Lactoferrin (LF) is an iron-binding glycoprotein with various biological activities that has been extensively used in food and medical applications. Several methods for detecting LF have been reported, but they still face challenges in terms of sensitivity and simplicity of detection. To achieve an accurate and efficient detection of LF, we developed a method for the determination of LF in lactoferrin supplements using carbon dots (CDs) fluorescent probes. The N, S-doped PPI carbon dots (N, S-PPI-CDs) were prepared using a protein (peanut protein isolate) and cysteamine as precursors. The prepared N, S-PPI-CDs exhibited intense blue fluorescence and good biocompatibility, while the fluorescence intensity of the N, S-PPI-CDs showed a good linear relationship with Fe2+/Fe3+ concentration (0–2 μM). The N, S-PPI-CDs exhibited a high potential ability to rapidly detect Fe2+/Fe3+ within 30 s, with a limit of detection (LoD) of 0.21 μM/0.17 μM. Due to the reversible binding of LF to Fe, the N, S-PPI-CDs showed a high sensitivity and selectivity for LF, with a limit of detection (LoD) of 1.92 μg/mL. In addition, LF was quantified in real sample LF supplements and showed a fluctuation in recovery of less than 2.48%, further demonstrating the effectiveness of the fluorescent N, S-PPI-CDs sensor.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.