Assessment of peanut allergen Ara h1 in processed foods using a SWCNTs-based nanobiosensor

The goals of this research were to develop a rapid single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT)-based biosensor and to employ it to commercial food products for Ara h1 detection. The SWCNT-based biosensor was fabricated with SWCNTs immobilized with antibody (pAb) through hybridization of 1-pyrenebutanoic acid succinimidyl ester (1-PBASE) as a linker. The resistance difference (R) was calculated by measuring linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) using a potentiostat. Resistance values increased as the concentration of Ara h1 increased over the range of 1 to 10(5)ng/L. The specific binding of anti-Ara h1 pAb to antigen including Ara h1 was confirmed by both indirect ELISA kit and biosensor assay. The biosensor was exposed to extracts prepared from commercial processed food containing peanuts, or no peanuts, and could successfully distinguish the peanut containing foods. In addition, the application of present biosensor approach documented the precise detection of Ara h1 concentrations in commercially available peanut containing foods.