Dual-emissive Eu(III)-functionalized metal-organic frameworks for visual, rapid, and intelligent sensing of albendazole and albendazole sulfoxide in animal-origin food

Abstract

Albendazole (ABZ), a benzimidazole-based anthelmintic, is widely used to treat helminth infections. The extensive and improper use of ABZ may cause drug residues in animal-origin food and anthelmintics resistance, which potentially threaten human health. Meanwhile, albendazole sulfoxide (ABZSO), a metabolite of ABZ, also exhibits toxic effects. Therefore, the detection of ABZ and ABZSO in animal-derived food is significantly necessary. Herein, a dual-emission europium fluorescent sensor (EuUHC-30) was rationally designed and constructed. EuUHC-30 exhibits high selectivity and sensitivity towards ABZ and ABZSO with a detection limit of 0.10 and 0.13 μM, respectively. Furthermore, EuUHC-30 was successfully applied for quantification of ABZ and ABZSO in milk and pig kidney, which were verified by HPLC analysis. Moreover, a smartphone-assisted EuUHC-30 fluorescent paper sensor was fabricated for the practical determination of ABZ and ABZSO in real food. Overall, this work provides a visual, rapid, and intelligent method for the detection of ABZ and ABZSO in animal-origin food.

Keywords: Albendazole; Albendazole sulfoxide; Eu(3+)-MOF; Fluorescent detection; Smartphone detection.