Monoclonal antibody-based ELISA and colloidal gold immunoassay for detecting 19-nortestosterone residue in animal tissues

Amide-containing neoepitopes: the key factor in the preparation of hapten-specific antibodies and a strategy to overcome

For a long time, people have suffered from uncertainty, complexity, and a low success rate in generating and screening antibodies against small molecules, which have become the core bottlenecks of immunochemistry. Here, the influence of antigen preparation on antibody generation was investigated at both molecular and submolecular levels. Neoepitopes (amide-containing neoepitopes) formed in the preparation of complete antigens are one of the most important factors limiting the efficiency of generating hapten-specific antibodies, which was verified by different haptens, carrier proteins, and conjugation conditions. Amide-containing neoepitopes present electron-dense structural components on the surface of prepared complete antigens and, therefore, induce the generation of the corresponding antibody with much higher efficiency than target hapten. Crosslinkers should be carefully selected and not overdosed. According to these results, some misconceptions in the conventional anti-hapten antibody production were clarified and corrected. By controlling the content of 1-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-3-ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC) during the synthesis of immunogen to limit the formation of amide-containing neoepitopes, the efficiency of hapten-specific antibody generation could be significantly improved, which verified the correctness of the conclusion and provided an efficient strategy for antibody preparation. The result of the work is of scientific significance in the preparation of high-quality antibodies against small molecules.

All-solid-state SARS-CoV-2 protein biosensor employing colloidal quantum dots-modified electrode

Rapid and reliable detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibody can provide immunological evidence in addition to nucleic acid test for the early diagnosis and on-site screening of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). All-solid-state biosensor capable of rapid, quantitative SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing is still lacking. Herein, we propose an electronic labelling strategy of protein molecules and demonstrate SARS-CoV-2 protein biosensor employing colloidal quantum dots (CQDs)-modified electrode. The feature current peak corresponding to the specific binding reaction of SARS-CoV-2 antigen and antibody proteins was observed for the first time. The unique charging and discharging effect depending on the alternating voltage applied was ascribed to the quantum confinement, Coulomb blockade and quantum tunneling effects of quantum dots. CQDs-modified electrode could recognize the specific binding reaction between antigen and antibody and then transduce it into significant electrical current. In the case of serum specimens from COVID-19 patient samples, the all-solid-state protein biosensor provides quantitative analysis of SARS-CoV-2 antibody with correlation coefficient of 93.8% compared to enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) results. It discriminates patient and normal samples with accuracy of about 90%. The results could be read within 1 min by handheld testing system prototype. The sensitive and specific protein biosensor combines the advantages of rapidity, accuracy, and convenience, facilitating the implement of low-cost, high-throughput immunological diagnostic technique for clinical lab, point-of-care testing (POCT) as well as home-use test.

Advances in the Determination of Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids: From Standard Practices to Tailor-Designed Multidisciplinary Approaches

Anabolic-androgenic steroids (AASs), a group of compounds frequently misused by athletes and, unfortunately, also by the general population, have lately attracted global attention; thus, significant demands for more precise, facile, and rapid AAS detection have arisen. The standard methods ordinarily used for AAS determination include liquid and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. However, good knowledge of steroid metabolism, pretreatment of samples (such as derivatization), and well-trained operators of the instruments are required, making this procedure expensive, complicated, and not routinely applicable. In the drive to meet current AAS detection demands, the scientific focus has shifted to developing novel, tailor-made approaches leading to time- and cost-effective, routine, and field-portable methods for AAS determination in various matrices, such as biological fluids, food supplements, meat, water, or other environmental components. Therefore, herein, we present a comprehensive review article covering recent advances in AAS determination, with a strong emphasis on the increasingly important role of chemically designed artificial sensors, biosensors, and antibody- and fluorescence-based methods.

