Search Results (3)

This study evaluates the quality of chilled squid Loligo vulgaris by non-destructive measurements of bioelectrical impedance from the first post-mortem day under controlled conditions. Squid samples were stored at 4.5 °C and 55% of relative humidity for 11 days. Impedance magnitude (|Z|) and phase (φ) at 200 frequencies (100Hz to 100MHz) were measured using an Agilent 4294A Precision Impedance Analyzer with needle-type multi-electrode array on days 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, and 11 of storage. The changes in color, sensory properties, total volatile nitrogen, pH, and water holding capacity were also determined. The obtained results indicated that the samples could be classified into five to six distinctive groups by measuring the electrical parameters at frequencies close to 5MHz. In general, φ is less dependent on temperature and measurement setup than |Z|, while records at 5MHz correlate well with the days of storage (R² = 0.968). The data imply that it is only possible to estimate the length of storage for the samples with measurements of phase angle, which can be useful for the development of new analytical instruments. Biosensors have a practical industrial application, as it is demonstrated that bioelectrical impedance data correlates well with the days of chilled storage. Full article

The changes in blood glucose levels are a key indicator of fish health conditions and are closely correlated to their stress levels. Here, we developed a self-powered glucose biosensor (SPGB) consisting of a needle-type enzymatic biofuel cell (N-EFC), which was operated underwater and connected to a charge pump integrated circuit (IC) and a light emitting diode (LED) as the indicator. The N-EFC consisted of a needle bioanode, which was inserted into the caudal area of a living fish (Tilapia) to access biofuels, and a gas-diffusion biocathode sealed in an airtight bag. The N-EFC was immersed entirely in the water and connected to a charge pump IC with a capacitor, which enabled charging and discharging of the bioelectricity generated from the N-EFC to blink an LED. Using a smartphone, the glucose concentration can be determined by observing the LED blinking frequencies that are linearly proportional to the blood glucose concentration within a detection range of 10–180 mg/dL. We have successfully demonstrated the feasibility of the SPGB used to continuously monitor the physiological status of free-swimming fish treated with cold shock in real time. The power generated by a free-swimming fish with an N-EFC inserted into its caudal area, swimming in a fish tank with a water temperature (T_w) of 25 °C, exhibited an open circuit voltage of 0.41 V and a maximum power density of 6.3 μW/cm² at 0.25 V with a current density of 25 μA/cm². By gradually decreasing T_w from 25 °C to 15 °C, the power generation increased to a maximum power density of 8.6 μW/cm² at 0.27 V with a current density of 31 μA/cm². The blood glucose levels of the free-swimming fish at 25 °C and 15 °C determined by the blinking frequencies were 44 mg/dL and 98 mg/dL, respectively. Our proposed SPGB provides an effective power-free method for stress visualization and evaluation of fish health by monitoring a blinking LED through a smartphone. Full article

A novel needle-type biosensor based on carbon nanotubes is reported. Thebiosensor was prepared by packing a mixture of multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs),graphite powder and glucose oxidase (G_ox) freeze-dried powder into a glass capillary of 0.5mm inner diameter. The resulting amperometric biosensor was characterizedelectrochemically using amperometry in the presence of hydrogen peroxide and in thepresence of glucose. The glucose biosensor sensitivity was influenced by the glucoseoxidase concentration within the MWCNTs mixture. The optimized glucose needle-typebiosensor displayed better sensitivity and stability, and a detected range of up to 20 mM.Based on its favorable stability, the needle biosensor was first time used in real-timemonitoring system as a kind of online glucose detector. The decay of current response isless than 10% after 24-hour continuous observation. Full article