Here, a simple and label-free biosensor based on disposable pencil graphite electrode (PGE) was developed for the first time to investigate the interaction between Epilobium sp. plant extract containing active compounds (quercetin and kaempferol) and DNA using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The solution of extract was interacted with calf thymus double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) which immobilized onto the biosensor surface by simple adsorption. The effect of Epilobium on double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) was then analyzed by monitoring the changes in electrochemical signals arising from both guanine bases in DNA and the electroactive compounds in Epilobium extract. Epilobium content was also detected by using HPLC/MS/MS technique, and the gained results were compared with those obtained by electrochemical method. It was found that both methodologies supported each other in terms of active ingredients in Epilobium sp. Numerous factors affecting the extract-DNA interaction were optimized such as Epilobium concentration, interaction time. The developed DNA sensor can well detect Epilobium extract-DNA interaction in 60-min detection time with 26 ng of detection limit in 50 μL of sample volume with a linear range from 1 to 10 μg/mL. This study includes alternative method that can be used to detect new electroactive components present or to be found in different plant extracts and their interactions with DNA.

Graphical abstract

中文翻译：

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电化学生物传感：从柳兰属物种与 DNA 之间的相互作用到检测植物提取物中新的电活性成分及其对 DNA 影响的方法

在这里，首次开发了一种基于一次性铅笔石墨电极（PGE）的简单且无标记的生物传感器，以研究Epilobium sp. 之间的相互作用。使用循环伏安法 (CV) 和微分脉冲伏安法 (DPV) 提取含有活性化合物（槲皮素和山奈酚）和 DNA 的植物提取物。提取物溶液与通过简单吸附固定在生物传感器表面的小牛胸腺双链DNA (dsDNA) 相互作用。然后通过监测 DNA 中鸟嘌呤碱基和柳兰提取物中电活性化合物产生的电化学信号的变化来分析柳兰对双链 DNA (dsDNA)的影响。采用HPLC/MS/MS技术测定了柳叶菜的含量，并与电化学法进行了比较。结果发现，两种方法在柳叶兰活性成分方面相互支持。对影响提取物-DNA 相互作用的许多因素进行了优化，如柳叶菜浓度、相互作用时间。开发的DNA传感器可以在60分钟的检测时间内很好地检测柳兰提取物与DNA的相互作用，在50μL的样品体积中检测限为26ng，线性范围为1至10μg/mL。这项研究包括可用于检测不同植物提取物中存在或将要发现的新电活性成分及其与 DNA 相互作用的替代方法。

图形概要