Evaluation of matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD) extraction for multi-mycotoxin determination in different flours...

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Analytical Chemistry
• Toxicology

Background:

• Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by fungi that can contaminate food commodities.
• Aflatoxins (AFs) and Ochratoxin A (OTA) are significant mycotoxins of concern due to their toxicity and widespread occurrence.
• Current analytical methods require optimization for simultaneous detection of multiple mycotoxins in complex food matrices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To extend an existing matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD) method for the simultaneous extraction of aflatoxins (AFs) and ochratoxin A (OTA).
• To further develop and optimize the MSPD method for the detection of an additional 14 mycotoxins.
• To apply the optimized method for determining the occurrence and levels of these mycotoxins in commercial flour samples.

Main Methods:

• Matrix Solid-Phase Dispersion (MSPD) extraction method was optimized for enhanced mycotoxin recovery.
• The optimized MSPD method was applied to 49 commercial flour samples of varying cereal compositions.
• Mycotoxin analysis was performed using [Specific analytical technique not mentioned in abstract, e.g., LC-MS/MS or HPLC - assume a common one for SEO].

Main Results:

• Nine out of the 18 targeted mycotoxins were identified in the analyzed flour samples.
• Nivalenol (NIV) and Beauvericin (BEA) were the most frequently detected mycotoxins.
• Wheat flours and bakery preparations showed the highest contamination levels; only one sample exceeded the EU maximum limit for OTA.

Conclusions:

• The optimized MSPD method is effective for the simultaneous determination of multiple mycotoxins in flour.
• While most samples showed low mycotoxin contamination, the frequent occurrence of NIV and BEA warrants attention.
• Further research on cumulative mycotoxin ingestion over time is recommended due to potential health implications.