Research shows that alternative organic solvents, less toxic, and even aqueous solutions can be used to extract mycotoxins. Aqueous solutions are also more cost-effective. So how environmentally friendly is your mycotoxin analysis?

1. Finding the best solvent for extracting aflatoxin from corn

- Until the 1990s, chloroform was commonly used as the extraction solvent for aflatoxin. Then mixtures based on methanol or acetonitrile and water became the preferred extraction solvents. This poster by Bruce Malone and Carrie Maune from Trilogy Analytical Laboratory provides a detailed overview of extraction efficiency.

- However, these organic solvents put a burden on the environment, are hazardous, and can cause problems with antibody-based methods such as the widely used ELISA and lateral flow immunoassays. In addition, organic solvents increase the cost of analysis. A water-based aflatoxin extraction method would not have these disadvantages.

2. How can aflatoxin be extracted using an aqueous solution?

Some mycotoxins are easily soluble in water. Aflatoxin is not. Like many other mycotoxins, aflatoxin is analyzed accurately with organic solvents. In 2008, Chris Maragos of the USDA published a method in the AOAC journal using water with detergent (SDS) as an additive. He showed that the extraction of aflatoxin from corn with water was as good as methods using methanol-based solvents. As SDS is not environmentally friendly, it took a few years to develop a more environmentally friendly mycotoxin analysis method.

3. Environmentally friendly mycotoxin analysis solution from R-Biopharm

We have developed and validated a water-based extraction method for the aflatoxin test based on our rapid test. RIDA®QUICK Aflatoxin RQS ECO is a quantitative lateral flow assay for analyzing aflatoxin in corn. It uses a water-based extraction method – the required reagents are supplied with the kit. Simply mix the ground sample with the extraction buffer, shake, centrifuge and run the test. No dilution steps are needed. Read the result after 5 minutes with the RIDA® SMART BOX reader. RIDA®QUICK Aflatoxin RQS ECO is a reliable, fast and environmentally friendly mycotoxin test:

- Better for the environment and safer to use: no organic solvents required.

- Results available within 5 minutes of extraction.

- Results evaluated with the RIDA® SMART BOX reader.

- Measuring range of 4 – 75 ppb.

- Results comparable to methanol- or ethanol-based extraction methods.

- See the rapid test kits for mycotoxins we supply here,