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Study of novel nanoparticle sensors for food pH and water activity
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Zhang, Xiang. Study of novel nanoparticle sensors for food pH and water activity. Retrieved from https://doi.org/doi:10.7282/T3319W2F

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TitleStudy of novel nanoparticle sensors for food pH and water activity
NameZhang, Xiang (author); Ludescher, Richard (chair); Takhistov, Paul (internal member); Huang, Qingrong (internal member); Rutgers University; Graduate School - New Brunswick
Date Created
Other Date2009-10 (degree)
SubjectFood Science, Nanoparticles, Nanostructured materials, Detectors
Extentxii, 84 p. : ill.
DescriptionFood sensors, sensitive to food properties, including temperature, oxygen, moisture content and pH, are used in food processing and other food related fields. Recently, applying sensor technology in the food industry has been further emphasized. Nanoparticles, with diameters of tens to hundreds of nanometers, also have generated considerable interest as sensors because of their small size and related novel characters. In this study, we developed fluorescent sensors for food pH based on nanoparticles and investigated water activity probes.
The nanoparticles, fabricated from food grade starch and gelatin with dimensions of ~20-50 nm, were doped with three pH-sensitive probes. Quinine and harmane were non-covalently attached onto starch nanoparticles, while gelatin nanoparticles were covalently labeled with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC). The study of labeled nanoparticle sensors in buffer solutions of varying pH’s showed the correlation between pH and emission spectra. Quinine labeled starch nanoparticle (QSNP) sensors exhibited blue shifts of emission spectra as pH increased; the ratio of peak intensity or peak area of emission spectra at two different emission wavelengths also decreased dramatically in the range of pH~3.0-5.0. Harmane labeled starch nanoparticle (HSNP) sensors and FITC labeled gelatin nanoparticle (FGNP) sensors did not present any emission spectra shifts. However, the former’s ratio of peak intensity or peak area increased as pH increased in the range of pH~7.0-9.0; the latter’s decreased as pH increased in the range of pH~2.5-7.5. Moreover, FGNP sensors were applied in different real food products. Comparing actual food pH with calculated sensor pH based on a calibration curve suggested that using FGNP sensors to detect food pH is accurate (~1-5% error). Duplicated fluorescent tests of FGNP sensors also showed good reproducibility. These results support a new methodology of using nanoscopic sensors for the measurement of food pH.
Study of water activity was focused on charactering the probes Prodan and Laurdan. Prodan was investigated in different saturated salt solutions and water-glycerol solution systems; Laurdan was investigated only in saturated salt solutions. However, these studies did not show any expected correlation between water activity and emission spectra shifts. Therefore, Prodan and Laurdan may not be good indicators of water activity.
NoteM.S.
NoteIncludes bibliographical references
Noteby Xiang Zhang
Genretheses, ETD graduate
Persistent URLhttps://doi.org/doi:10.7282/T3319W2F
Languageeng
CollectionGraduate School - New Brunswick Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Organization NameRutgers, The State University of New Jersey
RightsThe author owns the copyright to this work
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