Simultaneous detection of diethylstilbestrol and estradiol residues with a single immunochromatographic assay strip

An immunochromatographic assay (ICA) based on competitive format was developed and validated for simultaneously rapid and sensitive detection of diethylstilbestrol (DES) and estradiol (E2) in milk and tissue samples. For this purpose, two monoclonal antibodies raised against those two estrogens were conjugated to gold nanoparticles and were applied to the conjugate pads of the test strip. The competitors of the DES-BSA/E2-BSA conjugates were immobilized onto a nitrocellulose membrane at two detection zones to form T1 and T2, respectively. The immunochromatographic assay had a visual detection limit of DES at 30 ng/g in milk powder, 25 ng/g in liquid milk, and 25 ng/g in shrimp tissue, respectively, and the results can be judged within 7-10 min. The visual detection limit of E2 was 75 ng/g in milk powder, 65 ng/g in liquid milk, and 60 ng/g in shrimp tissue, respectively, and the results can be judged within 3-4 min. It had advantages in easy operation without requiring sophisticated equipment and specialized skills. By testing thirty milk and shrimp tissue samples from the local market, the method was compared with the HPLC-MS / MS method, and there was no statistical difference between the two methods. Furthermore, the immunochromatographic assay had good specificity, simple procedure, and low cost. This protocol was well suited for the food safety monitoring and early warning.

Nanobody-Based Indirect Competitive ELISA for Sensitive Detection of 19-Nortestosterone in Animal Urine

Nanobody (Nb), a new type of biorecognition element generally from Camelidae, has the characteristics of small molecular weight, high stability, great solubility and high expression level in E. coli. In this study, with 19-nortestosterone (19-NT), an anabolic androgenic steroid as target drug, three specific Nbs against 19-NT were selected from camel immune library by phage display technology. The obtained Nbs showed excellent thermostability and organic solvent tolerance. The nanobody Nb2F7 with the best performance was used to develop a sensitive indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ic-ELISA) for 19-NT detection. Under optimized conditions, the standard curve of ic-ELISA was fitted with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) of 1.03 ng/mL and a detection limit (LOD) of 0.10 ng/mL for 19-NT. Meanwhile, the developed assay had low cross- reactivity with analogs and the recoveries of 19-NT ranged from 82.61% to 99.24% in spiked samples. The correlation coefficient between ic-ELISA and the ultra-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method was 0.9975, which indicated that the nanobody-based ic-ELISA could be a useful tool for a rapid analysis of 19-NT in animal urine samples.

Nanozyme chemiluminescence paper test for rapid and sensitive detection of SARS-CoV-2 antigen

COVID-19 has evolved into a global pandemic. Early and rapid detection is crucial to control of the SARS-CoV-2 transmission. While representing the gold standard for early diagnosis, nucleic acid tests for SARS-CoV-2 are often complicated and time-consuming. Serological rapid antibody tests are characterized by high rates of false-negative diagnoses, especially during early infection. Here, we developed a novel nanozyme-based chemiluminescence paper assay for rapid and sensitive detection of SARS-CoV-2 spike antigen, which integrates nanozyme and enzymatic chemiluminescence immunoassay with the lateral flow strip. The core of our paper test is a robust Co-Fe@hemin-peroxidase nanozyme that catalyzes chemiluminescence comparable with natural peroxidase HRP and thus amplifies immune reaction signal. The detection limit for recombinant spike antigen of SARS-CoV-2 was 0.1 ng/mL, with a linear range of 0.2-100 ng/mL. Moreover, the sensitivity of test for pseudovirus could reach 360 TCID50/mL, which was comparable with ELISA method. The strip recognized SARS-CoV-2 antigen specifically, and there was no cross reaction with other coronaviruses or influenza A subtypes. This testing can be completed within 16 min, much shorter compared to the usual 1-2 h required for currently used nucleic acid tests. Furthermore, signal detection is feasible using the camera of a standard smartphone. Ingredients for nanozyme synthesis are simple and readily available, considerably lowering the overall cost. In conclusion, our paper test provides a high-sensitive point-of-care testing (POCT) approach for SARS-CoV-2 antigen detection, which should greatly facilitate early screening of SARS-CoV-2 infections, and considerably lower the financial burden on national healthcare resources.

