Development of a colloidal gold immunoassay for the detection of four eugenol compounds in water

Development of a visual immunosensing platform based on fluorescent microspheres for the rapid detection of ochratoxins in cereals

Ochratoxins (OTs, including OTA, OTB, and OTC), exhibit nephrotoxicity, carcinogenicity, teratogenicity, and immunotoxicity, contaminating wheat, maize, and rice, so endangering human health. In this study, we designed and screened haptens using computational chemistry to prepare mAb 4G11, which simultaneously recognized OTA, OTB, and OTC with high sensitivity and specificity. We developed a fluorescent microsphere immunochromatographic assay (FMIA), which could detect the total amount of OTs with a visual detection limit of 0.5 ng/mL and a quantification limit of 0.27 ng/mL. Recovery experiments ranged from 95.94 % to 106.01 % with coefficients of variation ranging from 2.74 % to 6.30 %. The results obtained from the FMIA were found to be in alignment with those obtained from liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The FMIA reliability was further demonstrated using real samples. FMIA can serve as a valuable instrument for the surveillance of the content of OTs in cereals.

Development of a Colloidal Gold Immunochromatographic Strip for Specific Detection of Photobacterium damselae subsp. piscicida

Photobacterium damselae subsp. piscicida (Pdp) is characterised by high infectivity and mortality and wide distribution, resulting in substantial economic losses to the global aquaculture industry. Therefore, it is critical to develop a simple, rapid and accurate diagnostic method for Pdp detection. Herein, two Pdp-specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs 1H7 and 6E6) were obtained, indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunofluorescence analysis confirmed that the mAbs specifically recognised the outer membrane of Pdp but could not recognise the other Gram-positive or Gram-negative bacteria, indicating good specificity. A colloidal gold immunochromatographic strip (CGICS) was developed here for Pdp detection by optimising the colloidal gold labeling and antibody coating conditions using 1H7 as a colloidal gold-labelled antibody and 6E6 as a coated antibody. The CGICS exhibited a detection limit of 1 × 105 CFU/mL for Pdp and a detection time of 10 min. Cross-reaction analysis revealed that the CGICS could specifically detect different Pdp isolates without cross-reaction with the other bacterial species or the subspecies P. damselae subsp. damselae. Stability analysis revealed that the CGICS were stored in closed plastic packaging at 25°C and 4°C for more than 8 months. The CGICS retained their detection limit after 6 months at 4°C, and 4 months at 25°C. Using tissues from the experimentally challenged Lateolabrax maculatus, the CGICS and polymerase chain reaction revealed a 100% coincidence rate. These findings indicated that the established CGICS exhibits high specificity and sensitivity. It is rapid and simple for Pdp detection, making it a potential on-site tool for Pdp detection in fish aquaculture.

Fluorescence sensing techniques for quality evaluation of traditional Chinese medicines: a review

Traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) are highly valued and widely used worldwide. However, their complex compositions and various preparation processes have brought considerable challenges to the quality evaluation of Chinese medicines. The traditional methods for TCM quality evaluation suffer from the problems of cumbersome sample preparation, a long detection time, low sensitivity, etc. A more efficient and accurate evaluation method is urgently needed to ensure the stability and reliability of the quality of TCMs. As an emerging analytical technology, a fluorescent probe has the advantages of high sensitivity, high selectivity, easy operation, etc. It is capable of generating a specific fluorescent signal response to specific components in traditional Chinese medicines, realizing rapid and accurate detection of target components, which effectively solves the many difficulties of traditional methods. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the application of fluorescent probes in the quality evaluation of traditional Chinese medicines and the challenges they face. By introducing the principles, advantages and specific application cases of fluorescent probe technology in the quality evaluation of traditional Chinese medicines, we hope to provide new and efficient analytical ideas for the quality evaluation of traditional Chinese medicines.

