Development of a multiresidue method for analysis of major Fusarium mycotoxins in corn meal using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry.
A sensitive and reliable liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC/ESI-MS/MS) method has been developed to determine, in a single run, eight trichothecenes, three fumonisins, zearalenone and alpha-zearalenol, in corn meal samples. LC and MS conditions were varied to find the best compromise in terms of sensitivity and separation. An acceptable compromise was obtained using a C18 column thermostatted at 45 degrees C and a mobile phase gradient of methanol/water with 10 mmol/L formate buffer (pH 3.8). A multiple reaction monitoring program, in which fumonisins and trichothecenes (except nivalenol and deoxynivalenol) are acquired in positive ESI as [M+H]+ or [M+NH4]+, and all other compounds in negative ESI, was developed to match appropriate retention time windows. Sample preparation used a simple homogenization of the corn meal sample with acetonitrile/water (75:25, v/v) followed by extraction on a C18 cartridge and clean-up on a cartridge containing graphitized carbon black. Method detection limits were in the range 2-14 ng/g, with the exception of nivalenol (27 ng/g), deoxynivalenol (40 ng/g) and 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol (30 ng/g). Good accuracy (recoveries 81-104%) and precision (RSD 4-11%) were obtained by performing calibration using a spiked analyte-free extract.
Department of Chemistry, La Sapienza University, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Roma, Italy.
Chiara
C
Cavaliere
Patrizia
P
Foglia
Elisabetta
E
Pastorini
Roberto
R
Samperi
Aldo
A
Laganà
D002853:Chromatography, Liquid / Q000379:methods*; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D005670:Fusarium / Q000737:chemistry*; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D009183:Mycotoxins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D003313:Zea mays / Q000382:microbiology*
D009183:Mycotoxins