A highly specific immunoassay for microcystin-LR detection based on a monoclonal antibody

Microcystins (MC) are cyanobacterial hepatotoxins responsible for animal-poisoning and human health incidents. Immunoassays provide a sensitive and fast means to detect these toxins, but cross-reactivity (CR) characteristic of different antibodies was variable. Here, we have produced and characterized a monoclonal antibody (Clone MC8C10) with highly specificity against the most frequent and most toxic variant of microcystins, MC-LR. MC8C10 is more specific against MC-LR among the reported antibodies before. The immunogen was synthesized from the modified MC-LR and bovine serum albumin (BSA). An indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ic-ELISA) with MC8C10 was established to detect the MCs in waters, which showed highly specificity with MC-LR, and have a detection limit for MC-LR 0.1 μg L⁻¹, the 50% inhibition concentration (IC₅₀) for MC-LR was 1.8 ± 0.1 μg L⁻¹ and the quantitative detection range was from 0.3 to 10 μg L⁻¹. The [4-arginine] microcystins and the nodularin-R showed lower cross-reactivates (CR < 10%), and other MCs such as MC-LF and MC-LW are not recognized (CR < 10⁻⁴). The analysis results of real water samples with ic-ELISA showed that all the coefficients of variation were less than 15%, and the recovery was (100.3 ± 5.9)%. So the highly specific ic-ELISA will commendably suit for sensitive analysis for MC-LR in surface water as well as drinking water.     

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for aconitine-type alkaloids using an anti-aconitine monoclonal antibody

3-Succinylaconitine was conjugated with bovine serum albumin (BSA) for use as an immunogen for the preparation of a monoclonal antibody (MAb) against aconitine (Aco). Splenocytes from mice immunized with the Aco-BSA conjugate were fused with an aminopterin-sensitive mouse myeloma cell line, P3-X63-Ag8-653, and a hybridoma secreting a MAb against Aco was successfully obtained. The MAb cross-reacted with mesaconitine, hypaconitine and jesaconitine, which are Aco-type alkaloids, but not with any other compounds examined. The full measurement range of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) developed using the new MAb extended from 100 ng mL⁻¹ to 1.5 μg mL⁻¹ of Aco. The concentrations of Aco-type alkaloids in various Aconiti radixes assayed using the new ELISA method showed good agreement with previous reports.     

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using a specific monoclonal antibody as a new tool to detect Sudan dyes and Para red

To set up an immunoassay-based method to detect Sudan dyes and Para red, we generated a monoclonal antibody (Mab) using a specially designed carboxyl derivative of Sudan I (CSD I) as the immunogen. CSD I was synthesized by azocoupling reaction using 2-naphthol and diazotised 4-aminobenzoic acid. The antibody was obtained from a hybridoma, which was derived from the fusion of the mouse myeloma SP2/0 cells and the splenocytes from the mice immunized with the CSD I-bovine serum albumin (BSA) conjugate. In addition, we showed that the Mab was highly specific for Sudan I, III and Para red. The limit of detection was approximately 0.01 ng mL⁻¹ in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) buffer and 0.5 ng g⁻¹ in chilli tomato sauce. The recoveries of Sudan I, III and Para red for the chilli tomato sauce were from 84% to 99% and coefficients of variation were from 14.9% to 33.3%. Thus, the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method is a rapid and high throughput screening tool to detect Sudan dyes and Para red in food products.     

Determination of beta-conglycinin in soybean and soybean products using a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

Soybean protein has long been recognized as a source of dietary allergens for humans and animals with β-conglycinin being the major allergen. This paper presents a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) that allows for the detection of trace amount of β-conglycinin in soybean and soybean products. In the sandwich ELISA, mouse anti-β-conglycinin monoclonal antibody (Mab 5C5) was used as coating antibody, and rabbit anti-β-conglycinin polyclonal antibody (Pab) was used as secondary antibody. The assay showed high specificity for β-conglycinin with minimum cross-reactions with other soy proteins. The practical working range for the determination of β-conglycinin using the developed assay was 3–100 ng mL⁻¹ and the limit of determination (LOD) was 1.63 ng mL⁻¹. The recoveries of β-conglycinin in spiked soybean samples were between 88.1% and 106.6% with relative standard deviation less than 8.9% (intra-day) and 13.1% (inter-day). The developed method was used to analyze 469 soybean seed samples from different sources as well as five soybean products treated with different processing techniques. The data showed that the concentration of β-conglycinin decreased significantly after processing, especially for soybean protein isolation, where the concentration of β-conglycinin dropped to nearly zero. The assay provides a specific and sensitive method for the screening of β-conglycinin and allows for further investigation into hypersensitive mechanisms of soybean proteins and development of soybean processing techniques to reduce their negative effects.     

