Detection of dopamine levels using a polydiacetylene liposomal aequorin bioluminescent device with octadecylboronic acid

The development of an easy-to-use and rapid method for the determination of dopamine levels is desirable for the diagnosis of neurological conditions, such as Parkinson’s disease, which are characterized by low levels of dopamine. Herein, a polydiacetylene liposomal aequorin bioluminescent device (PLABD) containing octadecylboronic acid (OBA) as a recognition material (PLABD–OBA) was prepared for the determination of dopamine concentrations in aqueous solution. The bioluminescent signals of the photoprotein aequorin in PLABD–OBA increased according to increasing dopamine concentrations. The calibration curve showed good linearity over a dopamine concentration range of 70–700 µM ( r = 0.918), with a detection limit of 7.5 µM. The addition of other catecholamines to the PLABD–OBA resulted in low bioluminescent signals of aequorin. Because the physiological levels of dopamine are generally 0.001–1.0 µM, this system had insufficient sensitivity for the clinical monitoring of dopamine levels. However, the PLABD–OBA developed herein is an easy-to-use and rapid analytical method that is specific for dopamine. Graphical abstract