An enzyme linked immunoassay for the determination of deoxynivalenol in wheat based on chicken egg yolk antibodies

An indirect competitive enzyme linked immunoassay (ELISA) for the detection of the Fusarium mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON) in wheat was developed. Instead of the much more common antibody isolation from mammal serum, DON specific antibodies were, for the first time, isolated from the eggs of previously immunized hens. The limit of detection was 2 μg/L for standard curves and spiked wheat extracts. Recoveries for naturally contaminated samples (200–525 μg/kg) were between 80 and 125% compared with GC-ECD data. Concentrations for naturally contaminated samples were chosen with regard to current Austrian guidelines concerning DON levels in produce intended for human consumption, recommending a maximum of 500 μg DON/kg.