Lipoxygenase-modified Ru-bpy/graphene oxide: Electrochemical biosensor for on-farm monitoring of non-esterified fatty acid

Elevated concentrations of non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) in biological fluids are recognized as critical biomarkers for early diagnosis of dairy cow metabolic diseases. Herein, a cost-effective, electrochemically active, and bio-friendly sensor element based on ruthenium bipyridyl complex-modified graphene oxide nanosheets ([Ru(bpy)3]2+-GO) is proposed as a biosensor platform for NEFA detection. Electrochemical analysis demonstrates that the [Ru(bpy)3]2+-GO electrodes exhibit superior and durable redox properties compared to the pristine carbon and GO electrodes. Target specificity is accomplished through immobilization of the enzyme, lipoxygenase, which catalyzes the production of redox active species from NEFA. Lipoxygenases retain their catalytic ability upon immobilization and exhibit changes to amperometric signals upon interaction with various concentrations of standard NEFA and serum samples. Our study demonstrates that the [Ru(bpy)3]2+-GO electrode has the potential to serve as a biosensor platform for developing a field deployable, rapid, and user-friendly detection tool for on-farm monitoring of dairy cow metabolic diseases.