Simultaneous determination of deoxynivalenol, zearalenone, T-2 and HT-2 toxins in breakfast cereals and baby food by high-performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry.
In this study, the simultaneous determination of deoxynivalenol (DON), zearalenone (ZEA), T-2 and HT-2 toxins in foodstuff was investigated. A new kind of multi-mycotoxin immunoaffinity columns (IACs) available on the market (DZT MS-PREP(®)) was tested. A sensitive, selective and accurate method by high-performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry was developed, with electrospray ionization mass spectrometer operating in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode, with negative-positive-negative ion switching. The method was used for the analysis of samples marked in Italy, in the frame of official monitoring plans. The advantages of combining IACs and LC-MS/MS technique are as follows: efficient removal of matrix interferences, simple chromatographic outline, high selectivity, low detection limits (DLs) and separation of a wide range of molecules with different physico-chemical properties in a single run. The method was studied on two different matrices, breakfast cereal and baby food, at contamination levels close to Regulation limits (EC) 1126/2007. The recoveries obtained (60-100%) fulfil the performance criteria required by Regulation (EC) 401/2006. The DL is 60 µg/kg for DON and 10 µg/kg for ZEA, T-2 and HT-2. Linearity range of the calibration curves is suitable for adult and baby food.
Romagnoli
Barbara
B
ARPA ER (Regional Environmental Prevention Agency of Emilia Romagna), Analytical Area OGM, Mycotoxin and Food Safety, via Rocchi, 19, 40138 Bologna, Italy. bromagnoli@arpa.emr.it
Ferrari
Maria
M
Bergamini
Cecilia
C
D002138:Calibration; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods*; D002523:Edible Grain / Q000737:chemistry*; D007225:Infant Food / Q000032:analysis*; D016014:Linear Models; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D014255:Trichothecenes / Q000032:analysis*; D015025:Zearalenone / Q000032:analysis*
D014255:Trichothecenes; D015025:Zearalenone