Highly Sensitive Electrochemiluminescent Nanobiosensor for the Detection of Palytoxin

• DOI: 10.1021/nn302573c
• Publication Date: 2012-08-22T19:07:48Z
• Authors: Valeria Anna Zamolo; Giovanni Valenti; Enrica Venturelli; Olivier Chaloin; Massimo Marcaccio; Sabrina Boscolo; Valentina Castagnola; Silvio Sosa; Federico Berti; Giampaolo Fontanive; Mark Poli; Aurelia Tubaro; Alberto Bianco; Francesco Paolucci; Maurizio Prato
• Keywords: Conductometry; General Physics and Astronomy; Food Contamination; Biosensing Techniques; 01 natural sciences; Carbon nanotube; Cnidarian Venoms; Nanotechnology; General Materials Science; 14. Life underwater; BIOSENSORS; PALYTOXIN; CARBON NANOTUBES; electrochemiluminescence; shellfish; European Commission; Antibody; Shellfish; FP7; Electrochemiluminescence; Palytoxin; Acrylamides; EC; SP1-Cooperation; General Engineering; Equipment Design; Biosensor; Palytoxin; Carbon nanotubes; Antibody; Electrochemiluminescence; Shellfish; 0104 chemical sciences; Equipment Failure Analysis; Health; Luminescent Measurements; Biosensor; Food Analysis

Marine toxins appear to be increasing in many areas of the world. An emerging problem in the Mediterranean Sea is represented by palytoxin (PlTX), one of the most potent marine toxins, frequently detected in seafood. Due to the high potential for human toxicity of PlTX, there is a strong and urgent need for sensitive methods toward its detection and quantification. We have developed an ultrasensitive electrochemiluminescence-based sensor for the detection of PlTX, taking advantage of the specificity provided by anti-PlTX antibodies, the good conductive properties of carbon nanotubes, and the excellent sensitivity achieved by a luminescence-based transducer. The sensor was able to produce a concentration-dependent light signal, allowing PlTX quantification in mussels, with a limit of quantification (LOQ = 2.2 μg/kg of mussel meat) more than 2 orders of magnitude more sensitive than that of the commonly used detection techniques, such as LC-MS/MS.