Development of an immunosensor based on graphene for the detection of enterotoxin A of Staphylococcus aureus in milk samples

Abstract

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the microorganisms involved with food-borne diseases (FBD), mainly associated to the consumption of manually processed and prepared food. The intoxication related with the presence of S. aureus involves the production of staphylococcal enterotoxins (SEs), which SEA and SEB are the best characterized between the more than 20 existent types. Classified as superantigens, the SEs bind to the antigen-presenting cells (APCs) of the gastrointestinal epithelium, causing a series of immunological reactions that can culminate in inflammation. Nowadays the methods of SEs' detection demand time, specificity and pre-sample treatments, which can be a barrier to fast and effectiveness diagnostics. In this context, the development of an electrochemical immunosensor based on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) to optimize the methods of detection of SEs can be an interesting alternative, aiming the development of a technological platform that will be more sensitive and fast to determinate the enterotoxins. Also, the immunosensor will be based on immunological interactions between SEs and host APCs, increasing the needed specificity to detect SEA in artificially contaminated milk samples. (AU)