Development of an isothermal amplification-based assay for the rapid visual detection of Salmonella bacteria

The efficient and timely detection of pathogens is a major concern worldwide. The aim of this study was to establish a rapid detection method for Salmonella bacteria in food samples to facilitate timely treatment. Widely used detection methods currently include culture-based methods and PCR-based methods. The former are time consuming, requiring 2 to 3 d, whereas the latter have higher accuracy but are typically complicated, requiring expertise and expensive instruments. In this study, a sensitive and rapid approach for the visual and point-of-use detection of Salmonella bacteria based on recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) and a lateral-flow (LF) nucleic acid strip was established. We designed a pair of primers according to the invA gene of Salmonella bacteria: one was modified with digoxin, and the other was modified with biotin. In the presence of the biotin- and digoxin-modified primers and target DNA, the RPA produced a substantial amount of duplex DNA attached to biotin and digoxin. The products were detected using LF strips through immunoreaction: anti-digoxin antibodies on the gold nanoparticles, digoxin on the duplex, streptavidin on the LF test line, and biotin on the duplex. The developed RPA-LF assay allowed detection of Salmonella genomic DNA in less than 20 min with simple water bath equipment or portable thermal equipment. In addition, the RPA-LF assay was highly sensitive, with a detection limit as low as 20 fg of target DNA or 1.05 × 10¹ cfu of bacteria in pure culture, and highly specific, exhibiting no cross-reaction with Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Shigella, Enterobacter aerogenes, or Campylobacter jejuni. Importantly, Salmonella could be detected in milk and chicken breast at concentrations as low as 1.05 × 10⁰ cfu/mL or 1.05 × 10⁰ cfu/g after enrichment for 2 h and in eggs at 1.05 × 10⁰ cfu/g after enrichment for 4 h. Furthermore, RPA was more sensitive than PCR, which requires a thermal cycling device. In summary, this study describes a sensitive, simple, and point-of-use detection method for Salmonella bacteria.