A novel biosensor based on activation effect of thiamine on the activity of pyruvate oxidase

A biosensor based on pyruvate oxidase (POX) enzyme was developed for the investigation of the effect of thiamine (vitamin B(1)) molecule on the activity of the enzyme. The biosensor was prepared with a chemical covalent immobilization method on the dissolved oxygen (DO) probe by using gelatin and cross-linking agent, glutaraldehyde. POX catalyzes the degradation of pyruvate to acetylphosphate, CO(2) and H(2)O(2) in the presence of phosphate and oxygen. Thiamine is an activator for POX enzyme and determination method of the biosensor was based on this effect of thiamine on the activity of the enzyme. The biosensor responses showed increases in the presence of thiamine. Increases in the biosensor responses were related to thiamine concentration. Thiamine determination is based on the assay of the differences on the biosensor responses on the oxygenmeter in the absence and the presence of thiamine. The biosensor response depend linearly on thiamine concentration between 0.025 and 0.5 microM with 2 min response time. In the optimization studies of the biosensor the most suitable enzyme amount was found as 2.5 U cm(-2) and also phosphate buffer (pH 7.0; 50 mM) and 35 degrees C were obtained as the optimum working conditions. In the characterization studies of the biosensor some parameters such as activator and interference effects of some substances on the biosensor response and reproducibility were carried out.