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Tectomer-Mediated Optical Nanosensors for Tyramine Determination
Mario Domínguez1, Sofía Oliver1, Rosa Garriga2
1Nanosensors and Bioanalytical Systems (N&SB), Analytical Chemistry Department, Faculty of Sciences, Instituto de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragón (INMA University of Zaragoza-CSIC), 50009 Zaragoza, Spain.
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)
|March 11, 2023
Summary
We developed a simple optical nanosensor for detecting tyramine, a marker of food spoilage. This low-cost sensor uses gold nanoparticles and smartphone color analysis for rapid, semi-quantitative results in food quality control.
Area of Science:
- Nanotechnology
- Materials Science
- Analytical Chemistry
Background:
- Optical sensors are crucial for rapid diagnostics in the food industry.
- Tyramine is a biogenic amine linked to food spoilage, necessitating reliable detection methods.
- Existing methods for tyramine detection can be complex or costly for in situ applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a simple, low-cost optical nanosensor for the detection of tyramine.
- To enable semi-quantitative or naked-eye detection of tyramine in food samples.
- To provide a method for rapid food quality control and smart food packaging applications.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of Au(III)/tectomer hybrid films on polylactic acid (PLA) supports.
- Utilizing the non-enzymatic redox reaction between tyramine and Au(III) to form gold nanoparticles.
- Employing smartphone color recognition (RGB coordinates) and reflectance/absorbance measurements for tyramine quantification.
Main Results:
- Formation of colored gold nanoparticles upon tyramine exposure, with color intensity correlating to concentration.
- Achieved semi-quantitative detection via RGB analysis and accurate quantification from 0.048 to 10 μM.
- Demonstrated a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.014 μM and a relative standard deviation (RSD) of 4.2%.
- Exhibited high selectivity for tyramine over other biogenic amines like histamine.
Conclusions:
- The developed Au(III)/tectomer optical nanosensor offers a simple and cost-effective method for tyramine detection.
- This technology shows significant promise for in situ food quality control and the development of smart food packaging.
- The sensor's reliance on optical properties and smartphone compatibility facilitates rapid, on-site diagnostics.
