Semiconducting polymer dots based l-lactate sensor by enzymatic cascade reaction system.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Analytical Chemistry
• Biochemistry

Background:

• L-lactate detection is crucial for athletic performance assessment and diagnosing conditions like L-lactateosis.
• Current l-lactate detection methods lack sufficient sensitivity for comprehensive clinical applications.
• L-lactate serves as a vital biomarker for overall human health status.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a highly sensitive ratiometric fluorescent probe for accurate l-lactate detection.
• To establish a novel detection system for l-lactate in complex biological samples.

Main Methods:

• A ratiometric fluorescent probe was engineered using platinum octaethylporphyrin (PtOEP) doped semiconducting polymer dots (Pdots-Pt).
• An enzymatic cascade reaction was employed to continuously cycle l-lactate oxidation and reduction, consuming oxygen and NADH.
• Fluorescence intensity changes at different wavelengths were monitored to quantify l-lactate concentration.

Main Results:

• The probe demonstrated two linear detection ranges: 0.5 nM to 5.0 μM and 5.0 μM to 50.0 μM.
• An ultra-low limit of detection of 0.18 nM was achieved.
• The method showed robust performance in detecting l-lactate in bovine and artificial serum samples.

Conclusions:

• The developed sensing system is suitable for sensitive l-lactate detection in clinical settings.
• The probe's low detection limit significantly surpasses existing methods.
• This technology holds potential for selective l-lactate analysis in health monitoring and disease diagnosis.