A portable slide based MIPs-FL sensor was fabricated for potential on-site detection

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Lactoferrin (Lf) is a vital milk nutrient, critical for dairy and breeding industries.
• Current detection methods are costly, complex, and require advanced instrumentation, limiting use in smaller facilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a cost-effective, portable sensor for on-site lactoferrin detection in milk.
• To overcome the limitations of traditional lactoferrin analysis.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIPs) based fluorescence sensor on ZnO nanoflowers functionalized slides.
• Direct application of the sensor to milk samples without pre-treatment.
• Development of an on-line detection method for Lf analysis.

Main Results:

• The sensor demonstrated high selectivity for Lf with an imprinting factor of 9.05 and binding affinity of 356.34 mL/g.
• An on-line detection method showed a good linear relationship (r > 0.9680) for Lf concentrations from 0.0625 mg/mL to 1.00 mg/mL.
• The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) were 0.0207 mg/mL and 0.0690 mg/mL, respectively.

Conclusions:

• A convenient, portable MIPs-FL sensor was successfully developed for lactoferrin detection.
• The method proved effective in analyzing real milk samples, showing potential for on-site applications in the dairy industry.