Rapid and Simple Electrochemical Detection of Pterostilbene in Food Supplements Using a Carbon Paste Electrode
Abstract
Pterostilbene (PTS) is a naturally occurring polyphenol, known as the 3,5-dimethoxy derivative of resveratrol, that occurs in several plant sources such as Pterocarpus marsupium and blueberries, and is recognized for its wide-ranging pharmacological benefits. In this study, an electrochemical sensing platform employing a carbon paste electrode was developed for the sensing of PTS using square-wave voltammetry. Cyclic voltammetry experiments performed in 0.1 M H₂SO₄ revealed that PTS undergoes an irreversible, characterized by one well-defined anodic peak at approximately +0.89 V vs. Ag/AgCl. The oxidation behavior was found to be influenced by both the pH of the medium and the nature of the supporting electrolyte, indicating possible proton-coupled electron transfer mechanisms. Quantitative analysis relied on the most intense anodic peak, observed near +0.79 V under optimized experimental conditions. In an acidic environment, the calibration plot showed strong linear behavior across concentrations from 0.10 to 15.0 μg mL⁻¹, achieving a detection limit of 0.027 μg mL⁻¹. The proposed method demonstrated high sensitivity and selectivity, enabling accurate determination of PTS in commercial food supplement formulations, highlighting its potential for routine quality control in nutraceutical analysis.
Keywords
Carbon paste electrode, Detection limit, Food supplements, Pterostilbene, Square-wave voltammetry
Supporting Institution
This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
Ethical Statement
This research did not involve the use of animals. The present study does not require ethics approval.
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