Electronic nose for determination of aflatoxins in maize

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential for use of an electronic nose for rapid identification of maize samples contaminated with aflatoxins. Principal component analysis (PCA) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) were used to investigate whether the electronic nose was able to distinguish between contaminated and non-contaminated maize samples. The obtained results indicate that the electronic nose was able to distinguish between maize samples according to the presence and absence of total aflatoxins. LDA was 100% correct in making prediction. These results could be used in further studies aimed at development of a robust classification model, which could be useful to screen for aflatoxins at concentration limits proposed by the European legislation.

Keywords

• aflatoxins
• electronic nose
• maize