Abstract
Antibiotics are classes of antimicrobial substances that are administered widely in the field of veterinary science to promote animal health and feed efficiency. Cattle-administered antibiotics hold a risk of passing active residues to milk, during the milking process. This becomes a public health concern as these residues can cause severe allergic reactions to sensitive groups and considerable economic losses to the farmer. Hence, to ensure that the produced milk is safe to consume and adheres to permissible limits, an on-farm quick and reliable test is essential. This study illustrates the design and development of a microfluidic paper biosensor as a proof-of-concept detection system for gentamicin in milk. Localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) properties of gold nanoparticles have been explored to provide the user a visual feedback on the test, which was also corroborated by RGB analysis performed using Image J. The assay involves the use of a short stretch of single stranded DNA, called aptamer, which is very specific to the gentamicin present in the milk sample. The camera-based LOD for the fabricated paper device for milk samples spiked with gentamicin was calculated to be 300 nM, with a reaction time of 2 min.
Highlights
Food-producing animals, such as dairy cows, have been administered antibiotics as part of disease control and regular well-being since the early 1930s
The sequence used for the analysis (GA) was 50 GGG ACT TGG TTT AGG TAA TGA GTC CC- 30, which was referenced from Rowe et al [23]
The most extensively explored property of gold nanoparticles is the property of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) [29]
Summary
Food-producing animals, such as dairy cows, have been administered antibiotics as part of disease control and regular well-being since the early 1930s. Antibiotics, known as antibacterials, are synthetic/semi-synthetic chemical compounds that retard or eliminate the growth of bacteria. Statistics from the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As of 2020 reveal that at least 2.8 million people have developed significant drug resistance, of which 35,000 lives have been claimed [1]. Some of the most common classes of antibiotics administered to dairy cows are aminoglycosides, tetracyclines and fluoroquinolones [2]. Antibiotics act by penetrating the bacterial cells, altering its overall permeability and resulting in cell lysis. Antibiotics have significantly reduced disease occurrences and increased feed efficiency, their widespread use has raised serious public health concerns over the years [3]
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