A Highly Sensitive Aptamer-Nanogold Catalytic Resonance Scattering Spectral Assay for Melamine

The aptamer (ssDNA) was used to label nanogold (NG) particle to fabricate an aptamer–nanogold (NGssDNA) probe for melamine. The probe was stabile in pH 6.6 Na₂HPO₄–NaH₂PO₄ buffer solutions and in the presence of high concentration of electrolyte. Upon addition of melamine, it interacted with the probe to form big NGssDNA-melamine aggregations that led to the resonance Rayleigh scattering (RRS) intensity at 566 nm increased greatly. The increased RRS intensity (ΔI) is linear to melamine concentration in the range of 1.89–81.98 μg/L, with a detection limit of 0.98 μg/L melamine. The unreacted probe in the aptamer reaction solution exhibited strong catalytic effect on the slow Cu₂O particle reaction between glucose and Fehling reagent, but the catalytic activity of NG aggregations is very weak. When melamine concentration increased, the unreacted probe decreased, the RRS peak intensity at 614 nm decreased. The decreased RS intensity is linear to melamine concentration in the range of 0.63–47.30 ng/L melamine, with a detection limit of 0.38 ng/L. The aptamer-modified nanogold catalytic RRS assay was applied to determination of melamine in milk, with high sensitivity and selectivity, simplicity and rapidity.