Publications by authors named "Juan-Manuel Fernandez-Romero"

A method using pH gradient to modify the phospholipid dissociation has been developed using hybrid magnetoliposomes with encapsulated enzyme laccase, which has been immobilized on hydrophilic magnetic nanocrystals (PAA-MNCs) retained in the reaction/detection zone of a microfluidic system. The hybrid magnetoliposomes act as micro containers, providing the safe transfer of the enzyme to the reaction/detection site, where it is retained, and preconcentration of the enzyme in this place occurs, which improves the system's sensitivity. The use of pH change involves the lack of external molecules to release the encapsulated materials.

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Article Synopsis
  • A novel microfluidic biosensor was developed that uses a magnetically retained enzyme microreactor to monitor alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and test potential inhibitors, focusing on a fluorescence-based detection method.
  • The device operates by measuring the fluorescence decrease from the enzyme reaction with a substrate (4-methylumbelliferone phosphate) in the presence of sulfonamide inhibitors at specific wavelengths.
  • The system demonstrated high sensitivity and efficiency, successfully detecting sulfonamide residues in tap water and milk with recovery rates of 88.9-98.7%, while outperforming commercial devices in terms of reaction speed.
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A stopped-flow microfluidic system to monitor glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity and evaluate potential inhibitors of the enzyme has been developed based on the integration of the microfluidic chip in the reaction/detection zone. This integration supposes the physical alignment at the optimal location of the microfluidic channel, both the magnetically retained enzyme microreactor (MREµR) and the remote luminescence detection using a focused bifurcated fiber optic bundle (BFOB) connected to a conventional spectrofluorometer detector. The method is based on the coupling of two competitive oxidative chemical reactions, in which glutathione (GSH) and homovanillic acid (HVA) competed for their interaction with hydrogen peroxide in the presence of the magnetically retained GPx-MNPs.

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A new microfluidic approach using hybrid magnetoliposomes (h-MLs) containing hydrophobic magnetic nanoparticles (FeO@AuNPs-C12SH) and encapsulated -acetylcysteine has been developed in this research to determine aminoglycoside antibiotic (AAG) residues in food using -phthalaldehyde. Four AAGs, kanamycin, streptomycin, gentamicin, and neomycin, have been used as model analytes. The h-MLs have been used for reagent preconcentration and were retained using an external electromagnet device in the reaction/detection zone in a microfluidic system, inserted into the sample chamber of a conventional fluorimeter.

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A biosensor in which an affinity reaction occurs in the sensitive microzone through the use of specific aptamers to determine kanamycin residues in agri-food samples has been developed. It is an irreversible and continuous flow aptameric biosensor (aptasensor) in which the signal variations are monitored by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) measurements based on the specific interaction of the aptamer with the antibiotic. The signal variation is proportional to the analyte concentration.

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Article Synopsis
  • Liposomes, made from phospholipids and cholesterol, were analyzed using a technique called asymmetric flow field-flow fractionation (AF4) combined with a multi-angle light scattering detector (MALS) to determine their size based on how long they take to elute.
  • Different types of liposomes were created for study, including empty liposomes, magnetoliposomes containing iron and gold nanoparticles, and liposomes with long-wavelength fluorophores in their inner cavity.
  • The study established a method for optimizing the separation process and found that three distinct classes of liposomes could be identified, indicating that this methodology is effective for characterizing liposomes based on their contents.
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A method for monitoring the efficiency of the hybrid magnetoliposomes (h-MLs) separation using multiphase density gradient centrifugation (MDGC) coupled with a continuous flow system (CFS) is described. Several h-MLs suspensions containing hydrophobic magnetic gold nanoparticles (FeO@AuNPs-C12SH) and different fluorophores encapsulated have been synthesized using the rapid solvent evaporation (RSE) method. The MDGC system was prepared using a non-linear multiphase density gradient formed with a bottom layer with 100% (v/v) sucrose solution and six layers containing a mixture of sucrose solution (with concentrations ranged between 10 and 55% v/v), and fixed concentrations of ficoll (30% v/v) and percoll (15% v/v) solutions.