Development of broad-spectrum immunoassay with monoclonal antibody to detect five eugenols and study of their molecular recognition mechanism

In this study, three eugenol fragment-containing haptens were synthesized, and a monoclonal antibody (mAb) selective for five commonly-found eugenol compounds (EUGs, i.e., eugenol, isoeugenol, methyl eugenol, methyl isoeugenol, and acetyl isoeugenol) was obtained. Based on this mAb, a broad-spectrum indirect competitive ELISA for high-throughput detection of five EUGs was developed. The detection limits for eugenol, isoeugenol, methyl eugenol, methyl isoeugenol and acetyl isoeugenol in both tilapia and shrimp samples were 25.3/ 50.6 μg/kg, 0.075/0.15 μg/kg, 0.48/0.96 μg/kg, 0.16/0.32 μg/kg, and 18.16/36.32 μg/kg, respectively. The recoveries for five EUGs ranged from 80.4 to 114.0 % with a coefficient of variation less than 11.5 %. Moreover, homology modelling and molecular docking were conducted to elucidate the interactions mechanism of mAb-EUGs. The work provides a promising tool for high-throughput screening of EUGs in aquatic products, which can serve as a benchmark for designing haptens and developing immunoassays for other small molecules.

Gold nanocluster-based ratiometric fluorescence immunoassay for broad-spectrum screening of five eugenols

BACKGROUND

Eugenol compounds (EUGs), which share chemical similarities with eugenol, belong to a group of phenolic compounds primarily found in clove oil. They are highly valued by fish dealers due to their exceptional anesthetic properties, playing a crucial role in reducing disease incidence and mortality during the transportation of live fish. Despite their widespread use, the safety of EUGs remains a contentious topic, raising concerns about the safety of aquatic products. This underscores the need for efficient and sensitive analytical methods for detecting EUGs.

RESULTS

Nanomaterial-based ratiometric fluorescence immunoassay has gained increasing attention due to its integration of the immunoassay's excellent specificity and compatibility for high-throughput analysis, coupled with the exceptional sensitivity and anti-interference capabilities of ratiometric fluorescence assays. In this study, we developed a sensitive ratiometric fluorescence immunoassay for screening five EUGs. This method employs a broad-specificity monoclonal antibody (mAb) as a recognition reagent, selective for five EUGs. It leverages the horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-triggered formation of fluorescent 2,3-diaminophenazine (DAP) and the quenching of fluorescent gold clusters (Au NCs) for detection. The assay's detection limits for eugenol, isoeugenol, eugenol methyl eugenol, methyl isoeugenol, and acetyl isoeugenol in tilapia fish and shrimp were found to be 9.8/19.5 μg/kg, 0.11/0.22 μg/kg, 19/36 Tilapia ng/kg, 8/16 ng/kg, and 3.0/6.1 μg/kg, respectively. Furthermore, when testing spiked Tilapia fish and shrimp samples, recoveries ranging from 84.1 to 111.9 %, with the coefficients of variation staying below 7.1 % was achieved.

SIGNIFICANCE

This work introduces an easy-to-use, broad-specificity, and highly sensitive method for the screening of five EUGs at a pg/mL level, which not only provides a high-throughput strategy for screening eugenol-type fish anesthetics in aquatic products, but also can serve as a benchmark for developing immunoassays for other small molecular pollutants, rendering potent technological support for guarding food safety and human health.

Fluorescent microsphere-based lateral-flow immunoassay for rapid and sensitive determination of eugenols

In this study, a sensitive monoclonal antibody (mAb) 1B5 against eugenols was prepared based on a novel hapten. Based on this mAb, a paper-based lateral-flow immunoassay (LFIA) was developed using Eu-fluorescent microspheres sensor, that could achieve qualitative and quantitative detection of eugenols within 10 min. Results showed colorimetric values observed by the naked eye were 12.3 µg/kg, 12.3 µg/kg, 37 µg/kg and 111 µg/kg for eugenol, isoeugenol, methyl eugenol, and methyl isoeugenol, respectively, in both water and fish samples. For quantitative detection of eugenol, isoeugenol, methyl eugenol and methyl isoeugenol, the detection ranges were 4.49-48.4 µg/kg, 6.02-66.8 µg/kg, 16.5-150 µg/kg and 47.9-710 µg/kg in water, and 3.9-30.9 µg/kg, 5.9-62.6 µg/kg, 16.7-255 µg/kg, and 44.5-890 µg/kg in fish, respectively. The recovery test and detection in fish demonstrated the reliability of the LFIA in real samples. Therefore, the developed LFIA produced a promising alternative tool for the rapid on-site detection of eugenols.

