Analytica Chimica Acta最新文献

{"title":"Highly sensitive chemiluminescence immunoassay utilizing functionalized magnetic metal-organic framework materials for the detection of CEA and CA199","authors":"Xiaomin Zuo ,&nbsp;Wenxia Chen ,&nbsp;Xianlong Lu ,&nbsp;Rui Yuan ,&nbsp;Shuangyi Hu ,&nbsp;Yangyang Xue ,&nbsp;Wei Chen ,&nbsp;Rui Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.aca.2026.345114","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aca.2026.345114","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>In response to the urgent need for highly sensitive and rapid combined detection of multiple tumor markers for the early diagnosis of colorectal cancer, this work innovatively constructs a magnetically-driven chemiluminescence (CL) immunosensing platform (CoFe₂O₄@ZIF-8/luminol-Au NPs).</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>CoFe₂O₄ NPs were firstly aminated via solvothermal method and lysine modification to provide specific binding sites. ZIF-8 was then grown in situ to form a core-shell structure with high specific surface area for efficient luminol loading. Finally, Au NPs were generated in situ within ZIF-8, simultaneously immobilizing luminol to form composite signal units. This design integrates magnetic separation, confinement effects, and signal amplification, generating an ideal microenvironment for enhanced CL reactions. The label-free CL immunoassay achieves an impressive limit of detection (LOD) of 22 fg/mL for CEA and 5.4 fg/mL for CA199, with broad linear ranges spanning over 5 orders of magnitude. The entire detection process is completed within 30 min, and the analysis of real serum samples demonstrates good recoveries.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":240,"journal":{"name":"Analytica Chimica Acta","volume":"1389 ","pages":"Article 345114"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145995955","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ultrasensitive detection of colorectal cancer biomarkers in exhaled breath using superhydrophobic HCPs-2Br-based SPME-GC-MS with a two-step pre-enrichment strategy","authors":"Haifei Shang ,&nbsp;Mingyu Wang ,&nbsp;Zhiyu Wang ,&nbsp;Mingwei Wang ,&nbsp;Ligai Bai ,&nbsp;Hongyuan Yan","doi":"10.1016/j.aca.2026.345099","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aca.2026.345099","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Exhaled breath has emerged as a promising biospecimen for disease diagnosis, particularly for non-invasive screening. However, the detection of disease biomarkers in exhaled breath presents significant challenges due to their ultra-trace levels and the complex, high-humidity composition of the breath matrix. Consequently, there is a pressing need to develop innovative pretreatment technologies to enable the sensitive detection of colorectal cancer (CRC)-related biomarkers for early non-invasive screening.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>In this study, a superhydrophobic dibromodibenzothiophene-based hypercrosslinked polymer (HCPs-2Br) was developed as a novel solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fiber coating and established a two-step pre-enrichment strategy to overcome these challenges. Target biomarkers were first pre-concentrated using Tenax TA adsorption tubes, followed by methanol elution, and subsequently enriched using HCPs-2Br-SPME. Coupled with GC-MS, this method enabled ultrasensitive and selective quantification of six CRC-related biomarkers in human exhaled breath. The HCPs-2Br coating demonstrated excellent affinity and selectivity, achieving enrichment factors ranging from 1498 to 29,078. The limits of detection were as low as 0.4–14.8 pg mL⁻¹, with strong linearity (<em>r</em> ≥ 0.9987), recoveries between 86.3 % and 117.3 %, and relative standard deviations below 12.4 %. The method was applied to exhaled breath samples from patients and volunteers, confirming its robustness, reproducibility, and clinical potential.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>This work presents a novel pretreatment framework for the analysis of disease-related volatile organic compounds in exhaled breath. It provides a simple, cost-effective, and highly sensitive platform for non-invasive CRC screening, laying the foundation for broader applications of breath-based biomarker detection in clinical diagnostics and metabolic research.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":240,"journal":{"name":"Analytica Chimica Acta","volume":"1389 ","pages":"Article 345099"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146025689","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A novel pyrazine-based Eu-MOFs AIECL immunosensor with antenna effect and Au@Sn3O4 as co-reaction accelerator for ultrasensitive detection of deoxynivalenol","authors":"Jiayuan Nie ,&nbsp;Jing Shi ,&nbsp;Chunyan He ,&nbsp;Huiling Jiang ,&nbsp;Kang Wu ,&nbsp;Anping Deng ,&nbsp;Xinjian Feng ,&nbsp;Jianguo Li","doi":"10.1016/j.aca.2026.345115","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aca.2026.345115","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Deoxynivalenol (DON), a widespread mycotoxin produced by Fusarium fungi, contaminates grains like wheat and corn, its thermal/chemical resistance prevents full decomposition during food processing. The severe toxicological impacts of DON have instigated scientific vigilance and elevated public apprehension. