Fluorescent Nanosensors Based on Colloidal Quantum Dots for the Determination of Reduced Glutathione

Abstract

A fluorescent nanosensor based on colloidal quantum dots CdSe/ZnS modified with mercaptoacetic acid to determine reduced glutathione, a non-protein compound that plays an important role in protection against oxidative stress, is developed. Sample preparation protocols that allow determination of reduced glutathione in a wide range of concentrations are presented. Dependence of the fluorescence intensity of the system on the incubation time for a number of concentrations of reduced glutathione was measured. The possibility of using the proposed nanosensor for reliable and sensitive determination of reduced glutathione in the concentration range from 10 to 1000 μM is confirmed. The results can be used for quantitative determination of reduced glutathione in physiological media, which is of considerable interest for medical diagnostics.