A biosensor based on graphite epoxy composite electrode for aspartame and ethanol detection.

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Biotechnology
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Development of sensitive and selective biosensors is crucial for accurate food and beverage analysis.
• Existing methods for detecting artificial sweeteners and alcohol often require complex procedures or specialized equipment.
• Enzyme-based biosensors offer a promising alternative due to their high specificity and potential for miniaturization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and characterize a novel bienzyme biosensor for the simultaneous detection of aspartame and ethanol.
• To evaluate the performance of the biosensor in terms of linearity, response time, and selectivity.
• To assess the applicability of the developed biosensor for analyzing real-world samples such as diet cola, beer, and wine.

Main Methods:

• Immobilization of carboxyl esterase and alcohol oxidase enzymes onto a graphite epoxy composite electrode (GECE) surface using a gelatin membrane.
• Electrochemical characterization and performance evaluation of the developed biosensor.
• Assay development for aspartame and ethanol detection.
• Validation of the biosensor using commercial food and beverage samples.

Main Results:

• The biosensor demonstrated good linearity for aspartame (2.5–400 µM) and ethanol (2.5–25 µM).
• Rapid response times were observed: 170s for aspartame and 70s for ethanol.
• The biosensor successfully detected aspartame in diet cola and ethanol in beer and wine samples, showing high selectivity and practicality.

Conclusions:

• The developed bienzyme biosensor is a selective, practical, and economic tool for detecting aspartame and ethanol in real samples.
• The integration of enzymes onto a GECE platform provides a robust and sensitive analytical system.
• This biosensor holds potential for routine quality control in the food and beverage industry.