Analysis of multiple mycotoxins in beer employing (ultra)‐high‐resolution mass spectrometry

Abstract

The objective of the presented study was to develop and optimize a simple, high-throughput method for the control of 32 mycotoxins (Fusarium and Alternaria toxins, aflatoxins, ergot alkaloids, ochratoxins, and sterigmatocystin) in beer. Due to the broad range of their physicochemical properties, the sample preparation step was simplified as much as possible to avoid analyte losses. The addition of acetonitrile to beer samples enabled precipitation of abundant matrix components. The clean-up efficiency was controlled by ambient mass spectrometry employing a direct analysis in real time (DART) ion source. For determination of analytes, ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography hyphenated with high-resolution mass spectrometry utilizing an orbitrap (U-HPLC-orbitrapMS) or time-of-flight (TOFMS) technology was used. Because of significantly better detection capabilities of the orbitrap technology, the U-HPLC-orbitrapMS method was chosen as a determinative step and fully validated. To compensate matrix effects, matrix-matched calibration was employed. The lowest calibration levels for most of the target mycotoxins ranged from 1 to 8 µg L(-1) beer and the recoveries of analytes were in range from 86 to 124%.

Scientific Opinion on the risks for human and animal health related to the presence of modified forms of certain mycotoxins in food and feed

“…Recently, the application of a QuEChERS-like (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged and Safe) approach was reported by Zachariasova et al (2010) for parent and modified forms of trichothecenes in wheat. Although Zachariasova et al (2010) did not report satisfactory recovery for DON3Glc owing to its higher polarity than DON, a different result was obtained by Dall'Asta et al (2013), by lowering the polarity of the solvent mixture.…”

Foodomics and Food Safety: Where We Are

“…The importance of proper sample preparation and the introduction of laboratory robotics for high-throughput analyses have also found necessary recognition (1,9,18,20,(36)(37)(38)(39)(40). These developments will improve fast detection of foodborne pathogens and their toxins, allergens and other harmful components in food, and also help producers, food control authorities and consumers to detect adulterations and protect safe and original food (39)(40)(41).…”

“…These developments will improve fast detection of foodborne pathogens and their toxins, allergens and other harmful components in food, and also help producers, food control authorities and consumers to detect adulterations and protect safe and original food (39)(40)(41). Ensuring food safety and identifi cation, monitoring and FINAL PRODUCT assessing of both food authenticity and foodborne hazards will require further development of already existing mass spectrometry (MS)-based methods (34,(38)(39)(40)(41)(42). In proteomics and peptidomics, MS represents a very powerful, high-performance method and is an excellent tool for protein and peptide identifi cation and quantitative analysis.…”

“…Use of iron oxide-based nanoparticles as materials for so-called 'magnetic solid-phase extraction' is a further step towards the introduction of a simple, rapid, selective, sensitive and highly effi cient method for high-throughput enrichment of molecules of interest (54). However, further development of very sensitive analytical methods, as well as soft ware systems capable of handling very high volumes of required data, especially mass spectrometry with a very low detection limit for targeted substances, was necessary to enable application of this sample preparation method (38,39,41,42,55-58). As mentioned above, there are commercially available columns and ready-to-use cartridges packed with diff erent chromatographic stationary phases for selective enrichment of small molecules (1).…”

The Evolutionary Dynamics in the Research on Aflatoxins During the 2001-2010 Decade

“…For instance, Zachariasova et al (2010) developed and optimized a simple, high-throughput method for the control of 32 mycotoxins (Fusarium and Alternaria toxins, aflatoxins, ergot alkaloids, ochratoxins, and sterigmatocystin) in beer. Studies aimed to compare the performance of analytical methods were conducted by diverse laboratories.…”