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Title: MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY-BASED COMPETITIVE ELISAS FOR THE HYDROLYSIS PRODUCT OF FUMONISIN B1 (HFB1)

Author
item Maragos, Chris
item MIKLASZ, STEVEN - IMMUN RES CTR, U OF IL

Submitted to: Chemical Society Symposium Proceedings
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/19/1995
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Certain Fusarium molds commonly found on corn produce a group of toxins, the fumonisins, that can sometimes reach levels sufficient to cause disease in livestock. Because of the widespread occurrence of fumonisin B1 in corn and corn products, the presence of its hydrolysis product in corn that has undergone an alkali treatment (nixtamilization) is suspected. The extent to which the hydrolysis product represents a potential human health hazard is currently a very active area of research. This report describes a sensitive and rapid immunochemical (ELISA) method for the analysis of the hydrolysis product of fumonisin B1 (HFB1) in corn and the factors that influence the practical application of the technique. Because of the sensitivity and ease of use of the assay it is expected to be important as a tool for determining human exposure to HFB1 and as an aid for possible risk assessment.

Technical Abstract: Fumonisin B1 (FB1), a mycotoxin produced by certain Fusarium molds, consists of two tricarballylic acid groups esterified to a 20 carbon aminopentol backbone (HFB1). The occurrence of HFB1 in corn based foods is suspected, primarily because of the ubiquitous nature of FB1 in corn. A competitive direct enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (CD-ELISA) was developed for the rapid analysis of HFB1. The CD-ELISA was based upon a monoclonal antibody, prepared against HFB1, that cross reacts with the hydrolysis products of the fumonisins B2, B3, and B4. The antibody did not react with the intact fumonisins, sphingosine, sphinganine, or tricarballylic acid. When applied to extracts of ground corn, the performance of the CD-ELISA was affected by the level of solvent and by matrix components. By accommodating these factors through sample cleanup and dilution, the CD-ELISA provides a sensitive screening method for HFB1 in foods.