As the founder of The International NanoScience Community I am happy to share the last chapter of "The Cellophane Trilogy", just published in Food Anal Meth:
M. Pávai, E. Orosz, A. Paszternák:
Smartphone-based extension of the curcumin/cellophane pH sensing method
Food Analytical Methods, 2015, DOI: 10.1007/s12161-015-0277-5
Abstract: Smartphone-based extension of the previously published (Food Anal Meth doi:10.1007/s12161-015-0102-1) curcumin-coloured cellophane test strip pH sensing method is reported. Replacement of the ultraviolet-visible (UV–VIS) spectrophotometer with an android-based device can reach a wider audience, in accordance with the ongoing, significant increase in the field of smartphone-based analytical applications. On the basis of the colouring effect of curcumin on biopolymers, a new, qualitative, quick and low-cost method for pH determination is developed, which provides more sensitive detection than the bare eye checking. Next to cellophane substrate, curcumin/gelatine sensor arrays are studied, too. Food-industrial and health-care products are targeted with a modular system based on the curcumin-coloured cellophane/gelatine sensor array, a free android application running on a smartphone, together with a home-written data analyser software. In situ monitoring and local pH mapping in liquid cell, investigation with curcumin dotted cellophane array and long-time stable, dried curcumin-coloured gelatine capsules are discussed.
Previous chapters of "The Cellophane Trilogy":
M. Pávai, J. Mihály, A. Paszternák
pH and CO2 sensing by curcumin coloured cellophane test strip
Food Analytical Methods, 2015, DOI: 10.1007/s12161-015-0102-1
Abstract: Curcumin-coloured cellophane test strip—fabricated without any synthetic material—is used to determine in situ the instantaneous pH changes in liquids and in the air. A low-cost, portable sensor array for possible medical and food–industrial application is developed. Next to the pH detection, curcumin-coloured test strip can be applied as CO2 monitoring sensor, too. Ongoing processes and the structural changes are followed by ultraviolet-visible (UV-VIS) spectrophotometer, attenuated total reflection-fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and atomic force microscope (AFM).
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M. Pávai, T. Szabó, A. Paszternák
The potential use of cellophane test strips for the quick determination of food colours
Cellulose, 2015, 22(3), 1883-1891.
Abstract: Concern on different food colours has a rising tendency in the last decades. Many times the labelled ingredients of a food product don’t reflect the real composition. To expose products adulterated by synthetic colorants or to check non-packed foods (like ice cream, fruit drinks sold on the streets) fast and cheap methods are needed. Quick and in situ determination of the colouring agents can be achieved with high sensitivity and reproducibility by using the presented test method based on visual and/or optical characterisation of the cellophane test strip. The selectivity of cellophane to synthetic dyes is used to distinguish natural and synthetic food colours in beverages and foods.
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