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) assigned deoxynivalenol to its Group 3 classification within its chemical carcinogen taxonomy in 2017. Therefore, it is crucial to detect the content of DON contaminants in grains. In this paper we developed a novel electrochemical luminescence immunoassay based on pyrazine ligands for the detection of DON in grains.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>This work presents a significant conceptual and methodological advancement in the field of electrochemiluminescence biosensing. The synthesized Eu-MOF, utilizing 2,3,5,6-tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl) pyrazine as an AIE (aggregation-induced electrochemiluminescence) ligand and Eu³⁺ as the metal center, exhibited a significantly enhanced and stable ECL emission compared to the ligand alone, which is attributed to the effective \"antenna effect\". When integrated with Au@Sn₃O₄ nanoflowers as a co-reaction accelerator, the ECL intensity was further amplified due to improved electron transfer and catalytic efficiency. After optimizing all parameters, the optimal experimental conditions were determined. The constructed immunosensor demonstrated an excellent wide-range linear response to DON concentrations from 0.007 ng mL⁻¹ to 1000 ng mL⁻¹, with an ultra-low detection limit of 2.3 pg mL⁻¹ (S/N = 3). The sensor also showed high selectivity against other common mycotoxins and satisfactory stability.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>The successful implementation of this \"AIE-antenna\" dual-effect strategy provides a new and general paradigm for designing high-performance ECL materials. Furthermore, the constructed immunosensor demonstrates its practical utility for the ultrasensitive monitoring of mycotoxins in food safety. The outstanding analytical performance, as evidenced by the ultra-low detection limit, underscores the reliability of this platform and its great potential for the detection of various trace-level contaminants in complex sample.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":240,"journal":{"name":"Analytica Chimica Acta","volume":"1389 ","pages":"Article 345115"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145995962","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"T4 DNA ligase-mediated RAA coupled with RNA aptamer-driven cascade signal amplification for ultra-sensitive monkeypox virus detection","authors":"Chenxi Li ,&nbsp;He Sun ,&nbsp;QingWen Jia ,&nbsp;Zebin Zhang ,&nbsp;Shengjun Bu ,&nbsp;Hongtao Zhou ,&nbsp;Longtao Wang ,&nbsp;Jiayu Wan","doi":"10.1016/j.aca.2026.345116","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aca.2026.345116","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>The global dissemination of monkeypox virus (MPXV) poses a formidable challenge to public health systems worldwide, disrupting surveillance and containment strategies. This crisis underscores the urgent demand for rapid diagnostic technologies that balance high sensitivity for detecting low viral loads and strict specificity to prevent cross-reactivity. To address this unmet need, the present study developed a cascade signal amplification system—named “Monkeypox Fluorescent T4-Ligase Assay (MFTA)”—by integrating recombinase-aided amplification (RAA) and fluorescent RNA aptamer sensing technology, with T4 DNA ligase as the core mediator.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>MFTA generates single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) templates through 5′-phosphorylated primers combined with Lambda nuclease treatment and employs two specifically designed bifunctional probes: Probe-L, which incorporates a T7 promoter, and Probe-R, which contains a DNA Mango aptamer sequence. In the presence of MPXV, T4 DNA ligase specifically catalyzes probe ligation to form a complete transcription template, further initiating T7 RNA polymerase-mediated in vitro transcription. This process produces abundant RNA Mango aptamers, which specifically bind the TO1 fluorophore to generate a detectable fluorescent signal. The “Identification-Ligation-Transcription-Fluorescence” cascade enables dual verification: RAA ensures target-specific amplification of MPXV sequences, while T4 DNA ligase guarantees precise probe ligation and reduces non-specific background noise. Experiments confirmed MFTA has a detection limit of 1 copy/μL for MPXV, with results consistent with those of qPCR, and effectively discriminates MPXV from other orthopoxviruses.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>MFTA innovatively integrates the precise specific recognition of target sequences by T4 DNA ligase with the efficient signal amplification capability of RNA aptamers, successfully establishing a novel technical platform for pathogen detection. Its high sensitivity, strong specificity, and favorable scalability make it a valuable tool for MPXV diagnostics, supporting targeted public health responses to outbreaks and aiding in curbing virus spread.