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Fluorometric Assay of Tyrosinase and Atrazine Based on the Use of Carbon Dots and the Inhibition of Tyrosinase Activity

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Abstract

Sensitive and convenient strategy of tyrosinase (TYR) and its inhibitor atrazine is in pressing demand for essential research as well as pragmatic application. In this work, an exquisite label-free fluorometric assay with high sensitivity, convenience and efficiency was described for detecting TYR and the herbicide atrazine on the basis of fluorescent nitrogen-doped carbon dots (CDs). The CDs were prepared via one-pot hydrothermal reaction starting from citric acid and diethylenetriamine. TYR catalyzed the oxidation of dopamine to dopaquinone derivative which could quench the fluorescence of CDs through a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) process. Thus, a sensitive and selective quantitative evaluation of TYR can be constructed on the basis of the relationship between the fluorescence of CDs and TYR activity. Atrazine, a typical inhibitor of TYR, inhibited the catalytic activity of TYR, leading to the reduced dopaquinone and the fluorescence was retained. The strategy covered a broad linear range of 0.1–150 U/mL and 4.0–80.0 nM for TYR and atrazine respectively with a low detection limit of 0.02 U/mL and 2.4 nM/mL. It is also demonstrated that the assay can be applied to detect TYR and atrazine in spiked complex real samples, which provides infinite potential in application of disease monitoring along with environmental analysis.

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Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81973283, 61775099, 21705080, 61905280), Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (No. BK20221304, BK20171487, BK20171043), College Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program of Jiangsu Province (No. 202110312058Y) and “Blue Project” Foundation of the Higher Education Institutions of Jiangsu Province.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211166, PR China

    Lei Qiu, Mingcong Gao, Jiawei Li, Guanhong Xu, Fangdi Wei, Jing Yang, Qin Hu & Yao Cen

  2. Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular & Cerebrovascular Medicine, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211166, PR China

    Guanhong Xu, Fangdi Wei, Jing Yang, Qin Hu & Yao Cen

  3. Department of Pharmacy, Jiuting hospital of Songjiang District, Shanghai, 201651, PR China

    Lei Qiu

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  1. Lei Qiu
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Contributions

Lei Qiu, Qin Hu, and Yao Cen mainly conducted experimental design, data analysis, and manuscript writing. Mingcong Gao, Jiawei Li and Guanghong Xu are mainly responsible for data analysis and image rendering, Fangdi Wei and Jing Yang are mainly responsible for sample processing and experimental guidance.Qin Hu and Yao Cen are also responsible for supervising and reviewing manuscript.All authors reviewed the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Qin Hu or Yao Cen.

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Qiu, L., Gao, M., Li, J. et al. Fluorometric Assay of Tyrosinase and Atrazine Based on the Use of Carbon Dots and the Inhibition of Tyrosinase Activity. J Fluoresc 34, 765–774 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10895-023-03308-x

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