Composition, Device and Method for Determining Reducing Agents

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to detecting the presence of a reducing agent, such as ascorbic acid, in a test sample. More specifically, it relates to an analytical device and composition useful for determining the presence of the reducing agent in a liquid sample.

2. Discussion of the Prior Art

The analysis of different physico-chemical systems for the presence of reducing agents has been performed through the years by various methods, and utilizing varied chemistries. Some of these involve wet chemistry techniques, while others, for example C-STIX.RTM. reagent strips marketed by the Ames Company Division of Miles Laboratories, Inc., provide dip-and-read convenience.

Of the wet chemistry methods for analyzing the presence of reducing agents, several are of principal importance. These are the reduction of periodic acid, phosphomolybdic acid, Fehling solution, Tollens reagent, Nessler reagent, o-dinitrobenzene, p-nitrosodimethylaniline, selenous acid, and methylene blue. All of these wet chemistry techniques are discussed in Fritz Feigl, Spot Tests in Organic Analysis, Elsevier Publishing Company (1966) and H. R. Rosenberg, Chemistry and Physiology of the Vitamins, Interscience Publishers (1945).

Prior clinical determinations of ascorbic acid include titrations with iodine, 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol, methylene blue, and by reaction with Folin's reagent, molybdenum-phosphotungstic acid, ferricyanide/ammonium molybdate, phosphomolybdic acid, uranyl acetate, vanadium, sulfanilic acid diazonium salt, sulfanilamide, selenous acid, gold trichloride, mercuric chloride, copper (II) sulfate/ammonium thiocyanate, iron (II) sulfate, iron (III) cyanide, hydrochloric acid (furfural test), cacotheline, permanganate and ferricyanide (Prussian blue method). All of these methods are described in H. R. Rosenberg, Chemistry and Physiology of the Vitamins, Interscience Publishers, New York (1945).

U.S. Pat. No. 3,771,964 describes a test composition and device for determining the presence of ascorbic acid in fluids such as urine. The composition comprises at least one phosphomolybdate salt and a nitrate salt. A dip-and-read device is prepared by incorporating the composition with a dry carrier material such as paper. The presence of ascorbic acid in the test sample will cause the device to turn blue, the color intensity being directly dependent on the concentration of ascorbic acid in the sample.

The present invention was discovered in the course of a research program aimed at finding a new reagent strip chemistry for determining ascorbic acid in urine. Specifically, a continuous response was sought over a range of ascorbic acid concentrations of about 40 to 200 mg%, this range including the ascorbate concentrations usually found in human urine.

Briefly stated, the present invention comprises a composition, device and method for detecting the presence of a reducing agent, particularly ascorbic acid, in a test sample. The composition comprises an indicator having the structure ##STR1## in which X is O or S, wherein when X is S

R, r' and R", same or different, are H or lower alkyl,

Q is NH.sub.2 or N(lower alkyl).sub.2, and

G is H, NO.sub.2 or OH;

with the proviso that when X is S, Q is not N(CH.sub.3).sub.2, R is not methyl and G, R' and R" are not H, simultaneously;

and when X is O

R and R', same or different, are H or lower alkyl,

R" is H, COOH, COOR, CONR.sub.2 or

R" and R' together form a hydrocarbon ring having 4 to 7 carbon atoms, and

G and Q, same or different are H or OH.

As used herein, the term "lower alkyl" means an alkyl radical having from about 1 to 6 carbon atoms. Thus, lower alkyl includes methyl, ethyl, and all isomers of propyl, butyl, pentyl and hexyl. The device comprises a carrier matrix incorporated with the composition and the method comprises contacting the composition or device with the test sample suspected of containing the reducing agent, and observing a detectable response emanating from the carrier matrix.

The indicators which comprise the heart of the present invention are known as thiazine (when X in structure [I] is S) and oxazine (when X in structure [I] is O) dyes. The structures used in this specification show these compounds in their oxidized state, wherein they exhibit deep colors. Upon contact with ascorbic acid or other reducing agents in aqueous solution, these oxidized dyes are converted to a colorless reduced state. Thus, when a compound of this genre is contacted with a test sample containing a reducing agent its color is bleached to an extent dependent upon the amount of reducing agent present. Thus, by observing the degree of bleaching of the indicator, one can accurately estimate the concentration of reducing agent present in the sample.

The Colour Index, third edition, published by the Society of Dyers and Colourists, in conjunction with the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colourists (1971) is a standard, industry-recognized dye index, which cataloques many of the indicators of the present invention. These compounds are listed under "C.I." numbers, and such notations as used herein refer to listings in the Colour Index.

