Topic Review
Electrochemical AChE Biosensor Design
Neurodegenerative diseases and Alzheimer’s disease (AD), as one of the most common causes of dementia, result in progressive losses of cholinergic neurons and a reduction in the presynaptic markers of the cholinergic system. These consequences can be compensated by the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) followed by a decrease in the rate of acetylcholine hydrolysis. The assessment of cholinesterase inhibitors includes the comparison of the biosensor signals recorded prior to and after the contact of the enzyme with an inhibitor. This makes it possible to calculate the inhibition degree as the relative shift of the enzyme activity and as a measure of the inhibitor content. Even in the case of the direct signal measurement performed in the presence of both the substrate and inhibitor, it is mostly assumed that the initial enzyme activity (for zero inhibitor concentration) is constant and reproducible in the series of experiments required for calibration graph plotting. 
  • 99
  • 21 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Unpacking Phthalates from Obscurity in the Environment
Phthalates (PAEs) are a group of synthetic esters of phthalic acid compounds mostly used as plasticizers in plastic materials but are widely applied in most industries and products. As plasticizers in plastic materials, they are not chemically bound to the polymeric matrix and easily leach out. Logically, PAEs should be prevalent in the environment, but their prevalence, transport, fate, and effects have been largely unknown until recently. This has been attributed, inter alia, to a lack of standardized analytical procedures for identifying them in complex matrices.
  • 155
  • 20 Feb 2024
Topic Review
DNA-Based Fluorescent Nanoprobe for Cancer Cell Membrane Imaging
As an important barrier between the cytoplasm and the microenvironment of the cell, the cell membrane is essential for the maintenance of normal cellular physiological activities. An abnormal cell membrane is a crucial symbol of body dysfunction and the occurrence of variant diseases; therefore, the visualization and monitoring of biomolecules associated with cell membranes and disease markers are of utmost importance in revealing the biological functions of cell membranes. Due to their biocompatibility, programmability, and modifiability, DNA nanomaterials have become increasingly popular in cell fluorescence imaging in recent years. In addition, DNA nanomaterials can be combined with the cell membrane in a specific manner to enable the real-time imaging of signal molecules on the cell membrane, allowing for the real-time monitoring of disease occurrence and progression.
  • 85
  • 18 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Mycotoxins-Imprinted Polymers
Mycotoxins are toxic metabolites of molds which can contaminate food and beverages. Because of their acute and chronic toxicity, they can have harmful effects when ingested or inhaled, posing severe risks to human health. Contemporary analytical methods have the sensitivity required for contamination detection and quantification, but the direct application of these methods on real samples is not straightforward because of matrix complexity, and clean-up and preconcentration steps are needed, more and more requiring the application of highly selective solid-phase extraction materials. Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are artificial receptors mimicking the natural antibodies that are increasingly being used as a solid phase in extraction methods where selectivity towards target analytes is mandatory. Herein, the state-of-the-art about molecularly imprinted polymers as solid-phase extraction materials in mycotoxin contamination analysis will be discussed.
  • 102
  • 08 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are a group of natural compounds that are present in several plant families, among which the most predominant are Boraginaceae, Asteraceae, and Fabaceae, and are produced as a defense response against herbivores. PAs are known for their toxicity and for posing an elevated risk to human and animal health when consumed in large quantities over long periods of time.
  • 466
  • 08 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Real-Time Label-Free Detection of Small Molecules
The detection and analysis of small molecules, typically defined as molecules under 1000 Da, is of growing interest ranging from the development of small-molecule drugs and inhibitors to the sensing of toxins and biomarkers. However, due to challenges such as their small size and low mass, many biosensing technologies struggle to have the sensitivity and selectivity for the detection of small molecules.
  • 87
  • 07 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Rare Earth Elements (REE)
The rare earth elements (REE) comprise a group of 16 chemically very similar elements that occur widespread in rocks, soils, and water bodies, share similar ionic radii to the essential element Ca2+, and consequently also occur in biota. Given that REE form mainly trivalent cations, they also share similarities to Al3+. Compared to their chemical cognate Ca, they have a higher reactivity. Thus, their accumulation in soils may constitute a severe environmental threat. Over the last decades, the increasing use of REE in modern technology and fertilizers raised concerns about the pollution of soils and water bodies, which led to a rapidly increasing number of publications dealing with REE toxicity to plants, animals and humans, the fate of REE in soil–plant systems, REE cycling in ecosystems and impacts of REE pollution on food security.
  • 189
  • 05 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Main Chromatographic Approaches Used to Assess Food Safety
Consumers in developed and Western European countries are becoming more aware of the impact of food on their health, and they demand clear, transparent, and reliable information from the food industry about the products they consume. They recognise that food safety risks are often due to the unexpected presence of contaminants throughout the food supply chain. Among these, mycotoxins produced by food-infecting fungi, endogenous toxins from certain plants and organisms, pesticides, and other drugs used excessively during farming and food production, which lead to their contamination and accumulation in foodstuffs, are the main causes of concern. 
  • 80
  • 01 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Analytical Methods for Detection and Quantification of Neurotransmitters
Recognized for its speed and selectivity, high-precision liquid chromatography with an electrochemical detector (HPLC-ECD) enables direct analysis of intracerebral microdialysis samples without complex derivatization. Various chromatographic methods, including reverse phase (RP), are explored for neurotransmitters (NTs) and metabolites separation. 
  • 115
  • 25 Jan 2024
Topic Review
Advancing Surface Plasmon Enhanced Fluorescence based POC technologies
Point-of-care (POC) diagnostic platforms are globally employed in modern smart technologies to detect events or changes in the analyte concentration and provide qualitative and quantitative information in biosensing. Surface plasmon-coupled emission (SPCE) technology has emerged as an effective POC diagnostic tool for developing robust biosensing frameworks. The simplicity, robustness and relevance of the technology has attracted researchers in physical, chemical and biological milieu on account of its unique attributes such as high specificity, sensitivity, low background noise, highly polarized, sharply directional, excellent spectral resolution capabilities.
  • 78
  • 18 Jan 2024
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