Enhanced ultra-sensitive detection of peanut allergen Ara h 3 on immunochromatographic paper based on surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy and AuNBs@PDA dual signal amplification strategy

Ara h 3, a prevalent peanut allergy, presents a considerable risk to public health. Preventing exposure to food allergens is the paramount method for safeguarding those with allergies. Consequently, we devised a polydopamine (PDA)-modulated gold self-coupling technique to fabricate plasmonic blackbodies (AuNBs@PDA) featuring multibranched configurations. High-performance SERS labels are possible using AuNBs@PDA's PDA coating and multi-branched design. It detects Ara h 3 ultra-sensitively in lateral flow immunochromatographic test strips (LFIA). SERS-LFIA has outstanding specificity, stability, and reproducibility, with a test strip shelf life of over a year and a LOD of 72.2 pg/mL, 295 times higher than standard AuNPs-LFIA. Implementing this technology accurately detects food samples. This sensitive and reliable platform for Ara h 3 detection has great potential for food allergy monitoring.