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Aflatoxins in ginseng roots.
Kathleen D'Ovidio1, Mary Trucksess, Carol Weaver
1University of Maryland, College Park, USA.
Food Additives and Contaminants
|February 2, 2006
Summary
A new method accurately detects aflatoxins in ginseng roots, finding contamination in some wild samples but not cultivated ones. This ensures ginseng safety by identifying harmful mycotoxins.
Area of Science:
- Food Science
- Analytical Chemistry
- Mycotoxicology
Background:
- Ginseng roots are susceptible to mold contamination, leading to mycotoxin production.
- Aflatoxins, a group of toxic mycotoxins, pose a significant risk to ginseng consumers.
- Accurate detection methods are crucial for ensuring the safety of ginseng products.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate an analytical method for determining aflatoxins B(1), B(2), G(1), and G(2) in ginseng root.
- To assess the prevalence of aflatoxin contamination in cultivated and wild simulated ginseng samples.
Main Methods:
- Extraction of aflatoxins from ginseng using methanol-water.
- Purification of extracts via immunoaffinity column chromatography.
- Derivatization followed by separation and quantification using reverse-phase liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection.
Main Results:
- The developed method demonstrated high recoveries (83-92%) and low relative standard deviations (2.0-8.0%) for total aflatoxins.
- Cultivated ginseng samples were free from aflatoxin contamination.
- Two wild simulated ginseng samples showed contamination levels of 15.1 and 15.2 ng/g, and one grocery-purchased sample contained 16 ng/g.
Conclusions:
- The developed LC-fluorescence method is effective for quantifying aflatoxins in ginseng.
- Cultivated ginseng appears to be a safer source regarding aflatoxin contamination compared to wild simulated ginseng.
- Routine testing is recommended to ensure the safety of ginseng products, especially those from wild sources.