Loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay as a point-of-care diagnostic tool for Vibrio parahaemolyticus: recent developments and improvements

ABSTRACT

Introduction: A number of DNA-based diagnostic tools have been developed for the detection of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in seafood. However, the loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) has distinct advantages with regards to its simplicity, speed and the ease of performing without any need for sophisticated equipment. Over the last decade, LAMP has emerged as a potential tool for the detection of V. parahaemolyticus.

Area covered: The literature search was restricted to LAMP assay and its variants for the detection of V. parahaemolyticus. The focus in this review is to enlist the various techniques that have been developed using the principle of the LAMP towards improved simplicity, sensitivity and specificity of the assay.

Expert commentary: LAMP assay and its variants are significantly faster and require minimum accessories compared to other DNA based molecular techniques such as PCR and their types. Despite the availability of several versions, LAMP-based diagnostics is not the first choice for the detection of V. parahaemolyticus in the seafood sector. Our recommendation would be to explore the possibilities of developing cost-effective LAMP kits and implementing these kits as point-of-care diagnostic tools for rapid and sensitive detection of pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus.

KEYWORDS:

• Loop-mediated isothermal amplification
• molecular assay
• Vibrio parahaemolyticus
• diagnostic tool
• seafood

Declaration of interest

KPA is a research fellow under the funded project by the government of India. The other authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties. Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.

Reviewers Disclosure

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial relationships or otherwise to disclose.

Additional information

Funding

This paper was financially supported by the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India through the project (BT/PR12230/AAQ/3/698/2014).