Preparation of a reference material containing sterigmatocystin

Area of Science:

• Food Chemistry
• Analytical Chemistry
• Mycotoxicology

Background:

• Accurate quantification of mycotoxins like sterigmatocystin (STE) requires homogeneous reference materials.
• Previous methods using V-shaped mixers failed to achieve homogeneity for STE in rice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a protocol for preparing a homogeneous reference material for the mycotoxin sterigmatocystin (STE) in rice.
• To assess the homogeneity and recovery of STE using a novel grinding and mixing technique.

Main Methods:

• A ShakeMaster was employed for simultaneous grinding and mixing of brown rice with either Food Red 106 or Aspergillus versicolor (STE-producing culture).
• Sterigmatocystin (STE) was isolated using an Autoprep MF-A 1000 mini-column for distribution assessment.
• Particle size analysis was conducted on various ground rice samples.

Main Results:

• The ShakeMaster method successfully produced a homogeneous mixture of brown rice and Food Red 106, unlike the V-shaped mixer.
• A homogeneous candidate reference material for STE in rice was obtained with good repeatability and intermediate precision.
• Recovery rates for STE isolation ranged from 115-120%.

Conclusions:

• The ShakeMaster is an effective tool for preparing homogeneous reference materials for mycotoxins in powdered food matrices.
• The developed protocol meets the criteria for a homogeneous candidate reference material according to international standards.
• This work provides a reliable method for producing essential reference materials for accurate mycotoxin analysis in food.