Sorbent-incorporated dipstick for direct assaying of proteases.

Efficient removal of interferents from complex matrices would significantly improve the performance of state of the art dipstick assays. Herein, we evaluate a graphitized carbon black (GCB)-incorporated dipstick, a configuration that has not been explored before, for reliable and facile on-site analysis of complex matrices. Carrot juice, a highly pigmented sample matrix, is chosen for evaluating the retention of interferents within the sorbent-incorporated cleanup pad on the dipstick. A peptide with a specific cleavage site for botulinum neurotoxin A light chain (BoNT/A LC), a model protease for validation of the proposed dipstick assay, is incubated with the test samples containing BoNT/A LC. Subsequently, the BoNT/A LC digested substrate and sample matrix flow vertically through the GCB-deposited cleanup pad within which the matrix interferents are captured, while the substrate, with a minimum of interferents, continues to flow toward a conjugation pad for labelling with Europium particles. Finally, the cleaved and uncleaved substrates flow toward a detection zone, where they bind to the test line producing a pinkish band which is not visible in the absence of GCB incorporation. The dipstick assay yields a LOD of 0.1 nM (5 ng/mL) of BoNT/A LC in carrot juice, within 20 min. The reported approach enables detection of proteases in a wide range of matrices upon incorporation of appropriate sorbents, ultimately aiming to exclude tedious laboratory-based sample pre-treatment protocols. Thus, merging extraction, cleanup, and pre-concentration steps with a sensitive optical detection approach is an attractive strategy for on-site assaying in complex matrices. Graphical abstract.

Towards on-site visual detection of proteases in food matrices.

Early detection of toxic proteases in food matrices plays a major role in preventing the occurrence of diseases as well as outbreaks. However, on-site detection of proteases, for instance, botulinum, anthrax and cholera in food matrices remains challenging due to their extremely low lethal dose levels. Here, we report a lateral flow assay (LFA) in a dipstick format for on-site visual detection of proteases in food matrices. The light chain of BoNT serotype A (BoNT/A LC) is used as a model system for validation of the proposed assay using magnetic beads conjugated to a synthetic peptide that provide a specific cleavage site for BoNT/A LC. Magnetic beads serve as both reporters for visual detection and as facilitators for sample clean-up, owing to the efficient magnetic separation protocol adopted. Digestion of the peptide substrate by BoNT/A LC for 5 h followed by the dipstick assay yields a reduction in color intensity of the test line on the dipstick compared to the control line obtained using an un-cleaved peptide substrate. Concentration dependent responses for the assay in carrot juice were obtained with a limit of detection (LOD) of 1 nM/2.5 nM (with/without amplification), also supported by RGB (ΔE) analysis, indicating the potential of the proposed methodology for on-site assaying of proteases in food matrices. Unlike typical affinity-based assays that yield a collective response for the active and inactive forms of the proteases, the proposed functional LFA targets only the active form, thereby enabling a more precise analysis for preventing potential false-positives. The proposed approach could be extended for detection of BoNT serotypes and other proteases in food matrices, upon utilizing appropriate substrates with specific cleavage sites.