Polyaniline Langmuir-Blodgett film based aptasensor for ochratoxin A detection

Ochratoxin A (OTA) produced by Aspergillus Ochraceus and Penicillium verrucosum is a very dangerous toxin due to its toxic effects in human beings and its presence in a wide range of food products and cereals. A Langmuir-Blodgett (polyaniline (PANI)-stearic acid (SA)) film based highly sensitive and robust impedimetric aptasensor has been developed for ochratoxin A (OTA) detection. DNA Aptamer (Apt-DNA) specific to OTA has been covalently immobilized onto mixed Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) monolayer comprising of PANI-SA deposited onto indium tin-oxide (ITO) coated glass plates. This Apt-DNA/PANI-SA/ITO aptaelectrode has been characterized using scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy, contact angle measurements, cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, respectively. The Apt-DNA/PANI-SA/ITO aptasensor shows detection of OTA by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in the linear range of 0.0001 mu g/ml (0.1 ng/ml) to 0.01 mu g/ml (10 ng/ml) and 1 mu g/ml-25 mu g/ml with detection limit of 0.1 ng/ml in 15 min. The Apt-DNA/PANI-SA/ITO aptasensor can be reused similar to 13 times. The binding or affinity constant (K(a)) of aptamer with OTA, calculated using Langmuir adsorption isotherm, is found be 1.21 x 10(7) M(-1). (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.