Reagent-free DOPA-dioxygenase colorimetric biosensor for selective detection of L-DOPA

As the immediate precursor for the biosynthesis of dopamine (DA), L-DOPA remains a potent drug in the treatment of Parkinson's disease. In this study, we developed a novel DOPA-dioxygenase-based biosensor for the quantification of L-DOPA through the formation of yellow betalamic acid derivatives in vitro and in vivo. The proposed system is simple, rapid, sensitive, and selective to L-DOPA while remaining robust to interference from other catecholamines, and is further applicable for the determination of L-DOPA in spiked fetal bovine serum samples.