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":240,"journal":{"name":"Analytica Chimica Acta","volume":"1389 ","pages":"Article 345116"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145995961","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Smartphone-integrated colorimetric and ratiometric fluorescence sensor for visual detection of HSO4−","authors":"Yu Ding ,&nbsp;Guoxing Zhang ,&nbsp;Lishan Chen ,&nbsp;Shengwen Yang ,&nbsp;Ning Liu ,&nbsp;Hao Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.aca.2026.345118","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aca.2026.345118","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>The detection of bisulfate (HSO₄⁻) is critical in food preservation and pharmaceutical quality control, as it is a common additive with potential health risks. Existing detection methods often lack the portability for on-site analysis or the capability for cross-validation to ensure accuracy. Establishing a rapid and reliable quantitative method for HSO₄⁻ is the prerequisite and core step for precisely controlling related food and pharmaceutical additives.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>To address the need for a rapid, reliable, and field-deployable sensing platform that provides intuitive visual feedback and quantitative data for HSO₄⁻ detection in complex real-world samples, we engineered a novel Schiff base probe (<strong>KF</strong>) integrating aggregation-induced emission (AIE), excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT), and intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) properties. HSO₄⁻ triggers a specific cleavage of the probe's imine bond, inducing a distinct colorimetric change (yellow to colorless) and a ratiometric fluorescence shift (yellow-green to blue). This dual-signal response enables visual qualitative analysis and provides an internal reference for quantitative measurement, with a fluorescence detection limit down to 72.9 nM. We integrated the probe with a smartphone-based RGB analysis platform (ColorPicker App), creating a portable device for on-site, quantitative determination. The platform's efficacy was successfully demonstrated by accurately detecting HSO₄⁻ in spiked vegetable and pharmaceutical samples with satisfactory recovery rates (83.1 %–114.4 %).</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>This work presents the first multifunctional probe combining AIE, ESIPT, and ICT for HSO₄⁻-triggered cleavage, enabling a dual-mode response. This study is significant for establishing a robust, smartphone-integrated sensor that transcends laboratory confines, offering a practical solution for on-site monitoring in food safety and pharmaceutical analysis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":240,"journal":{"name":"Analytica Chimica Acta","volume":"1389 ","pages":"Article 345118"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145995954","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dual-functional fluorescent bio-sensor for detecting ONOO− and polarity for targeted-diagnosis of NAFLD in vivo fluorescence imaging","authors":"Ya-Tong Liu ,&nbsp;Yue-Li Zou ,&nbsp;Yu-Yang Wang ,&nbsp;Xi-Yue Luo ,&nbsp;Si-Yi Yao ,&nbsp;Jing-Yi Li ,&nbsp;Zhiyong Xing ,&nbsp;Li-Xia Zhao","doi":"10.1016/j.aca.2026.345104","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aca.2026.345104","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Alterations in the polarity of lipid droplets as a unique spherical organelle are closely associated with multiple pathological factors such as oxidative stress and ferroptosis. ONOO⁻, as a type of reactive oxygen species, also plays a crucial role in cellular activities. Accurately monitoring the abnormal changes in ONOO⁻ and LDs in vitro and in vivo environments is crucial to promote the diagnosis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>In this study, a dual-responsive fluorescent bio-sensor <strong>PTQ</strong> based on triphenylamine groups was devised for monitoring of low - polarity environment and peroxynitrite (ONOO⁻) in water bodies and living organisms. <strong>PTQ</strong> exhibited high sensitivity (LOD = 1.92 nM), strong fluorescence signal and high quantum yield (57.76 %) in low polarity media. Concurrently, it exhibited a markedly enhanced fluorescence response to ONOO⁻, coupled with exceptional selectivity, a low detection limit (4.97 nM), and excellent biological imaging capability. On this basis, <strong>PTQ</strong> was effectively employed for targeted monitoring of LDs and detection of endogenous ONOO⁻ in HepG2 cells. <strong>PTQ</strong> was applied to the bio-imaging of NAFLD mouse models by monitoring ONOO⁻ and LDs.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>In summary, <strong>PTQ</strong> not only serves as a valuable instrument for investigating polarity and the involvement of ONOO⁻ in NAFLD, but also has the potential to become a powerful molecular imaging tool for exploring the complex biological effects in various biological environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":240,"journal":{"name":"Analytica Chimica Acta","volume":"1388 ","pages":"Article 345104"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2026-02-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145968470","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A covalent conjugation enrichment strategy for analysis of dimethyllysine sites in the proteome","authors":"Lufeng Yan ,&nbsp;Manqian Zheng ,&nbsp;Mingxuan Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.aca.2026.345108","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aca.2026.345108","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Lysine methylation is a common protein post-translational modification, and it has three forms as monomethyllysine (Kme1), dimethyllysine (Kme2) and trimethyllysine (Kme3). All of them have exhibited significant roles in many biological processes. Thus, development of methods for analysis of methyllysine