Breakthrough in Nanotechnology: Low-Cost Detection of Glucose in Food Samples

Researchers from Jiangsu University of Science and Technology in Zhenjiang, People's Republic of China, have developed a low-cost and reliable analytical method for detecting glucose content in food samples. This innovative method relies on a combination of a newly designed FeO@Au nanocomposite, supported on smartphone analysis software, to provide a simple and accurate measurement of glucose levels. The technique utilizes a self-developed app to record the color change of the solution with a smartphone camera, allowing for real-time detection of glucose concentrations.

Key Takeaways:

• The new analytical method uses a FeO@Au nanocomposite, prepared by self-assembling technique, as peroxidase mimetics to detect glucose content in food samples.
• The method involves recording the color change of the solution with a smartphone camera and processing the RGB values of color intensity using Image J software to compute glucose concentrations.
• The optimal combination of detecting glucose smartphone color detection system was found to be a reaction temperature of 60 °C, reaction time of 50 min, and the amount of addition of FeO@Au 0.0125 g.
• The accuracy of the proposed method was evaluated by comparison between smartphone colorimetry and UV-vis spectrophotometer, yielding a linear calibration in the range of 0.25-15 mmol/L glucose with a minimum detection limit of 1.83 and 2.25 mmol/L, respectively.
• The proposed method was applied effectively to the detection of glucose in actual samples, with results in accordance with the conventional UV-vis spectrophotometer method.
• The research has been peer-reviewed and published in the journal Spectrochimica Acta Part A Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy.

Statistics:

• Reaction temperature: 60 °C
• Reaction time: 50 min
• Amount of added FeO@Au: 0.0125 g
• Glucose concentration range: 0.25-15 mmol/L
• Minimum detection limit (smartphone colorimetry): 1.83 mmol/L
• Minimum detection limit (UV-vis spectrophotometer): 2.25 mmol/L

Sources:

• Rapid and sensitive smartphone non-enzymatic colorimetric assay for the detection of glucose in food based on peroxidase-like activity of Fe3O4@Au nanoparticles. Spectrochimica Acta Part A Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy, 2023;302:122970.
• Guan Huanan, Du Shiqin, Wu Qiaoyan, Zhang Qi, Ye Hua, Wang Dongxu. Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, School of Gain Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212000, People's Republic of China.
• Pergamon-elsevier Science Ltd, The Boulevard, Langford Lane, Kidlington, Oxford OX5 1GB, England.