Rapid determination of kappa-carrageenan using a biosensor from immobilized Pseudomonas carrageenovora cells

PLoS One. 2019 Apr 16;14(4):e0214580. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0214580. eCollection 2019.

Abstract

A potentiometric whole cell biosensor based on immobilized marine bacterium, Pseudomonas carrageenovora producing κ-carrageenase and glycosulfatase enzymes for specific and direct determination of κ-carrageenan, is described. The bacterial cells were immobilized on the self-plasticized hydrogen ion (H+)-selective acrylic membrane electrode surface to form a catalytic layer. Hydrogen ionophore I was incorporated in the poly(n-butyl acrylate) [poly(nBA)] as a pH ionophore. Catalytic decomposition of κ-carrageenan by the bienzymatic cascade reaction produced neoagarobiose, an inorganic sulfate ion and a proton. The latter was detectable by H+ ion transducer for indirect potentiometric quantification of κ-carrageenan concentration. The use of a disposable screen-printed Ag/AgCl electrode (SPE) provided no cleaning requirement and enabled κ-carrageenan detection to be carried out conveniently without cross contamination in a complex food sample. The SPE-based microbial biosensor response was found to be reproducible with high reproducibility and relative standard deviation (RSD) at 2.6% (n = 3). The whole cell biosensor demonstrated a broad dynamic linear response range to κ-carrageenan from 0.2-100 ppm in 20 mM phosphate buffer saline (PBS) at pH 7.5 with a detection limit at 0.05 ppm and a Nernstian sensitivity of 58.78±0.87 mV/decade (R2 = 0.995). The biosensor showed excellent selectivity towards κ-carrageenan compared to other types of carrageenans tested e.g. ι-carrageenan and λ-carrageenan. No pretreatment to the food sample was necessary when the developed whole cell biosensor was employed for direct assay of κ-carrageenan in dairy product.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Algorithms
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism
  • Biosensing Techniques*
  • Carrageenan / analysis*
  • Cells, Immobilized / metabolism
  • Culture Media
  • Electrodes
  • Hydrogen
  • Ions
  • Kinetics
  • Limit of Detection
  • Linear Models
  • Potentiometry / methods*
  • Pseudomonas / metabolism*
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Time Factors

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Culture Media
  • Ions
  • Hydrogen
  • Carrageenan

Grants and funding

We acknowledge financial support from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia via the Operational Research University grant (STGL-007-2010/10) and GP-5179-2018.