Surface plasmon resonance analysis of staphylococcal enterotoxin B in food

Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensors are electro-optical instruments used for analyzing real-time protein-protein interactions. This work evaluates an SPR biosensor (Biacore 3000) in the detection of staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) in foods. A sandwich SPR immunosensor involving two antibodies was used. The capturing antibody, bound covalently to the surface of the biosensor chip, performs the initial binding of the antigen and a second antibody binds to the captured antigen. The second antibody makes antigen verification possible and amplifies the signal. Pure SEB as well as SEB in spiked foods (milk and meat) were detected with little interference from the food matrix. In the control experiments with uncontaminated food samples no significant signal was detected. The SPR biosensor assay detects SEB at approximately10 ng/ml rapidly, with initial binding within 2 min. The entire measurement cycle (including washing and chip regeneration) may take 5 min using one antibody or 8 min using two antibodies. These results suggest that the SPR biosensor may be a useful tool for real-time analysis of toxin in foods.