Measurement of T-2 and HT-2 toxins in eggs by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection.
T-2 toxin is a mycotoxin produced by several species of common fungi capable of infesting human food and animal feeds. Lower-quality feeds given to chickens may be contaminated with T-2 toxin, which may affect their health. The literature suggests that T-2 toxin is transmitted from the hen to the eggs. This article describes the development of a liquid chromatographic assay for T-2 and the related mycotoxin HT-2 in eggs. T-2 and HT-2 toxins were isolated from spiked eggs with a tandem charcoal-alumina-Florisil column and immunoaffinity column cleanup. The isolated toxins were derivatized with the fluorophore 1-anthroyl nitrile, separated by high-performance liquid chromatography, and quantitated by fluorescence. The limit of detection of the method was 1 ng ml(-1) (parts per billion) of T-2 and HT-2 in whole (with shell removed) eggs. The limit of quantitation for both toxins was 5 ng ml(-1). Recoveries from spiked eggs over the range from 5 to 50 ng ml(-1) averaged 89.2% for T-2 and 100.3% for HT-2, with coefficients of variation of 3.5 and 8.2%, respectively. This method is sensitive enough to be used to check for the presence of T-2 or HT-2 toxins in eggs.
Maragos
Chris M
CM
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, 1815 North University Street, Peoria, Illinois 61604, USA. maragocm@ncaur.usda.gov
D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods*; D004531:Eggs / Q000032:analysis* / Q000382:microbiology; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods*; D013605:T-2 Toxin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis*
D013605:T-2 Toxin; C012351:HT-2 toxin