Chemiluminescent and bioluminescent assays as innovative prospects for mycotoxin determination in food and feed.

Mycotoxin contamination of food and feedstuffs is among the top priorities for human and animal safety. The currently used techniques for mycotoxin determination, either chromatography or ELISA, are unsuitable for routine in-field assessment. There is an urgent need for other accurate, simple and cost-effective techniques that can be used as a screening tool for a rapid estimation of mycotoxin contamination in commodity lots. This paper reviews the literature on the use of chemiluminescence (CL) and bioluminescence (BL) assays for direct or indirect mycotoxin assessment. The chemiluminescence immunoassays, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) bioluminescence and bioassays are reviewed and their advantages and limitations discussed. These techniques used in food testing and the pharmaceutical industry offer promise as rapid techniques for mycotoxin determination. Chemiluminescence and bioluminescence bioassays are the most innovative alternatives to the conventional techniques used for mycotoxin determination in food and feed.