Recent advances in the rapid acoustic screening of deoxynivalenol in wheat grains

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a natural and ubiquitous toxic metabolite produced by filamentous fungi of the genus Fusarium. Approximately one quarter of the world's food crops (mainly cereals) are affected by mycotoxins such as DON. A rapid and non-destructive method to evaluate the quality and safety of grains is therefore required to eliminate these toxins from the food chain. The first portable acoustic device that predicts the concentration of DON in cereal grains has been developed using a broadband capacitive ultrasonic transducer. An acoustic method was optimised for the rapid prediction of DON in wheat. To measure the performance of this method, a model system comprising 0-100% scabby wheat grains was prepared and a single laboratory validation was carried out. The best regression model between DON concentrations determined by the reference ELISA method and the acoustic technique was obtained at an acoustic frequency of 32.2 kHz, with a correlation coefficient of 0.9852 and a repeatability coefficient of variation of 2.1-9.3%, which is much better than the results achieved by prototype acoustic spectrometers. These data show that acoustic technology allows the online monitoring of DON in cereal grains, such as wheat, because it is possible to analyse multilayer grain beds. Sound absorption depends on the grain size and moisture content, so it is advisable to use the equipment at the point of harvest, where one strain of cereals usually dominates and the grains have a more ...
Source: World Mycotoxin Journal - Category: Toxicology Tags: World Mycotoxin Journal Source Type: research