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The aim of this study was to evaluate four immunoassays, based on amine-modified bovine serum albumin nanoparticles (AMBSANPs). First, the capability of nitrate absorption by AMBSANPs under different conditions was evaluated. Then, serial concentrations of pure ßHCG were added to wells coated with ßHCG antibody for immunoassays 1 and 2, and wells coated with ßHCG aptamer for immunoassays 3 and 4. Next, AMBSANPs conjugated with ßHCG antibody was added for immunoassays 1 and 3, and AMBSANPs conjugated with ßHCG aptamer were added for immunoassays 2 and 4. Finally, the optical density (OD) of each well was read at 340 nm, and compared with controls. Moreover, the concentration of ßHCG in the clinical samples was quantified by immunoassays 1, 2, 3, 4 and ELISA, and then compared. The effect of some serum interferences on these immunoassay methods was evaluated. The authors observed that the amount of nitrate absorption by AMBSANPs increased with an increase in H+ ion concentration and temperature, and decreased with an increase in ion strength. The correlation (R2) between ELISA and immunoassays 1, 2, 3 and 4 were 0.97, 0.97, 0.98, 0.99, respectively. It was found that the increase in the serum interferences led to a decrease in the measured ßHCG concentration.

The aim of this study was to find the peptide ligands to inhibit Candida albicans secreted aspartyl proteinase 2 (Sap2). First, a ligand library, containing 300 different peptides, was constructed, and their interaction with Sap2 was separately calculated by molecular dynamic software. Second, 10 peptide ligands with the lowest intermolecular energy were selected. Then, triangular gold nanoparticles were synthesized, and separately conjugated with the peptide ligands. After synthesis, antifungal property and Sap inactivation of conjugated triangular gold nanoparticles, peptide ligands, and naked triangular gold nanoparticle were separately assessed, against thirty clinical isolates of C. albicans. In this study, we measured the uptake of conjugated and naked nanoparticles by atomic adsorption spectroscopy. This study showed that naked triangular gold nanoparticle and all conjugated triangular gold nanoparticles had high antifungal activity, but no peptide ligands had such activity. Of 300 peptide ligands, the peptide containing N-Cys-Lys-Lys-Arg-Met-Met-Lys-Ser-Met- Cys-C and its conjugate had the highest capability to inhibit Sap. Moreover, the uptake assay demonstrated that triangular gold nanoparticles conjugated with the peptide ligand had the highest uptake. © 2014 Elsevier Inc.