Simultaneous detection of Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus by teicoplanin functionalized magnetic beads combined with triplex PCR

Bacillus cereus (B. cereus) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) are two typical foodborne pathogens. In this study, we proposed a new strategy that combined antibiotic with magnetic beads (MBs) and multiplex PCR (mPCR) to detect B. cereus and S. aureus in juice sample with high sensitivity and specificity. Teicoplanin (TEI) is a glycopeptide antibiotic which can identify Gram-positive bacteria. The polyethylene glycol (PEG) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) double-mediated teicoplanin functionalized magnetic beads (TEI-BPBs) were prepared for separation of target bacteria, and the triplex PCR was used for specific detection by nuc, cesB andflic gene. Under optimal conditions, the TEI-BPBs showed a good ability to simultaneously capture S. aureus (>83%) and B. cereus (>81%). The TEI-BPBs-mPCR assay efficiently detected target bacteria even in the presence of 10(5) CFU/mL non target bacteria. The results showed that the limit of detection (LOD) of B. cereus and S. aureus in PBS and juice sample could reach 10(0) CFU/mL within 4 h. Compared with conventional methods, this method has lower LOD and shorter detection time. The results demonstrate that the constructed TEI-BPBs capture probe and triplex PCR could be successfully applied to the rapid separation and detection of B. cereus and S. aureus or other Gram-positive pathogens in food samples.

Automated summary

A new strategy combining antibiotics, magnetic beads, and multiplex PCR was proposed for detecting B. cereus and S. aureus in juice samples. The method showed high sensitivity and specificity, with lower limit of detection and shorter detection time compared to conventional methods. The results demonstrate successful application for rapid separation and detection of Gram-positive pathogens in food samples.