Nanoparticles for Mycotoxin Detection in Agricultural Testing

Nanoparticles for Mycotoxin Detection in Agricultural Testing

Detecting mycotoxins at the trace levels required by global regulations usually means laboratory analysis. Lateral flow assays (LFAs) offer a faster alternative, with on-site results in minutes, but their sensitivity depends on what's used to generate the signal. Nanoparticles for mycotoxin detection have demonstrated exceptional sensitivity, lowering detection limits, supporting multiplexed testing, and bringing LFA performance closer to laboratory methods. The sections below cover the contamination problem these tests address and how nanoparticles work within them.

Background on mycotoxins

Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by fungi that contaminate crops in the field, during storage, or in transit, affecting both food and animal feed.1 They are highly stable and resist removal by conventional processes such as cooking, washing, or sanitization.2

Mycotoxin contamination has significant agricultural and economic impacts, reducing crop value, animal productivity, and posing risks to human health.3 Studies indicate that 60–80% of crop samples across more than 50 countries are contaminated.4 In the United States alone, annual crop losses are estimated at $932 million.5 This issue is expected to worsen as climate change creates conditions more favorable for fungal growth.6

Because contamination cannot be entirely prevented, over 100 countries mandate strict testing of agricultural commodities and food products.7 Many have also set maximum allowable limits for specific mycotoxins.8 While mitigation strategies such as good agricultural practices, proper storage, fungicides, and mycotoxin binders help reduce contamination, they do not eliminate it, underscoring the need for continued monitoring and detection.

Understanding mycotoxins and their risks

Among the hundreds of known mycotoxins, a few are of major concern due to their toxicity and prevalence in crops. Produced by Aspergillus, Fusarium, and Penicillium species, these include aflatoxins (AFs), ochratoxin A (OTA), zearalenone (ZEN), fumonisins (FUMs), and deoxynivalenol (DON).9

Once in the food chain, these toxins are ingested by humans and animals, causing significant health effects.10 In livestock, they can lead to reduced weight gain, reproductive and metabolic disorders, distress, and death.3 In humans, OTA and AFs are associated with kidney disease, immune suppression, impaired childhood growth, and liver cancer, with severe aflatoxicosis outbreaks reported worldwide.11,12

To limit these risks, regulatory agencies have established maximum allowable levels of mycotoxins.8 This highlights the importance of advanced solutions such as nanoparticles for mycotoxin detection.

Figure 1. Mycotoxins impact agriculture and the health of both humans and livestock.

The need for rapid testing in mycotoxin detection

Because even trace levels of mycotoxins can pose serious health risks, detection methods must be highly sensitive and accurate to meet global regulations. Traditional techniques such as HPLC and LC-MS are reliable but require time-consuming laboratory analysis, delaying decisions and increasing economic losses.

Rapid detection methods are often based on immunoassays like ELISA, which provide high sensitivity and throughput but still require sample preparation, cold storage, and processing time.14

Lateral flow immunoassays (LFAs) enable rapid, on-site detection with minimal sample preparation and results in minutes.15 Advances in nanotechnology, particularly nanoparticles for mycotoxin detection, have further improved LFAs by enhancing sensitivity, lowering detection limits, and enabling multiplexing.16

Method Advantages Disadvantages
LFA
  • Rapid
  • Simple sample preparation
  • Cost-effective
  • Adequate sensitivity and specificity
  • Portable
  • Capable of multiplexing
  • Suitable for high throughput screening
  • Limited ability for quantitative results
  • Matrix effects can affect accuracy
HPLC
  • Excellent sensitivity
  • High reproducibility
  • Highly selective
  • Suitable for concurrent analysis of multiple mycotoxins
  • Expensive and complex equipment
  • Requires specialized personnel
  • Complicated sample preparation
  • Limited throughput
  • Time-consuming
LC-MS
  • High sensitivity
  • High reproducibility
  • Suitable for multi-analyte confirmation
  • Expensive and complex equipment
  • Requires specialized personnel
  • Complicated sample preparation
  • Time-consuming
ELISA
  • High throughput
  • High specificity and sensitivity
  • Cost-effective
  • Cross-reactivity
  • Limited multiplexing
  • Risk of false positive/negative results
  • Requires cold storage

How do nanoparticles for mycotoxin detection work?

