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Determination of mold contamination using ergosterol imprinted particles
Hatice İmge Oktay Başeğmez1, Gözde Baydemir Peşint1, Mustafa Nergiz1
1Bioengineering Department, Adana Alparslan Turkes Science and Technology University, Adana, Turkey.
Biotechnology Progress
|October 5, 2020
Summary
New molecularly imprinted particles selectively detect ergosterol (a fungal growth marker) in mold. These ergosterol-imprinted particles (Erg-MIPs) show high adsorption and reusability for food safety applications.
Area of Science:
- Analytical Chemistry
- Biochemistry
- Materials Science
Background:
- Ergosterol is a crucial biomarker for fungal mycelial growth.
- Accurate detection of ergosterol is vital for food safety and quality control.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize and characterize molecularly ergosterol imprinted particles (Erg-MIPs).
- To evaluate the selective adsorption and reusability of Erg-MIPs for ergosterol detection.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of Erg-MIPs.
- Characterization using scanning electron microscopy, swelling studies, and surface area measurements.
- Adsorption and selectivity studies with ergosterol, cholesterol, and stigmasterol.
Main Results:
- Maximum ergosterol adsorption capacity of 28.50 mg/g.
- Erg-MIPs exhibited 2.01 and 3.27 times higher adsorption for ergosterol compared to cholesterol and stigmasterol.
- Adsorption of ergosterol from Aspergillus niger was 23.87 mg/g with negligible capacity loss (3%) after reusability tests.
Conclusions:
- Erg-MIPs demonstrate high affinity and selectivity for ergosterol detection.
- The developed particles are suitable for selective ergosterol detection in food samples.
- Erg-MIPs show potential for application in the food industry for fungal contamination monitoring.
