Validation of an LC-MS Method for Quantification of Mycotoxins and Characterization of Fungal Strains Occurring in Food and Feed
2025
Julien Masquelier | Emmanuel K. Tangni | Pierre Becker | Julie Sanders | Joëlle Laporte | Birgit Mertens
Mycotoxins are naturally occurring secondary metabolites produced by specific fungal strains. They can cause adverse effects, posing a serious health threat to both humans and livestock. Focusing on several mycotoxins, this study first aimed at optimizing and validating an ultra-high liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry quantification method. This method was then applied to evaluate the production of the targeted mycotoxins in maize cultivated in the presence of <i>Aspergillus</i> spp., <i>Fusarium</i> spp., and <i>Alternaria</i> spp. The limits of detection of the analytical method for the different mycotoxins ranged between 0.5 and 200 μg kg<sup>−1</sup>, while the limits of quantification were between 1 and 400 μg kg<sup>−1</sup>. The linearities of the calibration curves were evaluated, with calculated R<sup>2</sup> values above 0.99. The mean recoveries fell within the acceptable range of 74.0–106.0%, the repeatability was not higher than 14.4% RSD, and the highest intra-laboratory reproducibility was 16.2% RSD. The expanded measurement uncertainties ranged between 4.0% and 54.7%. Several fungal strains cultivated on maize grains were demonstrated to produce the targeted toxins, with production at µg kg<sup>−1</sup> to mg kg<sup>−1</sup> levels for aflatoxins and up to g kg<sup>−1</sup> levels for fumonisins, zearalenone, and alternariol.
Show more [+] Less [-]AGROVOC Keywords
Bibliographic information
This bibliographic record has been provided by Directory of Open Access Journals
