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Liquid crystal-based sensor for real-time detection of paraoxon pesticides based on acetylcholinesterase enzyme inhibition

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Abstract

A liquid crystal-based assay (LC) was developed to monitor paraoxon by incorporating a Cu2+ -coated substrate and the inhibitory effect of paraoxon with acetylcholinesterase (AChE). We observed that thiocholine (TCh), a hydrolysate of AChE and acetylthiocholine (ATCh), interfered with the alignment of 5CB films through a reaction between Cu2+ ions and the thiol moiety of TCh. The catalytic activity of AChE was inhibited in the presence of paraoxon due to the irreversible interaction between TCh and paraoxon; consequently, no TCh molecule was available to interact with Cu2+ on the surface. This resulted in a homeotropic alignment of the liquid crystal. The proposed sensor platform sensitively quantified paraoxon with a detection limit of 2.20 ± 0.11 (n = 3) nM within a range of 6 to 500 nM. The specificity and reliability of the assay were verified by measuring paraoxon in the presence of various suspected interfering substances and spiked samples. As a result, the sensor based on LC can potentially be used as a screening tool for accurate evaluation of paraoxon and other organophosphorus compounds.

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Funding

This study was supported by the Basic Science Research Program of the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education [NRF- 2019R1A2C1003862].

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  1. Department of Chemistry, Gachon University, San 65, Bokjeong-Dong, Sujeong-Gu, Gyeonggi-Do, 461-701, Seongnam-City, South Korea

    Duong Song Thai Duong & Chang-Hyun Jang

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  1. Duong Song Thai Duong
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  2. Chang-Hyun Jang
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Correspondence to Chang-Hyun Jang.

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Duong, D.S.T., Jang, CH. Liquid crystal-based sensor for real-time detection of paraoxon pesticides based on acetylcholinesterase enzyme inhibition. Microchim Acta 190, 122 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-023-05716-z

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