Membrane-Bound Bisindolyl-Based\nChromogenic Probes:\nAnalysis of Cyanogenic Glycosides in Agricultural Crops for Possible\nRemediation

Cyanogenic glycosides are plant-derived, nitrogen-containing\nsecondary\nmetabolites that release toxic cyanide ions upon hydrolysis by glycosidic\nenzymes. Therefore, consuming food items enriched with such compounds\nwithout proper remediation can cause acute cyanide intoxication. Thus,\nin this work, we utilize cyanide-responsive oxidized bisindole-based\nchromogenic probes to detect cyanogenic glycosides, such as amygdalin\nand linamarin (LOD: 0.12 μM), in phospholipid membranes. The\nbilayer surface, owing to its distinct microenvironment, enhances\nboth the sensitivity and specificity of the probes toward amygdalin.\nThe chromogenic response (red to yellow) is influenced by the nature\nof the lipid membrane (order, polarity, and interfacial hydration)\nas well as the number of bis-indolyl units in the probe molecules.\nSemiquantitative analysis of food samples before and after cooking\nrevealed that soaking in water at room temperature significantly reduces\nthe cyanogenic glycoside content. The ability to directly detect cyanogenic\nglycosides in food samples without pretreatment is a notable aspect\nof this investigation.