Biodegradable Self-Powered Biosensor for Histamine Detection Based on Triboelectric Nanogenerator

Scombroid food poisoning is a foodborne illness caused by the consumption of fish, such as tuna or mackerel, that has been improperly stored, allowing bacteria to break down proteins and produce high levels of histamine. This excess histamine causes symptoms like allergic reactions, such as flushing, hives, headache, and gastrointestinal discomfort. Traditional histamine detection methods include ELISA, HPLC, colorimetric assays, and biosensors, which help ensure food safety but can be time-consuming and labor-intensive. Since battery-free biosensors are crucial to detecting biological elements individually, many efforts have been made to utilize energy harvesting in biosensors. Moreover, due to many biosensors facing the limitation of recycling, it is considerable to utilize biodegradable materials as a substrate for a sustainable environment. Herein, we have demonstrated a self-powered biosensor to detect histamine by integrating the triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) and a D-amino acid oxidase (DAO)-functionalized biosensor. The TENG comprises two triboelectric layers: biodegradable polycaprolactone (PCL) and wool fabric. The PCL TENG generates an output of 213 V, 640 nA, 70 μW power, and a stable voltage during 2000 seconds, respectively. DAO was functionalized in the PCL-based interdigital (IDT) patterned gold electrode using a simple self-assembled monolayer technique for the specific detection of histamine. Upon addition of histamine onto the sensor, it degrades the histamine, and the resistance of the TENG decreases, leading to an increment in the current output. We have also demonstrated the specificity of the sensor by using various other biogenic amines such as l-tyrosine, tyramine, etc. The sensor indicated an excellent sensitivity of around R² =0.98. In addition, the biodegradable test of PCL has shown 9.4% degradability for up to 20 days. Thus, this study suggests a sustainable and fast method for screening histamine and a new paradigm for TENG-based biosensor platforms.

This work was supported by the Hyundai Motor Chung Mong-Koo Foundation.