An N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine Impedance Sensor for Assessing Antioxidant Activity against Hydroxyl Radicals

Abstract

The hydroxyl radical is the most aggressive and dangerous product of incomplete oxygen reduction in a body, making its determination and the effect of various antioxidants on the inhibition of OH radicals a pertinent task. We propose an impedance sensor for the determination of hydroxyl radicals, based on a graphite electrode modified with electrochemically deposited gold and a self-assembled monolayer of N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC). The use of NAC ensures the high selectivity of the sensor, and employing non-Faradaic impedance as a method of recording the analytical signal ensures the limit of detection for OH radicals at the level 0.01 nM with a linearity range of detectable concentrations from 0.08 to 8 nM. The developed sensor has been successfully used to assess the activity of certain antioxidants (ascorbic acid, glutathione, coenzyme Q10) towards OH radicals.