Simple, Rapid, and Inexpensive Cleanup Method for Quantitation of Aflatoxins in Important Agricultural Products by HPLC

Victor S. Sobolev†
National Peanut Research Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, P.O. Box 509, Dawson, Georgia 39842
J. Agric. Food Chem., 2007, 55 (6), pp 2136–2141
DOI: 10.1021/jf063669j
Publication Date (Web): February 24, 2007
Copyright Not subject to U.S. Copyright. Published 2007 American Chemical Society
†

 Telephone (229) 995-7446; fax (229) 995-7416; e-mail vsobolev@ nprl.usda.gov.

Abstract

A chemical cleanup procedure for low-level quantitative determination of aflatoxins in major economically important agricultural commodities using HPLC has been developed. Aflatoxins were extracted from a ground sample with MeOH/H2O (80:20, v/v), and after a cleanup step on a minicolumn packed with Florisil, aflatoxins were quantified by HPLC equipped with a C18 column, a photochemical reactor, and a fluorescence detector. Water/MeOH (63:37, v/v) served as the mobile phase. Recoveries of aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, and G2 from peanuts spiked at 5, 1.7, 5, and 1.7 ng/g were 89.5 ± 2.2, 94.7 ± 2.5, 90.4 ± 1.0, and 98.2 ± 1.1, respectively (mean ± SD, %, n = 3). Similar recoveries, precision, and accuracy were achieved for corn, brown and white rice, cottonseed, almonds, Brazil nuts, pistachios, walnuts, and hazelnuts. The quantitation limits for aflatoxins in peanuts were 50 pg/g for aflatoxin B1 and 17 pg/g for aflatoxin B2. The minimal cost of the minicolumn allows for substantial savings compared with available commercial aflatoxin cleanup devices.

Keywords: Aflatoxin analysis; cleanup minicolumn; Florisil; HPLC; agricultural commodities

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History

  • Published In Issue March 21, 2007
  • Received for review December 18, 2006. Revised manuscript received January 30, 2007. Accepted January 31, 2007.

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