Ultrasensitive Immunochromatographic Strip for Fast Screening of 27 Sulfonamides in Honey and Pork Liver Samples Based on a Monoclonal Antibody

Group-specific monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) with selectivity for 27 sulfonamides were developed based on new combinations of immunogen and coating antigen. The Mab was able to recognize 27 sulfonamides with 50% inhibition concentration (IC₅₀) values ranging from 0.15 to 15.38 μg/L. In particular, the IC₅₀ values for five sulfonamides (sulfamethazine, sulfaquinoxaline, sulfamonomethoxine, sulfadimethoxine, and sulfamethoxazole) were 0.51, 0.15, 0.56, 0.54, and 2.14 μg/L, respectively. On the basis of the Mab, an immunochromatographic lateral flow strip test was established for rapid screening of sulfonamides in honey samples. The visual limit of detection of the strip test for most sulfonamides in spiked honey samples was below 10 μg/kg, satisfying the requirements of authorities. Positive honey and pork liver samples, which had been confirmed by high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry, were used to validate the reliability of the proposed strip test. The immunochromatographic lateral flow strip test provides a rapid and convenient method for fast screening of sulfonamides in honey samples.

Detection of Penicillinase in Milk by Sandwich ELISA Based Polyclonal and Monoclonal Antibody

A sandwich ELISA has been developed using polyclonal and monoclonal antibody for the determination of penicillinase in milk. For this purpose, specific polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies against penicillinase were generated and characterized. Using penicillinase standards prepared from 1-128 ng/mL, the method indicated that the detection limit of the sandwich ELISA, as measured in an ELISA plate reader, was as low as 0.86 ng/mL of penicillinase. For determine the accuracy, raw milk containing 2, 8, 32, and 64 ng/mL of penicillinase were tested by sandwich ELISA. Recoveries were from 93-97.5%, and the coefficient of variation [CV (%)] were from 5.55-8.38%. For interassay reproducibility, recoveries were from 89.5-95.1%, the coefficient of variation [CV (%)] were from 5.26-9.58%. This sandwich ELISA provides a useful screening method for quantitative detection of penicillinase in milk.

Sensitive, fast, and specific immunoassays for methyltestosterone detection

An indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (icELISA) and an immunochromatographic strip assay using a highly specific monoclonal antibody, were developed to detect methyltestosterone (MT) residues in animal feed. The optimized icELISA had a half-inhibition concentration value of 0.26 ng/mL and a limit of detection value of 0.045 ng/mL. There was no cross-reactivity with eight analogues, revealing high specificity for MT. Based on icELISA results, the recovery rate of MT in animal feed was 82.4%–100.6%. The results were in accordance with those obtained by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The developed immunochromatographic strip assay, as the first report for MT detection, had a visual cut-off value of 1 ng/mL in PBS, 2.5 ng/g in fish feed, and 2.5 ng/g in pig feed. Therefore, these immunoassays are useful and fast tools for MT residue detection in animal feed.

Development of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for detection of clopidol residues in chicken tissues

BACKGROUND

Clopidol is mainly used for the prevention and treatment of coccidiosis, which poses a serious potential hazard to public health, in veterinary medicine. The aim of this study was to prepare monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against clopidol (CLOP) and develop an immunoassay for detecting CLOP residues in chicken tissues. After derivation, CLOP hapten was conjugated to carrier proteins to synthesize the artificial antigen, and immunized Balb/C mice were employed to screen mAbs.

RESULTS

A sensitive hybridoma named C1G3 was screened out and two indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (icELISA) standard curves were established. For the traditional two-step assay the linear range was from 0.06 to 98 ng mL(-1) , with half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50 ) and limit of detection (LOD) values of 2.76 ng mL(-1) and 0.03 ng mL(-1) respectively, while the rapid one-step icELISA had a working range from 0.08 to 102 ng mL(-1) , with IC50 and LOD values of 3.52 ng mL(-1) and 0.03 ng mL(-1) respectively. It was also indicated that a 10-fold dilution in chicken muscles gave an inhibition curve almost the same as that obtained in phosphate-buffered saline. When applied to spiking tests in chicken samples, the correlation coefficient (R(2) ) between concentrations added and measured was 0.9534.