Immunochromatographic assay for the analysis of methomyl in cabbage and tomato

In this study, a hapten of methomyl was designed and used to produce monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against methomyl. Based on these mAbs, we developed an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunochromatographic assay (ICA) strip for the determination of methomyl residues. Results from the ELISA showed that mAb 1D10 exhibited higher affinity with an affinity constant of 2.76 × 10¹⁰ L/mol and higher sensitivity with a limit of detection (LOD) was 8.12 ng/mL. After optimizing the ICA, a visible limit of detection (vLOD) was found to be 100 ng/g and the cut-off value was 500 ng/g for methomyl in cabbage and tomato. The calculated LODs were 3.2 ng/g and 5.4 ng/g in cabbage and tomato, respectively. Moreover, results from the ICA were consistent with those of the ELISA in our recovery assay using spiked samples. Hence, the ICA method has a bright future and great prospects for the detection of methomyl in food samples.

A monoclonal antibody-based colloidal gold immunochromatographic strip for the analysis of novobiocin in beef and chicken

In this study, a monoclonal antibody (mAb) 1G5 against novobiocin with high sensitivity and specificity was prepared from a newly-designed hapten. According to the results of an indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ic-ELISA), the 50%-inhibitory concentration of the anti-novobiocin mAb was 6.9 ng/mL and the cross-reactivity was less than 0.1% to its analogues. Furthermore, a rapid colloidal gold immunochromatographic assay (ICA) was successfully developed for the determination of novobiocin in spiked samples. Two calibration curves were established respectively, for beef and chicken samples. The ICA results showed a visual colorimetric value of 50 ng/mL and a cut-off value of 300 ng/mL in beef samples. The ICA results of chicken samples were almost the same as that of beef. When quantitative detection was performed using a strip reader, the detection ranges for quantitative analysis in beef and chicken were 23.7-287.5 and 19.7-263.8 µg/kg respectively. Recoveries were between 82.7 and 95.3% for beef samples with the coefficient of variation (CV) ranging from 2.5 to 5.1%. Recoveries were in the range of 89.6-105.5% with the CV ranging from 2.9% to 6.3% for chicken samples. Importantly, these results from the ICA were highly consistent with the results obtained by LC-MS/MS. Therefore, this ICA could be used as an alternative means for the rapid determination of NOV in a large number of beef and chicken samples.

Preparing monoclonal antibodies and developing immunochromatographic assay strips for the determination of propamocarb levels

Propamocarb is a carbamate fungicide used to control Phytophthora disease. Frequent and large-scale use of propamocarb means that it poses a potential threat to the health of consumers. Monoclonal antibodies against propamocarb were prepared using a hapten of propamocarb that was generated by introducing a benzene ring and a carboxyl group into the structure of propamocarb. A lateral flow immunoassay strip was developed for the detection of propamocarb in tomato and cucumber samples using the gold nanoparticle-labeled antibody. The immunoassay strip was found to provide a visible limit of detection was 5 ng/g and the cut-off value was 250 ng/g for propamocarb in food samples. For quantitative analysis, the calculated limits of detection (LODs) of the immunoassay strip were 1.43 ng/g and 0.44 ng/g in cucumber and tomato, respectively. Using the immunoassay strip, the average recoveries ranged from 95.5 ± 5.4% to 108.8 ± 6.8%, with CVs of 3.1-6.2% for the cucumber, and the average recoveries were 95.1 ± 6.5%-111.9 ± 4.2%, with CVs ranging from 3.7% to 6.8% for tomato samples. All the results demonstrated that the immunoassay strip was suitable for the detection of propamocarb in fruits and vegetables.

