Detection of celery (Apium graveolens), mustard (Sinapis alba, Brassica juncea, Brassica nigra) and sesame (Sesamum indicum) in food by real-time PCR

Sammendrag

Legislation requires labelling of foods
containing allergic ingredients, amongst them celery,
mustard and sesame. Here we present robust quantitative
and sensitive methods for real-time PCR detection
of celery, mustard (Sinapis alba and Brassica sp.) and
sesame in food. The development of the DNA-based
assays was part of an eVort to generate alternative
detection methods for allergens for which eVective protein-
based assays are lacking. The celery and sesame
methods were speciWc for the celery mannitol dehydrogenase
gene and the sesame allergen encoding 2S albumin
gene, respectively, when tested against a range of
plant materials. The mustard method was speciWc for
the allergen encoding sinA gene and its homologues
present in diVerent Brassica sp. All primer probe pairs
gave high ampliWcation eYciency and sensitivities
below approximately ten molecules of puriWed template
DNA. These DNA-based detection methods will
constitute supplementary and complementary methods
to the traditional protein-based methods. Laboratories
may choose diVerent analysis formats depending on
the food matrix, the availability of speciWc tests and the
performance characteristics of the tests.