The use of a scientifically operated charge-coupled device (CCD) for the detection and quantitation of aflatoxins on a high-performance thin-layer chromatographic (HPTLC) plate was investigated. A nebulizer-based sample application system was utilized to quantitatively transfer the sample onto the HPTLC plate without disturbing the sorbent layer. Fluorescence excitation of the aflatoxins was accomplished with an ultraviolet transilluminator, which caused the analytes of interest to emit in the bluegreen portion of the visible spectrum. The dynamic range, sensitivity, accuracy, and precision of the system were evaluated. Detection limits of the aflatoxins were determined to be in the low picogram range. The existence of aflatoxins in peanut butter samples was analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively by using multidimensional TLC. The capabilities of the system for performing realtime monitoring of the separation process were also investigated.Aflatoxins are toxic, extremely carcinogenic substances excreted by green powdery molds known as Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parisiticus (Figure 1). These compounds have been found on a variety of agricultural products, livestock feeds, and commercial foodstuffs, including corn, peanuts, cottonseeds, grains, legumes, and tree nuts, and indirectly in dairy products, poultry, and meat products. Aflatoxins were first discovered to be of serious concern in the 1960s, when ducklings, calves, and some 100 000 young turkeys died after ingesting contaminated peanut meal. 1,2 Aflatoxins have been shown to cause cancer of the liver, colon, and kidney in some animals, such as rats, ducks,
