Development of monoclonal antibodies and quantitative sandwich enzyme linked immunosorbent assay for the characteristic sialoglycoprotein of edible bird's nest.

The article presents a sandwich enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for identification of edible bird's nest. The characteristic sialoglycoproteins were found by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and purified by liquid-phase isoelectric focusing (LIEF). According to the analysis, the molecular weight was 106-128 kDa and the isoelectric point was ≤pH 3.0. Two anti-characteristic sialoglycoprotein monoclonal antibodies were produced. The monoclonal antibodies were examined by western-blot assay. One of the monoclonal antibody was used as coating and the other as the enzyme-labeled antibody after being coupled to horseradish peroxidase (HRP). Based on the optimized ELISA condition, the method was established with IC(50) of 1.5 ng/mL, and low cross-reactivity with various fake materials (<0.01%). ELISA provided a suitable means for screening of a large number of samples. The coefficients of variation were between 2.9% and 5.8%.

Proteomic profile of edible bird's nest proteins.

Edible bird's nest (EBN) is made of the swiftlets' saliva, which has attracted rather more attention owing to its nutritious and medical properties. Although protein constitutes the main composition and plays an important role in EBN, few studies have focused on the proteomic profile of EBN. The purpose of this study was to produce a proteomic map and clarify common EBN proteins. Liquid-phase isoelectric focusing (LIEF) was combined with two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) for comprehensive analysis of EBN proteins. From 20 to 100 protein spots were detected on 2-DE maps of EBN samples from 15 different sources. The proteins were mainly distributed in four taxa (A, B, C, and D) according to their molecular mass. Taxa A and D both contained common proteins and proteins that may be considered another characteristic of EBN. Taxon A was identified using MALDI-TOF-TOF/MS and found to be homologous to acidic mammalian chitinase-like ( Meleagris gallopavo ), which is in glycosyl hydrolase family 18.

Competitive enzyme-linked immunoassay for sialoglycoprotein of edible bird's nest in food and cosmetics.

The proliferation of fake and inferior edible bird's nest (EBN) products has recently become an increasingly serious concern. To identify and classify EBN products, a competitive enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) was developed to quantitate sialoglycoprotein in EBN used in food and cosmetic applications. The characteristic sialoglycoprotein in EBN was found, extracted, purified, and analyzed. Sialoglycoprotein, considered the main carrier of sialic acid in EBN, consisted of 106 and 128 kDa proteins. A monoclonal antibody that could recognize both proteins was prepared. The heat-treated process did not change the affinity of sialoglycoprotein with the antibody. An optimized ELISA method was established with a cross-reactivity of less than 0.1% and an IC(50) of 3.3 µg/mL. On the basis of different food and cosmetic samples, the limits of detection (LOD) were 10-18 µg/g. Recoveries of fortified samples at levels of 20 and 80 µg/g ranged from 81.5 to 96.5%, respectively. The coefficients of variation were less than 8.0%.