Abstract
The evolution of instrumentation in terms of separation and detection allowed a real improvement of the sensitivity and analysis time. However, the analysis of ultra-traces of toxins in complex samples requires often a step of purification and even preconcentration before their chromatographic analysis. Therefore, immunoaffinity sorbents based on specific antibodies thus providing a molecular recognition mechanism appear as powerful tools for the selective extraction of a target molecule and its structural analogs to obtain more reliable and sensitive quantitative analysis in environmental, food or biological matrices. This review focuses on immunosorbents that have proven their efficiency in selectively extracting various types of toxins of various sizes (from small mycotoxins to large proteins) and physicochemical properties. Immunosorbents are now commercially available, and their use has been validated for numerous applications. The wide variety of samples to be analyzed, as well as extraction conditions and their impact on extraction yields, is discussed. In addition, their potential for purification and thus suppression of matrix effects, responsible for quantification problems especially in mass spectrometry, is presented. Due to their similar properties, molecularly imprinted polymers and aptamer-based sorbents that appear to be an interesting alternative to antibodies are also briefly addressed by comparing their potential with that of immunosorbents.
Highlights
Given their presence at the trace level in food, biological or environmental samples, the analysis of toxins requires very sensitive and specific tools for their monitoring in very complex samples.For many years, liquid chromatography (LC) coupled with fluorescence detection (Fluo) has been used to monitor toxins with or without derivation steps depending on the physico-chemical properties of the targeted molecules—these toxins being mainly mycotoxins monitored in food matrices
Liquid chromatography (LC) coupled with fluorescence detection (Fluo) has been used to monitor toxins with or without derivation steps depending on the physico-chemical properties of the targeted molecules—these toxins being mainly mycotoxins monitored in food matrices
LC coupled with mass spectrometry (MS) has gradually become the preferred method to confirm the presence of these mycotoxins and of other toxins at ultra-trace level in complex extracts
Summary
Given their presence at the trace level in food, biological or environmental samples, the analysis of toxins requires very sensitive and specific tools for their monitoring in very complex samples. Initially developed to improve the reliability of less specific analytical methods such as LC-Fluo by allowing selective cleaning of sample extracts, immunoaffinity sorbents are still developed and used in combination with LC/MS to reduce or even eliminate matrix effects These immunoaffinity supports, named immunosorbents (ISs), are based on the use of antibodies specific to the molecule(s) of interest. MIPs and OSs present the advantage to be synthesized in a few days Their application to real samples necessitates a careful optimization of the extraction procedure to reach the expected affinity and selectivity, while this selective procedure is very easy to develop when using ISs. This review mainly focuses on the potential of ISs that have proven their efficiency to selectively extract various types of toxins of various sizes (from small mycotoxins to large proteins) and physicochemical properties. Through an almost exhaustive inventory of work related to MIPs, some of which being already marketed offering an alternative to ISs for certain molecules, and to OSs, this review highlights the potential of these alternative approaches and their limitations in terms of development and applications
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