A variety of testing solutions exist for mycotoxin analysis in food and feed. These solutions range from rapid tests that are easy to conduct, to reference methodology tests that are more time consuming but yield more detailed results. Results obtained can be qualitative, semi-quantitative, or quantitative.
Rapid Testing | Reference Testing |
---|---|
Lateral Flow Test | Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) |
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) | Gas Chromatography |
Fluorometry | High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) |
Liquid Chromatography – Mass Spectrometry (LC/MS) |
Sampling – sophisticated due to heterogenic distribution of mycotoxins in samples
Grinding – mills specifically designed for grinding of samples
Extraction – different extraction buffers depending on mycotoxin and analysis method
Purification – columns are packed with mixtures of adsorbents, interferences stick to packing material, mycotoxins go through unaffected (in case of immunoaffinity-columns, the columns contain antibodies that bind the toxin and interferences pass through)
Analysis
Procedure:
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
rapid analysis (3-5 minutes) | matrix interferences |
no specialist equipment necessary | |
quantitative results can be obtained using a Lateral Flow Device (LFD) |
Procedure:
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
simple sample extraction | matrix interferences |
no clean up steps required | only for validated matrices (mainly raw commodities) |
highly sensitive | cross-reaction of antibodies |
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
rapid – less than five minutes | only for total aflatoxin |
very robust | |
can be used by untrained personnel | |
no laboratory required |
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
simple, cheap, rapid | separation may not be satisfactory |
a number of samples can be run simultaneously | poor precision |
insensitive for some toxins |
Specific compounds of an injected sample are separated by a gas (mobile phase) flowing through a heated glass column coated with a stationary non-volatile liquid (stationary phase). Separated analytes coming off the column are detected by a chemical or physical detection system.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
sensitive | derivatization is time-consuming and prone to errors |
low variabilty | used less frequently |
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
sensitive | |
only small amounts of sample needed | time consuming |
applicable in complex matrices | compounds must have UV absorption or fluorescence properties or require derivatization |
minimum variability | |
highly accurate |
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
low detection limits | expensive |
quantitative results | highly trained personnel needed |
ability to generate structural information | time consuming, compared to rapid tests |
minimal sample treatment | |
possibility to cover a wide range of analytes differing in their polarities | |
applicable in complex matrices |