Fluorescent Sensing of Glutathione Using Nanoparticle Probes
Summary
Glutathione is a pivotal low-molecular-weight thiol involved in redox homeostasis, detoxification and cellular signalling. Its concentration reflects physiological and pathological states, including oxidative stress, cancer progression and neurodegenerative disorders. Fluorescent nanoparticle probes harness modular architectures—such as carbon dots, metal nanoclusters, two-dimensional materials and hybrid composites—to transduce glutathione binding into optical signals. Key strategies include Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET), inner filter effect (IFE) and surface-mediated fluorescence quenching and recovery. Through precise surface functionalisation and controlled energy transfer pathways, these probes achieve rapid, sensitive detection with limits often reaching nanomolar regimes. The versatility of nanoparticle platforms enables real-time monitoring in complex fluids, live cell imaging and portable diagnostics. Such advances promise improved disease diagnostics, environmental monitoring and fundamental studies of thiol biology on a global scale.
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Fluorescent Sensing of Glutathione Using Nanoparticle Probes publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in fluorescent sensing of glutathione using nanoparticle probes across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Fluorescence quenching: A process in which the emission intensity of a fluorescent probe is reduced by interaction with a quencher molecule or material.
Turn-On/Turn-Off response: A sensing mechanism where the fluorescent signal is recovered (‘turn-on’) or suppressed (‘turn-off’) upon analyte binding.
Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET): A distance-dependent non-radiative energy transfer from a donor fluorophore to an acceptor, modulating fluorescence in proximity-based sensing.
Inner filter effect (IFE): An absorption-based attenuation of excitation or emission light by a quencher, leading to reduced fluorescence signal.
Limit of detection (LOD): The lowest analyte concentration that can be reliably distinguished from background noise.
Nanoprobe: A nanoscale particle engineered with functional surface chemistry and optical properties for selective analyte detection.
References
- Carbon dot as fluorescence sensor for glutathione in human serum samples: a review. Materials Advances (2024).
- Aggregation-Resistant, Turn-On-Off Fluorometric Sensing of Glutathione and Nickel (II) Using Vancomycin-Conjugated Gold Nanoparticles. Biosensors (2024).
- Glutathione Fluorescence Sensing Based on a Co-Doped Carbon Dot/Manganese Dioxide Nanocoral Composite. Materials (2022).
- Fluorescent Sensing of Glutathione and Related Bio-Applications. Biosensors (2022).
- Two-dimensional nanomaterials for Förster resonance energy transfer–based sensing applications. Nanophotonics (2020).
- A Fluorescence Inner-Filter Effect Based Sensing Platform for Turn-On Detection of Glutathione in Human Serum. Sensors (2019).
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