Development of a gold nanoparticle immunochromatographic assay for the on-site analysis of 6-benzylaminopurine residues in bean sprouts

The presence of pesticide residues in crops is a significant public concern. Due to the large number of samples and pesticides, a reliable, simple, cost-effective, and high-throughput analytic method is required. In this study, we developed a gold nanoparticle (GNP) immunochromatographic assay (ICA) for the rapid detection of 6-benzylaminopurine (6-BA) residues in bean sprouts. A monoclonal antibody against 6-BA, having a half-maximum inhibition concentration of 2.25 ng/mL, was labeled with GNPs and fixed onto a glass fiber membrane to create a conjugate pad. Coating antigen and goat anti-mouse antibody were sprayed onto a nitrocellulose membrane to form the test line and control line, respectively. The visual limit of detection and cutoff limit of ICA were 10 and 80 ng/g in bean sprouts, respectively. The results of ICA were obtained within 10 min with the naked eye. Therefore, ICA is a rapid tool for the on-site screening and detection of 6-BA in bean sprouts.