Strategies for Eliminating Matrix Effects in QCM Analysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54987/jemat.v13i1.1058Keywords:
QCM, Matrix effect, Immunosensor, Chicken, C. jejuniAbstract
Effective monitoring and risk assessment of pathogen contamination in foods, such as Campylobacter jejuni, rely heavily on reliable detection and enumeration methods. C. jejuni is classified as a fastidious bacterium with specific growth requirements, necessitating special handling and careful testing procedures to detect it in food samples. One significant challenge in many pathogen detection assays is non-specific binding, especially when dealing with complex sample matrices found in food. In immunosensor applications, eliminating non-specific binding can be particularly difficult due to the use of microfluidics. Since the detection methods are often indirect or sometimes label-free, the likelihood of false positives increases. The optimization of chicken samples preparation steps is needed in order to reduce the non-specific binding caused by the chicken matrix. In this study, several common additives specifically bovine serum albumin (BSA), the surfactant Tween-20, and sodium chloride (NaCl) were evaluated as potential agents to minimize non-specific binding in the QCMA-1 immunosensor-based system for detecting C. jejuni in chicken samples. When the non-specific binding issues is successfully removed, the limits of detection (LOD) obtained using a sandwich assay with signal amplification from antibody-conjugated gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) in both phosphate buffered saline (PBS) and in chicken samples as matrices were developed and compared. The results demonstrated that adding 100 mM NaCl in the chicken samples effectively reduced non-specific binding while maintaining an acceptable binding response. Additionally, the LOD obtained using a sandwich assay with signal amplification from antibody-conjugated gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) developed in PBS showed increased sensitivity, yielding an LOD value of 1.5 × 10² CFU mL⁻¹. In contrast, the same assay conducted with chicken samples resulted in a higher LOD value of 1.1 × 10³ CFU mL⁻¹.
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