Rapid and sensitive detection of melanin using glutathione conjugated gold nanocluster based fluorescence quenching assay

• Published in: Spectrochimica acta. Part A, Molecular and biomolecular spectroscopy Molecular and biomolecular spectroscopy, 2021-02, Vol.247, p.119086, Article 119086
• Main Authors: Siddiqui, Mohd Farhan, Jeon, Sojeong, Kim, Moon-Moo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Fluorescence assay; Gold nanocluster; Melanin; Rapid; Sensitive
• ISSN: 1386-1425
• DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2020.119086

In the present study, a rapid, facile, and highly sensitive assay based on glutathione conjugated gold nanocluster (GSH-AuNCs) is developed for the detection of melanin. The analysis of melanin which is linked to several diseases is crucial. The current methods for melanin estimation are complex and long, thus demands an alternative technology. In general, melanin exhibits photoactive properties, thus, it might have fluorescence quenching properties through the phenomenon of fluorescence resonance energy transfer. To verify our assumption, we have developed the fluorescence quenching assay based on gold nanocluster and melanin interaction. As a result, under the optimized condition, the developed quenching assay demonstrated the high selectivity and sensitivity toward melanin with a limit of detection and correlation coefficient of 0.060 μg/mL and 0.993, respectively. Moreover, the whole process represented the rapid assay time of 30 min to complete. To validate the performance of our assay on real samples, B16F1 cells lysate, and hair samples were tested that provided satisfactory results. Therefore, we believe that our assay due to good sensitivity and short assay time could be beneficial for the clinical diagnosis of melanin in the future study. [Display omitted] •Reported a gold nanocluster based fluorescent quenching assay for detection of melanin•The assay involves a single step mixing of AuNCs with melanin.•This approach offered the high sensitivity and rapidity to melanin.•Melanin detection in skin melanoma cell lysate and hair samples was successfully achieved.