A simple procedure was developed for in vitro synthesis and characterization of aflatoxin B1-lysine adduct using aflatoxin B1, N-alpha-acetyl lysine and m-chloroperbenzoic acid (MCPBA). At a molar ratio of 1:16 (aflatoxin B1:N-alpha-cetyl lysine), the recovery of adduct was 62%. Analysis of the adduct by thin-layer chromatography showed a single spot (Rf = 0). Absorption spectra of the adduct showed 2 peaks at 275 and 335 nm. Liquid chromatographic (LC) analysis of the AFB1-lysine adduct showed a relative retention time of 2.1 min. Using the same epoxidation procedure, BSA-AFB1 adduct and ovalbumin-AFB1 adduct were synthesized for production of antibodies and as coating antigen, respectively. Control rat serum, spiked with AFB1-lysine adduct and subjected to LC analysis showed a retention time of 2.1 min, which is similar to that of AFB1-lysine reference standard, synthesized. Further, enzymatically hydrolyzed, control rat serum spiked with BSA-AFB1 adduct showed 2 peaks with retention times of 2.1 and 2.7 min. Based on the LC analysis, recovery of BSA-AFB1 in terms of AFB1-lysine adducts was 67 +/- 5%. The major peak (2.1 min) accounted for 72% of the adduct; the second minor peak (2.7 min) accounted for 28% of the total AFB1-lysine adducts formed. Stability studies on the AFB1-lysine adduct synthesized, indicated that it was stable for 1 month. Antibody capture assay showed an absorbance of 0.9 to 1.0 at a dilution of 1:50,000 when ovalbumin-AFB1 was used as a coating antigen. Indirect competitive ELISA showed 50% displacement (IC50) of the antibodies at a concentration of 13 ng AFB1-lysine, whereas the IC50 for AFB1 was 7 ng. The recovery of AFB1-lysine adduct spiked to control rat serum followed by enzymatic hydrolysis and immunoanalysis (indirect ELISA) was 93 +/- 6%. The enzyme immunoassay was validated by a rodent model, in which the animals were exposed to aflatoxin B1 (20 microg AFB1/kg body mass/day). The level of AFB1-lysine adduct in the rat serum was 27.3 +/- 4.37 microg/mg albumin.