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A useful 3D printed device for the inside microfluidic integration into a conventional optical detector has been developed. The coupling system supposes the complete integration of a microfluidic device inside the sample compartment of a conventional spectrofluorimeter. For this purpose, a commercial chip-holder, including a microfluidic chip, was anchored inside the detector using a "lab-built" 3D printing alignment prototype.

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A new dynamic method containing a magnetically retained enzyme reactor (MRER) located in the reaction/detection zone of a flow injection (FI) system, has been used for the determination of total cholesterol in serum samples. The MRER was formed by a mixture ratio of 2/1 of immobilized enzymes cholesterol esterase (ChE) and cholesterol oxidase (COx) on magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs). The analytical signal is based on the fluorescence decreasing of the fluorophore naphtofluorescein (NF) due to its oxidation by the HO formed in the enzymatic reactions.

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  • A new type of magnetoliposomes (MLs) was developed for detecting coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), using hydrophobic magnetic-gold nanoparticles and a fluorophore called cresyl violet.
  • The MLs are concentrated prior to detection through a flow system and an electromagnet, and their lysis through Triton X-100 leads to a decrease in fluorescence that indicates CoQ10 levels.
  • The method allows for accurate measurements in food samples, with a calibration range of 0.03-0.50 μmol/L, a detection limit of 0.008 μmol/L, and recovery rates between 83.5-101.3% when compared to traditional chromatographic techniques.
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  • Liposomes with magnetic gold nanoparticles were developed as smart containers for detecting alkaline phosphatase (ALP) via flow injection techniques.
  • The method achieved a dynamic detection range of 6.4 × 10(-3) to 0.25 U L(-1) for ALP, with a low detection limit of 1.9 × 10(-3) U L(-1) and high precision (RSD% between 0.7-2.4%).
  • This technique was successfully tested on milk samples, showing recovery rates from 87.5 to 104.6% and allowing analysis of ALP activity after different temperature treatments, with results compared to previous methods.
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The preparation of hybrid nanostructures formed by gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) into biotinylated liposomes and their analytical application are presented. The surface of negatively charged AuNPs was modified with 1-dodecanethiol and the NPs were encapsulated into biotinylated liposomes using the rapid solvent evaporation method. Liposomes were resized by both mechanical shaking and ultrasound treatments and filled liposomes were separated from empty liposomes using sucrose density gradient centrifugation.

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A new post-column derivatization system is described and applied to the determination of flavonoids in citric beverages after their separation by LC using a monolithic column. The derivatization involves the formation of the chelates of the analytes with aluminum (III) and terbium (III) in the presence of the surfactant SDS and the measurement of the terbium sensitized luminescence at lambda(ex) 360 and lambda(em) 545 nm. Naringin, hesperidin, quercetin, naringenin, and kaempferol have been chosen as analyte models.

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A liquid chromatographic method with online photometric and luminescent detection for the determination of 18 phenolic compounds in wines is reported. Photometric detection is performed at four wavelengths, namely, 256, 280, 320, and 365 nm, using a diode array detection system. The luminescent detection is achieved by means of a postcolumn derivatization reaction of 10 of these compounds with terbium(III) in the presence of synergistic agents, such as ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and n-octyltriphosphine oxide (TOPO).

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A liquid chromatography (LC) method with luminescence detection for the determination of eight quinolone antibiotics is reported. The system encompasses three consecutive steps: (a) chromatographic separation using reverse-phase mode (RP-LC), (b) postcolumn derivatization reaction, and (c) luminescence detection by monitoring fluorescence (FL) and time-resolved (TR) signals. The derivatization step is based on the reaction between quinolones and terbium(III) to form luminescent chelates, which were determined at lambda(ex) 340 and lambda(em) 545 nm (FL mode) or at lambda(ex) 281 and lambda(em) 545 nm (TR mode).

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