Chromatography of mycotoxins on precoated reverse-phase thin-layer plates

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Food Safety

Background:

• Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by fungi that contaminate food and feed.
• Accurate detection and confirmation of mycotoxins are crucial for public health and regulatory compliance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of reverse-phase thin-layer chromatography (RP-TLC) using C18 bonded phases for the separation and identification of common mycotoxins.
• To compare the performance of different C18 stationary phases and mobile phase compositions.

Main Methods:

• Reverse-phase thin-layer chromatography (RP-TLC) was performed on Merck C18 and Whatman C18 bonded phases.
• A panel of 18 common mycotoxins, including aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, zearalenone, and various trichothecenes, were analyzed.
• Neutral and acidified binary mobile phases composed of water and organic solvents (methanol, acetonitrile, tetrahydrofuran) were employed.

Main Results:

• Both Merck C18 and Whatman C18 bonded phases demonstrated good performance in separating the tested mycotoxins.
• The RP-TLC method proved effective in resolving a wide range of mycotoxins under various mobile phase conditions.
• The developed RP-TLC method serves as a valuable complementary technique for mycotoxin confirmation.

Conclusions:

• C18 bonded phases are suitable for RP-TLC analysis of common mycotoxins.
• RP-TLC using C18 phases provides a convenient and reliable method for confirming mycotoxin presence, especially when used in conjunction with normal-phase screening.