Some examples of thiazine dyes useful in the present invention are Lauth's violet (C.I. 52000), azur A (C.I. 52005) methylene green (C.I. 52020) and toluidine blue (C.I. 52040). Some oxazine dyes particularly suitable for this invention are gallocyanine (C.I. 51030), prune pure (C.I. 51040), gallamine blue (C.I. 51045), celestine blue (C.I. 51050), and Meldola's blue (C.I. 51175).

Although the color fading phenomenon inherent in the presently claimed indicator compounds is, by itself, sufficient to provide a qualitative and semi-quantitative analytical basis, it was found that a still better detectable response can be had if the indicator compound is used in conjunction with an ancillary, or background, dye. Such a dye is neutral red (C.I. 50040). Thus, for example, a carrier matrix incorporated with neutral red and methylene green is initially dark blue, changing to purple, lavender and ultimately red, depending on the presence of a reducing agent and its concentration. Thus, the background dye enables the observer to more easily differentiate the response of the present composition and device by effecting a change from one color to another as opposed to a change in the intensity of a single color. Instead of observing methylene green fade from greenish blue to pale blue, the use of red background dye with methylene green permits the observer to see a change from dark blue to purple to lavender to red.

The carrier matrix employed with the presently-described concepts can take on a variety of forms. Preferably, the carrier matrix is bibulous in nature so that the indicator compound can be incorporated with the matrix as a solution in a suitable solvent such as water, ethanol or chloroform. Thus, the bibulous matrix can be immersed in the indicator solution and dried to form the test device.

Alternatively, a carrier matrix can be printed, either as a continuous coating, in substantially discrete dots, as stripes, etc., with an ink comprising the indicator component and a suitable vehicle. This printing technique is described in U.S. Application Ser. No. 701,403, filed June 30, 1976, and assigned to the assignee of the present application.

Examples of suitable carrier matrix materials are multitudinous. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,846,247 teaches the use of felt, porous ceramic strips, and woven or matted glass fibers. As substitutes for paper, U.S. Pat. No. 3,552,928 teaches the use of wood sticks, cloth, sponge material, and argillaceous substances. The use of synthetic resin fleeces and glass fiber felts in place of paper is suggested in British Pat. No. 1,369,139. Another British Pat. No. 1,349,623, suggests the use of a light-permeable meshwork of thin filaments as a cover for an underlying paper matrix. This reference also suggests impregnating the paper with part of the reactant system and impregnating the meshwork with other, potentially incompatible reagents. Finally, French Pat. No. 2,170,397 teaches the use of carrier matrices having greater than 50% polyamide fibers therein.

In a preferred embodiment of the test device, the carrier matrix is a porous filter paper such as the commercially available Eaton and Dikeman 222. The device can be prepared by immersing the filter paper in an aqueous solution of an indicator compound, such as methylene green. The indicator solution may additionally contain buffers such as citric acid, phosphoric acid, carbonic acid or their salts, anionic, cationic, and nonionic surfactants, and other ancillary ingredients known to those skilled in the art of preparing dip-and-read type reagent strips.

After immersion in the indicator solution, the thus-impregnated filter paper is dried, as in an air oven. The dried carrier matrix can then be affixed to a support member, such as a strip of polystyrene sheet, which serves as a handle for the reagent-laden carrier matrix. The matrix can be secured to the handle by any suitable means, such as double-faced adhesive tape or a porous overlay.

Any suitable background dye may be used with the present invention, but preferably it is one which is chemically compatible with the indicator compound, and which does not change color in the presence of the reducing agent to be determined. Neutral red satisfies these criteria and has been found to be especially suited to the present invention when the reducing agent analysate is to be ascorbic acid in urine.

The method for using the test device entails immersing it in a test sample suspected of containing a particular reducing agent for about 1 to 30 seconds or more and observing any change in the amount of light absorbed or reflected. A semi-quantitative determination of the reducing agent concentration can be had by comparing the response in the test device to a series of standard color blocks. These color blocks are calibrated for known concentrations of the reducing agent.

The following Examples are provided to describe the presently preferred embodiments of the present invention and to present comparative data showing the relative efficacy of the indicator compounds. The Examples are descriptive only, and are not meant to limit the scope of the invention.

A test device in accordance with the present invention was prepared for use in testing urine samples for the presence of ascorbic acid and for determining its concentration.

