Using monoclonal antibody to establish a sensitive icELISA for the determination of tangeretin in citrus and herbal samples

Tangeretin, a polymethoxyflavone abundant in citrus fruits, is acclaimed for its diverse biological benefits to human health and is a significant component of traditional Chinese medicine. This study reports the development of an indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (icELISA) with monoclonal antibody for quantifying tangeretin in various citrus and herbal medicines. The optimized icELISA demonstrated a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC 50 ) of 5.57 ng/mL, encompassing a dynamic range of 1.54–25.38 ng/mL, and showcased average recoveries ranging from 81.65 % to 105.75 % in citrus peel and pulp samples. Extensive analysis of six citrus cultivar samples and four herbal samples was conducted using the developed assay, with results corroborated by Ultra–Performance Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry (UPLC–MS/MS). These findings confirm the assay’s efficacy and reliability for tangeretin detection, offering a practical method for evaluating this bioactive compound in food.