Comparison of Six Commercial ELISA Kits for Their Specificity and Sensitivity in Detecting Different Major Peanut Allergens

Authors

Shyamali Jayasena, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Mieke Smits, Utrecht University of Applied SciencesFollow
Daniëlle Fiechter, Utrecht University of Applied Sciences
Aard de Jong, TNO, Zeist, the Netherlands
Julie Nordlee, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Joe Baumert, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Steve L. Taylor, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Raymond H. Pieters, Utrecht University of Applied Sciences and Utrecht UniversityFollow
Stef J. Koppelman, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

Date of this Version

2015

Citation

Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 63:6 (2015), pp. 1849−1855.

doi: 10.1021/jf504741t

Comments

Copyright © 2015 American Chemical Society. Used by permission.

Abstract

Six commercial peanut enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits were assessed for their ability to recover peanut from the standard reference material 2387 peanut butter and also for their specificity in detecting four major peanut allergens, Ara h 1, Ara h 2, Ara h 3, and Ara h 6. The percentage recovery of peanut from peanut butter differed across different kits as well as at different sample concentrations. The highest recovery was observed with the Romer and R-Biopharm kits, while four other kits were found to underestimate the protein content of the reference peanut butter samples. Five of the kits were most sensitive in detecting Ara h 3 followed by Ara h 1, while hardly recognizing Ara h 2 and Ara h 6. The other kit showed the highest sensitivity to Ara h 2 and Ara h 6, while Ara h 1 and Ara h 3 were poorly recognized. Although Ara h 2 and Ara h 6 are known to be heat stable and more potent allergens, antisera specific to any of these four peanut proteins/allergens may serve as good markers for the detection of peanut residues.