Detection of Non-caloric artificial sweetener saccharine in soft drinks and ice-creams through intermolecular H-bonding by using AuNPs-based fluorescent probe

Artificial sweeteners (ASs) are widely utilized as sugar substitutes in food products. However, excessive consumption of ASs poses potential health risks, necessitating their early detection. In this study, pamoic acid (PA)-functionalized gold nanoparticles (PA@AuNPs) were employed for the detection of ASs using fluorescence spectroscopy. The PA@AuNPs exhibited high selectivity and excellent sensitivity towards saccharine (SAC) (LoD (limit of detection) = 0.14 x 10(-6) M and LoQ (limit of quantification) = 0.47 x 10(-6) M), compared to other commercially available ASs. The fluorescence emission intensity of PA@AuNPs was significantly quenched (similar to 3-fold) upon the addition of SAC (0 -> 50 x 10(-6) M) through the formation of a ground state complex, PA@AuNPs center dot SAC. This complex formation was corroborated by FTIR analysis. The non-radiative process validated by time-resolved fluorescence analysis. Morphological analysis revealed that the spherical morphology of PA@AuNPs remained unchanged upon SAC interaction. PA@AuNPs effectively detected SAC in soft drinks and ice creams, with recovery ranges from 121 % to 105 %.