Rapid Gluten Allergen Detection Using an Integrated Photoimaging Assay and Ionic Liquid Extraction Sensor

• Published in: ACS omega 2024-12, Vol.9 (50), p.49767-49777
• Main Authors: Chen, Wen-Hao, Hsu, Chuan-Chih, Ho, Hsin-Jung, Smith, Jill, Smith, Seaton, Huang, Hui-Yin, Chang, Huan-Chi, Hsiao, Yu-Cheng
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 2470-1343; 2470-1343
• DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.4c08411

In recent years, food allergies and food sensitivities have remained critical public health problems that affect approximately 15% of the global population. Wheat is a major food source worldwide, but it is also a common food allergen. Celiac disease is chronic immune-mediated enteropathy triggered by exposure to dietary gluten in genetically predisposed individuals; it can be treated only through strict gluten avoidance. Therefore, rapid gluten detection is crucial for protecting the health of patients. Gluten contains two primary water-insoluble proteins: gliadin and glutenin. Gliadin is a key contributor to celiac disease and poses challenges for sample pretreatment owing to its insolubility, thereby reducing the accuracy and sensitivity of detection systems. Rapid sample processing is a critical problem in gliadin detection. In this report, we developed a gliadin sensor system called the integrated food allergy and microorganism sensor (iFAMs). The iFAMs comprises a gliadin lateral flow chip, a one-pot extraction solution, and an image assay app. The iFAMs enables gliadin extraction and detection in under 2 min with high sensitivity (0.04 mg/kg for gliadin, lower than the regulatory limit of 20 mg/kg). Users can easily measure gluten concentrations in samples and quantify gliadin levels using the smartphone-based image assay app. In samples collected from restaurants, the iFAMs successfully detected hidden gluten within “gluten-free” food items. The compact size and user-friendly design of the iFAMs render it suitable for not only consumers but also clinicians, food industries, and regulators to enhance food safety.