Use of polypyrrole ferrite microparticles and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry for testing natural grass contamination by multiclass mycotoxins

Abstract

An analytical methodology based on the combination of dispersive magnetic solid-phase extraction (DMSPE) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) is proposed to explore the occurrence of 13 mycotoxins (aflatoxins B1, G1, B2, and G2; deoxynivalenol; T-2 toxin; ochratoxin A; HT-2 toxin; enniatins A, A1, B, and B2; and beauvericin) and their derivatives in natural grass samples. Magnetic microparticles (Fe3O4) coated with polypyrrole (PPy) polymer were used in DMSPE sample treatment as adsorbent phase, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy have been used for its characterization. The experimental parameters influencing the adsorption and desorption steps of DMSPE have been optimized. Method validation has been carried out obtaining limits of quantification between 0.07 and 92 μg kg−1 corresponding to enniatin B or A1 and DON, respectively. A total of 83 natural grass samples from 8 dehesa farms were analysed. Enniatin B was found in all the samples (0.29 to 488 μg kg−1 concentration range) followed by enniatin B1 (92.8% of the samples) with a 0.12–137 μg kg−1 concentration range. Moreover, co-occurrence of mycotoxins was studied and between 2 and 5 mycotoxins appeared simultaneously in 97.6% of the samples. Distribution of the contamination according to natural grass location was also investigated. Graphical abstract

T-2 and HT-2 Toxins: Toxicity, Occurrence and Analysis: A Review

“…SPME is more commonly employed alongside GC-MS, whereas MEPS, a miniaturised version of SPE, is fully compatible with LC-MS, with the latter now more routinely employed for the analysis of mycotoxins, and in particular the type-A trichothecenes such as HT-2 and T-2. Furthermore, due to their size, SPME and MEPS are more suited to small volumes of biological fluids for the analysis of mycotoxins and their metabolites rather than in foodstuffs [ 134 ].…”

Nanoscale Materials Applying for the Detection of Mycotoxins in Foods

“…However, various mycotoxins may coexist at extremely low concentrations in food, and considering the complexity of food matrices, it is necessary to purify the food matrix during the detection process while achieving the enrichment of low-concentration mycotoxins to meet the requirements of instrument analysis [ 29 ]. In response to this challenge, novel purification materials with nanoscale features or exceptional structural characteristics have been continuously developed and used in combination with various large-scale analytical instruments, such as chromatography and mass spectrometry, achieving accurate and sensitive detection of mycotoxins in complex food matrices [ 30 , 31 , 32 ]. Table 2 illustrates the application of various nanoscale materials in solid-phase extraction (SPE) and solid-phase microextraction (SPME) processes for the detection of mycotoxins in food.…”