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Fabricating Cotton Analytical Devices
Published on: August 30, 2016
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A cost-effective assay for antioxidant using simple cotton thread combining paper based device with mobile phone
Suphasinee Sateanchok1, Sunanta Wangkarn1, Chalermpong Saenjum2
1Center of Excellence for Innovation in Analytical Science and Technology, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand.
Talanta
|November 8, 2017
Summary
A new, low-cost method uses cotton thread and a smartphone to measure antioxidant capacity and phenolic content in samples like green tea. This paper-based device offers a simple, accessible alternative to traditional laboratory assays.
Area of Science:
- Analytical Chemistry
- Biochemistry
- Materials Science
Background:
- Traditional antioxidant assays often require expensive equipment and trained personnel.
- There is a need for cost-effective, portable, and user-friendly methods for assessing antioxidant properties.
- Phenolic compounds are key contributors to antioxidant activity and are found in many natural products.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a simple, inexpensive, and portable assay for quantifying total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity.
- To integrate a paper-based device with cotton threads and mobile phone detection for microfluidic analysis.
- To validate the developed method using green tea samples and compare results with standard techniques.
Main Methods:
- A paper-based device utilizing cotton threads treated with sodium hydroxide for microfluidic sample transport.
- Immobilization of Folin-Ciocalteu reagent for total phenolic content assay and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) for antioxidant capacity assay.
- Detection and quantification using a mobile phone camera (iPhone 4S) with image processing software (Image J or Photoshop).
Main Results:
- The developed cotton thread-based assay successfully quantified total phenolic content (expressed as Gallic Acid Equivalents, GAE) and antioxidant capacity (IC50 values).
- Assays on green tea samples yielded total phenolic content ranging from 48-105 mg/g GAE and IC50 values of 25-50 mg/L.
- Results from the developed method showed good agreement with established standard analytical techniques, with %RSD < 10% for relevant measurements.
Conclusions:
- The cotton thread-based paper device combined with mobile phone detection provides a cost-effective and accessible platform for antioxidant and phenolic content analysis.
- This innovative approach simplifies microfluidic assays, making them suitable for field applications or resource-limited settings.
- The method demonstrates reliable performance for analyzing real-world samples like green tea, offering a viable alternative to conventional laboratory-based assays.
