Electrochemical bioplatform to manage alpha-gal syndrome by tracking the carbohydrate allergen in meat

This work presents the first bioplatform described to date for the determination of galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose (alpha-Gal), a non -primate mammalian oligosaccharide responsible for almost all cases of red meat allergy. The bioplatform is based on the implementation of an indirect competitive immunoassay and enzymatic labeling with the enzyme horseradish peroxidase (HRP) built on the surface of magnetic microparticles (MBs) and amperometric transduction on screen -printed carbon electrodes (SPCEs) using the H2O2/hydroquinone (HQ) system. The target alpha-Gal competed with biotinylated alpha-Gal immobilized on the surface of neutravidin-modified MBs for the limited immunorecognition sites of a detection antibody enzymatically labeled with an HRP-conjugated secondary antibody. The resulting magnetic immunoconjugates were trapped on the surface of the SPCE working electrode and amperometric transduction was performed, providing a cathodic current variation inversely proportional to the concentration of alpha-Gal in the analyzed sample. The developed biotool was optimized, characterized and applied with satisfactory results to the determination of the target allergen in different samples of raw and processed meats.