Development of sensitive direct and indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) for monitoring bisphenol-A in canned foods and beverages

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) are investigated in this work for the detection of bisphenol-A (BPA), a plastic monomer and a critical contaminant in food and environment. A series of polyclonal antibodies generated in vivo using BPA-butyrate-protein conjugate and BPA-valerate-protein conjugate were evaluated on direct and indirect competitive assay formats with five competing haptens (BPA-butyrate, BPA-valerate, BPA-crotonate, BPA-acetate, and BPA-2-valerate). Two indirect ELISAs and one direct ELISA exhibiting high sensitivity and specificity for BPA were developed. The 50 % inhibition of antibody binding (IC(50)) values were 0.78 ± 0.01-1.20 ± 0.26 μg L(-1), and the limits of detection as measured by the IC(20) values were 0.10 ± 0.03-0.20 ± 0.04 μg L(-1). The assays were highly specific to BPA, only displaying low cross-reactivity (3-8 % for the indirect assays and 26 % for the direct assay) for 4-cumylphenol (4-CP), at pH 7.2. The degree of cross-reaction of 4-CP was influenced by the antibody/hapten conjugate combination, assay conditions, and the assay format. The assays were optimized for the analysis of BPA in canned vegetables, bottled water and carbonated drinks. The limits of quantification for these three evaluated sample types, based on the spike and recovery data, were 0.5, 2.5, and 100 μg L(-1), respectively.     

氯黄隆酶联免疫吸附分析技术研究

对邻氯苯磺酰胺进行衍生合成半抗原,并与载体蛋白质共价偶联制备突出氯黄隆分子特异性部分的合成抗原,以合成抗原免疫兔获得对氯黄隆具高亲合力的抗血清。采用硫酸铵盐析和ＤＥＡＥ纤维素反相吸附法分离纯化抗体,用辣根过氧化物酶以改良的过碘酶钠法标记 混合酸酐法标记半抗原。在此基础上建立了对氯黄隆具高度特异性的同接竞争,包被抗体,包被抗原直接竞争酶联免疫吸附分析技术。在优化条件下,氯黄隆测定的线性浓度范围为１０＾０－１０＾３ｎｇ／ｍＬ,检出限〈０．１ｎｇ／ｍＬ。邻氯苯磺酰胺及与氯黄隆结构类似的常用磺酰脲类除草剂不干扰氯黄隆的分析。     

Production and characterization of monoclonal antibody for class-specific determination of O,O-dimethyl organophosphorus pesticides and effect of heterologous coating antigens on immunoassay sensitivity

A generic hapten (H1), 3-(4-Dimethoxyphosphorothioyloxy phenyl)propanoic acid, was synthesized to produce monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) for the determination of organophosphorus pesticides (OPs) in a class-specific manner. Six heterologous haptens were designed to study the effect of hapten heterology on immunoassay sensitivity. Several mice were immunized with this H1-BSA immunogen. Spleen cells of two immunized mice were fused with myeloma cells, and the resulting hybridomas were screened using H1-OVA. In a competitive indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) format, three hybridoma cell lines (B4-C6, D12-B5, E5-H2) that produced mAbs with high selectivity and broad specificity were selected and expanded. The monoclonal antibody D12-B5 with higher titer was chosen for further study. In heterologous assay, the combination of D12-B5 and coating antigen H7-OVA constituted a particularly sensitive assay for competitive indirect ELISA and showed broad specificity for the determination of OPs, including parathion-methyl, chlorpyrifos-methyl, tolclofos-methyl, fenthion, malathion, fenitrothion. This combination resulted in the IC₅₀ of 0.58-10.47 µg/ml.     

