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

[Display omitted] • Hapten of tangeretin has been designed and synthesized. • MAb 6A3A7 showed no CR with other structural analogs of tangeretin. • The developed icELISA provides a simple method for the detection of tangeretin content 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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]