Macadamia Nut ELISA

Enzyme immunoassay for the quantitative determination of Macadamia nut in food.

Background: The Macadamia tree (Macadamia integrifolia, Macadamia tetraphylla) belongs to the family of Proteaceae. With about 7.9% the fraction of proteins in macadamia nut is relatively low compared to other nuts. Some of these proteins are known for being allergenic. Compared to other nuts these proteins are still slightly characterized. Macadamia nut allergies are relatively seldom, but can be very distinct in particular cases.
For macadamia nut allergic persons hidden macadamia nut allergens in food are a critical problem. Already very low amounts of macadamia nut can cause allergic reactions, which may lead to anaphylactic shock in severe cases. Because of this, macadamia nut-allergic persons should strictly avoid the consumption of macadamia nut containing food. Cross-contamination, mostly in consequence of the production process, is often noticed. This explains why in many cases the existence of macadamia nut residues in food cannot be excluded. For this reason sensitive detection systems for macadamia nut residues in foodstuff are required.
The Macadamia nut ELISA represents a highly sensitive detection system for macadamia nut and is particularly capable of the quantification of residues in cookies, cereals, ice-cream, chocolate and sausage.

Description: The Macadamia nut quantitative test is based on the principle of the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. An antibody directed against macadamia nut proteins is bound on the surface of a microtiter plate. Macadamia nut 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 macadamia nut 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 macadamia nut 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;
- Macadamia nut Standards: 0, 1, 4, 10, 40 ppm;
- ELISA reader at 450 nm;
- Standard range: 1 - 40 ppm;
- Sensitivity analytical: 0.1 ppm.