Development and characterisation of highly specific monoclonal antibody-based immunoassays for the detection and quantification of genistein-7-O-[α-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→6)]-ß-glucopyranoside in Derris scandens (Roxb.) Benth.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: The stem of the plant species Derris scandens (Roxb.) Benth. (DS) contains genistein-7-O-[α-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→6)]-ß-glucopyranoside (GTG), which is a unique marker. Previous analyses of GTG using antibody-based immunoassays were compromised because of their high cross-reactivity with structurally related compounds of DS, thereby limiting their applicability in DS quality control. OBJECTIVE: Conjugation of GTG with carrier proteins was achieved using the Mannich reaction to produce a highly specific monoclonal antibody (mAb) targeting GTG (anti-GTG mAb). METHODS: The anti-GTG mAb was generated using hybridoma technology and characterised using an indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (icELISA). Both lateral-flow immunoassay (LFIA) and icELISA were developed to detect and quantify GTG in DS raw materials and associated products. RESULTS: icELISA using the anti-GTG mAb showed 100% specificity for GTG, with only 1.77% cross-reactivity with genistin and less than 0.01% cross-reactivity with other compounds. icELISA demonstrated a linear range for GTG determination between 62.5 and 2000 ng/mL. The limits of detection (LOD) and quantification were 49.68 and 62.50 ng/mL for GTG, respectively. The precision of the analysis ranged from 1.28% to 4.20% for repeatability and from 1.03% to 7.05% for reproducibility. The accuracy of the analysis ranged from 101.97% to 104.01% for GTG recovery. GTG levels determined via icELISA were consistent with those confirmed via high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) (R2 = 0.9903). Moreover, the LOD of LFIA for GTG was 500 ng/mL. CONCLUSION: Immunoassays utilising specific anti-GTG mAbs were successfully developed, including LFIA for rapid GTG detection and icELISA for GTG quantification.