Novel biosensors for quantitative phytic acid and phytase measurement.

Phytase (EC 3.1.3.26) and phytic acid (myo-inositol hexaphosphate) play an important environmental role in poultry industry and have a health aspect in food industry. Novel biosensors have been developed for simple, one step quantitative phytic acid and phytase detection. A system based on the sequentially acting enzyme phytase and pyruvate oxidase (POD) was employed for the development of phytase and phytic acid biosensors. Poly(carbamoylsulphonate) (PCS) hydrogel immobilized POD electrode was applied for the detection of phytase. It was based on the indication of phosphate ions produced by the hydrolysis of phytic acid. The phytase biosensor showed a linear response ranging from 0.5 to 6.0 units/ml. A bi-enzyme sensor based on co-immobilization of phytase and POD was developed for the detection of phytic acid on the basis of amperometric detection of the enzymatically-generated hydrogen peroxide at 0.6 V versus Ag/AgCl. It showed a linear response ranging from 0.2 to 2.0 mM with a detection limit of 0.002 mM.

Biosensor for rapid phosphate monitoring in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) system.

A thick-film phosphate biosensor based on hydrogel immobilized pyruvate oxidase (POD) has been developed for rapid phosphate process control monitoring in an experimental sequencing batch reactor (SBR) system. We have employed a phosphate biosensor in an off-line monitoring of phosphate concentrations in a bench scale SBR. Measurements with biosensor show a good correlation (r2=0.98) with those of commercial colorimetric phosphate testing kits. The signal response time was 1 min with a detection limit of 5 microM. The biosensor method showed a good operational stability, needed less experimental procedures and a small sample size (approximately 20 microl). This allows its practical application for rapid phosphate measurements to obtain real time process data in a SBR system.