From lab to field: Supramolecular probe for gossypol real-time quantification

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Food Science
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Gossypol contamination in cottonseed products poses significant health risks to humans and livestock.
• Existing methods for detecting gossypol are often slow, complex, or require expensive equipment, hindering effective food safety monitoring.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel, sensitive, and user-friendly method for detecting gossypol contamination in food samples.
• To engineer a practical detection system for real-world food safety applications.

Main Methods:

• Development of a supramolecular fluorescent probe utilizing human serum albumin (HSA) and a disaggregation-induced emission (DIE) dye (MCID).
• Exploitation of host-guest interactions between gossypol and the MCID@HSA complex for fluorescence enhancement.
• Engineering the probe into a smartphone-based colorimetric detection system for accessible quantification.

Main Results:

• The fluorescent probe achieved a low detection limit of 13.7 nM for gossypol with a rapid 10-second response time.
• Demonstrated excellent selectivity and anti-interference capabilities in complex food matrices.
• Successful quantification of trace gossypol in real samples like cottonseed oil and meal with high recovery rates.

Conclusions:

• The developed supramolecular fluorescent probe offers a sensitive, selective, and rapid method for gossypol detection.
• The smartphone-based system provides an accessible and practical solution for food safety monitoring.
• This technology addresses the critical need for user-friendly gossypol detection in food products.