Development of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for toosendanin

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) were developed by using polyclonal antibody for toosendanin (TSN), a biopesticide from Melai toosendan Sieb. et Zucc. Their application in the determination of this analyte in spiked cabbage, tomato and apple samples was studied. The haptens, 28-hemisuccinyl-TSN (TSN-S) and 28-hemiglutaryl-TSN (TSN-G) were synthesized by using esterification. Immunogen and coating antigen were synthesized by using the mixed anhydride reaction and active ester protocol, respectively. Rabbits were immunized with TSN-G-BSA and TSN-S-BSA. Using the selected antibody and coating antigen, an indirect competitive ELISA for TSN was developed, which showed an IC(50) value of 1.023 microg mL(-1), with a detection limit of 0.009 microg mL(-1). A direct competitive ELISA using an enzyme tracer was also developed. The assay showed an IC(50) value of 0.840 microg mL(-1) with a detection limit of 0.014 microg mL(-1). Both assays displayed high cross-reactivity to a closely structurally related compound. Recoveries of TSN from both immunoassays of fortified samples ranged from 76.4% to 113.2% and 75.1% to 132.3%, respectively. Linear regression analysis showed good correlation between the TSN concentrations derived from ELISA and HPLC analyses, which suggested that the ELISA is a convenient supplementary analytical tool for monitoring TSN.     

ELISA for semicarbazide and its application for screening in food contamination

The development of a direct competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) based on polyclonal antibodies specific for semicarbazide (SEM) is described. Molecular modelling of the hapten mimics and other key components of the assay system was conducted to explain antibody properties in relation to hapten design. The small aliphatic molecule SEM was coupled to 3-carboxybenzaldehyde to produce carboxyphenyl-SEM (CPSEM), for the generation of specific antibodies. Five rabbits produced antibodies against NPSEM (used in direct and indirect ELISA formats) exhibiting a 50% binding inhibition level (IC₅₀ values) of 0.06-2.28 μg L⁻¹ in assay buffer for SEM. The most sensitive indirect assay based on the antibody MVK39 showed a high dynamic range providing a linear readout in the range of 0.01-0.2 μg L⁻¹. Antibody MVK31 (IgG) allowed specific SEM detection at an IC₅₀ = 0.14 μg L⁻¹ in direct ELISA and was evaluated using solvent extracted SEM-spiked porcine and baby food samples. Recovery levels determined from fortified samples (0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 5, 10 and 20 μg kg⁻¹) of porcine and baby food ranged from 82.9 to 105.3%, respectively, with a coefficient of variation less than 15.5%. Respective detection capability and threshold of the assay for porcine muscle, set on the basis of acceptance of no false negative results, was 0.3 and 0.11 μg kg⁻¹.     

Hapten design and indirect competitive immunoassay for parathion determination: correlation with molecular modeling and principal component analysis

A novel procedure for parathion hapten design is described. The optimal antigen for parathion was selected after molecular modeling studies of six types of potentially immunizing haptens with the aim to identify the best mimicking target analyte. Heterologous competitive indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed after screening a battery of competitors as coating antigens. The relationship between the heterology degree of the competitor and the resulting immunoassay detectability was investigated according to the electronic similarities of the competitor haptens and the target analyte. Molecular modeling and principal component analysis were performed to understand the electronic distribution and steric parameters of the haptens at their minimum energetic levels. The results suggested that the competitors should have a high heterology to produce assays with good detectability values. An indirect competitive ELISA was finally selected for further investigation. The immunoassay had an IC₅₀ value of 4.79 ng mL⁻¹ and a limit of detection of 0.31 ng mL⁻¹. There was little or no cross-reactivity to similar compounds tested except for the insecticide parathion-methyl, which showed a cross-reactivity of 7.8%.     

Development of two highly sensitive immunoassays for detection of copper ions and a suite of relevant immunochemicals

Availability of highly sensitive assays for metal ions can help monitor and manage the environmental and food contamination. In the present study, a monoclonal antibody against Copper(II)–ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid was used to develop two sensitive ELISAs for Cu(II) analysis. Cobalt(II)–EDTA–BSA was the coating antigen in a heterologous indirect competitive ELISA (hicELISA), whereas Co(II)–EDTA–BSA–horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was the enzyme tracer in a heterologous direct competitive ELISA (hdcELISA). Both ELISAs were validated for detecting the content of Cu(II) in environmental waters. The ELISA data agreed well with those from graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy. The methods of developing the Cu(II) hicELISA and hdcELISA are potentially applicable for developing ELISAs for other metals. The chelator–protein complexes such as EDTA–BSA and EDTA–BSA–HRP can form a suite of metal complexes having the consistent hapten density, location and orientation on the conjugates except the difference of the metal core, which can be used as ideal reagents to investigate the relationship between assay sensitivity and antibody affinities for the haptens and the analytes. The strategy of conjugating a haptenated protein directly with HRP can reduce the loss of HRP activity during the conjugation reaction and thus can be applicable for the development of ELISAs for small molecules.     

