Gold nanoparticle-based immunochromatographic assay for detection Pseudomonas aeruginosa in water and food samples

The Application of Hybridization Chain Reaction in the Detection of Foodborne Pathogens

Today, with the globalization of the food trade progressing, food safety continues to warrant widespread attention. Foodborne diseases caused by contaminated food, including foodborne pathogens, seriously threaten public health and the economy. This has led to the development of more sensitive and accurate methods for detecting pathogenic bacteria. Many signal amplification techniques have been used to improve the sensitivity of foodborne pathogen detection. Among them, hybridization chain reaction (HCR), an isothermal nucleic acid hybridization signal amplification technique, has received increasing attention due to its enzyme-free and isothermal characteristics, and pathogenic bacteria detection methods using HCR for signal amplification have experienced rapid development in the last five years. In this review, we first describe the development of detection technologies for food contaminants represented by pathogens and introduce the fundamental principles, classifications, and characteristics of HCR. Furthermore, we highlight the application of various biosensors based on HCR nucleic acid amplification technology in detecting foodborne pathogens. Lastly, we summarize and offer insights into the prospects of HCR technology and its application in pathogen detection.

Lateral flow immunoassay based on gold nanoparticles for rapid and sensitive detection of zoxamide in grape, tomato and cucumber samples

In the study, we discovered zoxamide hapten (ZOX-hapten) by introducing a carboxyl extension chain, combined it with protein to make a complete antigen to immunize mice, and generated a monoclonal antibody (mAb) against ZOX. To identify ZOX residues in grape, tomato, and cucumber samples, we used our anti-ZOX mAb to develop a lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) strip. In grape, tomato, and cucumber samples, the calculated detection limit of the LFIA strip in grape, tomato and cucumber samples was 3.44, 4.78 and 3.53 ng/g, respectively. Using the LFIA strip, the recovery rate from grape samples was 96.4-106.8%, and that from tomato samples was 98.4-107.5%, while the recovery from cucumber samples was 99.4-111.3%. These results showed that our LFIA strip could be expected to achieve rapid screening of ZOX residues in fruits and vegetables.

A Synergistic Dual-Channel Sensor for Ultrasensitive Detection of Pseudomonas aeruginosa by DNA Nanostructure and G-Quadruplex

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one of the foodborne pathogenic bacteria that greatly threatens human health. An ultrasensitive technology for P. aeruginosa detection is urgently demanded. Herein, based on the mechanism of aptamer-specific recognition, an electrochemical-colorimetric dual-mode ultrasensitive sensing strategy for P. aeruginosa is proposed. The vertices of DNA tetrahedral nanoprobes (DTNPs), that immobilized on the gold electrode were modified with P. aeruginosa aptamers. Furthermore, the G-quadruplex, which was conjugated with a P. aeruginosa aptamer, was synthesized via rolling circle amplification (RCA). Once P. aeruginosa is captured, a hemin/G-quadruplex, which possesses peroxidase-mimicking activity, will separate from the P. aeruginosa aptamer. Then, the exfoliated hemin/G-quadruplexes are collected for oxidation of the 3,3',5',5'-tetramethylbenzidine for colorimetric sensing. In the electrochemical mode, the hemin/G-quadruplex that is still bound to the aptamer catalyzes polyaniline (PANI) deposition and leads to a measurable electrochemical signal. The colorimetric and electrochemical channels demonstrated a good forward and reverse linear response for P. aeruginosa within the range of 1-10⁸ CFU mL^-1, respectively. Overall, compared with a traditional single-mode sensor for P. aeruginosa, the proposed dual-mode sensor featuring self-calibration not only avoids false positive results but also improves accuracy and sensitivity. Furthermore, the consistency of the electrochemical/colorimetric assay was verified in practical meat samples and showed great potential for applications in bioanalysis.

