Development of Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) Assay for the Rapid Detection of Alternaria alternata

Fungi of the Alternaria genus are associated with allergic diseases, with Alternaria alternata being one of the most prevalent species. A. alternata has been frequently reported as the etiologic agent of hypersensitivity pneumonitis, allergic rhinosinusitis, bronchial asthma, and other diseases. In this study, we developed a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay and a real-time PCR assay to detect low levels of A. alternata in herbal tea samples. The LAMP assay can detect as little as 3 pg/μL of A. alternata genomic DNA with high specificity. In addition, both the LAMP assay and the real-time PCR assay can be used for quantification of A. alternata. Although the newly developed LAMP assay is more rapid and specific in A. alternata identification, the real-time PCR assay is more precise in quantitation analysis.