Novel colorimetric immunoassay for the detection of aflatoxin B 1

Abstract

A rapid colorimetric sequential injection immunoassay (SIIA) system utilising a jet ring flow cell packed with a solid phase of polymethylmethacrylate beads was used for the detection of aflatoxin B 1 (AFB 1). This method is proven in its ability to detect AFB 1 down to a level of 0.2 ng ml −1 in artificially contaminated food materials, which is comparable to the sensitivity of microtitre plate ELISA. The automated SIIA system takes under 10 min per sample and uses a methanol–water (80:20) and hexane extraction procedure that takes approximately 15 min to perform.