Dual-mode sensing of Staphylococcus aureus in food via fluorescent Apt@Fe/Zr MOF with peroxidase-like activity.

Staphylococcus aureus, a prevalent foodborne pathogenic bacterium, poses a significant threat to human health. Herein, a dual-mode sensing method is proposed for detecting S. aureus in food using aptamer-modified Fe/Zr metal organic framework (Apt@Fe/Zr MOF). The Apt@Fe/Zr MOF was prepared through self-assembly of Fe/Zr MOF followed by surface modification with an aptamer. It exhibits peroxidase-like activity, catalyzing the 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) chromogenic reaction. Meanwhile, Apt@Fe/Zr MOF demonstrates fluorescent characteristics, emitting a fluorescence signal at 428 nm upon excitation with light at 350 nm. Based on this feature, dual-mode sensing of S. aureus with comparable specificity and excellent anti-interference was achieved through the integration of colorimetry and fluorometry. The limits of detection (LOD) for both colorimetric and fluorometric analyses were 3.25 × 10 and 1.47 × 10 CFU mL, respectively. Actual detection of food samples indicates that this method exhibits excellent reliability and accuracy, with recoveries ranging from 91.12 to 107.55% (colorimetry) and 94.40 to 109.47% (fluorometry). The results are highly consistent with those obtained from traditional culture-based methods. Therefore, it is evident that the dual-mode detection of S. aureus using Apt@Fe/Zr MOF offers a rapid and reliable method for ensuring food safety.