Bioinspired imprinted nanoprobes for near-infrared fluorescence recognition and detection of biogenic amines

Abstract

Histamine (HA) is a critical biomarker for food spoilage, necessitating its rapid and sensitive detection. In this study, inspired by the red shift observed in yellow fluorescent protein due to π-π stacking and the enhanced fluorescence of the green fluorescent protein mutant BFPms1 resulting from Zn²⁺-induced structural rigidification, peptide nanoparticles (PNPs) with near-infrared fluorescence were developed by self-assembling tri-histidine peptides with Zn²⁺. These PNPs exhibit excellent optical properties and biocompatibility, making them suitable as fluorescent nanoprobes for biological and food-related applications. Using HA as a template molecule, the PNPs functioned both as carrier and fluorescent signal sources for the synthesis of molecularly imprinted polymers (PNPs@MIPs), yielding materials with abundant, highly selective recognition sites. The PNPs@MIPs demonstrated sensitive and accurate responses to HA within a concentration range of 1–500 mg/L, with a detection limit of 0.828 mg/L, leveraging the retained near-infrared fluorescence. The precisely engineered imprinted cavities enabled rapid and selective HA capture, achieving a response time of 90 s and an Imprinting Factor of 8.34. Furthermore, a smartphone-integrated sensing platform allowed for visual, mobile HA detection through color changes, facilitating on-site analysis. This biomimetic strategy offers a promising route for the development of high-performance nanomaterials for targeted sensing, with broad implications for public health and food safety.