Advances in Folic Acid Biosensors and Their Significance in Maternal, Perinatal, and Paediatric Preventive Medicine

Abstract

Auxotrophic primates like human beings rely on exogenous dietary vitamin B₉ supplementation to meet their metabolic demands. Folates play a crucial role in nucleotide synthesis and DNA methylation. Maternal folate deficiency causes several pregnancy-related complications, perinatal defects, and early childhood cognitive impairments. New evidence suggests excess FA is a potential risk factor resulting in unfavourable genomic and epigenomic alterations. Thus, it is essential to revisit the need to consistently monitor maternal folate levels during pregnancy. Yet, to date, no point-of-care folate-monitoring biosensor is commercially available. Here, we critically appraise the advances in folate biosensors to understand the translational gaps in biosensor design. Further, our review sheds light on the potential role of folate biosensors in strengthening maternal, perinatal, and child healthcare.

Keywords: biosensors; cancer; folic acid; point-of-care and perinatal healthcare; pre-eclampsia.

Figure 1

Summary of common folate vitamers—Folates (in centre) represent a general template structure, composed of a pteridine ring (in pink), p-aminobenzoic acid (in green), and glutamic acid moiety (in purple). Most metabolically active B₉ vitamers exist in monoglutamate form and vary in structure based on R1, R2, and R3 substitutions.

Figure 2

Folate biosensors—Schematic representing various folate biosensors based on unique sensing strategy.

Figure 3

Enzyme-based electrode—Sketch depicts Dihydrofolate reductase (in green) immobilised to multiwalled carbon nanotubes and TiO₂ nanoparticles (in red) on solid gold electrode, reported in [83].