Combining ultrasound‐assisted extraction and vortex‐assisted liquid–liquid microextraction for the sensitive assessment of aflatoxins in aquaculture fish species

Abstract

Although aflatoxins contamination in feedstuff is a well-known problem, and hence these residues are controlled in poultry products, there is scarce information regarding the presence of these toxic substances in aquaculture fish, facilities that use several feedstuff for fish breeding. A simple, rapid, and sensitive method has been therefore developed for aflatoxins (B1, B2, G1, and G2) assessment in aquaculture products by combining ultrasound probe-assisted extraction and vortex-assisted liquid-liquid microextraction as a sample pretreatment, and high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry as a separation/detection system. Aflatoxins were extracted from fish flesh/liver with a 60:40 acetonitrile/aqueous phosphate buffer (pH 7.0) mixture before preconcentration and clean-up by vortex-assisted liquid-liquid microextraction under the following optimized conditions: 5.0 mL of fish extract at pH 7.0 and NaCl at 0.5% (w/v), 400 μL of chloroform as extracting solvent, and vortex shaking at 2000 rpm for 1 min. The proposed method is shown to be precise and accurate, and the limit of quantitations (from 0.20 to 1.10 μg kg −1 ) were lower than the value established by the European Commission Regulation for aflatoxins in foodstuff. Results have shown that fish flesh is free of aflatoxins, but aflatoxins B2 and G1 were quantified in fish liver.

Bioavailability of Aflatoxins in Cultured Fish and Animal Livers Using an In Vitro Dialyzability Approach

“…The AF contents in muscle and liver samples were analyzed following a previously validated method. 31 Briefly, homogenized samples (raw and cooked) (1.0 g) were placed together with 5 mL of 60:40 acetonitrile/0.1 M aqueous KH 2 PO 4 (pH 7.0) into a 30 mL centrifuge tube. The mixture was subjected to ultrasonication at an amplitude of 40% (power of 130 W and frequency of 20 kHz) for 7.0 min.…”

Applications of high‐intensity ultrasound on shrimp: Potential, constraints, and prospects in the extraction and retrieval of bioactive compounds, safety, and quality

“…Lastly, Jayasinghe et al. (2020) demonstrated the efficacy of HIUS (direct sonication of homogenized samples) in the extraction of aflatoxins from diverse aquaculture fish, such as brown trout ( Salmo trutta ) and turbot ( Scophthalmus maximus ), to ascertain the presence of these toxic compounds derived from feeding, posing a potential public health concern. Thus, it can be asserted that a spectrum of unexplored applications for HIUS in shrimp processing technology persists.…”

Sea Bass Side Streams Valorization Assisted by Ultrasound. LC-MS/MS-IT Determination of Mycotoxins and Evaluation of Protein Yield, Molecular Size Distribution and Antioxidant Recovery

“…Moreover, UAE combined with other techniques can be an efficient tool for mycotoxin extraction from fish [14]. Mycotoxins are toxic chemical compounds resulting from the secondary metabolism of fungi, which can occur on different substrates under certain environmental conditions.…”

“…In this line, the use of UAE has shown promising results for this purpose [23]. For instance, Jayasinghe et al [14] successfully applied UAE in the extraction of aflatoxins trace amounts from fish. Taking into account that aquaculture fish is frequently exposed to feed-borne mycotoxins and that several studies have estimated the presence of mycotoxins residues in fish organs and tissues [24], it is necessary to verify if mycotoxins are present in the extracts obtained after UAE extraction [25].…”