Portable visual quantitative detection of aflatoxin B1 using a target-responsive hydrogel and a distance-readout microfluidic chip.
Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), as the secondary metabolite of molds, is the most predominant and toxic mycotoxin that seriously threatens the health of humans and animals. In this work, an AFB1-responsive hydrogel was synthesized for highly sensitive and portable detection of AFB1. The AFB1-responsive hydrogel was prepared using an AFB1 aptamer and its two short complementary DNA strands as cross-linkers. For visual detection of AFB1, the hydrogel is preloaded with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Upon introduction of AFB1, the AFB1 aptamer binds with AFB1, leading to the disruption of the hydrogel and release of the AuNPs with a distinct color change of the supernatant from colorless to red. In order to lower the detection limit and extend the method to quantitative analysis, a distance-readout volumetric bar chart chip (V-chip) was combined with an AFB1-responsive hydrogel preloaded with platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs). In the presence of AFB1, the hydrogel collapses and releases PtNPs which can catalyze the decomposition of H2O2 to generate O2. The increasing gas pressure moves a red ink bar in the V-chip and provides a quantitative relationship between the distance and the concentration of AFB1. The method was applied for detection of AFB1 in beer, with a detection limit of 1.77 nM (0.55 ppb) where an immunoaffinity column (IAC) of AFB1 was used to cleanup and pre-concentrate the sample, which satisfies the testing requirement of 2.0 ppb set by the European Union. The combination of an AFB1-responsive hydrogel with a distance-based readout V-chip offers a user-friendly POCT device, which has great potential for rapid, portable, selective, and quantitative detection of AFB1 in real samples to ensure food safety and avoid subsequent economic losses.
MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Key Laboratory for Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China. zhuzhi@xmu.edu.cn.
Yanli
Y
Ma
MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Key Laboratory for Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China. zhuzhi@xmu.edu.cn.
Yu
Y
Mao
MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Key Laboratory for Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China. zhuzhi@xmu.edu.cn.
Di
D
Huang
MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Key Laboratory for Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China. zhuzhi@xmu.edu.cn.
Zhe
Z
He
MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Key Laboratory for Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China. zhuzhi@xmu.edu.cn.
Jinmao
J
Yan
MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Key Laboratory for Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China. zhuzhi@xmu.edu.cn.
Tian
T
Tian
MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Key Laboratory for Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China. zhuzhi@xmu.edu.cn.
Yuanzhi
Y
Shi
MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Key Laboratory for Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China. zhuzhi@xmu.edu.cn.
Yanling
Y
Song
MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Key Laboratory for Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China. zhuzhi@xmu.edu.cn.
Xingrui
X
Li
MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Key Laboratory for Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China. zhuzhi@xmu.edu.cn.
Zhi
Z
Zhu
MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Key Laboratory for Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China. zhuzhi@xmu.edu.cn.
Leiji
L
Zhou
MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Key Laboratory for Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China. zhuzhi@xmu.edu.cn.
Chaoyong James
CJ
Yang
D016604:Aflatoxin B1 / Q000032:analysis*; D052157:Aptamers, Nucleotide / Q000737:chemistry; D002274:Carcinogens, Environmental / Q000032:analysis*; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000737:chemistry; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005513:Food Inspection / Q000295:instrumentation; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry; D020100:Hydrogels / Q000737:chemistry*; D061925:Immobilized Nucleic Acids / Q000737:chemistry; D056656:Lab-On-A-Chip Devices; D057230:Limit of Detection; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry; D008956:Models, Chemical; D010984:Platinum / Q000737:chemistry
D052157:Aptamers, Nucleotide; D002274:Carcinogens, Environmental; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D020100:Hydrogels; D061925:Immobilized Nucleic Acids; D010984:Platinum; D006046:Gold; D016604:Aflatoxin B1