Nanotechnology enables manipulation of materials at the nanoscale, significantly improving biosensing performance.16 In particular, nanoparticles for mycotoxin detection can be precisely engineered in terms of size, shape and surface chemistry for targeted applications.17 Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), for example, are widely used in colorimetric assays due to their stability and optical properties.19

Nanoparticles for mycotoxin detection amplify signals via colorimetric, fluorescent, electrochemical and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) mechanisms, enabling ultra-sensitive detection at low concentrations. Their tunable surface chemistry allows functionalization with antibodies, aptamers or molecularly imprinted polymers for highly specific detection.16–18

Figure 2. Unique and versatile properties of nanoparticles.

Learn more in our article Nanoparticle Enabled Biosensor Technologies.

Applications and case studies

Multiplexing

While LFAs are simple, rapid and low-cost, most can only detect one or two mycotoxins in a single test. Given that most crops are contaminated with two or more mycotoxins, there's an urgent demand for methods with superior multiplexing capabilities to enhance efficiency and reduce costs.1 Advances in nanoparticles for mycotoxin detection are helping address this need.

Several successful multiplex LFAs have now been developed to simultaneously detect two to six mycotoxins.20,21 Notably, in 2020, researchers developed a novel analytical approach combining SERS detection with the LFA format, resulting in a rapid immunosensor capable of detecting six distinct analytes in a single test within 20 minutes.21

Extreme sensitivity

Advanced LFA technologies, coupled with nanotechnology enhancements, have demonstrated exceptional sensitivity, enabling detection of mycotoxins at extremely low concentrations. Many systems leveraging nanoparticles for mycotoxin detection can now achieve low detection limits, comparable to gold-standard techniques such as HPLC and well below regulatory thresholds.16,17,21

Accessibility

Traditionally, LFAs have been used as a tool for qualitative measurements, providing visual colorimetric changes to indicate the presence or absence of a target analyte. However, with the growing demand for accurate and rapid on-site testing in agricultural and food safety applications, there is a pressing need for LFA systems that can rapidly and accurately quantify mycotoxin levels, enable quick data sharing and reduce laboratory testing costs.

To address this, researchers are now integrating LFA platforms with smartphone technology, enabling real-time, quantitative analysis of target analytes in an accessible manner. For instance, in 2020, researchers developed a smartphone-compatible AuNP LFA. This innovation enabled the identification of five distinct classes of mycotoxins, demonstrating how nanoparticles for mycotoxin detection can support real-time, accessible analysis.20

Learn more about Nanoparticles for Precision Diagnostics

Limitations

Although nanoparticles for mycotoxin detection can significantly improve LFA performance, these systems still require careful assay design and validation. Complex food and feed matrices can interfere with target binding or signal readout, and quantitative results may depend on sample preparation, reader calibration and consistent nanoparticle conjugation. For regulatory or high-risk decisions, rapid nanoparticle-based tests may still need to be paired with confirmatory laboratory methods such as HPLC or LC-MS.

Conclusion

As global food demand increases, the need to detect and manage harmful contaminants becomes more critical. Traditional detection methods rely on expensive instrumentation, complex workflows and specialized personnel.

Nanotechnology-based tests such as LFAs provide a streamlined alternative, enabling rapid, sensitive and cost-effective detection of mycotoxins without extensive sample preparation. By leveraging nanoparticles for mycotoxin detection, these systems allow faster decision-making, reduce economic losses and help prevent widespread public health risks.

Explore nanoComposix nanoparticles, conjugates and kits for streamlined diagnostic research workflows

References

  1. Smith MC, Madec S, Coton E, Hymery N. Natural Co-Occurrence of Mycotoxins in Foods and Feeds and Their in vitro Combined Toxicological Effects. Toxins (Basel). 2016;8(4):94. doi:10.3390/toxins8040094

  2. Agriopoulou S, Stamatelopoulou E, Varzakas T. Advances in Occurrence, Importance, and Mycotoxin Control Strategies: Prevention and Detoxification in Foods. Foods. 2020;9(2):137. doi:10.3390/foods9020137

  3. Bryden WL. Mycotoxin contamination of the feed supply chain: Implications for animal productivity and feed security. Anim Feed Sci Technol. 2012;173(1–2):134-158. doi:10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2011.12.014

  4. Eskola M, Kos G, Elliott CT, Hajšlová J, Mayar S, Krska R. Worldwide contamination of food-crops with mycotoxins: Validity of the widely cited ‘FAO estimate’ of 25%. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2020;60(16):2773-2789. doi:10.1080/10408398.2019.1658570

