In this investigation, a double immunochromatographic analysis (ICA) of two relevant phycotoxins, domoic acid (DA) and okadaic acid (OA), was developed for the first time. The ICA was performed in the indirect competitive format using gold nanoparticles conjugated with anti-species antibodies. Under optimal conditions, the instrumental detection limits/cutoffs for simultaneous detection of DA and OA were 1.2/100 and 0.1/2.5 ng/mL, respectively. The time of the assay was 18 min. The ICA was applied to test seawater and a large panel of seafood, including mussels, tiger shrimps, octopuses, whelks, crabs, and scallops. The proposed simple sample preparation method for seafood takes only 20 min. For seawater, a dilution by buffer was implemented. The assay recoveries varied from 80.8% to 124.5%. The competitive potential of the proposed technique as a tool to control natural water and seafood samples is determined by its simplicity, rapidity, and sensitivity.
Keywords: food security; immunochromatographic analysis; marine toxins; seafood; seawater.