No abstract

Here, we report gold nanoparticle-coated starch magnetic beads (AuNP@SMBs) that were prepared by in situ synthesis of AuNPs on the surface of SMBs. Upon functionalization of the surface with a specific antibody, the immuno-AuNP@SMBs were found to be effective in separating and concentrating the target pathogenic bacteria, Escherichia coli O157:H7, from an aqueous sample as well as providing a hotspot for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based detection. We employed a bifunctional linker protein, 4× gold-binding peptide-tagged Streptococcal protein G (4GS), to immobilize antibodies on AuNP@SMBs and AuNPs in an oriented form. The linker protein also served as a Raman reporter, exhibiting a strong and unique fingerprint signal during the SERS measurement. The amplitude of the SERS signal was shown to have a good correlation with the concentration of target bacteria ranging from 100 to 105 CFU/mL. The detection limit was determined to be as low as a single cell, and the background signals derived from nontarget bacteria were negligible due to the excellent specificity and colloidal stability of the immuno-AuNP@SMBs and SERS tags. The highly sensitive nature of the SERS-based detection system will provide a promising means to detect the pathogenic microorganisms in food or clinical specimen.

This study investigated the effects of different doses of UV-C light at 253.7 nm (0-18 kJ/m(2)) on the reduction of Escherichia coli,Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus in contaminated seasoned dried filefish (Thamnaconus modestus) and sliced squid (Todarodes pacificus) surfaces and sensory quality. The counts of all three bacteria were significantly (P < 0.05) reduced by the increase of UV-C dosage.E. coli,S. aureus and B. cereus on filefish with 18 kJ/m(2)of UV-C maximally reduced by 2.70, 2.55 and 2.57 log CFU/g, respectively; however, on the sliced squid using the same UV dose reduced the same bacteria by 1.35, 0.54 and 1.05 log CFU/g, respectively. However, the results suggest that 6 to 9 kJ/m(2)of UV-C could be used for the inactivation of E. coli and B. cereus in these dried fishery products without any changes in sensory quality. However, S. aureus levels on sliced squid will require a combination of UV-C light and chemical treatment.