Liquid chromatographic analysis of aflatoxin using post-column photochemical derivatization: collaborative study

Area of Science:

• Food Chemistry
• Analytical Chemistry
• Mycotoxin Analysis

Background:

• Aflatoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by certain fungi, posing significant health risks.
• Accurate aflatoxin detection is crucial for food safety and regulatory compliance.
• Established methods like iodine and Kobra cell derivatization are official standards for aflatoxin analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the performance of the photochemical reactor for enhanced detection (PHRED) system against official aflatoxin analysis methods.
• To evaluate the PHRED system's reliability for screening various commodity products, particularly peanuts and corn.
• To assess the statistical significance of differences between the PHRED system and iodine/Kobra cell methods.

Main Methods:

• Aflatoxin analysis using three derivatization systems: PHRED, iodine, and Kobra cell.
• Statistical analysis of 80-sample series using standard spiked samples for each method.
• Paired comparisons of PHRED versus other methods using naturally contaminated commodity products across international laboratories.

Main Results:

• No significant differences were found between the PHRED system and official methods for peanut analysis.
• The PHRED system showed a slight high bias for aflatoxins B1 and B2 in corn compared to the Kobra cell method.
• High Pearson correlation coefficients (0.9994 for B1, 0.9874 for B2) and non-significant t-tests (except for corn) indicated overall method agreement.

Conclusions:

• The PHRED system is equivalent to iodine and Kobra cell methods for aflatoxin analysis in peanuts, aligning with current official procedures.
• A slight high bias in the PHRED system for corn warrants consideration but does not negate its overall reliability.
• The PHRED system demonstrates strong performance and comparability for aflatoxin screening across various commodities.