistor, responsive to hydrogen peroxide was made by connecting two carbon band electrodes (∼10 μm wide, 4.5 mm long separated by a 20-μm gap) with an anodically grown film of poly(aniline). Horseradish peroxidase (EC 1.11.1.7) was either adsorbed onto the poly(aniline) film or immobilized in an insulating poly(1,2-diaminobenzene) polymer grown electrochemically on top of the poly(aniline) film to complete the device. In the completed device, the conductivity of the poly(aniline) film changes from conducting (between - 0.05 and + 0.3 V vs SCE at pH 5) to insulating (>+0.3 V vs SCE at pH 5) on addition of hydrogen peroxide. The change in conductivity is brought about by oxidation of the poly(aniline) film by direct electrochemical communication between the enzyme and the conducting polymer. This was confirmed by measuring the potential of the poly(aniline) film during switching of the conductivity in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. The devices can be reused by rereducing the poly(aniline) electrochemically to a potential below +0.3 V vs SCE. A blind test showed that the device can be used to determine unknown concentrations of H(2)O(2) in solution and that, when used with hydrogen peroxide concentrations below 0.5 mmol dm(-)(3), the same device maybe reused several times. The possible development of devices of this type for use in applications requiring the measurement of low levels of hydrogen peroxide or horseradish peroxidase is discussed.

Electrosynthesized non-conducting polymers as permselective membranes in amperometric enzyme electrodes : a glucose biosensor based on a co-crosslinked glucose oxidase/overoxidized polypyrrole bilayer

A glucose amperometric biosensor based on glucose oxidase immobilized on an overoxidized polypyrrole (PPyox) platinum modified electrode, by glutaraldehyde co-crosslinking with bovine serum albumine, is described. The advantages of covalent immobilization techniques (e.g. high loading and long-term stability of the enzyme) are coupled with the excellent interferent rejection of electrosynthesized non-conducting polymers. The sensor showed an apparent Michaelis-Menten constant of 16 +/- 0.8 mM, a maximum current density of 490 microA/cm2 and a shelf lifetime of at least 3 months. Ascorbate, urate, cysteine and acetaminophen at their maximum physiological concentrations produced a glucose bias in the low micromolar range. Flow-injection response was linear up to 20 mM glucose with typical sensitivity of 84.0 +/- 1.5 nA/mM. The sensor was tested for glucose determination of untreated serum samples from both normal and diabetic subjects; results of amperometric assay compared well with those obtained by a standard enzymatic-colorimetric method.

Interference-free glucose sensor based on glucose-oxidase immobilized in an overoxidized non-conducting polypyrrole film

SummaryAn amperometric glucose sensor is described; it is based on glucose oxidase immobilized in an overoxidized non-conducting polypyrrole membrane. The overoxidation process of polypyrrole produces a permselective, antifouling membrane capable of rejecting ascorbate, urate, acetaminophen and cysteine, as well as proteins and other surface active components typically present in serum. The amperometric assay of glucose in serum correlates well with an established routine procedure based on an enzymatic-colorimetric method.

An interference-free biosensor based on glucose oxidase electrochemically immobilized in a non-conducting poly(pyrrole) film for continuous subcutaneous monitoring of glucose through microdialysis sampling

A glucose biosensor, based on glucose oxidase immobilized in a non-conducting (overoxidised) polypyrrole film, is described which proved practically immune from faradaic interference arising from endogeneous (ascorbate, urate, cysteine) and exogeneous (acetaminophen) electroactive interferents. The bias introduced in the measurement of 5 mM glucose by the given interferents at their maximum physiological levels never exceeded 2% which is, by far, the lowest value ever reported. The biosensor has been used for continuous subcutaneous monitoring of glucose in a rabbit implanted with a microdialysis probe. The potential and limits of this approach are discussed.

Determination of triazines in soil leachates by solid-phase microextraction coupled to gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

A solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SPME-GC-MS) method was developed for the evaluation of the leachability order of selected triazines (propazine, terbuthylazine, sebuthylazine, ametryn, prometryn and terbutryn) in soil/sediment samples (organic carbon content ranging from 0.19 to 0.42%), analysing fractions collected from a soil packed microcolumn elution experiments. The procedure is fast, simple, highly sensitive and solvent free. SPME-GC-MS was also employed for the quantitative determination of triazines in the soil leachate, since the method showed good recovery yield. Detection limits were always better than 1 ng ml(-1). The method was tested on a contaminated landfill top soil. Prometryn and ametryn were identified through their MS spectra and then quantified. Terbuthylazine was used to assess recovery. Results compared well with those obtained by solvent extraction followed by HPLC-UV detection.

Solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry for the rapid screening of triazole residues in wine and strawberries

A solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method has been developed for the determination of triazole residues, such as triadimefon, propiconazole, myclobutanil and penconazole. The method has been successfully applied to the analysis of strawberries and wine samples. The procedure is solvent-free, simple and highly sensitive. Within-day and day-to-day RSDs ranged between 2-11% and 7-28%, respectively. Detection limits estimated at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3 ranged between 30 (propiconazole) and 100 ng/kg (triadimefon). Since the detection limits achieved by this method are well below the maximum residue levels for wine (or grapes) and strawberries recommended by the European legislation, it can be conveniently used as a low-cost rapid screening method for the contamination of the considered samples.

Identification of allergenic milk proteins markers in fined white wines by capillary liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry.

A method based on capillary liquid chromatography combined with electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (CapLC-ESI-MS-MS) for the detection and identification of casein deriving peptides in fined white wine is described. This is the first step towards the development of a liquid chromatography mass spectrometric method for the detection/identification of markers of potentially allergenic milk proteins used as wine fining agents. The method demonstrated to be capable of detecting some peptides arising from alpha and beta casein (with the relative aminoacidic sequences elucidated) in extracts of white wine fined with casein at 100 and 1000 microg/mL. This MS based approach appears to be a useful tool for screening purposes as well as a confirmatory tool for the unequivocal identification of caseins in ELISA positive samples.