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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Peoria, Illinois » National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research » Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #294432

Title: Current and state-of-the-art approaches for detecting mycotoxins in commodities

Author
item Maragos, Chris
item Busman, Mark

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/16/2013
Publication Date: 5/16/2013
Citation: Maragos, C.M., Busman, M. 2013. Current and state-of-the-art approaches for detecting mycotoxins in commodities. Meeting Abstract. p. 22.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The tools that have been applied to detection of mycotoxins in commodities are numerous and powerful. These include everything from simple to use diagnostic test strips to complex, instrument intensive, methods such as ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS). This wide range of tools is a reflection of the wide range of situations and conditions under which mycotoxin analyses are conducted. That includes physical environments that are challenging as well as climate-controlled laboratories. Current analytical methods for mycotoxins are quite good, with an industry that has developed to serve the needs for commercial and regulatory testing. Such methods include both modern chromatographic and immunoassay-based techniques. Modern methods, while they may be easy to use, rely upon advanced materials to interact with the toxins of interest. Improvements in such materials, and improvements in analytical platforms, help to drive innovation in this area. Our recent research in this area has focused on investigating novel platforms for mycotoxin detection. These include a biosensor based upon the principle of biolayer interferometry (BLI), and a technique based upon ambient ionization MS. The BLI method can be used for the rapid detection of deoxynivalenol in wheat, and compares favorably to established chromatographic techniques. The ambient ionization-MS method, which represents a departure from more traditional MS approaches, is under development to detect aflatoxins in corn. Both techniques have the potential benefit of detecting multiple mycotoxins rapidly and simultaneously in extracts of commodities or foods.