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The occurrence of different mycotoxins in cereal products calls for the development of a rapid, sensitive, and reliable detection method that is capable of analyzing samples for multiple toxins simultaneously. In this study, we report the development and application of a multiplexed competitive assay for the simultaneous detection of ochratoxin A (OTA) and deoxynivalenol (DON) in spiked barley, cornmeal, and wheat, as well as in naturally contaminated maize samples. Fluoroimmunoassays were performed with the Naval Research Laboratory array biosensor, by both a manual and an automated version of the system. This system employs evanescent-wave fluorescence excitation to probe binding events as they occur on the surface of a waveguide. Methanolic extracts of the samples were diluted threefold with buffer containing a mixture of fluorescent antibodies and were then passed over the arrays of mycotoxins immobilized on a waveguide. Fluorescent signals of the surface-bound antibody-antigen complexes decreased with increasing concentrations of free mycotoxins in the extract. After sample analysis was completed, surfaces were regenerated with 6 M guanidine hydrochloride in 50 mM glycine, pH 2.0. The limits of detection determined by the manual biosensor system were as follows: 1, 180, and 65 ng/g for DON and 1, 60, and 85 ng/g for OTA in cornmeal, wheat, and barley, respectively. The limits of detection in cornmeal determined with the automated array biosensor were 15 and 150 ng/g for OTA and DON, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

“Ligand-free” citrate-stabilized 10 nm gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) promote the hydrolysis of the thiophosphate ester methyl parathion (MeP) on the surface of gold as a function of pH and two temperature values. At 50 °C, the active surface gold atoms show catalytic turnover ∼4 times after 8 h and little turnover of gold surface atoms at 25 °C with only 40% of the total atoms being active. From Michaelis–Menten analysis, k cat increases between pH 8 and 9 and decreases above pH 9. A global analysis of the spectral changes confirmed the stoichiometric reaction at 25 °C and the catalytic reaction at 50 °C and mass spectrometry confirmed the identity of p -nitrophenolate ( PNP ) product. Additional decomposition pathways involving oxidation and hydrolysis independent of the formation of PNP were also seen at 50 °C for both catalyzed and un-catalyzed reactions. This work represents the first kinetic analysis of ligand-free AuNP catalyzed hydrolysis of a thiophosphate ester. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]