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for the insecticide fenitrothion. Influence of hapten conformation and sample matrix on assay performance

This study aimed at developing competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) for the organophosphorus (OP) insecticide fenitrothion using a monoclonal antibody. The hapten used to obtain the antibody had an ideal structural feature that allowed minimal functional group sacrifice. By using the antibody and a coating antigen, a competitive indirect ELISA was developed, which showed an IC₅₀ of 14 ng mL⁻¹ with a detection limit of 3.0 ng mL⁻¹. A competitive direct ELISA using an enzyme tracer was also developed, which showed an IC₅₀ of 17 ng mL⁻¹ with a detection limit of 1.6 ng mL⁻¹. The antibodies in both assays showed negligible cross-reactivity with the metabolites of fenitrothion and other OP pesticides except with the insecticides parathion-methyl and parathion-ethyl. Recoveries of fenitrothion from fortified rice and lettuce samples were determined and the bias in the recovery values was rationalized by using the standard curves obtained in the matrix extract.     

Synthesis of haptens of organophosphorus pesticides and development of immunoassays for fenitrothion

A simple synthetic method for haptens of organophosphorus (OP) pesticides with a spacer arm (aminocarboxylic acid) attached at the pesticide thiophosphate group was developed. While the previous synthetic approach for this type of haptens requires seven steps, the present method involves only two steps. Using this method, five haptens of fenitrothion were synthesized and two of them were conjugated to proteins to be used as immunogens for production of polyclonal antibodies. Using the antibodies and a coating antigen, an indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for fenitrothion was developed, which showed an IC₅₀ of 3.7 ng/mL with a detection limit of 0.5 ng/mL. A direct competitive ELISA using an enzyme tracer was also developed, which showed an IC₅₀ of 5.6 ng/mL with a detection limit of 0.4 ng/mL. The antibodies in both assays showed negligible cross-reactivity with other OP pesticides except with the insecticide parathion-methyl only in the direct ELISA. Recoveries of fenitrothion from fortified lettuce and rice samples ranged 84-116 and 100-121%, respectively.     

Design and synthesis of immunoconjugates and development of an indirect ELISA for rapid detection of 3, 5-dinitrosalicyclic Acid hydrazide

In this study novel immunoconjugates were designed, synthesized and then used to develop a rapid, specific and sensitive indirect ELISA method to directly detect residues of 3,5-dinitrosalicyclic acid hydrazide (DNSH), a toxic metabolite of nifursol present in chicken tissues. The hapten DNSHA was first designed and used to covalently couple to BSA to form an immunogen which was immunized to rabbits to produce a polyclonal antibody against DNSH. Furthermore, a novel 3,5-dinitrosalicylic acidovalbumin (DNSA-OVA) immunoconjugate structurally different from DNSHA-OVA was designed and used as a "substructural coating antigen" to improve the sensitivity of an indirect ELISA analysis for a direct DNSH detection. Based on the "substructural coating antigen" concept, an optimized indirect ELISA method was established that exhibited good specificity and high sensitivity for detecting DNSH, with a cross-reactivity of less than 0.1% (excluding the parent compound nifursol), IC(50) of 0.217 nmol/mL and detection limit of 0.018 nmol/mL. Finally, a simple and efficient analysis of DNSH samples in chicken tissues showed that the average recovery rate of the indirect ELISA analysis was 82.3%, with the average coefficient of variation 15.9%. Thus, the developed indirect ELISA method exhibited the potential for a rapid detection of DNSH residues in tissue.     

