Enzyme-aided amplification strategy for sensitive detection of methamphetamine based on fluorescence aptamer sensor.

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Biochemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Methamphetamine (METH) abuse presents significant public health and social challenges.
• Sensitive and selective detection methods are crucial for addressing METH abuse.
• Existing detection methods may lack the required sensitivity, selectivity, or speed for practical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel fluorescence aptamer sensor for the sensitive and selective detection of METH.
• To utilize graphene oxide (GO), FAM-labeled aptamer, and DNA exonuclease III (Exo III) for signal amplification.
• To validate the sensor's performance in biological samples such as urine and saliva.

Main Methods:

• A fluorescence aptamer sensor was designed using graphene oxide (GO) to quench aptamer fluorescence.
• Methamphetamine (METH) binding to the aptamer induced dissociation from GO, restoring fluorescence.
• DNA exonuclease III (Exo III) was employed for signal amplification through cyclic hybridization.
• Gel electrophoresis was used to confirm the strategy's reliability.

Main Results:

• The aptamer sensor demonstrated a low detection limit of 0.52 nM for METH.
• Excellent selectivity was achieved under optimized conditions.
• The sensor showed high recovery rates (94.00-104.65%) in detecting METH in urine and saliva samples.
• The developed method is facile, sensitive, and rapid.

Conclusions:

• The developed fluorescence aptamer sensor provides a highly sensitive and selective platform for METH detection.
• The sensor's successful validation in urine and saliva samples indicates its potential for practical METH abuse monitoring.
• This approach offers a promising tool for rapid and reliable METH detection in clinical and forensic settings.