They are useful for indicating the presence of unknown toxins, and are useful in studies to isolate new mycotoxins. Once a new toxin has been identified, it is then usually possible to develop a suitable chemical assay for its detection and quantification. The chemical assay is almost invariably quicker, cheaper, more specific, more reproducible, and more sensitive than the corresponding bioassay.
Chemical assays are suitable for routine analyses, as required for quality control and survey work.
Immunoassays, are a combination of a chemical and a biological assay. They are very sensitive and can be specific, making them suitable for screening body fluids etc. All methods of chemical analysis for mycotoxins incorporate a combination of procedures, as indicated in the flow-chart in Figure 1. This aspect of the analysis is discussed in detail in the previous section. However, it must be emphasised here that this is a most important step.