Abstract
Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a toxic compound naturally produced by the genera Aspergillus. Distillers’ grains can be used as animal feed since they have high content of crude protein and other nutrients. However, they are easily contaminated by mycotoxins, and currently there are no rapid detection methods for AFB1 in distillers’ grains. In this study, a lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) based on red fluorescent microsphere (FM), is developed for quantitative detection of AFB1 in distillers’ grains. The whole test can be completed within 15 min, with the cut-off value being 25.0 μg/kg, and the quantitative limit of detection (qLOD) being 3.4 μg/kg. This method represents satisfactory recoveries of 95.2–113.0%, and the coefficients of variation (CVs) are less than 7.0%. Furthermore, this technique is successfully used to analyze AFB1 in real samples, and the results indicates good consistency with that of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The correlation coefficient is found to be greater than 0.99. The proposed test strip facilitates on-site, cost-effective, and sensitive monitoring of AFB1 in distillers’ grains.
Highlights
Aflatoxins (AFs), mainly including Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), AFB2, AFG1, and AFG2, are a group of secondary metabolites produced by certain fungi
The immunoprobes used in the lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) is critical for improving the sensitivity and specificity of the method
The results suggest that the proposed technique is applicable for the on-site quantitative detection of AFB1, and facilitates the rapid screening of samples
Summary
Aflatoxins (AFs), mainly including AFB1, AFB2, AFG1, and AFG2, are a group of secondary metabolites produced by certain fungi (such as Aspergillus species). AFs are classified as Group I carcinogens by the International Agency for Research on Cancer [1]. Distillers’ grains are a residual by-product from ethanol industry such as rice, wheat, and sorghum [6]. They have been widely used in animal feed industry since they have a rich source of crude protein and other nutrients [7]. The physicochemical and microbiological characteristics of distillers’ grains have made the product susceptible to mycotoxin contamination [6].
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
