Sensitive detection of estrogenic mycotoxin zearalenone by open sandwich immunoassay.

Zearalenone (ZEA) is an estrogenic mycotoxin produced by Fusarium sp., and its production on corn and small grains during storage has been of considerable concern. For sensitive ZEA detection, we applied an open sandwich (OS) immunoassay that can noncompetitively detect monovalent antigens utilizing an antigen-induced enhancement of the V(H)/V(L) interaction.