An orcein–based potentiometric biosensor for hepatitis B surface antigen, a clinical marker in the diagnosis of infection with HBV
Journal of the Indian Chemical Society, vol.103, no.8, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Publication Type: Article / Article
- Volume: 103 Issue: 8
- Publication Date: 2026
- Doi Number: 10.1016/j.jics.2026.102841
- Journal Name: Journal of the Indian Chemical Society
- Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Chemical Abstracts Core, EMBASE
- Keywords: Biosensor, HBsAg, HBV, HBV detection, Hepatitis B virus, Orcein, Potentiometry
- Yıldız Technical University Affiliated: Yes
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection continues to be a major global health concern, with an estimated 350 million individuals living with chronic infection worldwide. The high mortality associated with HBV-related complications is significantly impacted by under-diagnosis, highlighting the critical need for sensitive, low-cost detection methods, particularly in resource-limited settings where infection rates are often higher. Here, we developed a potentiometric biosensor using orcein for the determination of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in biological matrices. We found that the optimal biosensor (containing 32.0% PVC, 4.0% orcein, 63.0% o –NPOE, and 1.0% KT p ClPB) exhibits a wide linear concentration range (2.5–20 ppm) and low detection limit (2.45 ppm). Besides, it displayed the highest potential response to HBsAg in the presence of other interfering molecules, supporting its good selectivity and negligible interference from other species present such as various ion and organic molecules. The biosensor was found to work reliably between pH values of 5.0–8.0, suggesting its ideal performance in near-neutral conditions which also covers the pH of the blood. We applied this biosensor to the analysis of HBsAg dissolved in fetal bovine serum (FBS) or phosphate–buffered saline (PBS), and found that this biosensor is significantly superior to the alternative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) tests. Combined, based on data presented in this study, it can be proposed that this biosensor might be a good alternative to be used in the analysis of HBsAg in diverse biological sample types including blood serum.