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Discrimination between nanocurcumin and free curcumin using graphene quantum dots as a selective fluorescence probe

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Abstract

Accurate-controlled sized graphene quantum dots (GQDs) have been used as an analytical nanoprobe for detecting curcumin as a function of the photoluminescent quenching upon increasing concentrations of the analyte. Regarding the importance of curcumin nanoparticles in nutraceutical food, the analytical method described herein was also proven for the discrimination of curcumin remaining in free solution from that encapsulated into water-soluble nanomicelles of ca. 11 nm. This recognition is based on the displacement of GQD emission when interacting with both curcumin species. Maximum emission wavelength of GQDs suffers a gradual quenching as well as a red-shifting upon increasing concentrations of free curcumin (from 458 to 490 nm, exciting at 356 nm). On the other hand, in the presence of nanocurcumin, GQD photoluminescent response only displays a quenching effect (458/356 nm). The sensitivity of the described method in terms of detection limits was 0.3 and 0.1 μg mL−1 for curcumin and nanocurcumin, respectively. The applicability of the photoluminescent probe for the quantification and discrimination between both curcumin environments was demonstrated in nutraceutical formulations namely functional food capsules and fortified beverages such as ginger tea.

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Acknowledgments

E. Pinilla-Peñalver acknowledges Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) for the predoctoral contract BES-2017-080357. M. L. Soriano expresses her gratitude to the European Commission and the Regional Government of Castilla-La Mancha (JCCM) for the funding project SBPLY/17/180501/000333 (PRT program). We also want to thank M. A. Arranz for the AFM measurements.

Funding

This research was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICINN) and the Regional Government of Castilla-La Mancha (JCCM) with Grants PID2019-104381GB-I00 and SBPLY/17/180501/000262, respectively.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Regional Institute for Applied Chemistry Research (IRICA), 13071, Ciudad Real, Spain

    Esther Pinilla-Peñalver, M. Laura Soriano, Gema M. Durán & Ángel Ríos

  2. Department of Analytical Chemistry and Food Technology, Faculty of Chemical Sciences and Technologies, University of Castilla-La Mancha, 13071, Ciudad Real, Spain

    Esther Pinilla-Peñalver, Gema M. Durán, Ana M. Contento & Ángel Ríos

  3. Department of Physical and Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Experimental Science, University of Jaén, 23071, Jaén, Spain

    Eulogio J. Llorent-Martínez

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  1. Esther Pinilla-Peñalver
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Correspondence to Ángel Ríos.

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Pinilla-Peñalver, E., Soriano, M.L., Durán, G.M. et al. Discrimination between nanocurcumin and free curcumin using graphene quantum dots as a selective fluorescence probe. Microchim Acta 187, 446 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-020-04437-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-020-04437-x

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