Enzyme-based determination of cholesterol using the quartz crystal acoustic wave sensor Original Research Article

We have used the AT-cut quartz crystal sensor to measure in real-time the total cholesterol concentration in buffer and serum, using the trienzyme system of cholesterol esterase (ChE), cholesterol oxidase (ChOx) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP). The hydrogen peroxide produced from the ChE–ChOx reaction oxidises diaminobenzidine (DAB), in the presence of HRP. The response of the sensor to cholesterol is optimal in the presence of 0.1% (v/v) Triton X-100 at 0.2 U/ml ChOx, and 1 U/ml ChE. A response is obtained in less than 25 min. Using the optimal concentrations of the reagents, the linear range for free cholesterol and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol determination was between 50 and 300 μM, and 25 and 400 μM, respectively. It was found that the concentration of high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol could not be determined because it solubilised the oxidised DAB, leading to poor adsorption at the crystal surface. We obtained a response to the use of cholesterol in serum at 300 μM, demonstrating that this biosensor could be used for cholesterol determination in clinical samples.