ARS | Publication request: Capillary Electrophoresis and Fluorescence Polarization for Mycotoxin Analysis

Submitted to: Mycological International Conference Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract
Publication Acceptance Date: July 12, 2006
Publication Date: September 26, 2006
Citation: Maragos, C.M., Appell, M.D., Lippolis, V., Pascale, M., Visconti, A. 2006. Capillary electrophoresis and fluorescence polarization for mycotoxin analysis [abstract]. Mycological International Conference. p. 56.

Technical Abstract: Analytical methods for mycotoxins have been continually evolving from the time that these toxins were first isolated and associated with animal and human diseases. Recurring themes during this process have been the quest for methods that are accurate, sensitive, reproducible, inexpensive, and rapid. Many technologies have been applied to mycotoxin analysis and several, such as high performance liquid chromatography, have become mainstays. Two of the technologies that have been more recently applied to mycotoxin analysis are capillary electrophoresis (CE) and fluorescence polarization immunoassay (FPI). These two types of methods are based upon different technologies and serve different needs. CE methods have been laboratory-based methods because of the size and required automation of the instrumentation, while FPI methods have been much more portable and therefore amenable to use outside the laboratory. We have investigated CE methods for the aflatoxins, fumonisins, ochratoxin A (OA), deoxynivalenol (DON), moniliformin, and zearalenone (ZEN). Generally to attain the sensitivities necessary for analysis of these toxins in food, fluorescence detection is required, although with sufficient cleanup, even compounds with no fluorescence, such as moniliformin, can be detected at relevant levels. Alternatively, mycotoxins without a native fluorescence may be labeled in order to render them fluorescent, which is one aspect that we are currently investigating for toxins such as T-2 and HT-2. On the other hand are the FPI assays, which are relatively easy to perform, do not require labeling of the analytes, and are truly portable. The FPI assays have been developed by us, and others, for DON, fumonisins, aflatoxins, ZEN, and OA. The challenge with FPI development has been discovering the best combination of antibody and tracer to ensure adequate sensitivity and reproducibility. By combining either CE or FPI with novel, synthetic, mycotoxin-binding materials, it may be possible to further augment both technologies for detecting mycotoxins in the future.