对克百威具高度特异性的免疫分析技术研究

合成了保留氨基甲酸酯结构的克百威半抗原,并采用活性酯法与载体蛋白质共价连接制备突出克百威分子结构特征的合成抗原。以合成抗原免疫新西兰白兔获得对克百威具高亲合力的抗血清,采用硫酸铵盐析和ＤＥＡＥ纤维素反相吸附法分离和纯化抗体。以辣根过氧化物酶采用改良的过碘酸钠法标记抗体、混合酸酐法标记半抗原。在此基础上分别建立了对克百威具高度特异性的间接竞争,包被抗原、包被抗体直接竞争酶联免疫吸附测定（ＥＬＩＳＡ）     

Optimization and validation of an enzyme immunoassay for the insect growth regulator fenoxycarb

A competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed for the quantitative detection of the insect growth regulator fenoxycarb. Polyclonal rabbit antisera, raised against protein conjugates of four haptenic derivatives of fenoxycarb, were utilized in immobilized antigen-based, competitive immunoassays. With ELISA systems that were both hapten- and carrier-heterologous, most antiserum titers fell in the range of 1:1000-1:30,000. Assay conditions, including concentrations of antisera and coating antigens, were optimized. The effect of pH, organic solvents, and various blocking agents was also investigated. A hapten-homologous and two hapten-heterologous indirect ELISAs allowed fenoxycarb determination in the range of 0.1-85 ng ml⁻¹ with apparent IC₅₀ values of 1.2-2.8 ng ml⁻¹. Cross-reactivities with a number of compounds (e.g. pesticides of related structure, hapten synthesis intermediates, fenoxycarb metabolite, photodegradation products) were determined, and the assay proved highly selective for fenoxycarb. In particular, no significant interference was found with selected pyrethroid and juvenile hormone analog insecticides, phenoxyacetic acid herbicides, and photodegradation products of fenoxycarb. Using spiked water samples, assay performance was validated by SPME/GC-MS.     

Effect of hapten structures on specific and sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for N-methylcarbamate insecticide metolcarb

Five different haptens of the N-methylcarbamate insecticide metolcarb were designed and synthesized. All of the haptens were conjugated with ovalbumin (OVA) for the coating antigen, and one hapten containing all of the structure of metolcarb was conjugated with bovine serum albumin (BSA) for the immunogen. Two polyclonal antisera were raised against the BSA conjugate, and ten antibody/coating conjugate combinations were selected for studies of assay sensitivity and specificity for metolcarb. A class-specific combination was found, with the I₅₀ of the assay ranged from 0.64 to 20.98 μg mL⁻¹ for seven tested N-methylcarbamate insecticides except for pirimicarb. Considering titer, I₅₀ and cross-reactivity of all combinations of antibody/coating conjugate, a competitive indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in a homologous system, whose limit of detection (LoD) reached 1.4 ng mL⁻¹, was presented. The results of competitive ELISAs indicated that coating hapten structure can significantly affect not only assay sensitivity but also its specificity.     

Comparsion of an immunochromatographic strip with ELISA for simultaneous detection of thiamphenicol,florfenicol and chloramphenicol in food samples

Rapid and sensitive indirect competitive enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays (ic‐ELISA) and gold nanoparticle immunochromatographic strip tests were developed to detect thiamphenicol (TAP), florfenicol (FF) and chloramphenicol (CAP) in milk and honey samples. The generic monoclonal antibody for TAP, FF and CAP was prepared based on a hapten [D ‐threo‐1‐(4‐aminophenyl)‐2‐ dichloroacetylamino‐1,3‐propanediol], and the haptenwas linked to a carrier protein using the diazotization method. After the optimization of several parameters (coating, pH, sodium chloride content and methanol content), the ic‐ELISA was established. The quantitative working range for TAP was 0.11–1.36 ng/mL, with an IC₅₀ of 0.39 ng/mL. The optimized ELISA showed cross‐reactivity to CAP (300%) and FF (15.6%), with IC₅₀ values of 0.13 and 2.5 ng/mL, respectively. The analytical recovery of TAP, FF and CAP in milk and honey samples in the ic‐ELISA ranged from 81.2 to 112.9%. Based on this monoclonal antibody, a rapid and sensitive immunochromatographic test strip was also developed. This strip had a detection limit of 1 ng/mL for TAP, FF and CAP in milk and honey samples. Moreover, the test was completed within 10 min. Our results showed that the proposed ic‐ELISA and immunochromatographic test strip method are highly useful screening tools for TAP, FF and CAP detection in milk and honey samples. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Antibody-based methods for surfactant screening

