Acompetitiveenzyme-linkedimmunosorbentassay(ELISA)wasdevelopedtodetermineruscogenin(RUS)byusingthemonoclonalantibody(McAb).ThemonoclonalantibodyagainstRUS,secretedfromtheestablishedhybridomacelllines,wasidentifiedasbeingoftheIgG1isotype.TheMcAbexhibitedhighspecificitytoRUS,showingaveryslightcrossreactivitywithdiosgenin(15.7%),andnocross-reactivitytosarsasapogenin,diammoniumglycyrrhizinate,oleanolicacidandnotoginsenosideR1.TheestablishedELISA,atanIC50valueof157.55ng.mL-1andadetectionlimit(IC20)of20.57ng.mL-1,wascomparedwithHPLCanalyses,andagoodcorrelationbetweenELISAandHPLC-ELSDanalysesofRUSintheextractofRadixOphiopogoniswasobtained.TheexperimentaldataindicatedthattheELISAmethodexhibitsmoreadvantagesoverHPLC-ELSD,suchaslowdetectionlimit,highspecificity,lowbackground,andnorequirementforsamplepre-treatment,andismoresuitableforthedeterminationofnaturalcomponentsinChinesetraditionalmedicinesandinbiologicalsamplesforpharmacokineticstudies.
