Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites, produced by different types of molds. These substances cause economic losses and are considered as a global public health concern because the food supplies that are contaminated by mycotoxins are graded as unfit for consumption.¹ Deoxynivalenol (DON), also called vomitoxin is one of the most representative mycotoxins which is mainly produced by Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium culmorum. DON commonly contaminates grains, such as corn, wheat and rice. DON has also been found to contribute to chronic disease development.² The DON analysis for quality control purposes in grains commonly relies on expensive methods, such as GC-MS and HPLC or complex biosensors.³ These methods are used because of high sensitivity which makes it possible to detect trace amounts of DON in complex media. In this work, we propose an easy to use, rapid and cost-efficient detection method for DON based on modified glassy carbon electrodes (GCE). The electrochemical behavior of DON is studied using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) methods. Limits of detection and quantification are determined. The performance of the sensor in spiked solutions and real samples is studied and compared with standard methods.

References

(1) Lee, H. J.; Ryu, D. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 2017, 65, 7034-7051.

(2) Pestka, J. J.; Smolinski, A. T. Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part B 2005, 8, 39-69.

(3) Tittlemier, S. A.; Brunkhorst, J.; Cramer, B.; DeRosa, M. C.; Lattanzio, V. M. T.; Malone, R.; Maragos, C.; Stranska, M.; Sumarah, M. W. World Mycotoxin Journal 2021, 14, 3-26.