A Tri-Responsive Sensor Based on Co-Encapsulated Organic Probes and Multifunctional Bimetallic V/Ce-Mof Nanozyme in a Hydrogel for the Detection of L-Serine in Saliva Publisher Pubmed



Esmaeili A ; Dashtian K ; Zaredorabei R ; Kerman K ; Mahdavi M
Source: Talanta Published:2026

Abstract

Rapid and accurate detection of l -Serine, a key potential biomarker of neurological diseases such as Alzheimer, Parkinson and Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) disease, is crucial for public health. Herein, we prepared a tri-responsive sensor capable of colorimetric, fluorimetric, and electrochemical detection. This portable sensor integrates co-encapsulated organic probes with a multifunctional bimetallic cerium/vanadium metal-organic framework (UiO-66-NH2(Ce/V)) nanozyme activity, all embedded within a biocompatible agarose-based hydrogel for detection of l -serine in a saliva sample. Physicochemical and electrochemical analyzes confirmed that the UiO-66-NH2(Ce/V) nanozyme, with peroxidase-like activity, facilitated the oxidation of tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) in the colorimetric assay, ortho -phenylenediamine (OPD) in the fluorometric assay and TMB in the electrochemical assay. The oxidation of these probes resulted in the formation of colored compounds in the colorimetric and fluorometric sensors, as well as created sharp anodic peaks in the electrochemical sensors via Vmax of 3.99 M-1, 5.85 M-1 and 0.002 M-1, respectively. The results prove that increasing the concentration of l -serine inhibited the oxidation-reduction reactions, causing a reduction in the intensity of both the colors and the sensor peaks. It demonstrated a wide linear detection range of 5 to 250 μM for the colorimetric sensor, 1-250 μM for the fluorometric sensor, and 0.3-250 μM for the electrochemical sensor with a detection limit of 0.27 μM, 0.26 μM, and 0.076 μM, respectively. These sensors were applied to the detection of l -serine in human saliva samples, achieving recovery rates between 92.20% and 107.50% with RSD of <5%, and excellent reproducibility. The findings suggest that these sensors have significant potential for use in hospitalized healthcare systems to monitor disease biomarkers and represent a promising approach for early diagnosis of disease. © 2026 Elsevier B.V.