Portable SERS-based lateral flow strip for simultaneous rapid detection of three typical corn mycotoxins

The co-occurrence of multiple mycotoxins in corn is prevalent, with synergistic toxicity exacerbating health risks for humans and animals. Three typical mycotoxins-aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), zearalenone (ZEN), and deoxynivalenol (DON)-require stringent monitoring due to their widespread contamination. A novel SERS-LFIA detection platform was developed employing Au-Ag core-shell nanostructures loaded with dual-layer Raman reporter molecules (Au^MBA@Ag^MBANPs) as signal probes, combined with Au-IgG indicator probes. This platform achieved simultaneous detection of three mycotoxins in corn samples, with linear detection ranges of 0.5-30 μg/kg (AFB1), 10-1000 μg/kg (ZEN), and 50-2000 μg/kg (DON), respectively. Additionally, it showed 87.18 %-93.60 % coincidence rates with HPLC results in naturally contaminated corn samples. The developed SERS-LFIA strip exhibited superior performance characteristics, including rapid detection (20 min completion), enhanced sensitivity, and method accuracy, establishing its potential as an effective on-site screening tool for corn safety assurance.