  5. Wu F, Mitchell NJ. How climate change and regulations can affect the economics of mycotoxins. World Mycotoxin J. 2016;9(5):653-663. doi:10.3920/WMJ2015.2015

  6. Zingales V, Taroncher M, Martino PA, Ruiz MJ, Caloni F. Climate Change and Effects on Molds and Mycotoxins. Toxins (Basel). 2022;14(7):445. doi:10.3390/toxins14070445

  7. van Egmond HP, Schothorst RC, Jonker MA. Regulations relating to mycotoxins in food. Anal Bioanal Chem. 2007;389(1):147-157. doi:10.1007/s00216-007-1317-9

  8. European Commission. Mycotoxins. https://food.ec.europa.eu/safety/chemical-safety/contaminants/catalogue/mycotoxins_en. Accessed June 3, 2024.

  9. US Food and Drug Administration. Mycotoxins. https://www.fda.gov/food/natural-toxins-food/mycotoxins. Published July 21, 2022. Accessed June 3, 2024.

  10. El-Sayed RA, Jebur AB, Kang W, El-Demerdash FM. An overview on the major mycotoxins in food products: characteristics, toxicity, and analysis. Journal of Future Foods. 2022;2(2):91-102. doi:10.1016/j.jfutfo.2022.03.002

  11. Edite Bezerra da Rocha M, da Chagas Oliveira Freire F, Erlan Feitosa Maia F, Izabel Florindo Guedes M, Rondina D. Mycotoxins and their effects on human and animal health. Food Control. 2014;36(1):159-165. doi:10.1016/j.foodcont.2013.08.021

  12. Kumar P, Mahato DK, Kamle M, Mohanta TK, Kang SG. Aflatoxins: A Global Concern for Food Safety, Human Health and Their Management. Front Microbiol. 2017;7. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2016.02170

  13. Awuchi CG, Ondari EN, Ogbonna CU, et al. Mycotoxins Affecting Animals, Foods, Humans, and Plants: Types, Occurrence, Toxicities, Action Mechanisms, Prevention, and Detoxification Strategies—A Revisit. Foods. 2021;10(6):1279. doi:10.3390/foods10061279

  14. Jia M, Liao X, Fang L, et al. Recent advances on immunosensors for mycotoxins in foods and other commodities. Trends Analyt Chem. 2021;136:116193. doi:10.1016/j.trac.2021.116193

  15. Di Nardo F, Chiarello M, Cavalera S, Baggiani C, Anfossi L. Ten Years of Lateral Flow Immunoassay Technique Applications: Trends, Challenges and Future Perspectives. Sensors (Basel). 2021;21(15):5185. doi:10.3390/s21155185

  16. Sena-Torralba A, Álvarez-Diduk R, Parolo C, Piper A, Merkoçi A. Toward Next Generation Lateral Flow Assays: Integration of Nanomaterials. Chem Rev. 2022;122(18):14881-14910. doi:10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c01012

  17. Zhang X, Li G, Wu D, Liu J, Wu Y. Recent advances on emerging nanomaterials for controlling the mycotoxin contamination: From detection to elimination. Food Front. 2020;1(4):360-381. doi:10.1002/fft2.42

  18. Goud KY, Kailasa SK, Kumar V, et al. Progress on nanostructured electrochemical sensors and their recognition elements for detection of mycotoxins: A review. Biosens Bioelectron. 2018;121:205-222. doi:10.1016/j.bios.2018.08.029

  19. Chang CC, Chen CP, Wu TH, Yang CH, Lin CW, Chen CY. Gold Nanoparticle-Based Colorimetric Strategies for Chemical and Biological Sensing Applications. Nanomaterials (Basel). 2019;9(6):861. doi:10.3390/nano9060861

  20. Liu Z, Hua Q, Wang J, et al. A smartphone-based dual detection mode device integrated with two lateral flow immunoassays for multiplex mycotoxins in cereals. Biosens Bioelectron. 2020;158:112178. doi:10.1016/j.bios.2020.112178

  21. Zhang W, Tang S, Jin Y, et al. Multiplex SERS-based lateral flow immunosensor for the detection of major mycotoxins in maize utilizing dual Raman labels and triple test lines. J Hazard Mater. 2020;393:122348. doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.122348

❮ Back to Blog