Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Development of a Detection Kit Based on G-Quadruplex DNAzyme for Detection of Lead(II) Ion in Food Samples

  • Published:
Food Analytical Methods Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The biocatalytic function of G-quadruplex DNAzyme has been first used to design a detection kit for colorimetric detection of Pb2+ in food samples by coupling guaiacol (GA) as an effective and ideal colorimetric signal indicator. Addition of Pb2+ enabled the G-rich DNA to bind hemin to fabricate the Pb2+-promoted DNAzyme, which can catalyze the H2O2-mediated oxidation of colorless GA to produce amber tetraguaiacol, causing a visible color change. Both standard curve and colorimetric card were constructed in the present detection kit for the quantitative analysis of Pb2+. Under optimum conditions, the working range of the kit was 10–100 nM with a detection limit of 1 nM Pb2+. And the performance of the colorimetric card method of the kit could discriminate Pb2+ from 5 to 80 nM. The shelf-life of the kit was 6 months at 4 °C, and the effectiveness and reliability of the kit on the determination of Pb2+ were evaluated in real food samples. Therefore, the good performance characteristics of the DNAzyme-based detection kit indicate that it holds a promising application for sensitive and low-cost detection of Pb2+ ions in foods.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ataro A, McCrindle RI, Botha BM, McCrindle CME, Ndibewu PP (2008) Quantification of trace elements in raw cow’s milk by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Food Chem 111:243–248

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bagheri H, Afkhami A, Saber-Tehrani M, Khoshsafar H (2012) Preparation and characterization of magnetic nanocomposite of Schiff base/silica/magnetite as a preconcentration phase for the trace determination of heavy metal ions in water, food and biological samples using atomic absorption spectrometry. Talanta 97:87–95

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Davis S, Burns RG (1990) Decolorization of phenolic effluents by soluble and immobilized phenol oxidases. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 32:721–726

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Deng M, Zhang D, Zhou Y, Zhou X (2008) Highly effective colorimetric and visual detection of nucleic acids using an asymmetrically split peroxidase DNAzyme. J Am Chem Soc 130:13095–13102

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Doerge DR, Divi RL, Churchwell MI (1997) Identification of the colored guaiacol oxidation product produced by peroxidases. Anal Biochem 250:10–17

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dorfner R, Ferge T, Kettrup A, Zimmermann R, Yeretzian C (2003) Real-time monitoring of 4-vinylguaiacol, guaiacol, and phenol during coffee roasting by resonant laser ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. J Agric Food Chem 51:5768–5773

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Du Y, Li B, Guo S, Zhou Z, Zhou M, Wang E, Dong S (2011) G-Quadruplex-based DNAzyme for colorimetric detection of cocaine: using magnetic nanoparticles as the separation and amplification element. Analyst 136:493–497

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Elbaz J, Shlyahovsky B, Willner I (2008) A DNAzyme cascade for the amplified detection of Pb2+ ions or L-histidine. Chem Commun 1569–1571

  • Freeman R, Sharon E, Teller C, Henning A, Tzfati Y, Willner I (2010) DNAzyme‐like activity of hemin-telomeric G‐quadruplexes for the optical analysis of telomerase and its inhibitors. ChemBioChem 11:2362–2367

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hague T, Petroczi A, Andrews PL, Barker J, Naughton DP (2008) Determination of metal ion content of beverages and estimation of target hazard quotients: a comparative study. Chem Cent J 2:13

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kosman J, Juskowiak B (2011) Peroxidase-mimicking DNAzymes for biosensing applications: a review. Anal Chim Acta 707:7–17

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kotch FW, Fettinger JC, Davis JT (2000) A lead-filled G-quadruplex: insight into the G-quartet’s selectivity for Pb2+ over K+. Org Lett 2:3277–3280

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li D, Shlyahovsky B, Elbaz J, Willner I (2007) Amplified analysis of low-molecular-weight substrates or proteins by the self-assembly of DNAzyme-aptamer conjugates. J Am Chem Soc 129:5804–5805

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li T, Dong S, Wang E (2009a) Label-free colorimetric detection of aqueous mercury ion (Hg2+) using Hg2+-modulated G-quadruplex-based DNAzymes. Anal Chem 81:2144–2149

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li T, Wang E, Dong S (2009b) G-Quadruplex-based DNAzyme as a sensing platform for ultrasensitive colorimetric potassium detection. Chem Commun 580–582

  • Li T, Wang E, Dong S (2009c) Potassium-lead-switched G-quadruplexes: a new class of DNA logic gates. J Am Chem Soc 131:15082–15083

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li T, Wang E, Dong S (2010) Lead(II)-induced allosteric G-quadruplex DNAzyme as a colorimetric and chemiluminescence sensor for highly sensitive and selective Pb2+ detection. Anal Chem 82:1515–1520

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li C-L, Liu K-T, Lin Y-W, Chang H-T (2011) Fluorescence detection of lead(II) ions through their induced catalytic activity of DNAzymes. Anal Chem 83:225–230

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liu Y, Wang M, Li J, Li Z, He P, Liu H, Li J (2005) Highly active horseradish peroxidase immobilized in 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate room-temperature ionic liquid based sol–gel host materials. Chem Commun 1778–1780

