Chitosan microparticle-based immunoaffinity chromatography supports prepared by membrane emulsification technique:...

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Analytical Chemistry
• Chromatography

Background:

• Immunoaffinity chromatography is crucial for selective toxin detection.
• Sepharose 4B is a common matrix, but alternatives with improved properties are sought.
• Chitosan offers potential as a biocompatible and stable chromatographic matrix.

Purpose of the Study:

• To prepare and characterize chitosan microparticles for immunoaffinity chromatography.
• To evaluate the performance of chitosan-based immunoaffinity columns against Sepharose 4B.
• To assess the efficiency and reproducibility of chitosan microparticles for zearalenone (ZEN) extraction.

Main Methods:

• Membrane emulsification technique used for chitosan microparticle preparation.
• Characterization of microparticle size, distribution, and stability (pH, chemical).
• Coupling of anti-zearalenone antibody to chitosan and Sepharose 4B matrices for immunoaffinity column creation.

Main Results:

• Spherical chitosan microparticles (62.9μm) with good size distribution and stability (pH 4.0-10.0) were produced.
• Chitosan columns showed higher binding capacity (6.1μg/mL) and lower variation (6.0%) than Sepharose 4B columns.
• Satisfactory recoveries (92.1-100.2%) for zearalenone in cornmeal samples were achieved using chitosan-based columns.

Conclusions:

• Chitosan microparticles are a viable and effective matrix support for immunoaffinity chromatography.
• The developed chitosan columns offer enhanced performance characteristics compared to traditional Sepharose 4B.
• Chitosan microparticles provide reproducible extraction and high efficiency for mycotoxin analysis.