Evidence Hub

Advanced Electrochemical Sensors for Rapid and Sensitive Monitoring of Tryptophan and Tryptamine in Clinical Diagnostics

Janani Sridev, Arif R. Deen, Md Younus Ali, Wei‐Ting Ting, M. Jamal Deen, Matiar M. R. Howlader

Biosensors, 2025

9 citations

Abstract

Tryptophan (Trp) and tryptamine (Tryp), critical biomarkers in mood regulation, immune function, and metabolic homeostasis, are increasingly recognized for their roles in both oral and systemic pathologies, including neurodegenerative disorders, cancers, and inflammatory conditions. Their rapid, sensitive detection in biofluids such as saliva-a non-invasive, real-time diagnostic medium-offers transformative potential for early disease identification and personalized health monitoring. This review synthesizes advancements in electrochemical sensor technologies tailored for Trp and Tryp quantification, emphasizing their clinical relevance in diagnosing conditions like oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), Alzheimer's disease (AD), and breast cancer, where dysregulated Trp metabolism reflects immune dysfunction or tumor progression. Electrochemical platforms have overcome the limitations of conventional techniques (e.g., enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) and mass spectrometry) by integrating innovative nanomaterials and smart engineering strategies. Carbon-based architectures, such as graphene (Gr) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) functionalized with metal nanoparticles (Ni and Co) or nitrogen dopants, amplify electron transfer kinetics and catalytic activity, achieving sub-nanomolar detection limits. Synergies between doping and advanced functionalization-via aptamers (Apt), molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs), or metal-oxide hybrids-impart exceptional selectivity,…

Read the paper

Related studies

Go deeper in Evidence Hub

Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.

Open this study Sign up free