A monoclonal antibody-based indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for flubendiamide detection

Flubendiamide (FD), the first commercial phthalic acid diamide that targets insect ryanodine receptor (RyRs), has played an important role in pest management. With its extensive worldwide application, a rapid and convenient method to detect its existence in the environment is necessary. In this study, an indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (icELISA) was developed to analyse FD residue on environmental and food samples. The established icELISA showed a half maximal inhibition concentration (IC50) of 17.25 µg L−1, with a working range of 4.06–103.59 µg L−1 for FD, and showed no cross-reactivity with chlorantraniliprole, cyantraniliprole, and several FD analogues. Average FD recoveries from spinach, tap water, and soil samples were 89.3–112.3%, 93.0–102.1%, and 86.9–97.6%, respectively. Meanwhile, FD detection results of icELISA were compared with those of ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). The comparable results verified that icELISA was suitable for rapid detection of FD residue in environmental and agricultural samples.