Development and Evaluation of a Low-Cost Triglyceride Quantification Enzymatic Biosensor Using an Arduino-Based Microfluidic System

Abstract

Overweight and obesity promote diabetes and heart disease onset. Triglycerides are key biomarkers for cardiovascular disease, strokes, and other health issues. Scientists have devised methods and instruments for the detection of these molecules in liquid samples. In this study, an enzymatic biosensor was developed using an Arduino-based microfluidic platform, wherein a lipolytic enzyme was immobilized on an ethylene-vinyl acetate polymer through physical adsorption. This low-cost optical biosensor employed a spectrophotometric transducer and was assessed in liquid samples to indirectly detect triglycerides and fatty acids using p-nitrophenol as an indicator. The average triglyceride level detected in the conducted experiments was 47.727 mg/dL. The biosensor exhibited a percentage of recovery of 81.12% and a variation coefficient of 0.791%. Furthermore, the biosensor demonstrated the ability to detect triglyceride levels without the need for sample dilution, ranging from 7.6741 mg/dL to 58.835 mg/dL. This study successfully developed an efficient and affordable enzymatic biosensor prototype for triglyceride and fatty acid detection. The lipolytic enzyme immobilization on the polymer substrate provided a stable and reproducible detection system, rendering this biosensor an exciting option for the detection of these molecules.

Optical Fiber Surface Plasmon Resonance Sensor for Glyceryl Tributyrate Detection Based on the PAA/CS Composite Hydrogel Embedding Protease Method

“…16 Spectrophotometry requires the formation of colored dyes or UVabsorbing substances and then calculates the corresponding TG concentration through spectrophotometry. 17 These two methods have the advantages of microvolume, high precision, and strong specificity. However, they require high operating procedures and reagents and strict detection environment requirements and cannot meet the requirements of simple, fast, and portable detection.…”

“…The fluorescence analysis method uses the product after TG decomposition to perform a coupled enzymatic reaction to produce a fluorescent product for detection . Spectrophotometry requires the formation of colored dyes or UV-absorbing substances and then calculates the corresponding TG concentration through spectrophotometry . These two methods have the advantages of microvolume, high precision, and strong specificity.…”