An electrochemical immunosensor for digoxin using core-shell gold coated magnetic nanoparticles as labels

A simple, sensitive, and low-cost immunosensor was designed for the detection of digoxin through core-shell gold coated magnetic nanoparticles (Fe3O4-Au-NPs) as an electrochemical label. Having had such a large potential for a variety of applications, Fe3O4-Au-NPs have attracted a considerable attention and are actively investigated recently. Digoxin is a cardiac glycoside which, at high level, can indicate an increased risk of toxicity. This new competitive electrochemical immunosensor was developed based on antigen-antibody reaction employing antigen (Ag) labeled Fe3O4-Au-NPs and PVA modified screen-printed carbon electrode surface in order to detect the serum digoxin. The structures of Fe3O4-Au-NPs were studied by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy. Cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) were employed to determine the physicochemical and electrochemical properties of immunosensor. DPV was employed for quantitative detection of digoxin in biological samples. The developed immunosensor was capable to detect digoxin in the range from 0.5 to 5 ng mL(-1), with a detection limit as low as 0.05 ng mL(-1). The proposed method represented acceptable reproducibility, stability, and reliability for the rapid detection of digoxin in serum samples.