sites is essential to further explore their biological functions. In a previous study, we found that covalent conjugation enrichment strategy has exhibited much more significant advantages in the analysis of cellular Kme1 sites than affinity-based or strong cation-exchange method. It encouraged us to develop a covalent conjugation enrichment strategy for deep exploration of Kme2 sites in the proteome. Here, we reported a Kme2 enrichment strategy including transforming Kme2 peptides into Kme1 peptides and using an aryl diazonium resin to enrich those newly produced Kme1 peptides. First, Kme2 peptides could be efficiently converted into Kme1 peptides through two steps including oxidization and elimination, and the only significant and complete side reaction on 20 natural amino acids is the oxidation on methionine. Meanwhile, propionylation could be utilized to block the original Kme1 residues for distinction with new produced ones. By this strategy, we could enrich Kme2 peptides in a complex mixture of peptides and finally identify 32 common Kme2 sites in HeLa cells by three replicates. 24 of them were unreported according to PhosphoSitePlus and 8 of them were known, including K561me2 of heat shock 70 kDa protein (HSP70), K55me2 and K165me2 of elongation factor 1-alpha 1 (EF1A1). Kme2 is an intermediate state of lysine methylation and plays significant roles in various biological processes especially on epigenetic regulation. Identification on Kme2 sites is basic for further understanding of their biological significance for both histone and nonhistone proteins. Our covalent conjugation enrichment strategy realized broad analysis of Kme2 sites in the proteome and provided great potential for exploring significant biological functions of Kme2 sites.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":240,"journal":{"name":"Analytica Chimica Acta","volume":"1388 ","pages":"Article 345108"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2026-02-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145968469","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"CADEM: Species-level detection of mycobacterial cfDNA via CRISPR for pulmonary disease diagnosis","authors":"Seungil Park ,&nbsp;Bonhan Koo ,&nbsp;Myoung Gyu Kim ,&nbsp;Eun Yeong Lee ,&nbsp;Hyo Joo Lee ,&nbsp;Yeonjeong Roh ,&nbsp;Minju Lee ,&nbsp;Chae Eun Bae ,&nbsp;Sei Won Lee ,&nbsp;Young Ae Kang ,&nbsp;Yong Shin","doi":"10.1016/j.aca.2026.345085","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aca.2026.345085","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Pulmonary infections caused by <em>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</em> (MTB) and nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) present significant clinical challenges due to overlapping symptoms and different treatments. In particular, accurate identification of NTM species such as <em>Mycobacterium avium</em> complex (MAC) and <em>Mycobacterium abscessus</em> complex (MABC) is essential, as these species show drug susceptibility profiles that differ markedly from MTB. However, conventional culture-based diagnostics are time-consuming, and current molecular assays often lack resolution and rely heavily on sputum specimens. To address these limitations, liquid biopsy using bacterial-derived circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) offers a minimally invasive alternative, and CRISPR/Cas12a technology provides the sensitivity required to detect its low levels.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>We developed CADEM (<u>C</u>RISPR-<u>A</u>ssisted <u>D</u>etection via <u>E</u>nrichment of <em>Mycobacterium</em>-derived cfDNA using <u>M</u>icrofluidic technology), a streamlined diagnostic system that integrates microfluidic cfDNA enrichment, targeted amplification, and CRISPR/Cas12a-based detection. The microfluidic platform enables high-yield recovery of cfDNA from large-volume clinical samples without the need for cell lysis. Optimized Cas12a–crRNA complexes enable highly sensitive and specific detection of MAC-, MABC-, and MTB -specific amplicons, achieving 10- to 100-fold greater sensitivity than end-point PCR and probe-based real-time PCR. In a validation set of 20 clinical specimens (7 positives and 13 healthy controls), CADEM identified all MAC, MABC, and MTB cases with full accuracy and no false positives. The CRISPR detection step produced a clear fluorescence readout within 20 min and, together with enrichment and amplification, delivered species-level results within a 2-h workflow.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>CADEM offers an accurate and streamlined molecular approach for distinguishing MAC, MABC, and MTB at the species-level to support appropriate diagnosis and treatment. By combining microfluidic cfDNA enrichment with CRISPR-based detection, CADEM enables efficient analysis from liquid biopsy samples for pulmonary disease diagnosis. The system is also compatible with isothermal amplification, supporting future adaptation for point-of-care testing in resource-limited settings.