Fish (Parvalbumin) ELISA

Enzyme immunoassay for the quantitative determination of fish in food.

Background: Fishes belong to the most frequent elicitors of food allergies. The allergies are predominantly induced by the low-molecular, calcium-binding muscle protein parvalbumin. The protein is characterized by its high heat resistance and stability against denaturing agents and proteolytic enzymes. Predominantly in regions with a high consumption of fish like Scandinavia, Japan or the Mediterranean countries, fish allergies represent a heavy health problem. The symptoms are ranging from inflammation of the skin over gastrointestinal and respiratory problems up to live-threatening anaphylactic shock. In spite of the high biodiversity most patients react with allergic symptoms to several fish species due to the high cross-reactivity between the fish allergens.
For fish-allergic persons hidden fish allergens in food are a critical problem. Already very low amounts of fish can cause allergic reactions, which may lead to anaphylactic shock in severe cases. Because of this, fish-allergic persons must strictly avoid the consumption of fish containing food. Cross-contamination, mostly in consequence of the production process, is often noticed. This explains why in many cases the existence of fish residues in food cannot be excluded. For this reason sensitive detection systems for fish residues in foodstuffs are required.
Fish ELISA represents a highly sensitive detection system for fish, based on the trans-species allergen parvalbumin. It is particularly capable of the quantification of fish residues in wine, soups, sauces, crackers, surimi and asia products.

Description: Fish ELISA is based on the principle of the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. An antibody directed against fish proteins is bound on the surface of a microtiter plate. Fish containing samples or standards are given into the wells of the microtiter plate. After 20 minutes incubation at room temperature, the wells are washed with diluted washing solution to remove unbound material. A peroxidase conjugated second antibody directed against fish proteins is given into the wells and after 20 minutes of incubation the plate is washed again. A substrate solution is added and incubated for 20 minutes, resulting in the development of a blue colour. The colour development is terminated by the addition of a stop solution, and the colour turns yellow. The yellow colour is measured photometrically at 450 nm. The concentration of fish is directly proportional to the colour intensity of the test sample.

Product Features:
- The kit contains reagents for 96 determinations;
- Microtiter plate consisting of 12 strips with 8 breakable wells;
- Cod Standards: 0, 4, 10, 40, 100 ppm;
- ELISA reader at 450 nm;
- Standard range: 4 - 100 ppm;
- Sensitivity analytical: 1.4 ppm.