  • Liu T, Zhang X, Zhu W, Liu W, Zhang D, Wang J (2014) A G-quadruplex DNAzyme-based colorimetric method for facile detection of Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris. Analyst 139:4315–4321

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lv L, Guo Z, Wang J, Wang E (2012) G-Quadruplex as signal transducer for biorecognition events. Curr Pharm Des 18:2076–2095

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Majhi PR, Shafer RH (2006) Characterization of an unusual folding pattern in a catalytically active guanine quadruplex structure. Biopolymers 82:558–569

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Miao X, Ling L, Shuai X (2011) Ultrasensitive detection of lead(II) with DNAzyme and gold nanoparticles probes by using a dynamic light scattering technique. Chem Commun 47:4192–4194

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Millour S et al (2011) Pb, Hg, Cd, As, Sb and Al levels in foodstuffs from the 2nd French total diet study. Food Chem 126:1787–1799

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ofori H, Owusu M, Anyebuno G (2013) Heavy metal analysis of fruit juice and soft drinks bought from retail market in Accra, Ghana. J Sci Res Rep 2:423–428

    Google Scholar 

  • Ping JF, Wang YX, Wu J, Ying YB (2014) Development of an electrochemically reduced graphene oxide modified disposable bismuth film electrode and its application for stripping analysis of heavy metals in milk. Food Chem 151:65–71

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Singh P, Prakash R, Shah K (2012) Effect of organic solvents on peroxidases from rice and horseradish: prospects for enzyme based applications. Talanta 97:204–210

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Smirnov I, Shafer RH (2000) Lead is unusually effective in sequence-specific folding of DNA. J Mol Biol 296:1–5

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Smirnov IV, Kotch FW, Pickering IJ, Davis JT, Shafer RH (2002) Pb EXAFS studies on DNA quadruplexes: identification of metal ion binding site. Biochemistry 41:12133–12139

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Szymczycha-Madeja A, Welna M (2013) Evaluation of a simple and fast method for the multi-elemental analysis in commercial fruit juice samples using atomic emission spectrometry. Food Chem 141:3466–3472

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Travascio P, Li Y, Sen D (1998) DNA-enhanced peroxidase activity of a DNA aptamer-hemin complex. Chem Biol 5:505–517

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Travascio P, Bennet AJ, Wang DY, Sen D (1999) A ribozyme and a catalytic DNA with peroxidase activity: active sites versus cofactor-binding sites. Chem Biol 6:779–787

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Willner I, Shlyahovsky B, Zayats M, Willner B (2008) DNAzymes for sensing, nanobiotechnology and logic gate applications. Chem Soc Rev 37:1153–1165

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Winder C, Carmichael NG, Lewis PD (1982) Effects of chronic low level lead exposure on brain development and function. Trends Neurosci 5:207–209

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yuan X, Koh HL, Chui WK (2009) The analysis of heavy metals in Chinese herbal medicine by flow injection-mercury hydride system and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. Phytochem Anal 20:293–297

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang J, Gao Q, Chen P, Chen J, Chen G, Fu F (2011) A novel Tb(3+)-promoted G-quadruplex-hemin DNAzyme for the development of label-free visual biosensors. Biosens Bioelectron 26:4053–4057

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhou Z, Zhu J, Zhang L, Du Y, Dong S, Wang E (2013) G-quadruplex-based fluorescent assay of S1 nuclease activity and K+. Anal Chem 85:2431–2435

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhu X, Gao X, Liu Q, Lin Z, Qiu B, Chen G (2011) Pb2+-introduced activation of horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-mimicking DNAzyme. Chem Commun 47:7437–7439

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work is supported by National Science & Technology Pillar Program (2012BAK17B06), National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 31101274, No. 31201357), the Shaanxi Provincial Research Fund (2014K13-10, 2012KJXX-17, 2014KJXX-42, 2014K02-13-03), Open Fund of State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry (SKLEAC201301), Fundamental Research Funds for the Northwest A&F University of China (2014YB093), and Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University (NCET-13-0483).

Conflict of Interest

Tao Liu declares that he has no conflict of interest. Gang Nie declares that he has no conflict of interest. Xiao Zhang declares that she has no conflict of interest. Wei Liu declares that he has no conflict of interest. Wentao Zhang declares that he has no conflict of interest. Yashan Wang declares that she has no conflict of interest. Daohong Zhang declares that she has no conflict of interest. Jianlong Wang declares that he has no conflict of interest. This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, 712100, Yangling, Shaanxi, China

    Tao Liu, Gang Nie, Xiao Zhang, Wei Liu, Wentao Zhang, Yashan Wang, Daohong Zhang & Jianlong Wang

Authors
  1. Tao Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Gang Nie
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Xiao Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Wei Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Wentao Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Yashan Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Daohong Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Jianlong Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Daohong Zhang or Jianlong Wang.

Additional information

Both Tao Liu and Gang Nie rank as the first authors.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Liu, T., Nie, G., Zhang, X. et al. Development of a Detection Kit Based on G-Quadruplex DNAzyme for Detection of Lead(II) Ion in Food Samples. Food Anal. Methods 8, 1133–1140 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12161-014-9990-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12161-014-9990-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation