Researchers at Guizhou Normal University Report New Data on Artificial Enzyme [Facile Fluorescent Sensor for Rapid and Selective Detection of Phytic Acid In Food Based On Phosphatase-like Activity of Zr(Iv)-glu Complex].

Researchers at Guizhou Normal University in Guiyang, China have developed a novel fluorescent sensor for detecting phytic acid (PA) in food. The sensor is based on the phosphatase-like activity of a green zirconium-glutamic acid (Zr(IV)-Glu) complex. The Zr(IV)-Glu complex can catalyze the hydrolysis of 4-methylumbellione phosphate disodium salt (4-MUP) to produce blue fluorescent products, and the presence of PA inhibits this catalytic activity, resulting in a decrease in fluorescence. The sensor has high sensitivity, a low detection limit of 58 μg/L, strong anti-interference ability, and excellent selectivity. This research provides a new method for PA detection in food and expands the application of phosphatase mimics. [Extracted from the article]