Comparison of thin-layer chromatography and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for detection and quantification of deoxynivalenol in corn and wheat

The trichothecene, deoxynivalenol (DON), is a common mycotoxin found in wheat and corn. Detection methods for DON have limitations in accuracy, sensitivity, ease of use, and turnaround time. Two methods, thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and an enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) for DON detection and quantification were compared. The methods varied considerably in the amounts of DON detected in 51 different grain samples, with the ELISA method showing higher concentrations than the TLC method. Much of the unaccounted-for DON may have been lost during sample preparation for the TLC method. Recovery rates for the TLC method at DON levels of 1 and 5 ppm were 46% and 25% in corn grits and 32% and 26% in ground wheat respectively. Recovery rates for the ELISA method at 1 and 5 ppm levels were both 96% in corn grits and respectively 83% and 69% in ground wheat. The ELISA method was much faster and less laborious than the TLC method and did not use organic solvents, which are required in the TLC method.