CONCLUSION

The results of this study suggest that the immunoassay described is a promising alternative for screening CLOP residues in biological matrices and is suitable for routine diagnostics.

Indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay of tris-(2,3-dibromopropyl) isocyanurate with monoclonal antibody

Tris-(2,3-dibromopropyl) isocyanurate (TBC) is a heterocyclic brominated flame retardant and posses typical characteristic of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). To meet the need for rapid and reliable monitoring of TBC, a monoclonal antibody was produced and an indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (IC-ELISA) was developed based on the monoclonal antibody. Monoclonal antibody against TBC was generated using synthesized haptens in mice. After optimization of the immunoassay conditions, results showed that the IC50 and the limit of detection (LOD) were 1.59 and 0.06 µg/L, respectively. The monoclonal antibody shows high specificity and the developed IC-ELISA is with high recoveries. The precision investigation indicated that the intra-assay precision values were all below 9.2% and that the inter-assay precision values ranged from 6.7 to 11.3%. The assay of real samples gives results basically consistent with UHPLC-MS/MS. The obtained results showed that this proposed immunoassay is a potential method for rapid and reliable monitoring of TBC.

Parts per trillion detection of 7-aminonitrazepam by nano-enhanced ELISA

It is challenging to detect 7-aminonitrazepam (7-ANZP) residue in animal tissues simply and sensitively by the enzyme-linked sorbent immunoassay (ELISA) method. This paper demonstrates that utilizing a bioconjugate of gold nanoparticles and enzyme-labeled antibody as a signal probe increases the sensitivity of a traditional ELISA for 7-ANZP by nearly 20 times. The sensitivity of this ELISA for 7-ANZP was 5.6 pg/mL in buffer, and the limit of detection (LOD) of 0.18 μg/kg for 7-ANZP in urine could be achieved after the urine samples were simply hydrolyzed and diluted by buffer. This simple and sensitive method has potential application for improving the sensitivity of ELISA methods against various small molecules.

High-throughput bioaffinity mass spectrometry for screening and identification of designer anabolic steroids in dietary supplements

A generic high-throughput bioaffinity liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (BioMS) approach was developed and applied for the screening and identification of known and unknown recombinant human sex hormone-binding globulin (rhSHBG)-binding designer steroids in dietary supplements. For screening, a semi-automated competitive inhibition binding assay was combined with fast ultrahigh-performance-LC-electrospray ionization-triple-quadrupole-MS (UPLC-QqQ-MS). 17β-Testosterone-D3 was used as the stable isotope label of which the binding to rhSHBG-coated paramagnetic microbeads was inhibited by any other binding (designer) steroid. The assay was performed in a 96-well plate and combined with the fast LC-MS, 96 measurements could be performed within 4 h. The concentration-dependent inhibition of the label by steroids in buffer and dietary supplements was demonstrated. Following an adjusted bioaffinity isolation procedure, suspect extracts were injected into a chip-UPLC(NanoTile)-Q-time-of-flight-MS system for full-scan accurate mass identification. Next to known steroids, 1-testosterone was identified in three of the supplements studied and the designer steroid tetrahydrogestrinone was identified in a spiked supplement. The generic steroid-binding assay can be used for high-throughput screening of androgens, estrogens, and gestagens in dietary supplements to fight doping. When combined with chip-UPLC-MS, it is a powerful tool for early warning of unknown emerging rhSHBG bioactive designer steroids in dietary supplements.