This brief overview summarises the immunoassay-based results obtained in the course of two years of the European INCO-Copernicus project BIOTOOLS. The project is aimed at simplifying the procedures for detection of surface active compounds (SAC) using, among others, antibody-based methods, i.e., microtiter plate-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), polarisation fluoro immunoassays (PFIA), and enzyme flow injection immunoassays (FIIA). Thirty-three rabbits were immunised with five different sulphophenyl moieties and three p-hydroxyphenyl moieties conjugated to protein immunogens to produce analytical antibodies against linear alkylbenzene sulphonates (LAS) and nonylphenol (NP). Although most of the antibodies exhibited binding reaction in indirect ELISA, only a few showed the required assay sensitivity. The best antibodies for LAS exhibited a 50% binding inhibition at IC50 19.8 microg L(-1) in indirect ELISA. Similar inhibition was observed for direct ELISA using peroxidase tracers. Antibodies against NP allowed the establishment of an indirect assay operating in the mg L(-1) range. A rapid and simple protocol for the screening of NP and LAS using homogeneous PFIA is described. The assay time for 10 samples was 7 minutes, thus allowing fast detection of the selected SAC at the mg L(-1) level. A generic competitive FIIA system, using a protein G column for separation of free and antibody-bound beta-galactosidase (beta-Gal) tracer, was developed for the screening of LAS, NP, and nonylphenol decaethoxylate (NPEO10). The FIIA had a sample throughput (STP) of 5-10 samples per hour, with limits of detection (LOD) for LAS, NP, and NPEO10 of 19.5, 52, and 2.4 microg L(-1), respectively. The developed FIIAs were applied to spiked rain and surface water.     

Preparation of antibodies and development of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for nonylphenol

Polyclonal rabbit antibodies against nonylphenol (NP), the main product of nonionic surfactants destruction, were obtained and applied for immunoenzyme assay (ELISA). Two approaches to immunogen synthesis were compared. The first was direct coupling of a mixture of NP isomers to the carrier protein by Mannich reaction. The second was formation of amide bonds between 7-(p-hydroxyphenyl)heptanoic acid (HHA), a linear carboxylated analog of NP, and the carrier protein. Anti-HHA antibodies showed a low affinity to technical NP, whereas with Mannich synthesis it was possible to generate antibodies specific to branched NP molecules. An indirect competitive ELISA was developed based on the anti-NP antibodies. The detection limit of the analysis is 10 ng/mL, with a total duration of around 3 h. The developed ELISA can be applied for group-specific determination of nonionic surfactants and their toxic metabolites. The possibility of NP detection in environmental water matrices using the proposed ELISA without loss of sensitivity is explored.     

Monoclonal antibody-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for the detection of the organophosphorus insecticide diazinon

Four haptens of the organophosphorus (OP) insecticide diazinon were synthesized to develop enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) for this pesticide. One of them was conjugated to KLH to be used as the immunogen for production of monoclonal antibodies. By using the antibodies and a coating antigen, an indirect competitive ELISA was developed, which showed an IC₅₀ of 4.0 ng/mL with a detection limit of 0.7 ng/mL. A direct competitive ELISA using an enzyme tracer was also developed, which showed an IC₅₀ of 6.0 ng/mL with a detection limit of 0.9 ng/mL. The antibodies in both assays showed negligible cross-reactivity with metabolites of diazinon and other OP pesticides. Recovery of diazinon from fortified lettuce and rice samples was satisfactory except at the fortified concentration of 100 ppb.     

