Au@Ag Core-Shell Nanoparticles for Colorimetric and Surface-Enhanced Raman-Scattering-Based Multiplex Competitive...

Area of Science:

• Food safety and analytical chemistry
• Development of novel biosensing platforms
• Detection of foodborne allergens and toxins

Background:

• Foodborne allergies and poisoning from fish, particularly from parvalbumin and histamine, pose significant global health risks.
• Current analytical methods for parvalbumin and histamine are often separate and complex, hindering rapid assessment.
• Multiplexed detection is crucial for efficient and comprehensive food safety analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a single, sensitive assay for the simultaneous detection and quantification of parvalbumin and histamine in canned fish.
• To create a multiplexed analytical approach using surface-enhanced Raman scattering and lateral flow immunoassay.
• To enable rapid, on-site detection of critical food safety indicators in fish products.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of distinct SERS (surface-enhanced Raman scattering) nanotags using Au@Ag core-shell nanoparticles encoded with specific dyes.
• Bioconjugation of nanoparticles with antibodies against β-parvalbumin and histamine.
• Development of a competitive lateral flow assay (SERS-LFIA) for simultaneous detection on a single test line.

Main Results:

• Successful synthesis of SERS nanotags for targeted detection of histamine and β-parvalbumin.
• Demonstration of sensitive and multiplexed detection of both analytes on a single test line within the SERS-LFIA platform.
• Quantification of trace amounts of parvalbumin and histamine in canned fish samples.

Conclusions:

• The developed SERS-LFIA offers a sensitive and effective method for multiplexed detection of fish allergens and toxins.
• This approach facilitates on-site food safety monitoring using portable Raman instruments.
• The study paves the way for improved public health safety measures against fish-related foodborne hazards.