Upconversion-Linked Immunosorbent Assay for the Biomimetic Detection of the Mycotoxin Cyclopiazonic Acid.

The neurotoxin α-cyclopiazonic acid (CPA) is an emerging mycotoxin produced as a secondary metabolite by several fungi species (., spp. and spp.

A Simulated Tracheostomy Tube Change Educational Intervention to Promote Competency Among Novice Healthcare Professionals: A Repeated Measures Study.

Objective: To evaluate an educational intervention to promote confidence, knowledge, and skills in tracheostomy tube change among nursing students.

Methods: The study, conducted at the at the Johns Hopkins Center for Immersive Learning and Digital Innovation, enrolled nursing students without prior experience in tracheostomy tube change. The intervention included a pre-recorded presentation, faculty demonstrations with a Tracheostomy Care Training Simulation Model, and participant practice demonstrating skills.

Monoclonal-Antibody-Based Immunoassays for the Mycotoxins NX-2 and NX-3 in Wheat.

The fungal infestation of crops can cause major economic losses. Toxins produced by the causative fungi (mycotoxins) represent a potential safety hazard to people and livestock consuming them. One such mycotoxin is deoxynivalenol (DON, also known as vomitoxin), a trichothecene associated with Fusarium Head Blight of wheat.

Homogeneous immunoassay for cyclopiazonic acid based upon mimotopes and upconversion-resonance energy transfer.

Strains of Penicillium spp. are used for fungi-ripened cheeses and Aspergillus spp. routinely contaminate maize and other crops.

Detection of T-2 Toxin in Wheat and Maize with a Portable Mass Spectrometer.

T-2 toxin is a mycotoxin routinely found as a contaminant of cereal grains worldwide. A portable mass spectrometer was adapted to enable the detection of T-2 toxin in wheat and maize by APCI-MS. In order to facilitate rapid testing, a rapid cleanup was used.

Measurement of Fumonisins in Maize Using a Portable Mass Spectrometer.

Fumonisins are a group of mycotoxins that routinely contaminate maize. Their presence is monitored at multiple stages from harvest to final product. Immunoassays are routinely used to screen commodities in the field while laboratory-based methods, such as mass spectrometry (MS), are used for confirmation.

Cyclopiazonic acid in soft-ripened and blue cheeses marketed in the USA.

Strains of and are used in the production of soft-ripened and blue-veined cheeses. However, some strains can produce toxic secondary metabolites (mycotoxins), including α-cyclopiazonic acid (CPA), a neurotoxin. Data on the levels of CPA in cheeses marketed in the USA are extremely limited.

Volatile Organic Compound Profile Fingerprints Using DART-MS Shows Species-Specific Patterns in Mycotoxin Producing Fungi.

Fungal volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are low-molecular weight fungal metabolites that have high vapor pressure at ambient temperatures and can function as airborne signals. Here, we report a VOC study of several different species of . Direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry (DART-MS) was applied for non-invasive VOC fingerprinting of isolates growing under standardized conditions.

Roquefortine C in blue-veined and soft-ripened Cheeses in the USA.

Certain fungi can produce secondary metabolites that are toxic, mycotoxins. Two groups of cheeses where fungi are used for ripening are the blue-veined cheeses () and the "soft-ripened" cheeses (. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to screen for the mycotoxin roquefortine C (ROQC) in 202 samples of cheeses sold in the United States.

Development and characterisation of a monoclonal antibody to detect the mycotoxin roquefortine C.

Roquefortine, also known as roquefortine C (ROQC) is a fungal secondary metabolite (mycotoxin) that is produced by some of the same Penicillia as the tremorgen penitrem-A (PEN-A). The two mycotoxins have been linked to sporadic cases of toxicosis in dogs, cattle, and humans, leading some to consider ROQC as a biomarker of PEN-A. Reported here are the development of a monoclonal antibody (mAb) and associated competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the screening of ROQC in extracts of nuts (nut "milks"), and dog serum.

Development and Characterization of Monoclonal Antibodies for the Mycotoxin Citreoviridin.

Citreoviridin (CTV) in an inhibitor of mitochondrial ATPase that has been isolated from molded yellow rice and linked to the human disease Shoshin-kakke (acute cardiac beriberi). The disease results from a deficiency of thiamine, however, purified CTV can reproduce the symptoms in experimental animals. The link between CTV and Shoshin-kakke has been difficult to resolve, in part because cases of the disease are rare.

Fluorescence Polarization Immunoassay for the Determination of T-2 and HT-2 Toxins and Their Glucosides in Wheat.

T-2 and HT-2 toxins and their main modified forms (T-2 glucoside and HT-2 glucoside) may co-occur in cereals and cereal-based products. A fluorescence polarization immunoassay (FPIA) was developed for the simultaneous determination of T-2 toxin, HT-2 toxin and relevant glucosides, expressed as sum. The developed FPIA, using a HT-2-specific antibody, showed high sensitivity (IC = 2.

Immunoassay utilizing imaging surface plasmon resonance for the detection of cyclopiazonic acid (CPA) in maize and cheese.

α-Cyclopiazonic acid (CPA) is a tremorgenic mycotoxin produced by Aspergillus and Penicillium fungal species, commonly found on agricultural commodities or fermented food products. A sensitive and rapid imaging surface plasmon resonance (iSPR) assay was developed to detect CPA in maize and cheese by combining an indirect competitive immunoassay and signal amplification based upon a secondary antibody (Ab) conjugated with gold nanoparticles. Matrix-matched calibration curves were used to determine CPA content in maize and cheese samples.

