Ultrasensitive chemiluminescence of tetracyclines in the presence of MCLA

In this article, five tetracyclines (TCs) showed ultrasensitive chemiluminescence (CL) based on the novel CL system of methoxylated Cypridina luciferin analogues (MCLA) and Ce(IV). It was found that the CL intensity of MCLA-Ce(IV) system was enhanced 30 times by adding 10 pmol chlortetracycline. Mechanisms of MCLA-Ce(IV)-TCs were investigated by CL spectra, radical scavengers and UV spectra. The results indicated that singlet oxygen, resulting from the reaction between Ce(IV) and TCs, was involved in the enhancement of CL phenomenon. This CL system coupling with flow injection analysis was developed for the determination of five common TCs. Linear ranged from 100 fmol to 20 pmol (r>0.999) with limit of detection of 20 to 50 fmol (S/N=3). The sensitivity of the present method is comparable to that of UPLC-MS/MS detection for TCs.