Development of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using highly-specific monoclonal antibodies against plumbagin

Plumbagin (PL; 5-hydroxy-2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone) is a natural compound mainly isolated from Plumbago zeylanica. This plant is distributed in Southeast Asia, and well known as Ayurvedic medicine in India for its medicinal properties. PL has been shown to have various pharmacological activities. We have successfully prepared monoclonal antibodies against PL, and developed an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) system for determination of PL. 3-(5-Hydroxy-2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone-3-yl) propanoic acid was synthesized and purified to prepare PL-bovine serum albumin conjugate (PL-BSA), which was used as an immunogen. PL-BSA conjugate was administered into BALB/c male mice for production of monoclonal antibodies against PL. The monoclonal antibody against PL which is secreted from established hybridoma cell line 3A3 (MAb 3A3) has been proven to have highly-specific to PL resulting from cross-reactivities test. The range for calibration of PL by ELISA was 0.2-25 μg mL⁻¹. Based on validation analysis, this analytical method by ELISA is a precise, accurate, and sensitive method for the determination of PL in plant.     

An enzyme-linked immunometric assay for cortisol based on idiotype-anti-idiotype reactions

Cortisol levels in body fluids are useful for monitoring the function of the pituitary-adrenal axis. Here, we established an “enzyme-linked immunometric assay” (a noncompetitive-type ELISA) for cortisol based on idiotype-anti-idiotype reactions. Six different anti-idiotype monoclonal antibodies that recognized the variable regions of a newly established anti-cortisol antibody were generated using hybridoma technology; these were two β-type and four α-type anti-idiotype antibodies, recognizing the paratope and framework regions, respectively. An immunometric assay was established using a combination of a selected α-type and a selected β-type antibody. The analyte (cortisol) was captured by an excess amount of anti-cortisol antibody immobilized on microplates, and the unoccupied paratope was saturated with the β-type antibody. Hapten-occupied anti-cortisol antibody, with less steric hindrance, was then selectively bound by the α-type antibody, labeled with biotin. The amount of biotin residue on the microplates was colorimetrically monitored using a peroxidase-labeled streptavidin. This assay had an approximately threefold higher sensitivity (detection limit: 90 pg = 248 fmol cortisol) than a competitive ELISA using the same anti-cortisol antibody, as well as a practical specificity for providing reasonable determination of normal urinary cortisol levels.     

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.     

An affinity improved single-chain antibody from phage display of a library derived from monoclonal antibodies detects fumonisins by immunoassay

Fumonisin B analogs, particularly FB₁, FB₂, and FB₃, are major mycotoxins found in cereals. Single-chain fragment variable (scFv) antibodies represent a promising alternative immunoassay system. A phage-displayed antibody library derived from four monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) generated against FB₁ was used to screen high binding affinity scFv antibodies; the best candidate was designated H2. Surface plasmon resonance measurements confirmed that the H2 scFv displayed a 82-fold higher binding affinity than its parent mAb. Direct competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay demonstrated that the H2 antibody could competitively bind to free FB₁, FB₂, and FB₃, with an IC₅₀ of 0.11, 0.04, and 0.10 μM, respectively; it had no cross-reactivity to deoxynivalenol, nivalenol and aflatoxin. Validation assays with naturally contaminated samples revealed a linear relationship between the H2 antibody-based assay results and chemical analysis results, that could be expressed as y = 1.7072x + 5.5606 (R² = 0.8883). Homology modeling of H2 revealed a favorable binding structure highly complementary to the three fumonisins. Molecular docking analyses suggested that the preferential binding of the H2 scFv to FB₂ was due to the presence of a hydrogen radical in its R1 position, leading to a proper electrostatic matching and hydrophobic interaction. The H2 scFv antibody can be used for the rapid, accurate, and specific detection of fumonisin contamination in agricultural samples.     

