Multiclonal plastic antibodies for selective aflatoxin extraction from food samples

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Food Safety

Background:

• Aflatoxins are toxic fungal secondary metabolites posing significant risks to food safety and human health.
• Accurate and efficient methods for aflatoxin detection in food are crucial for regulatory compliance and public health protection.
• Existing extraction methods may lack selectivity or efficiency, necessitating advancements in analytical techniques.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and characterize novel monolithic columns for the selective extraction of aflatoxins from real food samples.
• To combine the advantages of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) and cryogels for enhanced extraction performance.
• To optimize extraction conditions and evaluate the performance of the developed columns, including selectivity, reusability, and robustness.

Main Methods:

• Simultaneous imprinting of aflatoxin subtypes (B1, B2, G1, G2) to create multiclonal plastic antibodies.
• Fabrication of monolithic columns integrating molecularly imprinted polymers and cryogel matrices.
• Characterization using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and spectrofluorimetry.
• Selectivity studies against ochratoxin A and aflatoxin M1 under competitive conditions.
• Optimization of extraction parameters: concentration, flow rate, temperature, and embedded particle amount.

Main Results:

• Developed monolithic columns demonstrated successful simultaneous imprinting of multiple aflatoxin subtypes.
• Optimal extraction conditions were determined for concentration (up to 25 ng/mL), flow rate (0.43 mL/min), temperature (30°C), and particle amount (200 mg).
• High imprinting efficiencies were observed against ochratoxin A (1.84) and aflatoxin M1 (26.39) even under competitive binding conditions.
• The columns exhibited good reusability, repeatability, reproducibility, and robustness in inter- and intra-column variation studies.

Conclusions:

• The novel monolithic columns effectively combine MIPs and cryogels for superior aflatoxin extraction.
• The developed material shows high selectivity and efficiency for detecting various aflatoxin subtypes in food matrices.
• These columns represent a promising advancement for sensitive and reliable aflatoxin analysis in food safety applications.