title: Determination of zearalenone in grains by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry after solid-phase extraction with RP-18 columns or immunoaffinity columns.
abstract: In this paper a robust, sensitive and selective LC-MS-MS method for the determination of zearalenone (ZON) in several cereals is described. Sample preparation was performed by extraction of the commodities with a mixture of acetonitrile and water followed by solid-phase extraction with RP-18 columns or immunoaffinity columns. The selective determination of ZON was achieved with an atmospheric pressure chemical ionization interface. Using the negative ion mode a detection limit of 0.5 microg/kg and a determination limit of 1 microg/kg grain was achieved, which is by a factor of 100 more sensitive than the positive ion mode. Zearalanone (ZAN), which does not occur in nature, was used as internal standard for quantification. A linear working range from 1.0 microg/kg to 1000 microg/kg could be achieved in grains with a standard deviation of 4% and recovery rates around 100%. All these results were independent from the grain matrices (maize, barley, oats, wheat) when ZAN was used as internal standard. Sample preparation with RP-18 and immunoaffinity materials gave comparable results. In addition, the method was successfully used for the investigation of naturally contaminated maize samples in the course of an interlaboratory comparison test.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Analytical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zöllner
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jodlbauer
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lindner
mesh_terms: D002846:Chromatography, Affinity / Q000379:methods*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods*; D002523:Edible Grain / Q000737:chemistry*; D004968:Estrogens, Non-Steroidal / Q000032:analysis*; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D012015:Reference Standards; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D015025:Zearalenone / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D004968:Estrogens, Non-Steroidal; D015025:Zearalenone