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.     

Development of a non-competitive immunoassay for monitoring DDT, its metabolites and analogues in water samples

This report highlights the characteristics of a general method of performing non-competitive immunoassays for low-molecular-mass analytes, which was developed and applied to 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethane (DDT) determination in aqueous samples. The method is based on the separation of the analyte-bound antibody from the excess of the free antibody by a chromatographic step, followed by the dissociation of the complex and the capture of the previously bound antibody on a solid phase. The measured signal is linearly correlated to the concentration of the complex and, consequently, to the analyte concentration. The 3σ limit of detection (LOD, 8 ng l⁻¹) obtained by the above method enabled us to decidedly improve the sensitivity of the corresponding enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) and of all reported immunoassays for DDT.In addition, by applying this new format, even if a very selective antibody was used, a broad selectivity was observed, which allowed DDT + DDD + DDE to be determined instead of only p,p′-DDT as in the ELISA performed with the same antibody. In addition, real water samples were validated in a percentage recovery test. Very good recovery rates were obtained, highlighting the validity of the proposed method to accurately determine the total DDT content in water.     

Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay for Hyodeoxycholic Acid in Pharmaceutical Products Using a Monoclonal Antibody

Herein is reported an immunochemical approach to determine hyodeoxycholic acid using hybridoma-secreting monoclonal antibodies. The hyodeoxycholic acid-specific antibody was produced by fusing splenocytes immunized with a hyodeoxycholic acid-bovine serum albumin conjugate with a hypoxanthine–aminopterin–thymidine-sensitive mouse myeloma cell line (SP2/0). The antibody was highly specific for hyodeoxycholic acid, with less than 0.05 percent cross-reactivity to over fifty structurally related compounds. The antihyodeoxycholic acid monoclonal antibody was then used to develop a rapid, specific, and sensitive indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (icELISA) for the determination of hyodeoxycholic acid in pharmaceutical compounds. The linear dynamic range was from 0.48 to 62.5 nanograms per milliliter with an IC₅₀ value of 8 nanograms per milliliter. The icELISA results correlated well with a conventional high-performance liquid chromatography method for the determination of hyodeoxycholic acid (R² = 0.9982). This study shows that the icELISA method was successfully applied to the quantification of hyodeoxycholic acid in pharmaceutical products.     

A comprehensive immunoassay for the detection of microcystins in waters based on polyclonal antibodies

Microcystins (MCs) are a group of closely related toxic cyclic heptapeptides produced by common cyanobacteria (blue-green algae), and microcystin-leucine-arginine (MC-LR) is among the most frequent and most toxic microcystin congeners. In this study, a free amino group was introduced to MC-LR at its seventh amino acid residue with 2-mercaptoethylamine, and the product aminoethyl-MC-LR was coupled to bovine serum albumin (BSA) and horseradish peroxidise (HRP) by glutaraldehyde to be complete antigen (MC-LR-BSA) and labelled hapten (MC-LR-HRP), respectively. Polyclonal antibodies against MC-LR were generated by immunization with MC-LR-BSA. A direct competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (dc-ELISA) was established to detect the MCs in waters, which showed a good cross-reactivity with MC-LR, MC-RR, MC-YR, MC-LF, MC-LW and nodularin, and have a detection limit for MC-LR 0.12 μg L⁻¹, the 50% inhibition concentration (IC₅₀) for MC-LR was 0.63 ± 0.06 μg L⁻¹ and the quantitative detection range was from 0.17 to 2.32 μg L⁻¹, the analysis result of water samples showed good recovery and reliability. So the comprehensive and reliable dc-ELISA will well potentially suit for sensitive analysis for total MCs in drinking as well as resource water samples.     

