Microchemical Journal最新文献

{"title":"Hair analysis to document ayahuasca consumption by LC-MS/MS","authors":"Nadia Arbouche ,&nbsp;Jean-Sébastien Raul ,&nbsp;Pascal Kintz","doi":"10.1016/j.microc.2024.112299","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.microc.2024.112299","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ayahuasca is a hallucinogenic drink consumed during shamanic rituals for spiritual and curative purposes. In recent years, the use of this beverage was no longer restricted to the Amazon rainforest but has spread all over the world and notably in Europe. The internationalisation of Ayahuasca raises risks associated with its consumption during rituals performed by individuals lacking in knowledge of the psychotropic ingredients and who could abuse the situation of an emotional and a physical vulnerability. To document exposure to ayahuasca, hair analysis could be very helpful, with application in both clinical and historical contexts to evidence the consumption of this substance. This can also be done on archaeological specimens. In this study, the hair of a subject suspected of ayahuasca consumption were analysed using an original LC-MS/MS method. The three β-carbolines harmine (2.5–1,300 pg/mg), harmaline (30–89,700 pg/mg) and tetrahydroharmine (2.2–2.5 pg/mg) and the tryptamines 5-OH-DMT (2–62 pg/mg) and 5-MeO-DMT (&lt; LOQ) tested positive. Dimethyltryptamine tested negative.</div><div>For the first time, values of all β-carbolines and 5-OH-DMT in hair are displayed in the literature. The absence of dimethyltryptamine in the hair proves that the analytical strategy to be used to evidence ayahuasca consumers should not be directed at the single research of DMT.</div><div>Since there is not a single ayahuasca recipe, it will be necessary to test not only DMT but also the other ayahuasca alkaloids such as β-carbolines (harmine, harmaline and THH) and other tryptamines (5-OH-DMT and 5-MeO-DMT) to fully document exposure.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":391,"journal":{"name":"Microchemical Journal","volume":"208 ","pages":"Article 112299"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143105152","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":"Label-free photosensitization colorimetric detection of microRNA by utilizing cascade toehold assembly amplification","authors":"Yizhi Zhou,&nbsp;Qiang Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.microc.2024.112342","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.microc.2024.112342","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The sensitive and label-free detection of microRNA (miRNA) is crucial for the comprehension of miRNA-related pathological process, such as glioma. Here, we utilized a SYBR Green I (SG) catalytic photosensitization colorimetric reaction in conjunction with target recognition-induced exonuclease-iii (Exo-iii) assisted cascade toehold assembly amplification to achieve highly sensitive and label-free miRNA detection. In this research, the photosensitized generation of ¹O₂ by SG could directly oxidize 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) without the need for H₂O₂ oxidation or enzyme catalysis, which simplifies the experimental procedures and renders the method highly stable. Furthermore, the Exo-iii enhances the target recognition induced catalytic chain assembly, thereby forming cascade signal amplification and providing the method with a significantly higher level of sensitivity than conventional colorimetric miRNA detection methods. Based on this, the proposed method exhibits a low limit of detection of 2.1 fM for miRNA-212 detection. Taking the merit of the high sensitivity, portability, and simplicity, the proposed method can serve as a highly effective nucleic acid detection tool and can facilitate the advancement of biosensors for point-of-care testing (POCT) and clinical disease diagnosis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":391,"journal":{"name":"Microchemical Journal","volume":"208 ","pages":"Article 112342"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143095613","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":"Biomimetic nanozymes with tunable peroxidase activity based on peptides co-assembly for colorimetric sensing of uric acid","authors":"Yujie Kang,&nbsp;Xiaolin Mei,&nbsp;Rong Tang,&nbsp;Chenglin Zhang,&nbsp;Ya Wang,&nbsp;Xiupei Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.microc.2024.112316","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.microc.2024.112316","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The construction of simple and efficient artificial enzymes is of great importance in the fields of sensing and catalysis. In this work, peptide nanotubes (CA-PNTs) co-assembled from two short peptides were non-covalently combined with hemin to obtain a series of CA-PNTs/hemin composites as biomimetic peroxidase materials. Due to the introduction of histidine and arginine in the short peptides simulating the microenvironment near the hydrophobic cavity in the activity center of the natural enzyme, CA-PNTs/hemin shows enhanced peroxidase activity compared with free hemin and the single short peptide self-assembled peptide nanotubes-supported hemin complex, and the enzyme activity of the material could be regulated by simply adjusting the proportion of co-assembled short peptides. Further investigation of the catalytic mechanism demonstrates that CA-PNTs/hemin can effectively bind to H₂O₂ to form active intermediates and catalyze the decomposition of H₂O₂ to generate superoxide radicals (O₂^•−), thus promoting the whole enzymatic reaction. Combined with an enzyme cascade reaction and enzyme catalytic chromogenic system, a colorimetric method based on CA-PNTs/hemin for uric acid (UA) sensing was constructed. The strategy shows a linear range of 0.5–80 μM with a low limit of detection (0.2 μM) and good selectivity, and has been successfully applied to the determination of UA in human urine. A portable platform for UA detection was further developed by conjugating the strategy with smartphones.