The Development of Highly Specific and Sensitive Primers for the Detection of Potentially Allergenic Soybean (Glycine max) Using Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Combined with Lateral Flow Dipstick (LAMP-LFD)

The soybean (Glycine max) has been recognized as a frequent elicitor of food allergy worldwide. A lack of causative immunotherapy of soybean allergy makes soybean avoidance essential. Therefore, sensitive and specific methods for soybean detection are needed to allow for soybean verification in foods. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) represents a rapid and simple DNA-based detection method principally suitable for field-like applications or on-site analytical screening for allergens during the manufacturing of foods. This work describes the systematic development and selection of suitable LAMP primers based on soybean multicopy genes. The chemistry applied allows for a versatile detection of amplified DNA, using either gel electrophoresis, fluorescence recording, or a simple Lateral Flow Dipstick (LFD). LAMP based on the ORF160b gene was highly specific for the soybean and may allow for a detection level equivalent to approximately 10 mg soy per kg food. Various soybean cultivars were detectable at a comparable level of sensitivity. LAMP combined with LFD-like detection facilitates a simple, highly specific and sensitive detection of the soybean without the need for expensive analytical equipment. In contrast to the majority of antibody-based methods for soybean detection, all identified primer sequences and optimized protocols are disclosed and broadly available to the community.