Design of a label-free aptasensor for electrochemical determination of hemoglobin: investigation of the peroxidase-like activity of hemoglobin for the sensing of different substrates

Abstract

The unbalanced hemoglobin level in biological fluids can cause several diseases; hence it can be used as a biomarker for diagnosis. We aim, in the present study, to construct a label-free electrochemical aptasensor for the quantification of hemoglobin. For that, a conjugate of L-cysteine and gold nanoparticles was used for the aptamer immobilization on screen printed carbon electrodes. Using square wave voltammetry, the calibration plot was obtained and it was linear in the range of 50 ng ml⁻¹ to 36 000 ng ml⁻¹ while the detection limit was 1.2 ng ml⁻¹. After the binding of Hb on the modified screen-printed carbon electrode surface, the peroxidase-like activity of the bound hemoglobin was explored in the quantification of different substrates. Hydrogen peroxide and nitrite were chosen as model analytes. Amperometric measurements showed wide linear ranges: 0.2 μM–7.7 mM and 3.6 nM–1.3 mM for H₂O₂ and nitrite, respectively, with detection limits of 0.044 μM and 0.55 nM. In the proposed strategy, the aptamer provides excellent orientation and a biocompatible environment for hemoglobin whose catalytic activity plays a key role in H₂O₂ and nitrite analysis.