Title
Nano-Bioconjugate Film from Aloe vera To Detect Hazardous Chemicals Used in Cosmetics
Author
Ankita Deb, Rasna Saikia, Devasish Chowdhury
Year
2019
Journal
ACS Omega
Abstract
It is of utmost importance to detect hazardous chemicals that affect human health. In this work, a simple method has been developed using a traditional medicinal herb Aloe vera as a carbon source to fabricate a nano-bioconjugate film. The nano-bioconjugate system comprises of A. vera gel itself and sodium alginate to form a fluorescent nano-bioconjugate film. The film was successfully used as an optical “turn-off” sensor in detecting analytes viz. para-Aminobenzoic acid (PABA), benzophenone, hydroquinone, and propylparaben, which are used in cosmetics and are listed as “red-listed” chemicals. The applicability of the fluorescent film in detecting these hazardous chemicals was even assessed with some locally purchased cosmetic samples. Mechanistic insight into the fluorescent quenching shown by nano-bioconjugate film is also discussed. Developments of such a detection system from sustainable sources make it an interesting option for fabricating sensors for hazardous chemicals.
Instrument
FP-8300
Keywords
Fluorescence, Photoluminescence, Quenching, Nanostructures, Sensors, Biochemistry, Materials