Immunochromatographic assays for ultrasensitive and high specific determination of enrofloxacin in milk, eggs, honey, and chicken meat

Enrofloxacin, a veterinary antibiotic that persists in food, poses a risk to human health. Here, a monoclonal antibody against enrofloxacin, 1H12, was prepared based on the hapten ENR-1, and showed excellent sensitivity with a 50% inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) of 0.03 ng/mL. Using this antibody, 2 lateral-flow immunochromatographic assays were developed for determination of enrofloxacin in egg, milk, honey, and chicken meat samples. The detection ranges (IC₂₀-IC₈₀) were 0.16-0.82 ng/g, 0.24-1.8 ng/g, 0.25-3.6 ng/g, and 0.61-3.9 ng/g by colloidal gold-immunochromatographic sensor (CG-ICS) analysis, and 0.022-0.42 ng/g, 0.054-0.42 ng/g, 0.069-1.4 ng/g, and 0.19-2.2 ng/g by Eu-fluorescence-immunochromatographic sensor (EF-ICS) analysis. The intraassay and interassay recovery rates were 88.9 to 108.5% with coefficients of variation of 1.3 to 7.0% by CG-ICS analysis, and 88.6 to 113.6% with coefficients of variation of 1.3 to 8.1% by EF-ICS analysis. Thus, our newly developed ICS are sensitive and reliable, providing an option for rapid quantitative detection of enrofloxacin in food samples.

HPLC Fluorescence Method for Eugenols in Basil Products Derivatized with DIBI

Eugenols (Eugs) such as eugenol (Eug), methyleugenol (MeEug), and linalool (Lin) in basil product are the main bioactive components of basil products and have a terminal double-bond. A sensitive HPLC-fluorescence method for Eugs derivatized with 4-(4,5-diphenyl-1H-imidazol-2-yl)iodobenzene (DIBI) was developed. Good separation of DIB-Eugs was achieved within 20 min on an Atlantis T3 column (50 × 2.1 mm i.d., 3 µm) with a mobile phase of methanol-water. The calibration curves obtained with Eug standards showed good linearities in the range of 0.1-50 µM (r ≥ 0.999). The limits of detection at a signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) = 3 for Eug, MeEug, and Lin were 1.0, 6.0, and 4.8 nM, respectively. The limits of quantitation (S/N = 10) of the Eugs were lower than 19.9 nM. The accuracies for the Eugs were within 96.8-104.6%. The intra- and inter-day precisions as relative standard deviations for the Eugs were less than 1.2 and 9.6% (n = 3). The recoveries of Eug, MeEug, and Lin were 99.0 ± 0.1, 98.0 ± 0.2, and 96.0 ± 0.4% (n = 3), respectively. The DIB-Eugs were confirmed to be stable for 2 h (>90%) at room temperature and 24 h (>95%) at 4 °C. These parameters of the proposed method were useful for the simultaneous determination of Eugs in basil products. Therefore, the developed method may be a powerful tool for the quality evaluation of dried commercially available basil products.

Preparation of a broad-specific monoclonal antibody and development of an immunochromatographic assay for monitoring of anthranilic diamides in vegetables and fruits

A mAb-based lateral flow immunochromatographic strip for the detection of anthranilic diamides in vegetables and fruits was developed. The strip provided cut-off values of 2.5, 5, 10, and 10 ng g−1 for CHL, CYA, CYC, and TEA, respectively.

Gold-based immunochromatographic assay strip for the detection of quinclorac in foods

In this study, a highly specific and sensitive monoclonal antibody (mAb) against quinclorac (Qui) was prepared. Based on the selected mAb, 2G3, an indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ic-ELISA) and an immunochromatographic strip assay were established for the detection of Qui in actual samples. The 50%-inhibitory concentration of mAb 2G3 against Qui was 48.763 ng mL^-1. No cross-reaction with other quinolines indicated that mAb 2G3 had high specificity. The recovery of the established ic-ELISA method was in the range of 85.6% to 98.9%. The cut-off value of Qui in cucumber and tomato by immunochromatographic strip was 200 ng g^-1. The analysis results of ic-ELISA and immunochromatographic strip assay were consistent with the results of LC-MS/MS, which further proved that the established ic-ELISA and immunochromatographic strip assay could provide valuable tools for the rapid detection of Qui residues in cucumber and tomato samples.