The carrier matrix was made from filter paper obtained from Eaton and Dikeman, paper no. 204. A piece of this paper measuring approximately 5 .times. 11/4 inches was immersed in a solution containing the indicator compound, the background dye, and various ancillary components. Specifically, the solution contained the following components dissolved in 10 liters of distilled water.

1.5 g (grams) methylene green (lot no. A6, obtained from Matheson, Coleman, & Bell, Inc.)

0.50 g neutral red (lot no. CX36, obtained from Matheson, Coleman, & Bell, having a dye content of about 68%)

126.95 g NaH.sub.2 PO.sub.4.H.sub.2 O (obtained from Mallinckrodt)

11.35 g Na.sub.2 HPO.sub.4 (obtained from Mallinckrodt)

The pH of this solution was measured and found to be 5.8. If necessary, the pH can be adjusted to about 5.8 using 5 M solutions of NaOH or HCl.

The thus-impregnated filter paper carrier matrix was then dried in an air oven at 50.degree. C. for about 20 minutes.

The dried filter paper, which was dark blue in color, was cut into pieces measuring 0.4 .times. 0.2 inches, rectangular. The matrix pieces were then mounted individually on handles measuring 31/2 .times. 0.2 inches, the handles being made from a clear, colorless, flexible, polystyrene sheet material with a smooth surface. The polystyrene sheet was 7.5 mils in thickness and was obtained from American Can Company. The matrices were mounted on the polystyrene handles through the use of a double-faced adhesive tape obtained from 3M Company, stock no. Y915.

In order to determine the efficacy of the test devices prepared in Example I for determining ascorbic acid concentrations in urine on a semi-quantitative basis, the following experiment was performed. Separate urine samples were prepared containing 0, 25, 50, 100, and 200 mg% (milligrams/100 milliliters) of ascorbic acid, respectively. The matrix portions of separate reagent strips prepared in accordance with Example I were dipped into each of the respective urine samples for a period of about 1 to 2 seconds and removed. Each carrier matrix, after it was dipped, was permitted to develop for a period of 60 seconds, whereupon the color was noted.

It was found that, depending on the concentration of ascorbic acid in the urine sample, the initial dark blue color had faded to a noticeable degree, such that the relative concentrations of ascorbic acid in the urine samples could be distinguished one from the other over the range of 0 to 200 mg% by the degree and nature of color change. No color change was noted for 0 mg%. At 25 mg% ascorbic acid the color changed from dark blue to blue with a tinge of purple; at 50 mg% to purple; at 100 mg% to lavender; and at 200 mg% the matrix was red, the color of the background dye. Thus, for an ascorbic acid concentration of 200 mg% the strip had changed from a dark blue to red.

A series of experiments was conducted in order to assess the relative utility of a representative number of thiazine, oxazine, and azine dyes as indicator compounds. Surprisingly, the results of the experimental data indicates that only compounds satisfying structural formula [I], supra, were satisfactory for use in a reagent strip for the detection of ascorbic acid in urine.

Sections of filter paper measuring 3 .times. 4 inches, obtained from Eaton and Dikeman, paper number 222, were impregnated with solutions of the indicators listed in the table. Each indicator compound was made up into a solution of about 50 milligrams of the indicator in about 5 milliliters of a citric acid/sodium citrate buffer solution having a pH of about 4. The filter paper was impregnated in separate areas with 25 microliters (.mu.l) of each of the buffered indicator solutions. Thus, the filter paper contained a total of 25 spots, each of a different indicator. This resulted in a total of four pieces of filter paper measuring 3 .times. 4 inches each.

In order to determine the relative performance of each indicator for detecting ascorbic acid, a 25 microliter sample of an ascorbic acid solution in urine was applied to each indicator dot. This solution contained 1 g of ascorbic acid per 100 milliliters of urine (1,000 mg%). The indicators were evaluated by applying the sample of ascorbic acid to a particular indicator dot, waiting for 60 seconds, and observing any color changes. The relative utility of each indicator was assessed by assigning arbitrary values to the rapidity with which the indicator faded. Thus, an indicator which faded very rapidly was assigned an arbitrary value of 5, whereas an indicator which faded little or not at all was assigned an arbitrary value of 1 or 0, respectively. The high ascorbic acid concentration of 1000 mg% was chosen in order to minimize the danger of experimental error. Thus an indicator having a fade rate of 1 at 1000 mg% ascorbic acid would not function (or fade) in a composition or device required to detect ascorbate levels of up to 200 mg%. The results of this experiment are recorded in the table below.