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":391,"journal":{"name":"Microchemical Journal","volume":"208 ","pages":"Article 112316"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143096067","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 comparative study of SPE- and DLLME-based methods for the determination of opioids and benzodiazepines in urine samples using LC–MS/MS","authors":"Pol Clivillé-Cabré ,&nbsp;Luana M. Rosendo ,&nbsp;Francesc Borrull ,&nbsp;Carme Aguilar ,&nbsp;Marta Calull","doi":"10.1016/j.microc.2024.112354","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.microc.2024.112354","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The determination of drugs of abuse has been gaining increasing attention among the scientific community as drug consumption is considered a major global public health issue. Opioids and benzodiazepines are among the most widely consumed drugs worldwide. Analytical methods for their determination, particularly in urine matrices, primarily rely on chromatographic techniques. However, due to the complexity of the matrix and the low concentration levels at which these drugs are usually present (in the ng/L or µg/L range), efficient sample pre-treatment strategies are essential. This step is of significant importance in the development of environmentally friendly analytical methods. For this reason, in recent years, pre-treatment techniques have been developed based on green analytical chemical principles to address this need.</div><div>In this context, we present a comparative study of solid phase extraction (SPE) and dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (DLLME) for the determination of a group of benzodiazepines and opioids in urine samples using liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). The method, based on SPE, was developed using ExtraBond SCX as the sorbent and 7 mL of 5 % of NH₄OH in methanol as the elution solvent, yielding recoveries ranging from 9 to 107 %. The DLLME method used 200 µL of chloroform and 500 µL of ethyl acetate as extractant and dispersant solvents, respectively, achieving recoveries between 14 and 86 %. The DLLME strategy proved to be greener than the SPE method in line with the principles of green analytical chemistry (GAC), as it required lower volumes of solvents, a shorter extraction time, and less energy consumption than the SPE method. Both methods were validated using urine matrices and subsequently applied to 11 urine specimens from women participating in detoxification programmes, confirming the suitability of these methods in toxicological and forensic analyses. The results showed that methadone and diazepam were the most frequently determined compounds, and a trend of polyconsumption was observed in most of the samples.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":391,"journal":{"name":"Microchemical Journal","volume":"208 ","pages":"Article 112354"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143096305","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A critical review on recent progress on nanostructured polyaniline (PANI) based sensors for various toxic gases: Challenges, applications, and future prospects","authors":"Pankaj Kumar Mishra ,&nbsp;Harish Kumar Sharma ,&nbsp;Rajeev Gupta ,&nbsp;Monika Manglik ,&nbsp;Ranjeet Brajpuriya","doi":"10.1016/j.microc.2024.112369","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.microc.2024.112369","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Polyaniline (PANI)-based sensors have emerged as promising tools for gas detection, owing to their remarkable electrical conductivity, environmental stability, and straightforward synthesis process. With applications spanning public health, industrial safety, and environmental monitoring, these sensors hold significant societal relevance. Recent progress has centered on advancing their design, modifying materials, and refining detection mechanisms. This study focuses on the critical challenges of improving the sensitivity, selectivity, and response time of PANI-based sensors, particularly under conditions involving interfering gases. Key strategies, such as nano-structuring and composite fabrication are discussed to overcome these limitations. Furthermore, the potential for interdisciplinary approaches to advance the development of these sensors is highlighted. The paper concludes by outlining critical research areas and proposing pathways to enhance the performance of PANI-based sensors for toxic gas detection.