Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 8, 2026

Foodborne Pathogen Screening Using Magneto-fluorescent Nanosensor: Rapid Detection of E. Coli O157:H7
Published on: September 17, 2017
Ellagic acid-borax fluorescence interaction: application for novel cyclodextrin-borax nanosensors for analyzing
Adrián Matencio1, Silvia Navarro-Orcajada, Francisco García-Carmona
1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology-A. Faculty of Biology. University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30071, Murcia, Spain. josemln@um.es.
Abstract:
The food industry needs cheap, fast and sensitive methods to increase the number of analyses that are routinely carried out; for this reason, new methods are constantly being sought. This paper describes a novel fluorescent nanosensor based on cyclodextrin (CD) to determine ellagic acid (EA). The encapsulation of EA in the presence of borax was studied. Firstly, the complexation of EA-borax was tested. The stoichiometry of the EA-borax complex showed a 1 : 2 complex, with KF1 = 2548 ± 127 M-1 and KF2 = 302 ± 15 M-1. Different CDs were used to obtain a 1 : 1 : 1 CD-EA-borax complex with γ-CD providing the best complexation constant (KF3 = 364 ± 18 M-1). Furthermore, when the accuracy and sensitivity of the nanosensor were tested using a crude blueberry extract, the CD/borax mixture provided an 18 times stronger signal than with the crude extract alone and 7 times stronger than that obtained using borax alone.
Related Concept Videos
Amino acids
Nucleic Acids
DNA and RNA
The two main types of nucleic acids are deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA). DNA is the genetic material in all living organisms, ranging from single-celled bacteria to multicellular mammals. It is in the nucleus of eukaryotes and in the organelles, chloroplasts, and mitochondria. In prokaryotes,...
Nucleic acids
DNA and RNA
The two main types of nucleic acids are deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA). DNA is the genetic material in all living organisms, ranging from single-celled bacteria to multicellular mammals. It is in the nucleus of eukaryotes and in the organelles, chloroplasts, and mitochondria. In prokaryotes,...
Polyprotic Acids
Acids, Bases and Neutralization Reactions
Mixtures of Acids
A Mixture of a Strong Acid and a Weak Acid
In a mixture of a strong acid and a weak acid, the strong acid dissociates completely and becomes a source of almost all the hydronium ions...

