Paper supported immunosensor for detection of antibiotics

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Biosensor Technology
• Food Safety Analysis

Background:

• Antibiotic residues in milk pose a significant threat to public health and food safety.
• Existing methods for detecting antibiotic residues can be complex, time-consuming, and expensive.
• There is a need for rapid, sensitive, and cost-effective analytical tools for on-site monitoring.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a simple, inexpensive, fast, and sensitive electrochemical immunosensor for antibiotic residue analysis in milk.
• To utilize paper supports and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) for enhanced biosensor performance.
• To validate the biosensor's efficacy in detecting neomycin in real milk samples.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a paper-supported electrochemical immunosensor using single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) and an anti-neomycin antibody.
• Employing a dip-dry coating method for sensor preparation.
• Quantification of neomycin based on impedance changes in the biosensor.

Main Results:

• The optimized immunosensor demonstrated a low limit of detection (0.04 ng mL⁻¹) and a linear detection range of 0.2–125 ng mL⁻¹ for neomycin.
• Detection limits are well below European Union regulatory limits.
• Spiked recovery studies in milk samples yielded results between 93.25% and 110.47%.

Conclusions:

• The developed paper-supported electrochemical immunosensor is a viable tool for sensitive and rapid detection of neomycin in milk.
• The sensor fabrication method is simple and cost-effective, adaptable for detecting various antibiotic residues.
• This technology contributes to improved food safety monitoring and regulatory compliance in the dairy industry.