How to use the FastPrep®-24 System for allergan extractions from air-filter?
A rapid and thorough extraction of endotoxin from PM2.5 air filters has been developed at UCI by employing a high speed shaker (FastPrep®-24, MP Biomedicals, Solon, OH). Briefly, quartz filters were placed into endotoxin-free extraction vials containing pyrogen-free water and processed by the FastPrep instrument for 30 seconds at 6.5 m/s. Following shaking, the samples were put onto a tube rotator (Dynal Biotech) for 1 hour. An aliquot was assayed using a Limulus Amoebocyte Lysate (LAL) kinetic chromogenic assay (Pyrochrome Associates of Cape Cod, Falmouth, MA). In addition, a negative control filter (blank) was extracted and analyzed. A set of sixteen archived personal PM2.5 air filters were evaluated for the presence of endotoxin. We found detectable endotoxin concentrations in 14 filter extracts with a range of 0.03 – 5.5 EU/mL and a mean concentration of 0.73 EU/mL. The blank filter showed no detectable concentrations of endotoxin.
