Abstract
The detection of folic acid in biological samples or pharmaceutical products is of great importance due to its implications in the biological functions of the human body, along with the development and growth of the fetus. The deficiency of folic acid can be reversed by the intake of different pharmaceutical formulations or alimentary products fortified with this molecule. The elaboration of sensing platforms represents a continuous work in progress, a task in which the use of conductive polymers modified with different functionalities represents one of the outcoming strategies. The possibility of manipulating their morphology with the use of templates or surfactants represents another advantage. A sensing platform based on carboxylic functionalized polypyrrole was synthesized via the electrochemical approach in the presence of a polymeric surfactant on a graphite-based surface. The sensor was able to detect the folic acid from 2.5 μM to 200 μM with a calculated limited of detection of 0.8 μM. It was employed for the detection of the analyte from commercial human serum and pharmaceutical products with excellent recovery rates. The results were double checked using an optimized spectrophotometric procedure that confirmed furthermore the performances of the sensor related to real samples assessment.
Highlights
Folic acid (FA), known as pteroylglutamic acid or Vitamin M or B9, is a B type water-soluble vitamin with important functions for the human body
The electrochemical deposition of 3-carboxylic pyrrole was performed by cyclic voltammetry (CV) in a 0.1 M LiClO4 electrochemical deposition
The detection of FA via CV is in agreement with the results presented in literature data, as follows: a cathodic peak at −0.17 V/Ag corresponding to the redox process of the polypyrrole backbone, at −0.37 V/Ag (Scheme 1, compound III) and −0.6 V/Ag (Scheme 1, compound IV) corresponding to the electrochemical reduction of pterin moiety of FA that generates 5,8 dihydrofolic acid
Summary
Folic acid (FA), known as pteroylglutamic acid or Vitamin M or B9, is a B type water-soluble vitamin with important functions for the human body. Beside the implications in DNA synthesis, it has a major role in the development and healthy growth of the fetus [1]. The studies describe that pregnancy complications are closely linked with deficiency of FA, and that the daily supplementary intake of FA (400 μg) decreases the risk of neural tube defects by 50%. Congenital heart disease, preeclampsia, preterm labor, and recurrent pregnancy loss were linked to the deficiency of this compound [2]. FA cannot be stored in the human body, the regular intake from fortified dietary products or vitamin supplementation is necessary for a healthy lifestyle. It is known that folates can be degraded during storage due to heat, oxygen, and Sensors 2020, 20, 2315; doi:10.3390/s20082315 www.mdpi.com/journal/sensors
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