title: Analysis of the Fusarium mycotoxin moniliformin in cereal samples using 13C2-moniliformin and high-resolution mass spectrometry.
abstract: Moniliformin is a mycotoxin produced by fungi of the  Fusarium  genus and occurs as a contaminant of different cereals worldwide. This study describes the first application of isotopically labeled (13)C(2)-moniliformin for the analysis of moniliformin in cereals. Moniliformin is a small and ionic molecule that forms only a single sensitive fragment ion in the collision cell of a tandem mass spectrometer. Therefore, the methods described in the literature for this kind of instrument observe only a single mass transition and show a relatively poor sensitivity. The use of high-resolution mass spectrometry was described to be a suitable alternative technique for the detection of this compound and was therefore applied in this study. The developed method is based on the use of strong anion exchange columns for cleanup prior to HPLC analysis and has a recovery rate of 75.3%, a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.7 μg/kg, and a limit of quantitation (LOQ) of 2.5 μg/kg. Twenty-three different cereal samples were analyzed for their moniliformin content. Twenty of them showed positive results with levels up to 126 ± 12.2 μg/kg.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Food Chemistry,  Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster , Corrensstrasse 45, 48149 Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: Katharina Walburga
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: von Bargen
authors.forename: Lilia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lohrey
authors.forename: Benedikt
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cramer
authors.forename: Hans-Ulrich
authors.initials: HU
authors.lastname: Humpf
mesh_terms: D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods; D003503:Cyclobutanes / Q000032:analysis*; D002523:Edible Grain / Q000737:chemistry*; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D005670:Fusarium; D057230:Limit of Detection; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D009183:Mycotoxins / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D003503:Cyclobutanes; D009183:Mycotoxins; C008539:moniliformin