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":391,"journal":{"name":"Microchemical Journal","volume":"208 ","pages":"Article 112369"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143096524","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":"Enzyme-mediated controlled polymerization and its application in biomolecular analysis","authors":"Shiyu Liu ,&nbsp;Nan Ma ,&nbsp;Jinming Kong ,&nbsp;Xueji Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.microc.2024.112581","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.microc.2024.112581","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As an efficient biological catalyst, enzyme has an important role in various biochemical reactions. Enzymes have stronger advantages of regioselectivity and stereoselectivity in enzymatic polymerization than ordinary catalysts, and enzymatic polymerization also displays characteristics of safety, high efficiency and environmentally friendly, so its application in the fields of biomedicine and nanomaterials is gradually expanding. Recently the combination of enzymes and polymers has been developed as an important tool for the detection of biomolecules. This review summarizes the mechanism and development process of enzyme-mediated polymerization and discusses the application of enzyme-mediated controlled polymerization to biomolecular analysis, as well as the importance of enzyme mimics and immobilized enzymes in enzyme-promoted polymerization. Finally, some new trends and important developments in enzymatic polymerization are summarized as well as major challenges and future prospects of its application to biomolecular analysis. Besides, this review emphasizes the use of enzymatic polymerization for the development of biosensors.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":391,"journal":{"name":"Microchemical Journal","volume":"208 ","pages":"Article 112581"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143105147","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 carbon paste sensor modified with MWCNT and Ca-doped ZnO nanocomposite for therapeutic monitoring of Favipiravir in COVID-19 patients","authors":"Yasmine Ahmed Sharaf ,&nbsp;Mai H. Abd El-Fattah ,&nbsp;Amr M. Mahmoud ,&nbsp;Heba M. El-Sayed ,&nbsp;Said A. Hassan","doi":"10.1016/j.microc.2024.112364","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.microc.2024.112364","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Favipiravir (FAV) is a prodrug with a proven antiviral efficacy against coronavirus 2. Close therapeutic monitoring of FAV is crucial for COVID-19 patients due to its variable dosing, complex pharmacokinetics, and notable drug interactions. This study presents a novel, selective electrochemical sensor for FAV detection, using a carbon paste electrode (CPE) modified with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and calcium-doped ZnO nanoparticles (Ca-ZnO NPs). Characterization of the Ca-ZnO NPs was performed using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), field emission-scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Several operational parameters were optimized, including carbon paste composition, buffer selection, pH, and electrochemical waveform settings. Under optimized conditions, an oxidation signal of FAV was identified at approximately + 1.22 V versus an Ag/AgCl reference electrode in Britton-Robinson buffer (BRB) at pH 4.0. Differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) facilitated the detection of FAV across a wide dynamic concentration range of 0.6–100.0 µM, with detection and quantification limits of 0.17 and 0.51 µM, respectively. The developed method demonstrated high selectivity towards FAV, effectively distinguishing it from its acidic degradation product (ADP), qualifying it as a stability-indicating assay. Evaluations using the GAPI, AGREE, and RGB 12 metrics confirmed alignment with green and white analytical chemistry principles. Furthermore, this method was successfully applied to quantify FAV in human plasma, making it suitable for therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) in COVID-19 patients.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":391,"journal":{"name":"Microchemical Journal","volume":"208 ","pages":"Article 112364"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143095599","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":"Construction of bimetallic MOF derived nickel–cobalt selenide on carbon cloth as integrated electrode for acetaminophen sensing","authors":"Yuanyuan Dong ,&nbsp;Jialin Li ,&nbsp;Hong Zeng ,&nbsp;Tianze Li ,&nbsp;Dexiao Hu ,&nbsp;Zhaoqing Li ,&nbsp;Qiuyue Fu ,&nbsp;Buhe Bateer","doi":"10.1016/j.microc.2024.112400","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.microc.2024.112400","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Herein, a simple in situ synthesis strategy to construct MOF-derived bimetallic nickel–cobalt selenide (NiCoSe) nanoparticles on carbon cloth (CC) was reported for the electrochemical determination of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAIDs) acetaminophen (AC). Homogeneous NiCo-MOF nanosheets were first grown onto CC, followed by the phase and morphology conversion of MOF nanosheets into NiCoSe nanoparticles with the selenization step. Flexible CC served as an effective nucleation substrate, significantly