Sensitive detection of butyrylcholinesterase activity based on a stimuli-responsive fluorescence reaction

• Published in: Spectrochimica acta. Part A, Molecular and biomolecular spectroscopy Vol. 299; p. 122886
• Main Authors: Pang, Yuexin, Ma, Zerui, Song, Qian, Wang, Zhenguang, Shi, Yu-e
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier B.V 15.10.2023
• Subjects: Butyrylcholinesterase; Citric acid; Fluorescence assay; Hydroxyl radical; Terephthalic acid; Butyrylcholinesterase; Fluorescence assay; Citric acid; Hydroxyl radical; Terephthalic acid
• ISSN: 1386-1425; 1873-3557
• DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2023.122886

[Display omitted] •A fluorogenic reaction between Mn2+ and terephthalic acid was discovered.•The reaction product showed a strong blue fluorescence, which presented a sensitive response to pH.•A fluorescence assay was developed for butyrylcholinesterase activity detection.•The assay showed excellent sensitivity and selectivity to interference species. A fluorogenic reaction between the chelate of Mn(II)-citric acid and terephthalic acid (PTA) was discovered, which was carried out through heating the aqueous mixture of Mn2+, citric acid and PTA. Detailed investigations indicated the reaction products were 2-hydroxyterephthalic acid (PTA-OH), which was attributed to the reaction between PTA and OH, formed by the triggering of Mn(II)-citric acid in the presence of dissolved O2. PTA-OH showed a strong blue fluorescence, peaked at 420 nm, and the fluorescence intensity presented a sensitive response to pH of the reaction system. Based on these mechanisms, the fluorogenic reaction was used for the detection of butyrylcholinesterase activity, achieving a detection limit of 0.15 U/L. The detection strategy was successfully applied in human serum samples, and it was also extended for the detection of organophosphorus pesticides and radical scavengers. Such a facile fluorogenic reaction and its stimuli-responsive properties offered an effective tool for designing detection pathways in the fields of clinical diagnosis, environmental monitoring and bioimaging.