title: Development and validation of a confirmative LC-MS/MS method for the determination of ß-exotoxin thuringiensin in plant protection products and selected greenhouse crops.
abstract: Bacterial products based on Bacillus thuringiensis are registered in many countries as plant protection products (PPPs) and are widely used as insecticides and nematocides. However, certain B. thuringiensis strains produce harmful toxins and are therefore not allowed to be used as PPPs. The serotype B. thuringiensis thuringiensis produces the beta-exotoxin thuringiensin (ßeT) which is considered to be toxic for almost all forms of life including humans (WHO 1999). The use of a non-registered PPP based on B. thuringiensis thuringiensis called bitoxybacillin was established through the determination of ßeT. First, an analytical reference standard of ßeT was characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance, liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Then, a confirmatory quantitative method for the determination of ßeT in PPPs and selected greenhouse crops based on LC-MS/MS was developed and validated. A limit of quantitation of 0.028 mg/kg was established, and average recoveries ranged from 85.6 % to 104.8 % with repeatability (RSDr) of 1.5-7.7 % and within-lab reproducibility (RSD(WLR)) of 17 %. The method was used for analysis of >100 samples. ßeT was found in leaves of ornamentals, but no evidence was found for use in edible crops.
authors.affiliation: RIKILT, Institute of Food Safety, Wageningen, The Netherlands. theo.derijk@wur.nl
authors.forename: Theo C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: de Rijk
authors.forename: Ruud C J
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: van Dam
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zomer
authors.forename: Ed A M
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Boers
authors.forename: Pieter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: de Waard
authors.forename: Hans G J
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Mol
mesh_terms: D000241:Adenosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis; D001413:Bacillus thuringiensis / Q000737:chemistry*; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000032:analysis*; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid / Q000379:methods; D018556:Crops, Agricultural / Q000737:chemistry*; D005098:Exotoxins / Q000032:analysis; D007306:Insecticides / Q000737:chemistry; D057230:Limit of Detection; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D013400:Sugar Acids / Q000032:analysis*; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D014675:Vegetables / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D005098:Exotoxins; D007306:Insecticides; D013400:Sugar Acids; C068295:thuringiensin; D000241:Adenosine