Pistachio (Pistacia vera L.) Detection and Quantification Using a Murine Monoclonal Antibody-Based Direct Sandwich Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay

Abstract

A commercially available direct sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (BioFront Technologies, Tallahassee, FL, USA) using murine anti-pistachio monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) as capture and detection antibodies was evaluated. The assay was sensitive (limit of detection = 0.09 ± 0.02 ppm full fat pistachio, linear detection range = 0.5-36 ppm, 50% maximum signal concentration = 7.9 ± 0.7 ppm), reproducible (intra- and inter-assay variability < 24% CV), and rapid (post-extraction testing time ∼ 1.5 h). The target antigen was stable and detectable in whole pistachio seeds subjected to autoclaving (121 °C, 15 psi, 15, 30 min), blanching (100 °C, 5, 10 min), frying (191 °C, 1 min), microwaving (500, 1000 W, 3 min), and dry roasting (140 °C, 30 min; 168 °C, 12 min). No cross-reactivity was observed in 156 food matrices, each tested at 100,000 ppm, suggesting the ELISA to be pistachio specific. The pistachio recovery ranges for spiked (10 ppm) and incurred (10-50000 ppm) food matrices were 93.1-125.6% and 35.7-112.2%, respectively. The assay did not register any false-positive or -negative results among the tested commercial and laboratory prepared samples.

Keywords: ELISA; antibody; mAb; pistachio.