mitigating nanoparticle aggregation and providing a larger surface area with highly exposed active sites for target interaction. Due to the excellent electrical conductivity of CC and the synergic catalytic effect between bimetallic selenides, the NiCoSe/CC integrated electrode exhibited significantly enhanced electrocatalytic activity for AC electrooxidation compared to the conventional coated electrode (NiCoSe/GCE). Under optimized conditions, this NiCoSe/CC electrode achieved a low detection limit of 0.012 μM for AC, accompanied by a high sensitivity of 0.147 μA μM⁻¹, within an effective linear range of 0.05–200 µM. Furthermore, the sensor with good reproducibility and anti-interference also achieved practical detection of AC in tablet samples and environmental water samples with recoveries of 95.5–105.3 %. This study provided a new idea for constructing MOF-derived bimetallic selenides and their application in flexible electrochemical sensing.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":391,"journal":{"name":"Microchemical Journal","volume":"208 ","pages":"Article 112400"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143096310","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":"Preconcentration of heavy metal ions using Konjac gum-Co3O4 magnetic hydrogel prior to their determination by ICP-OES","authors":"Zahra Moeinadini ,&nbsp;Ebrahim Noroozian ,&nbsp;Sayed Zia Mohammadi","doi":"10.1016/j.microc.2024.112297","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.microc.2024.112297","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this study, a hydrogel embedded with magnetic cobalt nanoparticles was synthesized from natural Konjac gum through a simple and low-cost method and its potential for separation and preconcentration of lead, copper, zinc, chromium, cobalt, and cadmium ions was investigated. Determination of the extracted metal ions was carried out using inductively coupled plasma /optical emission spectroscopy. The magnetic property of the hydrogel helps the separation from the solution and improves the adsorption capacity. The proper synthesis of the magnetic hydrogel was confirmed with different characterizations techniques, such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The effective parameters on the sorbent synthesis and extraction process were studied. Under optimized conditions, the linear range and detection limit were found to be 0.3–100.0 µg L⁻¹ and 34.0 ng L⁻¹ for lead, 0.1–100.0 µg L⁻¹ and 17.0 ng L⁻¹ for chromium, 0.07–100.0 µg L⁻¹ and 10.0 ng L⁻¹ for zinc, 0.07–100.0 µg L⁻¹ and 12.0 ng L⁻¹ for copper, 0.1–100.0 µg L⁻¹ and 15.0 ng L⁻¹ for cadmium and 0.1–100.0 µg L⁻¹ and 21.0 ng L⁻¹ for cobalt, respectively. The developed method was successfully employed for the analysis of the above ions in the real samples including water, fruit and soil.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":391,"journal":{"name":"Microchemical Journal","volume":"208 ","pages":"Article 112297"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143105151","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":"Research advances in chemical sensing of p-Aminophenol: A review","authors":"Hao Li ,&nbsp;Zhen-Fu Lin ,&nbsp;Zhen-Cheng Chen ,&nbsp;Guo-Cheng Han ,&nbsp;Xiao-Zhen Feng ,&nbsp;Heinz-Bernhard Kraatz","doi":"10.1016/j.microc.2024.112424","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.microc.2024.112424","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>p</em>-Aminophenol (PAP) is a phenolic compound commonly used in industrial production and drug synthesis. Detecting PAP in trace amounts is particularly important, because PAP can pollute the environment, affect the growth and development of aquatic organisms, and is harmful to human beings because of its nephrotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, and teratogenicity. This paper reviews the research progress of Electrochemical (EC), Colorimetric (CM) and Photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensors for the detection of PAP in recent years. Among them, EC sensing utilizes high conductivity nanoparticles and synthetic nanomaterials to amplify PAP signals synergistically, providing regular pores and active sites, and achieving microdetection. The prepared sensors have demonstrated excellent performance, reaching a limit of detection (LOD) at the nM level. Colorimetric sensing combines electrochemical methods and colorimetric analysis, widely applicable to the sensitive detection of PAP and other fields. Photoelectrochemical sensing utilizes the photocurrent generated by electron-hole pairs to achieve the concentration detection of PAP. A comparison of the performance of these three chemical sensors revealed that PEC has a lower LOD and higher sensitivity for rapid on-site detection. There are not many studies on PEC at present, and there is a broader research prospect and development space in the future. Reviewing the detection research of PAP in recent years can provide ideas and guidance programs for the development and research of PAP chemical sensors later.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":391,"journal":{"name":"Microchemical Journal","volume":"208 ","pages":"Article 112424"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143105193","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}