INTRODUCTION. Due to the increased widespread of food- and water-borne parasites, there is an urgent need for the development of "lab-on-chip" portable devices, which significantly makes quicker, easier and accurate the detection of parasites, and can be used in the field and on different substrates (food, water, clinical samples). The efficiency of Q3 system (ST-MicroelectronicsR), a Real Time PCR-based miniaturized platform, was previously investigated for the detection of zoonotic protozoans, including Toxoplasma gondii in mollusk species according to Real Time PCR protocols, previously set up in our laboratories (Giangaspero et al., 2018, Food Res Int, submitted). Being T. gondii successfully detected by the Q3 platform, the aim of the present work was to evaluate the performance of Q3 platform in detecting this protozoan in several food matrices and human clinical samples and to compare the results with those obtained by Real Time PCR. MATERIALS AND METHODS. A total of 100 samples (50 previously tested positive and 50 tested negative to standard Real Time PCR - i.e., 54 pig meat, 10 Ready To Eat (RTE) salad, 18 bivalve mollusks (Mytilus galloprovincialis) and 18 human amniotic fluids were subjected to Q3 platform and the results were statistically evaluated. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS. The prevalence of T. gondii DNA was 50% in the RTE salad and human samples, 66.76% in bivalve mollusks and 59.26% in pig meat samples. Compared to Real Time PCR, the sensitivity of Q3 platform was 100% for all tested substrates while the specificity was 100% for RTE salad and human samples, 81.48% for meat pig and 66.67% for bivalve mollusks. In the light of the obtained results for vegetable and human samples, the Q3 system could be considered a valid alternative for a rapid T. gondii-screening test. Future analyses (matrix purification with different techniques, more specific primers, etc.) will be carried out in order to fill the gap in the low specificity registered in samples from pig meat and bivalve mollusks, and to extend the detection also to other food- and water-borne parasites.
Lab-on-chip molecular integrated platform to detect Toxoplasma gondii from several matrixes
PAPINI R.;
2018-01-01
Abstract
INTRODUCTION. Due to the increased widespread of food- and water-borne parasites, there is an urgent need for the development of "lab-on-chip" portable devices, which significantly makes quicker, easier and accurate the detection of parasites, and can be used in the field and on different substrates (food, water, clinical samples). The efficiency of Q3 system (ST-MicroelectronicsR), a Real Time PCR-based miniaturized platform, was previously investigated for the detection of zoonotic protozoans, including Toxoplasma gondii in mollusk species according to Real Time PCR protocols, previously set up in our laboratories (Giangaspero et al., 2018, Food Res Int, submitted). Being T. gondii successfully detected by the Q3 platform, the aim of the present work was to evaluate the performance of Q3 platform in detecting this protozoan in several food matrices and human clinical samples and to compare the results with those obtained by Real Time PCR. MATERIALS AND METHODS. A total of 100 samples (50 previously tested positive and 50 tested negative to standard Real Time PCR - i.e., 54 pig meat, 10 Ready To Eat (RTE) salad, 18 bivalve mollusks (Mytilus galloprovincialis) and 18 human amniotic fluids were subjected to Q3 platform and the results were statistically evaluated. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS. The prevalence of T. gondii DNA was 50% in the RTE salad and human samples, 66.76% in bivalve mollusks and 59.26% in pig meat samples. Compared to Real Time PCR, the sensitivity of Q3 platform was 100% for all tested substrates while the specificity was 100% for RTE salad and human samples, 81.48% for meat pig and 66.67% for bivalve mollusks. In the light of the obtained results for vegetable and human samples, the Q3 system could be considered a valid alternative for a rapid T. gondii-screening test. Future analyses (matrix purification with different techniques, more specific primers, etc.) will be carried out in order to fill the gap in the low specificity registered in samples from pig meat and bivalve mollusks, and to extend the detection also to other food- and water-borne parasites.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
