Highly Specific Detection of Oxytocin in Saliva

Abstract

Oxytocin is a peptide neurophysin hormone made up of nine amino acids and is used in induction of one in four births worldwide (more than 13 percent in the United States). Herein, we have developed an antibody alternative aptamer-based electrochemical assay for real-time and point-of-care detection of oxytocin in non-invasive saliva samples. This assay approach is rapid, highly sensitive, specific, and cost-effective. Our aptamer-based electrochemical assay can detect as little as 1 pg/mL of oxytocin in less than 2 min in commercially available pooled saliva samples. Additionally, we did not observe any false positive or false negative signals. This electrochemical assay has the potential to be utilized as a point-of-care monitor for rapid and real-time oxytocin detection in various biological samples such as saliva, blood, and hair extracts.