A novel megestrol acetate electrochemical sensor based on conducting functionalized acetylene black–CeO2NPs nanohybrids decorated glassy carbon microspheres

Abstract For the first time, megestrol acetate (MGA), a synthetic progestin with therapeutic use in breast cancer, is electrochemically studied to propose a new electroanalytical alternative for its detection in real samples. In the present work, a novel electrochemical sensor based on functionalized acetylene black–CeO 2 NPs nanohybrids modified glassy carbon microspheres paste electrode (FAB-CeO 2 NPs/GCMPE) was successfully fabricated and used for sensitive determination of MGA. The modified electrode has been characterized using scanning electron microscope (SEM), cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The electrocatalytic reduction of MGA using FAB-CeO 2 NPs/GCMPE was carried out via CV and square wave voltammetry (SWV). By employing FAB-CeO 2 NPs/GCMPE, the SWV signal of MGA reduction was 8 fold higher than the bare GCMPE. A wide concentration range from 4.20 × 10 −8 to 1.13 × 10 −6 M with the low LOD of 1.30 nM for MGA was achieved. The practical analytical utilities of the prospective FAB-CeO 2 NPs/GCMPE sensor were demonstrated successfully by the detection of MGA in Megace tablets, human serum and urine samples obtained from healthy and patient volunteers after oral administration of 160 mg Megace tablets. HPLC method was also developed for comparison with the electroanalytical method.