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Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter Publication Acceptance Date: 5/1/2014 Publication Date: 7/15/2014 Citation: He, X. 2014. Current technologies for detection of ricin in different matrices.Cherwonogrodky, J.W., editor. Ricin Toxin. Oak Park, Illinois:Bentham Science. p. 38-56. Interpretive Summary: Ricin is derived from the seed of the castor plant and is one of the most potent plant toxins known. The annual worldwide production of castor beans is one million tons. The high toxicity and large quantities of raw materials readily available to produce ricin-rich preparations has made ricin a documented biothreat. This book chapter reviews the current methods useful for detection of ricin in different food and environmental samples and for farmers to determine if the castor meal can be used as fertilizers or livestock feed after detoxification process. Technical Abstract: Ricin is a convenient, potent, and available toxin for terrorist acts. The importance of detecting it in various matrices is obvious. This chapter reviews methods for ricin detection based on the mechanisms used for assay development. Five detection approaches are reviewed: 1. Antibody-based methods 2. Receptor-based methods 3. Activity-based methods 4. Surrogate marker-based methods 5. Combination of two or more assay methods The information in this review is useful in clinical diagnosis, forensic analysis, food safety and security. |
