Nanochemistry and biotechnology

Conductometric enzyme biosensors and calixarene-based chemosensor for determination of arginine in aqueous solutions

Saiapina O.Y.1*, Soldatkin O.O.1, Soldatkina O.V.2, Marchenko S.V.1, Yarynka D.V.1, Cherenok S.O.3, Kalchenko V.I.3, Dzyadevych S.V.1,2

1Department of Biomolecular Electronics, Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics of the NAS of Ukraine.
150, Academician Zabolotnyi Str., Kyiv, 03680, Ukraine.
E-mail: osayapina4@gmail.com

2Institute of High Technologies, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.
4H Academician Hlushkov Ave., Kyiv, 03022, Ukraine. 

3Phospohoranes Chemistry Department, Institute of Organic Chemistry of the NAS of Ukraine.
5, Murmanska Str., Kyiv, 02660, Ukraine. 

In food industry, the possibility to monitor the levels of amino acid arginine in the raw agricultural commodities and products allows to control their quality and efficacy of production and storage. The development and application of bio- and chemosensors for quantification of arginine in aqueous solutions will be considered here. We present a series of conductometric (bio)sensors based on arginase, urease, clinoptilolite and calixarene methylenebisphosphonic acid. The principle of enzyme biosensors was based on detection of ammonium produced upon decomposition of arginine in the enzyme-controlled reactions. We supposed that if these reactions occur jointly with ammonium-exchange in clinoptilolite, it could enhance the sensitivity of method and lower the limit of detection. The calixarene-based conductometric sensor employed 25,27-di(3-methylsulfidopropoxy) calixarene tetrakis-methylenebisphosphonic acid, the methylenebisphosphonic acid moieties of which provided the direct complexation with arginine. The (bio)sensors based on the above mentioned recognition elements were created and optimized with respect to the composition of the selective membranes, method of immobilization and buffer parameters. The analytical characteristics and scope of application of each group of the (bio)sensors were eventually studied and summarized for the further use.
This work was funded by the grant of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine for research laboratories/groups of young scientists of NAS of Ukraine for conducting investigations within the priority directions for development of science and technology in 2020.