Author
|
Submitted to: Journal of Food and Agriculture Immunology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 3/25/1997 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: The fumonisins are a group of mycotoxins capable of causing disease in animals, most notably swine and horses. The toxins are produced by certain Fusaria and are prevalent in corn worldwide. Affinity Capillary Electrophoresis (ACE) is a very recent analytical technique that combines the specificity of antibodies with the speed and resolving power of capillary electrophoresis. This manuscript reports the development of the first ACE method for a mycotoxin, fumonisin B1. After the fumonisins are extracted from a corn sample with water, the sample is diluted with buffer and analyzed by ACE. The analytical step is rapid, requiring six minutes per sample (four to do the analysis and two to rinse the capillary for the next test). The shortcoming of the method is the poor sensitivity, a drawback that may be corrected in the future through the use of more sensitive monoclonal antibodies. In summary, ACE is shown to have significant potential as a method for the rapid analysis of mycotoxins. Technical Abstract: Affinity Capillary Electrophoresis (ACE) combines the specificity of antibodies with the speed and resolving power of capillary electrophoresis. Fumonisin B1 (FB1), a mycotoxin produced by certain Fusaria, was derivatized with fluorescein isothiocyanate. The product, FB1-FL, was purified using affinity columns consisting of a monoclonal antibody (Mab) directed against fumonisins (clone P2A5-3-F3) coupled to agarose. The purified FB1-FL was subjected to capillary zone electrophoresis. Addition of purified Mab to FB1-FL before separation, resulted in the formation of a complex (Mab/FB1-FL) with resulting quenching of the FB1-FL peak. When unlabeled FB1 was also added to the reaction mixture the FB1 and FB1-FL competed for the limited amount of antibody present causing the FB1-FL peak to increase in direct proportion to the amount of unlabeled FB1 present. Fumonisin standards could be analyzed with this technique with a total analysis time of six minutes, two minutes of which was required for washing the capillary between analyses. ACE was applied to a limited number of corn samples spiked with high levels of FB1. The technology of ACE holds considerable promise for the rapid analysis of mycotoxins in foods. |
