Production and Characterization of Antibodies against Fumonisin B1

Polyclonal antibodies against fumonisin B1 (FmB1) were produced in rabbits after immunizing the animals with either FmBl-keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) or FmB1 bovine serum albumin (BSA). A direct competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (dc-ELISA) and an indirect competitive ELISA (idc-ELISA) were used for the characterization of the antibodies and for analysis of the toxin in corn samples. The antibody titers in the serum of rabbits immunized with FmBl-KLH were considerably higher than in those immunized with FmBl-BSA. The antibodies from the rabbits immunized with FmBl-KLH were further characterized. The concentrations causing 50% inhibition of binding of FmB1-horseradish peroxidase (HRP) to the antibodies by FmB1, FmB2 and FmB3 in the ELISA were found to be 0.45, 0.72, and 25 ng/ml, respectively. The detection limit of FmBl, based on 95% confidence at 5% of inhibition of binding of FmBl-HRP conjugate, in buffer of the dc-ELISA was found to be 0.05 ng/ml. In the presence of a matrix such as corn, the detection limit was less than 50 ppb. The overall analytical recoveries of FmBl (50 to 1,000 ng/g) added to the ground corn and then extracted with CH₃CN/H₂O (1/1, vol/vol) with cleanup and without cleanup in the dc ELISA were found to be 70.5 and 85.9%, respectively. A good correlation was found between the FmBl levels in 2 starch and 10 naturally contaminated corn samples analyzed by the dc-ELISA and the high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. The correlation coefficients between ELISA and HPLC were found to be 0.955 (y [ELISA] = 1.3 1x [HPLC] + 77 ppb; P < 0.001) and 0.811 (y = 1.13x + 34 ppb; P < 0.01) for the sample without and with cleanup treatment, respectively.