Densitometry of aflatoxin thin-layer chromatograms performed by computer-assisted spectrofluorometry

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Biochemistry
• Food Safety

Background:

• Aflatoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by Aspergillus fungi.
• Accurate detection of aflatoxins is crucial for food safety and public health.
• Existing analytical methods may require optimization for sensitivity and specificity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish and evaluate a fluorescence densitometry system for aflatoxin analysis.
• To determine the factors influencing the efficiency of this ultramicroanalysis technique.

Main Methods:

• Utilized an SPF-500 spectrofluorometer interfaced with a Felix-M18 microcomputer.
• Employed silica gel thin-layer chromatography for aflatoxin separation.
• Performed fluorescence densitometry for quantitative analysis.

Main Results:

• The fluorescence densitometry system successfully analyzed aflatoxin fractions.
• Analysis efficiency was found to be dependent on the specific aflatoxin type (B1, B2, G1, G2, M1).
• The nature of the contaminated sample significantly impacted the detection efficiency.

Conclusions:

• Fluorescence densitometry offers a viable method for aflatoxin ultramicroanalysis.
• Method optimization is necessary, considering aflatoxin identity and sample composition.
• This technique contributes to sensitive detection methods in food safety analysis.