Preparative method for isolating alpha-zearalenol and zearalenone using extracting disk.

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Food Science
• Mycotoxicology

Background:

• Zearalenol and zearalenone are estrogenic mycotoxins produced by Fusarium fungi.
• Contamination of corn with these mycotoxins poses a significant risk to animal and human health.
• Accurate and sensitive detection methods are crucial for food safety monitoring.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a robust liquid chromatographic method for the determination of zearalenol and zearalenone in corn matrices.
• To establish a reliable analytical procedure for quantifying these mycotoxins at low levels.

Main Methods:

• Extraction of mycotoxins from corn using a methanol-water solvent mixture.
• Sample cleanup and concentration utilizing solid-phase extraction (SPE) disks.
• Separation of analytes via reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC).
• Detection using a fluorescence detector (FLD).

Main Results:

• The SPE disk effectively concentrated and separated zearalenol and zearalenone from interfering substances.
• Linear calibration curves were achieved for zearalenol and zearalenone in the range of 25-500 ng/mL.
• High recovery rates (106.3% for zearalenol, 103.8% for zearalenone) with acceptable coefficients of variation (7.6% and 13.0%, respectively) were observed.
• The method demonstrated reliable limits of detection (LOD) around 10 ng/g and limits of quantitation (LOQ) around 40 ng/g for both toxins.

Conclusions:

• The described liquid chromatographic method is highly effective for the sensitive and accurate determination of zearalenol and zearalenone in corn.
• This validated method provides a valuable tool for routine monitoring and control of mycotoxin contamination in agricultural products.
• The SPE disk approach offers efficient sample preparation, enhancing the overall analytical performance.