Novel Dumbbell-like CeVO Carrier-Based Immunochromatographic Assay for Highly Sensitive T-2 Toxin Detection in Food Samples.

Improving the sensitivity of immunochromatographic assays (ICAs) lies in the signal strength and probe activity of the labeled tracers, and the color properties and structure of the labeled tracers are key factors affecting the biological activity. In this study, cerium vanadate (CeVO) of different sizes and shapes (230, 1058, and 710 nm) was synthesized to investigate its impact on the performance of ICA for T-2 detection. The prepared CeVO possessed outstanding stability, a large specific surface area, superior biocompatibility, and high compatibility with T-2 mAb (affinity constant was 3.14 × 10 M). As labeling probes for competitive ICA, the results showed that 1058 nm of CeVO as labels exhibited the best detection performance, with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.079 ng/mL, which was substantially 19-fold less than the average of gold nanoparticle ICA. Additionally, CeVO-ICA was effectively used to detect T-2 toxin, and the recovery rate for spiking corn and oatmeal samples was determined to be 81.27-115.44% (relative standard deviation <9.16%). The above information demonstrates the efficiency and applicability of CeVO-ICA as a technique for quick and thorough identification of T-2 toxin residues in food.