氟甲喹单克隆抗体制备、鉴定及间接竞争酶联免疫吸附分析法

以氟甲喹(FLU)为原料,合成4个碳原子手臂的半抗原(FLUABA),采用活泼酯法与牛血清白蛋白(BSA)偶联制备免疫抗原,通过免疫Balb/c小鼠及细胞融合,获得1株稳定分泌抗氟甲喹单克隆抗体的杂交瘤细胞株DB6-E7,其抗体亚类为IgG1,亲和力常数(KA)为8.19×108L/mol。将氟甲喹、FLUABA及6个碳原子手臂的半抗原FLUACA分别与卵清白蛋白(OVA)偶联作为包被抗原,研究异源包被对间接竞争ELISA灵敏度的影响。结果表明,异源包被可显著提高ELISA方法的灵敏度。基于最佳异源包被(FLU-OVA)的酶联免疫吸附分析法的IC50为26.33μg/L,检出限为4μg/L,定量检测范围为8.0～114μg/L(IC20～IC80)。与喹诺酮类药物及结构类似物几乎不存在交叉反应,特异性高。此方法可满足畜禽产品中氟甲喹残留的快速筛查。     

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.     

烯效唑酶联免疫吸附分析方法研究

合成了半抗原烯效唑琥珀酸半酯,分别将半抗原与牛血清蛋白(BSA)和卵清蛋白(OVA)偶联制备了免疫抗原和包被抗原,并成功建立了水和土壤中烯效唑残留的酶联免疫吸附分析法。用免疫抗原免疫新西兰大白兔得到多克隆抗体,抗体的效价达到1.02×106。方法的线性范围为0.005～10mg/L,检出限为1.82±0.83μg/L。除烯唑醇有一定的交叉反应外,与大部分三唑类杀菌剂都没有明显的交叉反应。在水和土壤中添加不同浓度的烯效唑,回收率分别在82.40%～105.92%和92.42%～100.08%之间。     

中药致肾毒性成分马兜铃酸A单抗制备及酶联免疫分析方法的建立

采用活化酯法,将马兜铃酸A分别与牛血清蛋白(BSA)和卵清蛋白(OVA)偶联,得到免疫抗原马兜铃酸A-BSA和包被抗原马兜铃酸A-OVA.利用马兜铃酸A-BSA免疫Bal b/c小鼠,制得鼠单克隆抗体1A11,单抗效价为2×104;单抗为IgG1类,轻链为κ型;与其结构类似物马兜铃酸B、C和D的交叉反应率分别为2.8%,3.5%和31.2%.基于抗马兜铃酸A单克隆抗体的间接竞争酶联免疫分析方法(icELISA)的IC50为1.9 μg/L,检测范围为0.5～7.5 μg/L.icELISA添加回收率为86%～97%,相对标准偏差在5.2%～11.1%之间.利用所建立的icELISA测定了6个中药材和5个中成药中马兜铃酸A的含量,并用高效液相色谱法(HPLC)进行了验证,其中关木通、广防己、天仙藤、马兜铃和青木香中均检测出马兜铃酸A,而川木通和5个中成药中未检测到马兜铃酸A.结果表明: 本方法可用于中药中马兜铃酸A的快速检测.     

Development of a combined technique using a rapid one-step immunochromatographic assay and indirect competitive ELISA for the rapid detection of baicalin

A colloidal gold conjugated anti-baicalin monoclonal antibody (anti-BA MAb) was prepared and used in an immunochromatographic assay (ICA) for BA in Scutellariae Radix and Kampo medicines. This competitive ICA uses an anti-BA MAb which shows a high specificity for BA and baicalein. Its advantages include a short assay time (15 min), no dependence on any instrumental systems, and it can detect BA in plant materials and Kampo medicines. The limit of detection for the ICA was found to be around 0.6 μg mL⁻¹of baicalin. Moreover, the usefulness of the combination of indirect competitive ELISA and the ICA using anti-BA MAb as a quality control method was confirmed for analysis of BA in Scutellariae Radix and Kampo medicines with a sufficient sensitivity (200 ng mL⁻¹ to 2 μg mL⁻¹), obtainable in an easy and timely manner.     

