Preparation of a novel polyethyleneimine functionalized sepharose-boronate affinity material and its application in selective enrichment of food borne pathogenic bacteria

Abstract

Detection of pathogenic bacteria by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is progressively emerging, although it is still hindered by a complex matrix, long-term bacterial enrichment and low bacterial abundance. Here, we report a novel material based on boronate affinity for recognition and enrichment of bacteria using a pre-PCR method. After optimization, the material exhibited high boronate affinity toward bacteria, with adsorption capacities of S. aureus and Salmonella spp. incubated in 0.01 M PBS (pH 7.4) at 37 °C for 15 min calculated as (906.60 ± 15.73) × 107 cfu/g and (582.59 ± 13.19) × 107 cfu/g, respectively, without any bacterial death during the binding process. The material was then applied to enrich S. aureus and Salmonella spp. from the spiked water and 25% cow milk samples followed by mPCR, which resulted in high bacterial enrichment and demonstrated great potential for selective enrichment of bacteria in food samples.