Development of a lateral flow immunoassay using 4-CCM-derived antigen for rapid screening of illicit sibutramine in dietary supplement products
Journal
Microchemical Journal
Journal Volume
225
Start Page
118270
ISSN
0026265X
Date Issued
2026-06
Author(s)
Abstract
Sibutramine, a banned anti-obesity drug, is still illicitly added to dietary supplement products, posing serious health risks. Rapid and reliable on-site detection methods are urgently needed for food safety monitoring. In this study, lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) test strips incorporating self-prepared antigens derived from 1-[1-(4-chlorophenyl)cyclopropyl]methanamine (4-CCM) were developed for the detection of sibutramine in dietary supplement products. Antigen-1, Antigen-2, and Antigen-3 were synthesized via glutaraldehyde-mediated conjugation to bovine serum albumin. Owing to the poor solubility of Antigen-3, Antigen-1 and Antigen-2 were selected for immobilization on the test line in subsequent LFIA fabrication. The Antigen-2–based LFIA test strips exhibited superior sensitivity, with a limit of detection of 0.14 ng/mL, and excellent selectivity against common anti-obesity drugs and doping agents. Matrix interference tests using six commercial coffee and fruit juice powders confirmed robust performance, and spiked samples yielded clear positive signals. Furthermore, analysis of 20 real-world seized samples achieved 100% screening accuracy, substantially outperforming a handheld Raman analyzer, which only achieved 15% accuracy. Excellent batch-to-batch reproducibility and storage tests were also demonstrated. Overall, the proposed Antigen-2–based LFIA test strips provide a practical, rapid, and cost-effective screening tool for food-safety and forensic monitoring of illicit sibutramine adulteration in dietary supplement products.
Subjects
Dietary supplement products
Lateral flow immunoassay
On-site screening
Sibutramine
Publisher
Elsevier Inc.
Type
journal article