ASSESSMENT OF IMMUNOCHEMICAL METHODS FOR THE ANALYSIS OF TRICHOTHECENE MYCOTOXINS IN NATURALLY-OCCURRING MOLDY CORN

The efficacy of various immunochemical methods for simultaneous analys is of different trichothecene mycotoxins in corn samples naturally con taminated with various Fusarium molds was evaluated. Antibodies agains t either T-2 tetraol tetraacetate (T-2-4ol-4Ac) or deoxynivalenol tria cetate (Tri-Ac-DON) were used in the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and radioimmunoassay (RIA) for total type A and total DON-rel ated trichothecenes (TCTCs), respectively, Specific antibodies against T-2 toxin were used in an RIA for analysis of T-2 toxin alone, Analyt ical recoveries of T-2 toxin analyzed as T-2-4ol-4Ac by ELISA and T-2 toxin by RIA at 10-200 ppb were 83.5-123% and 81.8-110.6%, respectivel y, T-2 toxin accounts for about 30% of total type A TCTCs by both liqu id chromatography (LC)-ELISA and RIA methods, The correlation coeffici ents (r) of total type A TCTC levels versus T-2 toxin level by RIA was 0.725 (p < 0.0001). A good correlation (r = 0.84 and p = 0.04) also w as found for T-2 toxin levels obtained by LC-ELISA and RIA methods, In addition to T-2 toxin, HT-2 toxin, diacetoxyscirpenol, and T-2 tetrol were found in samples containing high levels of type A TCTCs by LC-EL ISA. For analysis of DON alone, samples were treated with a Sep-Pak C- 18 cartridge to remove other acetylated DONs before RIA. Recovery of D ON after the C-18 cartridge treatment was 90%. Overall analytical reco veries of DON as Tri-Ac-DON (sample with no C-18 treatment) and DON al one (with C-18 treatment) at 10-500 ppb were 81.3-94% and 72.7-104%, r espectively. RIA revealed that DON accounts for about 50% of total DON -related TCTCs. The coefficient of correlation between total DON-relat ed TCTCs and DON levels was 0.84 (p < 0.0001).