Feasibility of immunodiagnostic devices for the detection of ricin, amanitin, and T-2 toxin in food

• Published in: Journal of food protection Vol. 68; no. 6; pp. 1294 - 1301
• Main Authors: Garber, E.A.E, Eppley, R.M, Stack, M.E, McLaughlin, M.A, Park, D.L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Des Moines, IA International Association of Milk, Food and Environmental Sanitarians 01.06.2005
• Subjects: alpha-amanitin; Amanitins - immunology; Amanitins - isolation & purification; baked goods; beverages; Biological and medical sciences; Cross Reactions; dairy products; detection; Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay - methods; Food Analysis; food contamination; Food Contamination - analysis; Food industries; food pathogens; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Methods of analysis, processing and quality control, regulation, standards; mushroom poisoning; natural toxicants; phycotoxins; produce; Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; ricin; Ricin - immunology; Ricin - isolation & purification; Sensitivity and Specificity; serodiagnosis; T-2 toxin; T-2 Toxin - immunology; T-2 Toxin - isolation & purification; toxigenic strains; Toxin; Analysis method; Ricin; Feasibility; Control method; Detection; Food
• ISSN: 0362-028X; 1944-9097
• DOI: 10.4315/0362-028X-68.6.1294

Qualitative and quantitative comparisons were conducted of commercially available immunodiagnostic devices for the detection of three select agents with oral LD50 values greater than or equal to 0.1 mg/kg of body weight. Ricin (oral LD50 > 1 mg/kg), amanitin (oral LD50 approximately 0.1 mg/kg), and T-2 toxin (oral LD50 > 1 mg/kg) were spiked into beverages, produce, dairy, and baked goods and assayed using commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) and lateral flow devices. In all cases, the commercial diagnostic kits successfully detected all three select agents at concentrations below what might be a health concern. The considerable difference between the limit of detection of the immunodiagnostic devices employed (typically less than or equal to 0.020 microgram/g) and the amount of the select agent necessary to pose a health threat in a single serving of food facilitated the design of protocols for the high throughput screening of food samples. These protocols entailed simple extraction methods followed by sample dilution. Lateral flow devices and sandwich ELISAs for the detection of ricin had no significant background problems due to the food matrices. Competitive ELISAs, which typically have unacceptably high background reactions with food samples, successfully detected amanitin and T-2 toxin.