Isolation of Bacteria Aptamers with Non-SELEX for the Development of a Highly Sensitive Colorimetric Assay Based on Dual Signal Amplification

In this work, an aptamer against Escherichia coli is isolated via non-SELEX, which executes efficient selection by employing repetitive cycles of centrifugation-based partitioning, and the binding site of the aptamer on E. coli cell surfaces is inferred to be a membrane protein. Moreover, truncated sequence 2-17-2 with a higher affinity (K_d = 101.76 nM) is employed for highly sensitive colorimetric detection of bacteria based on the dual signal amplification strategy. When targets exist, the release of DNA 1 from the polymer activates a hybridization chain reaction (HCR) between DNA 1 and DNA 2, thereby inducing the aggregation of probe 1. Subsequently, DNA 3 dissociated from probe 1 as a linker DNA further assembles probe 2/3. In this system, two types of DNA@gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) coexist and successively aggregate AuNPs based on divergent triggering mechanisms. Under optimal conditions, the dual signal amplification strategy presents excellent sensitivity (10 CFU mL^-1) and specificity, as well as the realization of real sample analysis.

An Immunochromatographic Assay for the Rapid and Qualitative Detection of Mercury in Rice

Mercury is a major pollutant in food crops. In this study, we synthesized an anti-mercury monoclonal antibody (mAb; IC₅₀ was 0.606 ng mL⁻¹) with high sensitivity and specificity and different immunogens and coating antigens and developed an immuno-chromatographic assay (ICA) for the detection of mercury in rice. The ICA strip had a visible detection limit of 20 ng g⁻¹ and a cut-off value of 500 ng g⁻¹ in rice. The performance of the ICA strip was consistent with that of ICP-MS and ic-ELISA. The recoveries of mercury in rice ranged from 94.5% to 113.7% with ic-ELISA and from 93.6% to 116.45% with ICP-MS. Qualitative analysis by ICA can be obtained with the naked eye. The ICA strip is an effective and practical method for the rapid and high-throughput determination of mercury in rice.

Ultrasensitive detection of four organic arsenic compounds at the same time using a five-link cardboard-based assay

In order to effectively control the excessive use of organic arsenic reagents in livestock and poultry products, there is an urgent need to develop a method for rapid detection of multiple organic arsenic reagents. In this study, two haptens were designed and derivatized around the structural formula of roxarsone, and a highly-sensitive group-selective mAb 3F2 was prepared, which can simultaneously detect roxarsone, 4-aminophenylarsonic acid, 2-aminophenylarsonic acid and phenylarsonic acid. We further developed a colloidal gold immunochromatographic test strip (ICS) and prepared a five-link card that can simultaneously detect four organic arsenics in chicken and pork samples. Its quantitative detection limits (LOQ) for the four compounds in chicken and pork samples were 0.06 and 0.32 ng/mL, 0.11 and 0.29 ng/mL, 0.34 and 0.99 ng/mL, and 0.88 and 1.5 ng/mL, respectively. This multi-ICS detection provides a powerful tool for the on-site detection and rapid screening of organic arsenic reagents in actual samples.

Gold-based strip sensor for the rapid and sensitive detection of butralin in tomatoes and peppers

Butralin is a widely used dinitroaniline herbicide. Butralin residues in vegetables or fruits represent a threat to human health. In this study, we developed a rapid and sensitive gold-based lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) for butralin detection in tomato and green pepper samples based on a screened monoclonal antibody (mAb) against butralin. The mAb possessed a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) of 12.7 ng/mL, with no cross-reactivity toward other dinitroaniline herbicides. The established LFIA strip had a visible limit of detection (LOD) of 50 ng/g and a cut-off value of 2000 ng/g in tomato and green pepper samples. According to the calibration curves for quantitative analysis, the calculated LODs of the LFIA strip were 4.7 ng/g and 4.3 ng/g in tomato and green pepper, respectively. The results were obtained within 10 min. The average recoveries ranged between 95.4% and 109.6% with a coefficient of variation (CV) of 4.3% to 7.1% in tomato samples and between 94.8% and 109.1% with a CV of 3.9% to 6.1% in green pepper samples. These data suggested that our proposed LFIA is a sensitive, specific, and reliable method for the rapid detection of butralin in real samples.

A colloidal gold immunochromatographic strip assay for the rapid detection of Shigella in milk and meat products

Anti-Shigella mAb was produced using IpaC and an immunochromatographic strip was developed to detect different serotypes of Shigella in food.