A time-resolved fluorescence immunoassay for the ultrasensitive determination of diethylstilbestrol based on the double-codified gold nanoparticles.

An ultrasensitive and selective method is presented for the determination of diethylstilbestrol (DES) using time-resolved fluorescence immunoassay (TRFIA) based on double-codified gold nanoparticles (DC-AuNPs). In this system, the DC-AuNPs, that are gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) modified with anti-DES antibody and SH-dsDNA-biotin, was regarded as signal amplifier. A competitive immunoreaction was performed on polystyrene microtitration plates, where the DES compete with the immobilized DES-ovalbumin on polystyrene microtitration plates to bind to anti-DES antibodies on DC-AuNPs, and the europium(III)-labeled streptavidin was added to link to the SH-dsDNA-biotin as a tracer. Fluorescence signal was amplified via the AuNPs and the biotin-streptavidin double amplification systems. Under the optimized condition, DES can be quantified by TRFIA. The linear range and the limit of detection of DES were 1.0×10(-6)-10ngmL(-1) and 0.4fgmL(-1), respectively. This method was applied to determine DES in beef sample, with the recoveries ranging from 88% to 105%.