Ultrasensitive Nano-ELISA for Detecting Sulfadimethoxine in Chicken Tissue

It is challenging to obtain a highly sensitive enzyme-linked sorbent immunoassay (ELISA) method for the rapid screening of veterinary drug residue in animal tissues. Here we present that a simple and sensitive detection for sulfadimethoxine (SDM) residue in animal tissues was achieved by utilizing a bioconjugate of gold nanoparticles and enzyme-labeled antibody as signal probe in enzyme-linked sorbent immunoassay (ELISA). The developed nano-ELISA has increased the sensitivity of a traditional ELISA for SDM by 20-fold. The sensitivity of this ELISA was 5 pg/mL in buffer, and the detection limit (LOD) of 0.2 µg/kg can be obtained after chicken liver was simply extracted by buffer. This simple and sensitive method can be used to improve the sensitivity of ELISA methods for various small molecule contaminants.

Development of a class-specific polyclonal antibody-based indirect competitive ELISA for detecting fluoroquinolone residues in milk

Modified 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide (EDC) method was employed to synthesize the artificial antigen of norfloxacin (NOR), and New Zealand rabbits were used to produce anti-NOR polyclonal antibody (pAb). Based on the checkerboard titration, an indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (icELISA) standard curve was established. This assay was sensitive and had a working range from 0.12 to 68.40 ng/ml, with the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC(50)) and limit of detection (LOD) values of 2.7 ng/ml and 0.06 ng/ml, respectively. The produced pAb exhibited high cross-reactivity to fluoroquinolones (FQs) tested, and the IC(50) values to enoxacin, ciprofloxacin, and pefloxacin were 3.1, 3.4, and 4.1 ng/ml, respectively. It also indicated that the concentrations of NaOH and methanol in assay buffer should not be higher than 10% and 30%. When spiked in milk at 5, 20, and 50 ng/ml, the recoveries for NOR, enoxacin, ciprofloxacin, and pefloxacin ranged 90.5%-98.0%, 84.0%-95.2%, 94.0%-106.0%, and 89.5%-100.0%, respectively. The results suggest that this class-specific pAb-based icELISA could be utilized for the primary screening of FQ residues in animal-original products.

Preparation of polyclonal antibodies and development of a direct competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to detect residues of phenylethanolamine A in urine samples

Phenylethanolamine A (PEAA) is a phenethanolamine member of the family of β-adrenergic agonists (β-agonists) compounds. To determine PEAA residues, we established a rapid direct competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using a polyclonal antibody produced with the immunogen PEAA-HSA conjugate. The antibody showed high sensitivity, where IC(50) and the limit of detection were 0.3 and 0.02 μg/L, respectively. The specificity of the assay was evaluated by the measurement of cross-reactivity of the antibody with 15 β-agonists compounds. The data demonstrated that the antibody was highly specific for PEAA, with negligible cross-reactivity (CR) with other β-agonists compounds (CR < 0.1%) including ractopamine (CR is 0.3%). Recovery rates ranged from 81% to 110%, indicating relatively good parallelism and accuracy of the assay when applied to real samples. The detection limit in blank urine samples was 0.5 μg/L. The coefficient of variation was below 18% and 20% for intra-assay and inter-assay, respectively, demonstrating an acceptable level of precision. Largely consistent results were obtained for the urine samples by ELISA and UPLC-MS/MS methods. From a practical point of view, the prototype kit could be advantageously used for the screening of large groups of urine samples, and the kit employed has reliability even in routine application for the control of the illegal use of the drug.

Development and Characterization of Anti-Estradiol Polyclonal Antibody

This paper reports an indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (icELISA) using polyclonal antibody (pAb) for estradiol (E2) residues. After derivation, E2 haptens were conjugated to bovine serum albumin (BSA) and ovalbumin (OVA) through 1-Ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropy) carbodiimide (EDC) method, and New Zealand white rabbits were immunized to produce anti-E2 pAb. The conjugation ratio of E2-BSA was proved to be 18.6:1 by an UV absorbance method. Based on the square matrix titration, an icELISA standard curve was developed. The dynamic range was from 0.16 to 128 ng/mL, with LOD and IC50 value of 0.08 ng/mL and 3.76 ng/mL, respectively. Except for a little cross-reactivity (16.2%) to estrone, this assay showed negligible cross-reactivity to other analogues tested. The results suggest that the produced anti-E2 pAb could be used to develop an icELISA method for the determination of E2 residues in animal-originally products.