Offer no. 10/16
Molecularly imprinted polythiophene chemosensor for selective determination of nitrosamine toxins and N-nitroso-L-proline in particular
- Summary:
A molecularly imprinted polymer chemosensor for selective determination of chosen nitrosamine toxin - N-nitroso-L-proline (Pro-NO) was devised and fabricated. A bithiophene polymer molecularly imprinted with Pro-NO was deposited as a thin film on different conducting surfaces. This thiophene molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) was used as a recognition unit in a chemical sensor for selective determination of chosen N-nitrosamines in food of animal origin, which might cause chronic diseases, i.e., serious hormonal dysfunctions, and cancer.
- Inventors:
Patrycja Łach, Maciej Cieplak, Piyush S. Sharma, Zofia Iskierko, Francis D'Souza, Włodzimierz Kutner
- Advantages / Innovative aspects:
- Determination of toxic N-nitrosamines in food with electrochemical sensors is inexpensive, fast, and easy to handle, contrary to currently used methods, such as solid phase extraction (SPE) followed by (gas chromatography)-(mass spectrometry) (GC-MS) or high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).
- Chemical sensors are stable, selective, and inexpensive, in contrast to biosensors, which also can be used for determination of toxins in food products.
- The present chemosensor enables selective determination of chosen N-nitrosamines directly in the protein providing food products.
- Molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) serving as the recognition unit of the chemosensor is capable of detecting Pro-NO.
- High detectability of the MIP-(Pro-NO) chemosensor suffices to determine Pro-NO in the protein providing food products.
- The chemosensor is highly selective with respect to interferences, such as urea, glucose, and adrenalin.
- Keywords:
chemosensor, molecularly imprinted polymer, conducting polymer, electropolymerization, N-nitroso-L-proline, N-nitrosamine, food toxins, food chemistry
- Field:
- Usage:
Toxic N-nitrosamines appear in the protein providing food products, such as meat, fish, poultry, if these are fried, broiled, or grilled at too high temperatures. Moreover, some types of food preserving may cause formation of these compounds. Often, continuous exposures to low doses of these toxins cause several chronic diseases, serious hormonal dysfunctions, and cancer. The chemosensors allow fast determining N-nitrosamines, in contrast to currently used methods, such as SPE followed by GC-MS and HPLC, which are time-consuming and expensive. The molecularly imprinted polymer used as the recognition unit of the chemosensor provides selective determination of N-nitroso-L-proline directly in the protein providing food products. The devised chemical sensor is easy to fabricate and, moreover, it operates reusably. Hence, this MIP based chemosensor may find its use in food safety control.
- State of the progress:
stage of research
- Intellectual property rights:
Patent application in Poland, possibility to extend protection abroad
