Fluorescence immunoassay based on phage mimotope for nontoxic detection of Zearalenone in maize

Abstract Zearalenone (ZEN) is one of the most common mycotoxin contaminants worldwide. In this study, a phage‐based direct competitive fluorescence immunosorbent assay (P‐dcFLISA) was developed for the detection of ZEN. In this P‐dcFLISA, phage mimotope was used to replace chemically synthesized antigens to improve the safety of experiments. Furthermore, ZnCdSe/ZnS (core/shell) quantum dots (QDs) as fluorescent labeling material replaced chromogenic substrate, which are used in traditional ELISA. The 50% inhibition value (IC 50 ) of P‐dcFLISA was 0.301 ng/ml, which was approximately 12‐fold lower than that of phage‐based indirect competitive enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (P‐icELISA). The limit of detection (LOD) of P‐dcFLISA was 0.023 ng/ml and the detection range was 0.060–1.531 ng/ml. In the added recovery assay, recovery rate was 93.18–105.52%, with the coefficient variation (CV) ranging from 8.39% to 10.55%. The establishment of P‐icFLISA not only save time, but also avoid the use of mycotoxins in the detection process, providing a safe method for the detection of mycotoxins. In conclusion, phage‐based fluorescence immunoassay method has great potential application in ZEN detection and agricultural monitoring.