The evolution of multiplex detection of mycotoxins using immunoassay platform technologies

Mycotoxins present serious threats not only for public health, but also for the economy and environment. The problems become more complex and serious due to co-contamination of multiple hazardous mycotoxins in commodities and environment. To mitigate against this issue, accurate, affordable, and rapid multiplex detection methods are required. This review presents an overview of emerging rapid immuno-based multiplex methods capable of detecting mycotoxins present in agricultural products and feed ingredients published within the past five years. The scientific principles, advantages, disadvantages, and assay performance of these rapid multiplex immunoassays, including lateral flow, fluorescence polarization, chemiluminescence, surface plasmon resonance, surface enhanced Raman scattering, electrochemical sensor, and nanoarray are discussed. From the recent literature landscape, it is predicted that the future trend of the detection methods for multiple mycotoxins will rely on the advance of various sensor technologies, a variety of enhancing and reporting signals based on nanomaterials, rapid and effective sample preparation, and capacity for quantitative analysis.

Automated summary

Mycotoxins pose serious threats to public health, the economy, and the environment. The co-contamination of multiple hazardous mycotoxins in commodities and the environment adds complexity to the problem. This review discusses emerging rapid immuno-based multiplex methods for detecting mycotoxins in agricultural products and feed ingredients published within the past five years, including lateral flow, fluorescence polarization, chemiluminescence, surface plasmon resonance, surface enhanced Raman scattering, electrochemical sensor, and nanoarray. The future trend of detection methods for multiple mycotoxins is predicted to rely on advancements in sensor technologies, nanomaterial-based enhancing and reporting signals, rapid sample preparation, and quantitative analysis capacity.