Ultrasensitive immunochromatographic strip assay for the detection of diminazene

We prepared monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against diminazene and used them in the development of a gold nanoparticle-based lateral-flow test (GNT) strip and indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the detection of diminazene in beef and beef liver samples. MAbs, which belong to the IgG2a subclass, had a half maximal inhibitory concentration of 0.04 ng mL^-1. Based on cross-reactivity, mAb against diminazene was highly specific. The visual limit of detection (vLOD) of the GNT strip was 0.1 μg kg^-1, and the cut-off value was 1 μg kg^-1 in beef samples. The vLOD of the GNT assay was 0.1 μg kg^-1, and the cut-off value was 2 μg kg^-1 in beef liver samples. The average recoveries of diminazene ranged from 97.5% to 103.7% when using ic-ELISA. The accuracy of the developed GNT strip was confirmed by comparing the results with the ic-ELISA results. We developed a reliable GNT strip assay for the rapid detection of diminazene in beef and beef liver samples.

Development of a lateral-flow ICA strip for the detection of colchicine

Colchicine (COL), which is extracted from colchicine and papaya, is widely used in medicine. However, COL poisoning causes serious adverse complications including death. Therefore, there is a need to develop a sensitive COL detection method. In this study, we developed a highly sensitive monoclonal antibody 1E4 with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration and linear range of 0.43 ng mL^-1 and 0.09-2.16 ng mL^-1, respectively. Using 1E4, we developed a lateral-flow immunochromatographic assay (ICA) strip for COL detection. Based on the results, the detection interval was 1-25 ng mL^-1 in milk, 2.5-50 ng mL^-1 in beef, 1-25 ng mL^-1 in edible lily and 2.5-25 ng mL^-1 in daylily. The lateral-flow ICA strip can be used as an effective tool for COL detection in food samples on site.

A Rapid Immunochromatographic Method Based on a Secondary Antibody-Labelled Magnetic Nanoprobe for the Detection of Hepatitis B preS2 Surface Antigen

Hepatitis B is a globally prevalent viral infectious disease caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV). In this study, an immunochromatographic assay (ICA) for the rapid detection of hepatitis B preS2 antigen (preS2Ag) was established. The magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) indirectly labelled with goat anti-mouse (GAM) secondary antibody were applied as a nanoprobe for free preS2 antibody (preS2Ab) capturing and signal amplification. By employing sample pre-incubation processing as well, preS2Ag-preS2Ab was sufficiently caught by the GAM-MNPs probe in 5 min. A qualitative sensitivity of 625 ng/mL was obtained by naked-eye observation within 15-20 min. A standard curve (0-5000 ng/mL) was established, with a quantitative limit of detection (LOD) of 3.6 ng/mL, based on the stability and penetrability of the magnetic signal characteristics. The proposed method for preS2Ag was rapid (~25 min, cf. ELISA ~4 h) and had a good accuracy, which was verified using an ELISA kit (relative error < 15%). Large equipment and skilled technicians were not required. The sensitivity and specificity of the developed GAM-MNPs-ICA method were 93.3% and 90% in clinical serum samples (n = 25), respectively. A good detection consistency (84%) was observed between the developed ICA method and 2 types of commercial ELISA kits, indicating that the GAM-MNPs-ICA has a potential application in large-scale screening for and point-of-care diagnosis of hepatitis B or other infectious diseases.

Rapid and Sensitive Immunochromatographic Method-Based Monoclonal Antibody for the Quantitative Detection of Metalaxyl in Tobacco

In this study, we prepared a monoclonal antibody (mAb) against metalaxyl (Met) with a half-maximum inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) of 0.54 ng/mL based on a new hapten, and a gold nanoparticle-based immunochromatographic assay (GICA) was developed for the rapid detection of Met residues in tobacco. Under optimal conditions, even with the naked eye, one can see the semiquantitative analysis results. The naked eye detection limit of Met in tobacco is 25 μg/kg, and the detection threshold is 100 μg/kg. In addition, the cross-reactivity test shows that the mAb has good specificity for Met, and the GICA results have a good correlation with the indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry test results, which show that the method is feasible and reliable and are more convenient and quicker than the methods using instrumentation for detection. Therefore, GICA may provide a useful tool for the rapid screening and detection of Met residues in tobacco.