Mycotoxins

ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays) test kits are accurate and easy to use. ELISA test kits arethe ideal solution for a measurement of multiple samples. R-Biopharm offers two product lines for ELISA:

RIDASCREEN®FAST
Short incubation times of as low as 8 – 15 minutes, for mostly up to 19 samples in single determination in one run.

RIDASCREEN®
Low limit of detection (LOD). With incubation times of e.g. 75 minutes for up to 42 samples in double determination. Due to the longer incubation times these test kits can be automated using the e.g. ThunderBolt®.

The main advantages of ELISA are that it is fast for a high number of samples, low cost for set up and minimal training required. ELISA can be automated using the e.g. ThunderBolt®. Cost effectiveness for automation requires a minimum of 4 to 5 samples tested per ELISA run. Results are measured with an ELISA plate reader, such as the RIDA® Absorbance 96.

In general, testing of raw ingredients can be done with on-site rapid test. Results are available in minutes and require only a minimal amount of training and equipment. While conventional LFD kits use an organic solvent, more environmentallyfriendly kits use a water extraction to avoid organic solvent waste.

To remove subjectivity in the evaluation, digital reading of quantitative results is carried out with the RIDA®SMART APP.

The screening cards AFLACARD® and OCHRACARD® are specially designed to get a rapid, semi-quantitative result for more complex commodities.

Immunoaffinity columns (IAC), such as RIDA®, EASI-EXTRACT®, PREP®, and RHONE®, are highly selective due to the presence of monoclonal antibodies. They offer excellent sample clean-up, which is particularly advantageous when working with complex commodities. This high level of purification allows the use of solvent-based standards with LC-MS/MS detection. Additionally, clean eluates generated by IACs eliminate the need for matrix-matched or isotopically labelled standards, simplifying the analytical workflow.

Solid phase extraction (SPE) columns, on the other hand, use selected solid adsorbents to bind interfering components and pigments, making the target mycotoxins easier to analyse. SPE provides a non-specific clean-up, making it well-suited for multi-toxin analysis in simpler matrices such as cereals. It is also a simple, fast, and cost-effective method, offering excellent screening capabilities when used in conjunction with LC-MS/MS. SPE can be used with matrix-matched standards, removing the need for costly isotopically labelled standards.

High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and LC-MS/MS are considered reference methods, especially in regulatory and legal contexts. Their main advantages include high sensitivity, applicability to complex matrices, and accuracy. However, achieving optimal performance with HPLC and LC-MS/MS requires effective sample clean-up, which can be accomplished using either solid phase or immunoaffinity columns.

For very high sample throughput, fully automated systems like CHRONECT Symbiosis RIDA®CREST using immunoaffinity cartridges can be used up to 15 times. With LC-MS/MS all regulated mycotoxins are detected as well as most common masked andemerging metabolites. It is also possible to analyse other parameters such as pesticides and veterinary drugs.