Mixed immunoassay design for multiple chemical residues detection

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Biochemistry
• Food Science

Background:

• Accurate detection of chemical residues is crucial for food safety.
• Existing methods for multiple residue analysis can be complex and time-consuming.
• Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) offers a sensitive platform for detecting specific chemical compounds.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a mixed immunoassay for the simultaneous detection of deoxynivalenol (DON) and orbifloxacin (QNs).
• To establish a sensitive and reliable method for screening low molecular weight contaminants.
• To validate the assay's performance against established maximum residue levels.

Main Methods:

• A combined reverse competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was designed.
• Horseradish peroxidase was used to label deoxynivalenol (DON) and orbifloxacin.
• The assay performance was evaluated using IC50 and IC10 values, and recovery tests.

Main Results:

• The developed immunoassay demonstrated high sensitivity with limits of detection below maximum residue levels for both DON and QNs.
• IC50 values for monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) ranged from 23-68 ng/mL for DONs and 4.1-49 ng/mL for QNs.
• Recovery rates ranged from 88.7% to 102.2% with low relative standard deviations, indicating good accuracy and precision.

Conclusions:

• The developed mixed immunoassay is suitable for the efficient screening of deoxynivalenol and orbifloxacin residues.
• This method provides a sensitive and reliable tool for monitoring chemical contaminants in food.
• The integrated assay design offers advantages for multi-residue analysis in food safety.