Coordination of mycotoxins with lanthanides in luminescent complexes.

The ability of several chelating mycotoxins to form coordination complexes with the lanthanide metals europium and terbium was explored. The mycotoxins examined included ochratoxin A, citrinin, cyclopiazonic acid (CPA), kojic acid, and tenuazonic acid (TeA). Of these compounds, TeA and CPA resulted in the greatest luminescence.

Complexation of the Mycotoxin Cyclopiazonic Acid with Lanthanides Yields Luminescent Products.

Cycopiazonic acid (CPA) is a neurotoxin that acts through inhibition of the sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca-ATPase (SERCA). CPA blocks the calcium access channel of the enzyme. The inhibition may involve the binding of CPA with a divalent cation such as Mg.

An Imaging Surface Plasmon Resonance Biosensor Assay for the Detection of T-2 Toxin and Masked T-2 Toxin-3-Glucoside in Wheat.

A sensitive, rapid, and reproducible imaging surface plasmon resonance (iSPR) biosensor assay was developed to detect T-2 toxin and T-2 toxin-3-glucoside (T2-G) in wheat. In this competitive assay, an amplification strategy was used after conjugating a secondary antibody (Ab₂) with gold nanoparticles. Wheat samples were extracted with a methanol/water mixture (80:20 v/v), then diluted with an equal volume of primary antibody (Ab₁) for analysis.

MycoKey Round Table Discussions of Future Directions in Research on Chemical Detection Methods, Genetics and Biodiversity of Mycotoxins.

MycoKey, an EU-funded Horizon 2020 project, includes a series of "Roundtable Discussions" to gather information on trending research areas in the field of mycotoxicology. This paper includes summaries of the Roundtable Discussions on Chemical Detection and Monitoring of mycotoxins and on the role of genetics and biodiversity in mycotoxin production. Discussions were managed by using the nominal group discussion technique, which generates numerous ideas and provides a ranking for those identified as the most important.

Interaction of zearalenone with bovine serum albumin as determined by fluorescence quenching.

The major aim of this study was to examine the binding of zearalenone (ZEN) to bovine serum albumin (BSA) by measuring the quenching of the intrinsic fluorescence of the protein under aqueous conditions. The results suggest that ZEN has a strong ability to quench the intrinsic fluorescence of BSA through a static mechanism. The hydrophobicity of the microenvironment around the tyrosine (Tyr) residues in BSA was increased in the presence of ZEN.

Gold nanoparticle-enhanced multiplexed imaging surface plasmon resonance (iSPR) detection of Fusarium mycotoxins in wheat.

A rapid, sensitive and multiplexed imaging surface plasmon resonance (iSPR) biosensor assay was developed and validated for three Fusarium toxins, deoxynivalenol (DON), zearalenone (ZEA) and T-2 toxin. The iSPR assay was based on a competitive inhibition format with secondary antibodies (Ab) conjugated to gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) used as a signal amplification tag. Signal was amplified nearly 25-fold for DON, 90-fold for ZEA and 12-fold for T-2 toxin assay using Ab-AuNPs.

Detection of cyclopiazonic acid (CPA) in maize by immunoassay.

Cyclopiazonic acid (α-CPA) is a tremorgenic mycotoxin that is commonly produced by certain species of the aspergilli, in particular Aspergillus flavus, which is more widely known for production of the aflatoxins. Despite the fact that α-CPA may co-occur with aflatoxins, immunoassay-based methods for monitoring for CPA have not been widely developed. We report the development and evaluation of several monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) for α-CPA.

Multiplexed Biosensors for Mycotoxins.

Significant progress has been made in the development of biosensors that can be used to detect low-MW toxins produced by fungi (mycotoxins). The number of formats that have been investigated is impressive and is an indication of the importance attached to finding easy-to-use, accurate, and rapid methods for detecting these toxins in commodities and foods. This review explores the details of multiplexed biosensors based on many formats, including multiplexed immunoassays, suspension arrays, membrane-based devices (flow-through and immunochromatographic), and planar microarrays.

Comparison of Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay, Surface Plasmon Resonance and Biolayer Interferometry for Screening of Deoxynivalenol in Wheat and Wheat Dust.

A sample preparation method was developed for the screening of deoxynivalenol (DON) in wheat and wheat dust. Extraction was carried out with water and was successful due to the polar character of DON. For detection, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was compared to the sensor-based techniques of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and biolayer interferometry (BLI) in terms of sensitivity, affinity and matrix effect.

Development and Evaluation of Monoclonal Antibodies for Paxilline.

Paxilline (PAX) is a tremorgenic mycotoxin that has been found in perennial ryegrass infected with Acremonium lolii. To facilitate screening for this toxin, four murine monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were developed. In competitive indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (CI-ELISAs) the concentrations of PAX required to inhibit signal development by 50% (IC50s) ranged from 1.

Quantification of patulin in fruit leathers by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array (UPLC-PDA).

Patulin is a mycotoxin commonly found in certain fruit and fruit products. For this reason many countries have established regulatory limits pertaining to, in particular, apple juice and apple products. Fruit leathers are produced by dehydrating fruit puree, leaving a sweet product that has a leathery texture.