Disposable and cost-effective label-free electrochemical immunosensor for prolactin based on bismuth sulfide nanorods with polypyrrole

Prolactin (PRL) is produced by the pituitary gland and plays a vital role in the production of milk after a baby is born. PRL levels are normally elevated in pregnant and nursing women, and high levels of PRL in the human body cause hyperprolactinemia, infertility, galactorrhea, infrequent or irregular periods, amenorrhea, breast pain, and loss of libido. Accordingly, herein, a novel label-free immunosensor using a bismuth sulfide/polypyrrole (Bi₂S₃/PPy)-modified screen-printed electrode (SPE) for the fast and facile detection of the peptide hormone PRL. Bi₂S₃ nanorods were synthesized via a facile hydrothermal technique, and PPy was prepared by chemical polymerization method. Subsequently, the Bi₂S₃/PPy/ SPE was modified with 3-mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) and EDC/NHS. Owing to the cross-linking effect of EDC/NHS, antibody-PRL (anti-PRL) was firmly stabilized on the modified SPE surface. These layer-by-layer modifications enhanced the conducting properties, anti-PRL loading capacity, and sensitivity of the developed immunosensor. Under optimized conditions, the PRL immunosensor demonstrated a broad linear range of approximately 1–250 ng/mL, a low detection limit of approximately 0.130 ng/mL (3 × SD/b), good specificity, reproducibility, and stability. PRL was successfully evaluated in human and mouse serum samples, and the corresponding outcomes were compared with those of the electrochemical and ELISA methods.