A dual-mode γ-CD/Fe,N-CD nanozyme enabled by host-guest interactions for the dual-mode fluorometric and colorimetric monitoring of zearalenone in wheat flour.
6 affiliations
- 1Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Najran University Najran Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
- 2Health Research Center, Najran University Najran Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
- 3Basic Research Laboratory, Department of Food Science and Technology, GreenTech-based Food Safety Research Group, BK21 Four, Chung-Ang University Anseong 17546 Republic of Korea.
- 4Department of Pharmaceutical Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Assiut University Assiut Egypt [email protected].
- 5Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Tabuk Tabuk 71491 Saudi Arabia.
- 6Assiut National University New Assiut City Assiut 11511 Egypt.
Abstract
Zearalenone (ZEN), a potent endocrine-disrupting mycotoxin produced by Fusarium fungi, frequently contaminates cereal-based foods worldwide, necessitating reliable analytical methods for food safety and regulatory compliance. Herein, we report an innovative dual-readout sensing strategy for both fluorometric and colorimetric quantification of ZEN, based on a unified catalytic nanoplatform of iron and nitrogen co-doped carbon dots decorated with γ-cyclodextrin (γ-CD/Fe, N-CDs). The enlarged macrocyclic cavity of γ-CD selectively accommodates the bulky 14-membered resorcylic acid lactone ring of ZEN via host-guest binding, simultaneously triggering two distinct signaling pathways: static quenching of the intrinsic carbon dot fluorescence through ground-state complex formation, and inhibition of TMB oxidation as the captured ZEN scavenges hydroxyl radicals generated by the proximal iron catalytic centers, reducing colorimetric signal intensity in a dose-dependent manner. The fluorescence channel exhibited linearity over 0.5-80.0 ng mL⁻¹ with an LOD of 0.21 ng mL⁻¹, while the colorimetric channel was linear over 5.0-55.0 ng mL⁻¹ with an LOD of 1.6 ng mL⁻¹. Applied to commercial wheat flour samples, the method yielded recoveries of 95.8-102.4% with RSDs below 4%, showing no significant deviation from conventional reference techniques. This bifunctional nanodevice offers a robust, mutually corroborating dual-channel platform for high-throughput ZEN surveillance in grain commodities.
Related
- Municipal wastewater sludge/laser-induced graphene nanozyme for machine-learning-assisted smartphone colorimetric tetracycline sensing
- Synergistic PVA/zein electrospun nanofiber array with curcumin-alizarin: a water-resistant, sensitive colorimetric platform for graded pork freshness monitoring.
- Poly(lactic acid)/ZIF-67 colorimetric headspace indicators for monitoring chicken breast freshness.
- Additive Manufacturing of Thermochromic Chitosan Hydrogels for Battery-Free Colorimetric Thermal Indication
- Nanozyme-based biosensors for pathogenic microorganism detection: a mini-review
BibTeX
@article{mahmoud2026dualmode,
title = {{A dual-mode γ-CD/Fe,N-CD nanozyme enabled by host-guest interactions for the dual-mode fluorometric and colorimetric monitoring of zearalenone in wheat flour.}},
author = {Ashraf M Mahmoud and Ali O Alqarni and Rayed Ali A Alqahtani and Jong Pil Park and Mohamed M El-Wekil and Ramadan Ali and Al-Montaser Bellah H Ali},
journal = {RSC advances},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1039/d6ra07703j},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42899244},
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - A dual-mode γ-CD/Fe,N-CD nanozyme enabled by host-guest interactions for the dual-mode fluorometric and colorimetric monitoring of zearalenone in wheat flour.
AU - Ashraf M Mahmoud
AU - Ali O Alqarni
AU - Rayed Ali A Alqahtani
AU - Jong Pil Park
AU - Mohamed M El-Wekil
AU - Ramadan Ali
AU - Al-Montaser Bellah H Ali
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/19
JO - RSC advances
DO - 10.1039/d6ra07703j
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42899244
AB - Zearalenone (ZEN), a potent endocrine-disrupting mycotoxin produced by Fusarium fungi, frequently contaminates cereal-based foods worldwide, necessitating reliable analytical methods for food safety and regulatory compliance. Herein, we report an innovative dual-readout sensing strategy for both fluorometric and colorimetric quantification of ZEN, based on a unified catalytic nanoplatform of iron and nitrogen co-doped carbon dots decorated with γ-cyclodextrin (γ-CD/Fe, N-CDs). The enlarged macrocyclic cavity of γ-CD selectively accommodates the bulky 14-membered resorcylic acid lactone ring of ZEN via host-guest binding, simultaneously triggering two distinct signaling pathways: static quenching of the intrinsic carbon dot fluorescence through ground-state complex formation, and inhibition of TMB oxidation as the captured ZEN scavenges hydroxyl radicals generated by the proximal iron catalytic centers, reducing colorimetric signal intensity in a dose-dependent manner. The fluorescence channel exhibited linearity over 0.5-80.0 ng mL⁻¹ with an LOD of 0.21 ng mL⁻¹, while the colorimetric channel was linear over 5.0-55.0 ng mL⁻¹ with an LOD of 1.6 ng mL⁻¹. Applied to commercial wheat flour samples, the method yielded recoveries of 95.8-102.4% with RSDs below 4%, showing no significant deviation from conventional reference techniques. This bifunctional nanodevice offers a robust, mutually corroborating dual-channel platform for high-throughput ZEN surveillance in grain commodities.
SN - 2046-2069
ER -