Research led by Chengqing Zhao of Sinopep-Allsino Biopharmaceutical Co. Ltd, Lianyungang, China, offers a meaningful step forward in monitoring silver contamination.
Silver ions (Ag⁺) are a toxic heavy metal pollutant that can accumulate in the environment and living organisms, creating long-term risks for ecosystems and human health.
Reliable detection methods are therefore essential for effective environmental monitoring and promoting safer industrial practices.
In this study, the team addressed a key limitation in existing peptide-based fluorescent probes: the self-assembly of probe molecules into nanoparticles, which can influence performance.
By systematically tuning peptide hydrophilicity, three Ag⁺-responsive probes were developed: DNSCI-SPPW, DNSCI-APGYHA, and DNSCI-GPTHC. The probe DNSCI-APGYHA demonstrated stable solution behavior, good selectivity for Ag⁺, a low detection limit of 19 nM, and robust resistance to interference. It also exhibited favorable cell permeability and low cytotoxicity, allowing successful fluorescent imaging of Ag⁺ in CT26 cells. These results contribute practical tools for tracking silver pollution, supporting environmental protection and sustainable management of heavy metal contaminants.h
Abstract
Silver is a highly toxic heavy metal pollutant. Its excessive release into the environment and long-term accumulation in living organisms can have serious impacts on ecosystems and human health. Therefore, developing precise detection methods for Ag+ is crucial for environmental monitoring and biomedical applications. Currently, common peptide fluorescent probes neglect the effects of self-assembly of probe molecules to form nanoparticles. In this study, we focused on this factor and systematically adjusted the hydrophilicity of peptides to design and synthesize three Ag+ responsive fluorescent probes: DNSCI-SPPW, DNSCI-APGYHA, and DNSCI-GPTHC. Among them, DNSCI-APGYHA exhibits stable morphological characteristics in solution and better selectivity for Ag+. Additionally, this probe shows a lower detection limit (19 nM) and stronger resistance to interference. Notably, DNSCI-APGYHA demonstrates good cell permeability and low cytotoxicity, and has been successfully applied for fluorescent imaging detection of Ag+ in CT26 cells.
