Lighting up tetracyclines: Heavy water solvent effects on antibiotic fluorescence

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Authors

MÁDI Lenka KUČERA Josef PEŠ Ondřej ŠMAK Pavel MARTIKAN Jakub TÁBORSKÝ Petr

Year of publication 2025
Type Article in Periodical
Magazine / Source Microchemical Journal
MU Faculty or unit

Faculty of Science

Citation
web https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0026265X25030851
Doi https://doi.org/10.1016/j.microc.2025.115737
Keywords HPLC; Tetracycline antibiotics; Fluorescence detection; Heavy water; Fluorescence enhancement; Quenching
Description The fluorescence properties of tetracycline antibiotics (tetracycline, minocycline, doxycycline, and omadacycline) were investigated in water and heavy water to evaluate the influence of solvent effects and the presence of metal ions on their spectral behavior. Emission spectra were recorded, both in the absence and presence of divalent metal cations (Mg2+, Ca2+) and the monovalent Li+ ion. All compounds exhibited enhanced fluorescence in D2O compared to H2O, with a marked increase upon the addition of Mg2+ ions. Emission maxima shifted in the presence of Mg2+, and fluorescence intensities reached up to 34.5-fold higher for omadacycline in D2O with Mg2+. Li+ showed no significant effect due to its weak coordination properties; however, fluorescence enhancement was still observed in D2O, indicating the sole influence of solvent even in the absence of strong complex formation. Chromatographic separation was successfully achieved for tetracycline, minocycline, and omadacycline using HPLC coupled with fluorescence detection. The combined use of D2O and Mg2+ not only improved detection sensitivity but also lowered limits of detection (LODs), reaching as low as 3.1 · 10-9 mol·L-1 for omadacycline. These findings highlight the cumulative effects of solvent and metal ion environments on tetracycline fluorescence and provide valuable insights for developing sensitive analytical methods for antibiotic detection in pharmaceutical, clinical, and environmental samples.
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