title: Rapid characterization of trace aflatoxin B1in groundnuts, wheat and maize by dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction followed by direct electrospray probe tandem mass spectrometry.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Aflatoxins are poisonous and cancer-related chemical compounds commonly found in crops and plants. Aflatoxin B1is the most toxic compound among aflatoxins and has been classified as group 1 carcinogenic to humans, especially in liver cancer. Herein, an ambient mass spectrometric method was developed for rapid characterization of trace aflatoxin B1in peanuts.
  
  
  METHODS
  Direct electrospray probe tandem mass spectrometry (DEP-MS/MS) was used to detect aflatoxin B1in peanuts. To avoid the matrix effect, the aflatoxin B1in the samples was extracted and concentrated by dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction. The mass spectrometer was operated in the positive ion mode to monitor the intact molecular ion (m/z 313, MH+) and product ion (m/z 241) of aflatoxin B1using multiple reaction monitoring.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Since no clean-up procedure of the sample was required, the sampling step and the subsequent mass spectrometric detection of the aflatoxin B1was completed in less than 5 min. The limit of detection of aflatoxin B1is at the sub-ppb level. The results obtained by DEP-MS/MS were also validated by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS). Recovery of aflatoxin B1in the sample was evaluated by analyzing spiked aflatoxin B1with LC/MS/MS to be 85% and DEP-MS/MS to be 84%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  DEP-MS/MS combined with a simple dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction procedure was successfully used for the quantitative analysis of AFB1in nut samples. Due to its high efficiency, it is promising in providing important toxicological information for food safety in the real world. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
authors.forename: Thiphol
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Satarpai
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
authors.forename: Atitaya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Siripinyanond
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hung
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Su
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.|Department of Medicinal and Applied Chemistry, Kaohsiung Medical University Kaohsiung Medical University, Taiwan.|Center for Stem Cell Research, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.|Center for Infectious Disease and Cancer Research, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Jentaie
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7153-3029
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shiea
mesh_terms: D016604:Aflatoxin B1 / Q000032:analysis*; D010367:Arachis / Q000737:chemistry*; D001231:Aspergillus flavus; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D057230:Limit of Detection; D059627:Liquid Phase Microextraction / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D014908:Triticum / Q000737:chemistry*; D003313:Zea mays / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D016604:Aflatoxin B1