Replication for IJFMR (ARTICLE Id 4423) Lateral flow immunoassay as novel screening tool for potential cross-reacting protein in crude plant latex as tested for Plasmodium, Dengue, HBV, HCV, HIV

Replication Data - IJFMR ARTICLE ID 4423: In vitro diagnostic kits use immune chromatographic assay with gold nanoparticle conjugated antigen / antibody coated in the kit that specifically detects the antigen of the pathogen or antibody to a pathogen in the blood or serum tested. Such kits are available for wide variety of diseases and different kits could use different antigens targeted. In this research article I present the novel finding that when the latex of Calotropis gigantea or Thevetia peruviana is used as the sample in a kit targeting the Histidine rich protein of Plasmodium falciparum, the kit displayed positive reaction which indicates homologous protein exists in the latex of these two plants to that of the Histidine rich protein of Plasmodium falciparum. Similarly, it was noticed for the LDH protein of P. vivax and Calotropis gigantea. Further it was noticed that the latex of Calotropis gigantea, Tabernaemontana divaricate had activity against HCV, Dengue, HIV. The latex of Carica Papaya had activity against HCV. Hence this article brings out the novel concept of use of human pathogen specific lateral flow kits for screening of plant latex and sap to identify potential cross-reacting proteins that even a layman can screen and doesn’t require expertise like docking studies. Further this could pave way for layman to use these LFA for screening of plant proteins of medicinal interest or to use of these plant extracts for detecting antigens, antibodies in human sera of a particular pathogen that can cross react with plant latex and produce agglutination.