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":240,"journal":{"name":"Analytica Chimica Acta","volume":"1388 ","pages":"Article 345085"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2026-02-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145955907","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Novel tyrosinol-based chiral stationary phase for the separation of tetracyclic quinolines active as PXR agonists: Investigating the enantiorecognition mechanism through molecular dynamics","authors":"Magdaléna Labíková ,&nbsp;Bruno Cerra ,&nbsp;Alessandro Di Michele ,&nbsp;Antimo Gioiello ,&nbsp;Federica Ianni ,&nbsp;Roccaldo Sardella ,&nbsp;Andrea Carotti ,&nbsp;Michal Kohout","doi":"10.1016/j.aca.2026.345083","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aca.2026.345083","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>In recent years, a wide range of chiral molecules has been investigated as potential selectors (SOs) for enantiomeric separation in liquid chromatography, which remains a key tool in the development of new enantiomerically pure pharmaceuticals. SOs encompass diverse chemical and structural classes, from low-molecular-weight molecules to synthetic and biological polymers, many of which are already commercially available. Despite the abundance of commercial chiral stationary phases (CSPs), the demand for novel and more versatile materials remains high.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>In this study, we present the design and synthesis of a novel tyrosinol-based CSP and its application in separating tetracyclic tetrahydroquinoline derivatives that act as pregnane X receptor agonists. The new CSP demonstrated high enantioselectivity and chemoselectivity under alkane-alcohol (normal-phase) conditions, enabling baseline resolution of all investigated analytes. The enantiomeric elution order (EEO) was unambiguously determined by combining semipreparative-scale chromatography with electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectroscopy and time-dependent density functional theory calculations. This integrated approach allowed reliable stereochemical assignment of all separated enantiomers and confirmed the consistency of the EEO across the studied series. Complementary molecular dynamics simulations provided mechanistic insight into enantiorecognition, revealing hydrogen bonding as the primary interaction driving enantioselectivity, with π–π and π-cation contacts contributing in a substituent-dependent manner.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>Overall, the study highlights the potential of tyrosine-derived selectors as versatile CSPs and demonstrates the added value of combining experimental and computational methods to unravel enantiorecognition mechanisms.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":240,"journal":{"name":"Analytica Chimica Acta","volume":"1388 ","pages":"Article 345083"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2026-02-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145955919","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ultrasensitive electrochemiluminescence aptasensor for heparin-binding protein based on hybridization chain reaction (HCR) amplification and magnetic enrichment","authors":"Mengxin Cheng ,&nbsp;Wanxin Xu ,&nbsp;Yingying Cao ,&nbsp;Yue Lin ,&nbsp;Shenghang Zhang ,&nbsp;Fang Luo ,&nbsp;Bin Qiu ,&nbsp;Zhenyu Lin","doi":"10.1016/j.aca.2026.345095","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aca.2026.345095","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Heparin-binding protein (HBP) is a multifunctional cationic protein that is rapidly released upon activation of neutrophils during infectious or inflammatory responses. It plays a crucial role in immune regulation and vascular permeability and has recently emerged as a promising biomarker for the early diagnosis of sepsis. However, conventional antibody-based immunoassays for HBP detection are often expensive, unstable, and labor-intensive, which limits their clinical applicability. Thus, developing sensitive, low-cost, and user-friendly sensing strategies for rapid and accurate HBP quantification is highly desirable.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>In this study, an electrochemiluminescence (ECL) aptasensor was developed by integrating aptamer-based recognition, magnetic enrichment, and hybridization chain reaction (HCR) amplification for ultrasensitive detection of HBP. Upon specific binding of HBP to its aptamer, a trigger sequence immobilized on magnetic beads was exposed to initiate HCR, forming long double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) structures capable of intercalating a large number of tris(1,10-phenanthroline)ruthenium(II) (Ru(phen)₃²⁺). This amplification process markedly enhanced the ECL signal, while magnetic separation effectively removed unbound species, reducing background noise. Under optimized conditions, the aptasensor enabled quantitative detection of HBP over a wide linear range of 140 fM-140 nM, with an ultra-low detection limit of 84.24 fM.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>The proposed ECL aptasensor demonstrates remarkable sensitivity, specificity, and operational simplicity, offering a reliable and efficient analytical platform for precise HBP determination. Benefiting from its outstanding analytical performance, stability, and potential for device miniaturization, this sensing strategy shows significant promise for early sepsis diagnosis and broader clinical biomarker detection.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":240,"journal":{"name":"Analytica Chimica Acta","volume":"1388 ","pages":"Article 345095"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2026-02-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145957347","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}