Electrochemical Sensors for the Detection of Reactive Oxygen Species in Biological Systems: A Critical Review

Recent Advances in Detection of Hydroxyl Radical by Responsive Fluorescence Nanoprobes

Hydroxyl radical (•OH), a highly reactive oxygen species (ROS), is assumed as one of the most aggressive free radicals. This radical has a detrimental impact on cells as it can react with different biological substrates leading to pathophysiological disorders, including inflammation, mitochondrion dysfunction, and cancer. Quantification of this free radical in-situ plays critical roles in early diagnosis and treatment monitoring of various disorders, like macrophage polarization and tumor cell development. Luminescence analysis using responsive probes has been an emerging and reliable technique for in-situ detection of various cellular ROS, and some recently developed •OH responsive nanoprobes have confirmed the association with cancer development. This paper aims to summarize the recent advances in the characterization of •OH in living organisms using responsive nanoprobes, covering the production, the sources of •OH, and biological function, especially in the development of related diseases followed by the discussion of luminescence nanoprobes for •OH detection.

A novel impedimetric sensor based on N-acetyl-L-cysteine for the determination of hydroxyl radicals in cell cultures in vitro

We report a novel impedimetric sensor based on a graphite electrode impregnated with polyethylene and paraffin under vacuum (IGE) modified with electrochemically deposited gold and a self-assembled monolayer of N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC/Au/IGE) for selective and sensitive determination of extracellular hydroxyl radicals (OH•) generated by living cells. The application of a sulphur-containing molecule oxidized by OH• predicts the high selectivity of the sensor, and the utilization of the non-faradaic impedance spectroscopy for recording an analytical response makes it possible to achieve superior sensitivity with a detection limit of 0.01 nM and a linear dynamic range of 0.08-8 nM. Meanwhile, NAC/Au/IGE demonstrated a strong potential of detecting OH• generated by biological objects via successful determination of extracellular hydroxyl radicals generated by normal fibroblast cells and prostate carcinoma cells.

Nano- and Microsensors for In Vivo Real-Time Electrochemical Analysis: Present and Future Perspectives

Electrochemical nano- and microsensors have been a useful tool for measuring different analytes because of their small size, sensitivity, and favorable electrochemical properties. Using such sensors, it is possible to study physiological mechanisms at the cellular, tissue, and organ levels and determine the state of health and diseases. In this review, we highlight recent advances in the application of electrochemical sensors for measuring neurotransmitters, oxygen, ascorbate, drugs, pH values, and other analytes in vivo. The evolution of electrochemical sensors is discussed, with a particular focus on the development of significant fabrication schemes. Finally, we highlight the extensive applications of electrochemical sensors in medicine and biological science.