Thin layer chromatographic determination of deoxynivalenol in processed grain products

The thin layer chromatographic (TLC) method of Trucksess et al. (J. Assoc. Off. Anal. Chem. (1984) 67, 40-43) was modified for the determination of deoxynivalenol (DON) in high-sugar breakfast cereals, corn syrup, and beer. Celite was added to the substrate before extraction with acetonitrile-water (84 + 16). After filtration through an alumina-charcoal-Celite (0.5 + 0.7 + 0.3) column, the filtrate was evaporated to dryness and redissolved in water, which was passed through an octylsilyl reverse phase column. DON was eluted with anhydrous ethyl ether. The residue remaining after the eluate was evaporated to dryness was dissolved in CHCl3-acetonitrile (4 + 1) and chromatographed on AlCl3-impregnated silica gel TLC plates. The blue fluorescent DON spot was quantitated fluorodensitometrically after the TLC plate was heated at 120 degrees C for 7 min. Recoveries of DON added to breakfast cereals at 100, 200, and 400 ng/g levels and to syrup and beer at 50, 100, and 200 ng/g levels averaged 86%. The limit of determination in these products was about 50 ng/g.