A smartphone-based quantitative detection device integrated with latex microsphere immunochromatography for on-site detection of zearalenone in cereals and feed

Abstract

In our study, a 3D printed smartphone-based detection device integrated with solid phase latex microsphere immunochromatography platform (SIAP) is developed for sensitive and quantitative detection of zearalenone (ZEN) in cereals and feed. A user-friendly Android application (App) is self-written to analyze, report and share the detection results. The cut-off values of latex microsphere immunochromatography for ZEN in cereals and feed were 2.5 and 3.0 μg/kg, respectively. The SIAP detection system can quantitatively detect ZEN in cereals and feed with the detection limits of 0.08 and 0.18 μg/kg, respectively. The recovery rates of corn, and feed samples were between 92.0%–105.0%, and 86.0%–107.5%, respectively, with the coefficient of variation ranging from 2.7% to 8.9%, and 7.8 to 10.9%, respectively. The detection results of real samples showed that there were differences in the content of ZEN in different feed ingredients and compound feed in China in October 2018, among which corn and wheat were still the feed ingredients with the most serious ZEN contamination, and it also demonstrated that the established SIAP detection system was reliable, portable, and user-friendly. This smartphone-based detection system will be popularized for on-site monitoring of various hazard factors such as veterinary drugs, antibiotics, illegal additives, etc.