呋喃唑酮代谢物单克隆抗体制备及酶联免疫吸附分析方法

本研究针对呋喃唑酮代谢物(AOZ),设计合成了系列半抗原,进一步通过偶联牛血清白蛋白(BSA)免疫Balb/c小鼠、细胞融合、筛选和亚克隆等过程成功获得了源于新颖半抗原H3的具有高亲和力(亲和力常数6.68× 1010L/mol)和高特异性(与其它功能类似物交叉反应小于0.1％)抗AOZ单克隆抗体.同时,基于设计合成的系列同/异源半抗原/包被抗原,考察了不同结构包被原对ELISA方法灵敏度的影响.另外,采用最佳的特征结构异源包被原H5 -OVA,建立了以对硝基苯甲醛(p-NP)为衍生剂的AOZ间接竞争ELISA(icELISA)和直接竞争ELISA(deELISA)检测方法.结果表明:icELISA模式的AOZ检测IC50为0.503 μg/L,定量检测线性范围(IC20～IG80)为0.06～14.0 μg/L,检出限(IC10)达0.017 μg/L; dcELISA模式的AOZ检测IC50为1.19 μg/L,定量检测线性范围为0.14～23.6 μg/L,检出限为0.056 μg/L.两种方法对AOZ的检测灵敏度和定量线性范围均达到相关检测限量要求,可满足不同需求的实际样品检测.     

基于纳米金固定半抗原的电化学免疫传感器灵敏检测克伦特罗

研制了一种基于纳米金固定半抗原的间接竞争电化学免疫传感器,可灵敏检测克伦特罗.在金电极表面组装1,6-己二硫醇单分子膜,通过Au-S共价作用连接纳米金颗粒,通过吸附作用固定克伦特罗牛血清白蛋白偶联物.样品中的待测组分与固定化的克伦特罗偶联物竞争结合单克隆抗体,碱性磷酸酯酶标记的二抗选择性地与电极表面捕获的一抗反应,进而催化底物1-萘酚磷酸酯水解生成1-萘酚,在电极表面氧化产生电信号.在优化的实验条件下,克伦特罗浓度在0.1～1000 μg/L范围内与电流强度线性相关,线性方程为I(A)-8.79× 10-7-2.66× 10-7logC (μg/L),相关系数0.9960,检出限达20 ng/L.同时测定了猪肉及猪肝样品中克伦特罗含量,相对标准偏差平均值为7.0％,加标回收率在89.1％～105.6％之间,与传统的间接竞争酶联免疫吸附法对照,结果无显著性差异.     

Production of antibodies and development of highly sensitive formats of enzyme immunoassay for saxitoxin analysis

In this paper the production of antibodies against saxitoxin (STX) is described, as is the optimization and comparison of two competitive ELISA formats (direct and indirect) for the detection of this toxin. Tests were performed in a 96-well microplate using the toxin-specific polyclonal antibodies produced in our laboratory, obtained from rabbits immunized with saxitoxin-keyhole limpet hemocyanin (STX-KLH). In indirect ELISA format saxitoxin, conjugated to bovine serum albumin (STX-BSA) was coated onto the microtitre plate and incubated with standard toxin and anti-STX antibody. A goat anti-rabbit IgG Peroxidase conjugate was used to enable detection. In the direct ELISA format, STX standard, STX conjugate to horseradish peroxidase (STX-HRP), and enzyme substrate/chromogen solution were sequentially added to the microplate after antibody coating.Results showed the saxitoxin detection limit to be 3 and 10 pg mL(-1) for direct and indirect ELISA formats, respectively.The suitability of the assay for quantification of saxitoxin in mussels was also studied. Samples were spiked with saxitoxin before and after sample treatment to study the extraction efficiency and matrix effect, respectively. After treatment, samples were analysed at 1:1000 v/v dilution in PBS to minimize the matrix effect and to detect the regulatory limit of 40-80 micro g saxitoxin per 100 g mussels as stipulated by the Food and Drug Administration. The efficiency of extraction of saxitoxin was from 72 to 102%. These data were confirmed by liquid chromatography coupled with fluorimetric detection, the technique currently used for quantitative determination of toxins in seafood.