Study on the chemiluminescence behavior of bovine serum albumin with luminol and its analytical application

In this paper, the luminescence behavior of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and luminol was first studied by flow injection chemiluminescence (CL). It was found that the hyperchromic effect of luminol in the presence of BSA led to the acceleration of the electrons transferring rate of excited 3-aminophthalate, which greatly enhanced the CL intensity of luminol/dissolved oxygen reaction. The increments of CL intensity were proportional to the concentrations of BSA with a linear range from 0.01 to 7 nmol L−1. It was also found that azithromycin could inhibit the CL intensity of luminol/BSA reaction. The decrements of CL intensity were logarithm over the concentrations of azithromycin ranging from 0.1 to 700 ng mL−1. At a flow rate of 2.0 mL min−1, a complete analytical process, which included sampling and washing, could be performed within 30 s with relative standard deviations of less than 3.1%. This proposed method was successfully applied in assaying azithromycin in pharmaceutical and human serum samples with recoveries from 91.0 to 104.3%. The possible luminescence mechanism of luminol/BSA/azithromycin reaction was discussed in detail by CL, UV and fluorescence methods.

Graphical abstractFigure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slideHighlights► BSA can catalyze and enhance the CL intensity of luminol. ► AZM can quench the signal of luminol-BSA CL system.