Verónica I. Paz Zanini

A highly sensitive and stable glucose biosensor using thymine-based polycations into laponite hydrogel films.

A series of glucose bioelectrodes were prepared by glucose oxidase (GOx) immobilization into laponite hydrogel films containing DNA bioinspired polycations made of vinylbenzyl thymine (VBT) and vinylbenzyl triethylammonium chloride (VBA) with general formulae (VBT)m(VBA)n](n+)≈25 with m=0, 1 and n=2, 4, 8, deposited onto glassy carbon electrode. The bioelectrodes were characterized by chronoamperometry, cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Results indicated that the electrochemical properties of the laponite hydrogel films were largely improved by the incorporation of thymine-based polycations, being proportional to the positive charge density of the polycation molecule. After incorporation of glucose oxidase, the sensitivity of the bioelectrode to glucose increased with the positive charge density of the polycation. Additionally, the presence of the vinylbenzyl thymine moiety played a role in the long-term stability and reproducibility of the bioelectrode signal. As a consequence, the [(VBT)(VBA)8](8+)≈25 was the most appropriate polycation for bioelectrode preparation and glucose sensing, with a specific sensitivity of se=176 mA mmol(-1)Lcm(-2)U(-1), almost two-order of magnitude larger than other laponite immobilized GOx bioelectrodes reported elsewhere. These features were confirmed by testing the bioelectrode for a selective determination of glucose in powder milk and blood serum samples without interference of either ascorbic or uric acids under the experimental conditions. The present study demonstrates the suitability of DNA bioinspired water-soluble polycations [(VBT)m(VBA)n](n+)≈25 for enzyme immobilization like GOx into laponite hydrogels, and the preparation of highly sensitive and stable bioelectrodes on glassy carbon surface.

Lactic Acid Fermentation Improved Textural Behaviour, Phenolic Compounds and Antioxidant Activity of Chia (Salvia hispanica L.) Dough

In this work, autochthonous lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were isolated from chia (Salvia hispanica L.) dough and selected on the basis of the kinetics of acidification and proteolytic activity. Strain no. C8, identified as Lactobacillus plantarum C8, was selected and used as starter to obtain chia sourdough. Lactic acid fermentation increased the organic acid mass fractions (lactic, acetic and phenyl lactic acids to 12.3 g, 1.0 g and 23.8 µg per kg of dough respectively), and antioxidant activities, which increased by approx. 33-40% compared to unfermented chia flour dough. In addition, total phenolic content increased 25% and its composition was strongly modified after 24 h of fermentation by L. plantarum C8. Chlorogenic acid was only found in the fermented dough (2.5 mg/g), while ferulic acid was detected from the beginning of fermentation, being 32% higher in chia sourdough (5.6 mg/g). The use of fermented chia sourdough improved the overall characteristics of white bread, including physical (e.g. reduced hardness and chewiness of the crumb) and antioxidant properties (25% on average), compared to the white bread. These results indicate that the use of chia sourdough could be a promising alternative to improve the technological and antioxidant properties of wheat bread. In addition, this work has shown, for the first time, that lactic acid bacterium is able to ferment chia dough, improving its overall characteristics.