Enzyme immunoassay for carminic acid in foods

A competitive enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for carminic acid was investigated. Monoclonal anticarminic acid antibody was obtained from A/J mice immunized with carminic acid-human immunoglobulin G (IgG) conjugate. Carminic acid was extracted with distilled water from beverage, jelly, candy, pasta sauce, yogurt, or ice cream samples. Ham or fish paste samples were digested with pronase, then carminic acid was extracted from samples with sodium hydroxide solution. The extract was diluted more than 10-fold with 1% gelatin in borate buffer solution. Microtiter plates were coated with carminic acid-bovine serum albumin (BSA) conjugate or just BSA. Goat anti-mouse IgG(H+L)-peroxidase complex was used as a second antibody, and 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine was used as a substrate for the peroxidase. The working range for quantitative analysis was 0.3-10 ng/mL, and the detection limit was 0.2 micrograms/g original sample. Recoveries of carminic acid by this assay were > 95% for milk beverage and jelly, and > 85% for yogurt and fish paste. Carminic acid was detected in 7 of 26 red-colored commercial food products and ranged from 3.5 to 356 micrograms/g. This EIA system also responded to the structural analogue of carminic acid, laccaic acid.