Determination of Fusarium mycotoxins by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry coupled with immunoaffinity extraction

A method for the simultaneous quantitative determination of deoxynivalenol (DON), T‐2 toxin (T‐2), HT‐2 toxin (HT‐2) and zearalenone (ZEN) in wheat and biscuit by liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC/ESI‐MS/MS) coupled with immunoaffinity extraction is described. A clean‐up was carried out using a DZT MS‐PREP® immunoaffinity column (IAC), and the effect of the sample dilution rate and sample loading was investigated. Furthermore, the effects of ion suppression of a multifunctional column (MFC) and the IAC in the clean‐up were compared. The results with the DZT MS‐PREP® IAC showed that it is possible to make the sample dilution rate low, and indicated a higher solvent‐tolerance than usual with an IAC. Sample loading was optimized at 0.25 g. Ion suppression was lowered by purification of the toxins using the DZT MS‐PREP® IAC. Recoveries of each mycotoxin from wheat and biscuit samples spiked at two levels ranged from 78 to 109%. The limits of detection in wheat and biscuit was in the range of 0.03–0.33 ng·g^?1. From these studies, it is suggested that use of an IAC is effective in the clean‐up of each mycotoxin, and, when combined with LC/ESI‐MS/MS, it is good for the determination of mycotoxins in foodstuffs due to its rapidity and high sensitivity. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.