Designing and optimization of an electrochemical substitute for the MTT (3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) cell viability assay

Abstract

For the first time ever, this paper reports the development of an easily operated and cost-effective electrochemical assay to be used as an appropriate substitute for the MTT (3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) cell viability assay. The proposed assay is based on the electrochemical reaction of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (S. cerevisiae) with toxic materials, and it overcomes most of the limitations of MTT such as evaporation of volatile solvents, cytotoxic effects of MTT reagents, high cost, and sensitivity to light. The novel electrochemical assay can be used to detect diazinon in the range of 10−6 g mL−1 to 10−2 g mL−1 with the detection limit of 1.5 × 10−7 g mL−1.