Determination of Zearalenone and Its Derivatives in Feed by Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry with Immunoaffinity Column Cleanup and Isotope Dilution

Abstract

In this study, a gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method was established for the determination of zearalenone and its five derivatives in feed, including zearalanone, α-zearalanol, β-zearalanol, α-zearalenol, and β-zearalenol. An effective immunoaffinity column was prepared for sample purification, which was followed by the silane derivatization of the eluate after an immunoaffinity chromatography analysis for target compounds by GC-MS. Matrix effects were corrected by an isotope internal standard of zearalenone in this method. The six analytes had a good linear relationship in the range of 2–500 ng/mL, and the correlation coefficients were all greater than 0.99. The limits of detection (LODs) and limits of quantification (LOQs) were less than 1.5 μg/kg and 5.0 μg/kg, respectively. The average spike recoveries for the six feed matrices ranged from 89.6% to 112.3% with relative standard deviations (RSDs) less than 12.6%. Twenty actual feed samples were analyzed using the established method, and at least one target was detected. The established GC-MS method was proven to be reliable and suitable for the determination of zearalenone and its derivatives in feed.

Advancements in Sample Preparation Methods for the Chromatographic and Mass Spectrometric Determination of Zearalenone and Its Metabolites in Food: An Overview

“…In addition to LC-FLD and LC-MS, GC-MS has also been employed for the detection of ZEN and its metabolites. However, in contrast, GC-MS necessitates the process of derivatization when analyzing polar ZEN and its metabolites [95]. This is due to the fact that ZEN compounds are nonvolatile and cannot be directly detected upon entering a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer.…”

Solvent Regulation Induced Cathode Aggregation-Induced Electrochemiluminescence of Tetraphenylethylene Nanoaggregates for Ultrasensitive Zearalenone Analysis

“…Zearalenone (ZEN) is a metabolite produced by fusarium. It is a common pollutant in cereals such as corn, wheat, oats, etc. − Meanwhile, ZEN has hepatotoxicity, immunotoxicity, teratogenicity, and carcinogenicity, posing a great threat to human health. ,, The International Agency for Research on Cancer classified it as a Group III carcinogen. , There are several methods available for ZEN detection, such as high-performance liquid chromatography, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, ultra-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry, , and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. , But these methods require expensive equipment, skilled operators, and so on . Consequently, it is urgently necessary to develop a simple operation, low-cost, and easy-to-control approach for ZEN detection.…”

A Novel and Label-Free Chemiluminescence Detection of Zearalenone Based on a Truncated Aptamer Conjugated with a G-Quadruplex DNAzyme

“…In order to control the content of ZEN in cereal products, various analytical methods for accurate and sensitive quantification of ZEN have been developed. These methods include thin layer chromatography (TLC) [8,9], gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) [10,11], liquid chromatography fluorescence (LC-FL) [12] and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) [13,14]. Even though chromatographic methods display high precision and sensitivity, the side effects such as high cost of reagents, expensive instrumentation, need for professional operators and tedious sample processing steps make these methods not suitable for rapid and on-site determination of ZEN [1, 15,16].…”