Gold nanoparticles-functionalized three-dimensional flower-like manganese dioxide: A high-sensitivity thermal...

Area of Science:

• Nanotechnology
• Analytical Chemistry
• Food Safety

Background:

• Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a prevalent mycotoxin posing risks to human and animal health.
• Existing detection methods for DON often lack sensitivity or require complex instrumentation.
• Development of rapid, sensitive, and field-deployable DON detection systems is crucial for food safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a sensitive photothermal immunochromatographic test strip (PITS) for deoxynivalenol (DON) detection.
• To utilize flower-like gold nanoparticle-deposited manganese dioxide nanocarriers (FMD-G NC) as a photothermal-sensing probe.
• To enhance the sensitivity and applicability of DON detection in food matrices.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of FMD-G NC by depositing gold nanoparticles (GNPs) onto a flower-like manganese dioxide template.
• Labeling FMD-G NC with antibodies (Abs) to create a photothermal-sensing probe.
• Development of a competitive assay format on a test strip for DON detection using photothermal signals.

Main Results:

• The developed PITS demonstrated sensitive and specific detection of DON within a range of 0.19 ng mL⁻¹ to 12 ng mL⁻¹.
• The limit of detection for DON was determined to be 0.013 ng mL⁻¹, showing significant improvement over existing methods.
• The FMD-G-PITS exhibited superior sensitivity, being over 15-fold and 58-fold more sensitive than visual FMD-G-ITS and traditional GNPs-ITS, respectively.
• The PITS showed universal applicability, successfully detecting DON in green beans, corn, and millet.

Conclusions:

• The novel FMD-G-PITS offers a highly sensitive and rapid method for DON detection.
• The use of FMD-G NC as a photothermal probe significantly enhances detection capabilities.
• This PITS holds great promise for on-site and routine monitoring of DON in various food products, improving food safety.