LAUSR

Abstract Carboxymethylated cashew gum (CMCG) film was electrodeposited on a gold surface for immobilization of polyclonal anti-Salmonella antibodies. The immunosensor response was obtained by chronoamperometry in milk contaminated with Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. The CMCG film was a suitable platform for the immunosensor assembly and showed a stable structure with a 12% coefficient of variation after 30 sweeps in phosphate saline buffer (pH 7.4). The current (i) measured during the S. Typhimurium detection presented a linear calibration curve up to 105 CFU mL−1. The limit of detection was 10 CFU mL−1 with a detection time of 125 min. The immunosensor had a good performance in raw, whole and skimmed ultra-high temperature (UHT) milk without pre-enrichment step thus proving its efficacy in detecting bacteria in a complex food matrix. In addition, a high specificity was observed in the cross-reactivity tests with other bacteria. The CMGC-based immunosensor has a good potential for use as a screening test for Salmonella in the food control and prevention of foodborne diseases.