Development of an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay and immunoaffinity chromatography for glycyrrhizic acid using an anti‐glycyrrhizic acid monoclonal antibody

In this work, a new monoclonal antibody specific for glycyrrhizic acid was prepared and characterized. A hybridoma secreting an anti‐glycyrrhizic acid monoclonal antibody was produced by fusing splenocytes from a mouse immunized against a glycyrrhizic acid–bovine serum albumin conjugate with the hypoxanthine–aminopterin–thymidine‐sensitive mouse myeloma cell line (Sp2/0‐Ag14). Subsequently, an indirect, competitive enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay for glycyrrhizic acid was developed using the monoclonal antibody. In this assay, we detected an effective measuring range of 78.12–2500 ng/mL. Both intra‐assay and inter‐assay repeatability and precision were achieved, with relative standard deviations lower than 10%. In addition, glycyrrhizic acid levels in both formulated Chinese medicines and biological samples were determined with high sensitivity and efficiency. We then successfully developed a reliable immunoaffinity chromatography to separate glycyrrhizic acid completely from its parent medicine. These methods will contribute to further research investigations to better understand the interactions of glycyrrhizic acid with other drugs in the complex system of traditional Chinese medicine.     

Development of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for metolcarb residue analysis and investigation of matrix effects from different agricultural products

The development of a direct competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay based on polyclonal antibodies for N-methylcarbamate insecticide metolcarb is described. Two new haptens for the metolcarb were designed and synthesized. Both haptens were conjugated with keyhole limpet hemocyanin to form the immunogens. Four rabbits were immunized with the immunogens for production of polyclonal antibodies against metolcarb. Antisera titers were tested on the homologous coating antigens using a noncompetitive indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The high titer antisera were used to develop the direct competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the detection of metolcarb. The antibody–antigen combination with the highest selectivity for metolcarb was further optimized and its tolerance to changes in chemical conditions (ionic strength, pH value, and organic solvent) was studied. Under optimum conditions, the sensitivity and the limit of detection were determined to be 22 μg L⁻¹ and 1.2 μg L⁻¹ respectively. Determination of metolcarb in fruit juices and vegetables was accomplished by simple, rapid, and efficient extraction methods. Recoveries of metolcarb from spiked samples ranged from 80.5% to 109.5%. Validation of the developed immunosorbent assay was conducted by comparison of results from high-performance liquid chromatography. The correlation between the data obtained using developed immunosorbent assay and high-performance liquid chromatography was high (R ² = 0.9884). Therefore, the developed immunosorbent assay in this study was suitable for the rapid quantitative determination of metolcarb in agricultural products.     

A highly sensitive and specific polyclonal antibody-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for detection of antibiotic olaquindox in animal feed samples

The use of olaquindox (OLA) as an additive in animal feedstuffs has been prohibited in the European Union and many other countries. In this study, a highly sensitive and specific indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for determination of OLA in animal feed samples was developed. OLA was activated by N′N-carbonyldiimidazole and coupled with bovine serum albumin (BSA) and ovalbumin (OVA). It was found that the sensitivity and specificity of the two antisera were very similar, with the IC₅₀ values of 16 ng mL⁻¹ and 19 ng mL⁻¹, respectively. Cross-reactivity was less than 35% for four structurally related compounds and no recognition of five other antibiotics was observed. The better antiserum I was selected for further experiments, for example testing stability, solvent effect, accuracy, and precision. The IC₅₀ value for eight standard curves was in the range 12–18 ng mL⁻¹ and the LOD at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3 (S/N = 3) was 0.31 ± 0.11 ng mL⁻¹. The ELISA tolerated 5% methanol without significant influence on IC₅₀ value. The recoveries of spiked OLA in five different animal feed types including auxin, pig complex feed, fish complex feed, broiler concentrated feed, and pig premix feed were in the range 88.3–119.0% and the intra-assay relative standard deviation (RSD) was within 4.7–33.5% (n = 3). The ELISA for unspiked feed samples was confirmed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), with a high correlation coefficient of 0.9862 (n = 5). The proposed ELISA could be a feasible quantitative/screening method for OLA analysis in feed samples with the properties of high sensitivity, specificity, simplicity of sample pretreatment, high sample throughput, and low expense. Figure Polyclonal antibody based ELISA for detection of olaquindox