Development of an Aptamer-based Lateral Flow Device for Point-of-care Detection of Toxic Chinese Medicine Herbs (ALPTH Project)

Aconitine and related alkaloids are potent cardiotoxins and neurotoxins found in the Aconitum species used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), such as 'Chuanwu', 'Caowu' and 'Fuzi'. They pose significant health risks when used inappropriately without professional supervision. Patients with acute aconite poisoning often present with a combination of cardiovascular, neurological, and gastrointestinal toxicities, which can occur after an overdose, inadequate processing of the aconite roots, erroneous use of tincture preparations, and contamination or substitution of other herbs with aconite roots. Timely diagnosis of aconite poisoning remains challenging due to the long laboratory turnaround time. The aim of this study is to develop an aptamer-based lateral flow device (LFD) for point-of-care detection of aconitine and its metabolites (benzoylaconine and aconine) and evaluate its diagnostic performance.