An in-situ photoderivative fluorescence enhancement method without chromatographic separation for Aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁)...

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Food Science
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a carcinogenic mycotoxin posing significant health risks.
• Accurate and rapid detection of AFB1 is essential for food safety.
• Existing detection methods often compromise between sensitivity and on-site applicability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel, sensitive, and rapid quantification strategy for AFB1.
• To overcome the limitations of current AFB1 detection methods.
• To enable reliable on-site screening of AFB1 in complex matrices.

Main Methods:

• Exploited UV-triggered addition to AFB1's furan double bond, inducing fluorescence enhancement (ΔF).
• Optimized photochemical derivatization (PD) conditions in a methanol-water solvent system.
• Fabricated a miniaturized, in-situ PD fluorescence device for precise ΔF measurement.

Main Results:

• Achieved maximum ΔF in methanol-water (30:70, v/v) with specific excitation and emission wavelengths.
• Demonstrated a linear response from 0.05-200 µg/L with a low limit of detection (0.024 µg/L).
• Obtained rapid results (<2 min) with high recovery rates (93.68%-116.30%) and good agreement with HPLC-PD-FLD.

Conclusions:

• The proposed ΔF method provides a sensitive, selective, and chromatography-free approach for AFB1 quantification.
• The developed device is portable and offers good anti-interference capabilities.
• This novel technique presents a reliable tool for on-site AFB1 screening, enhancing food safety protocols.