Development of ic-ELISA and lateral-flow immunochromatographic assay strip for the detection of citrinin in cereals

A sensitive and specific anti-citrinin (anti-CIT) monoclonal antibody 1F2 was obtained following immunization and cell fusion. An indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was developed with a 50% inhibitory concentration of 0.761 ng/mL and a limit of detection of 0.089 ng/mL. The recovery rates for CIT-spiked cereals (maize, wheat, and rice) ranged from 112% to 123%. A lateral-flow immunochromatographic assay was developed for both semi-quantitative and quantitative detection. With CIT-spiked cereals, the visual limit of detection was 8 ng/g and the cut-off value was 40 ng/g (semi-quantitative analysis with naked-eye detection). Using a strip scan reader, the calculated limit of detection was 1.28–1.8 ng/g for different CIT-spiked cereals. The recovery rates ranged from 110% to 127%. Therefore, both methods were effective for CIT detection and suitable for on-site detection and rapid screening of samples.