pH-responsive deoxyribonucleic acid capture/release by polydopamine functionalized magnetic nanoparticles

• PDA@Fe3O4 were prepared and applied for efficient extraction of DNA from pathogens.
• The DNA capture and release by PDA@Fe3O4 was pH-induced.
• The adsorption capacity of PDA@Fe3O4 for DNA was 161 mg g−1.
• PDA@Fe3O4 based MSPE was combined with PCR and CE for rapid detection of pathogens.

Polydopamine functionalized magnetic nanoparticles (PDA@Fe3O4) were prepared and characterized by transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, zeta potential and vibrating sample magnetometry. They were found to enable highly efficient capture of genomic deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). The adsorption capacity of PDA@Fe3O4 for genomic DNA can reach 161 mg g−1. The extraction protocol used aqueous solutions for DNA binding to and releasing from the surface of the magnetic particles based on the pH inducing the charge switch of amino and phenolic hydroxyl groups on PDA@Fe3O4. The extracted DNA with high quality (A260/A280 = 1.80) can be directly used as templates for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by capillary electrophoresis (CE) analysis. None of the toxic chemical reagents and PCR inhibitors was used throughout the whole procedure. PDA@Fe3O4 based magnetic solid phase extraction (MSPE) method was superior to those using commercial kit and traditional phenol–chloroform extraction methods in yield of DNA. The developed PDA@Fe3O4 based MSPE-PCR-CE method was applied for simultaneous and fast detection of Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli O157:H7 in milk.

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