Determination of Aflatoxins Using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography and Fluorescence or UV Absorbence Detection

HPLC에 의한 aflatoxin 분석법에 관한 연구 형광 및 자외선 흡광 검출의 비교

A comparison was made of two detection methods(UV absorbence detection and fluorescence detection with pre-column derivatization, with trifluoroacetic acid) coupled with HPLC for the simultaneous determination of aflatoxin $B_1, B_2, G_1$ and $G_2$. A good separation of the four aflatoxins was achieved on a reversed-phase $C_{18}$ column (30 cm x 3.9 mm) with methanol-acetonitrile-water(20+20+60) for absorbence detection or acetonitrile-water(25+75) for fluorescence detection at the flow rate of 1.0 ml/min. The calibration graphs were linear over the ranges 100 ppb-1 ppm for $B_1/G_1$ and 30~300 ppb for $B_2/G_1$ with absorbence detection, and 1~500 ppb for $B_1/G_1$ and 0.3~150 ppb for $B_2/G_2$ with fluorescence detection. The correlation coefficients were greater than 0.94 and 0.99 for absorbance detection and for fluorescence detection, respectively. The detection limit was 100 ng for $B_1/G_1$ and 30 ng for $B_2/G_2$ with absorbence detection, and 1 ng for $B_1/G_1$ and 0.3 ng for $B_2/G_2$ with fluorescence detection. Recovery rates of aflatoxin $B_1, B_2, G_1$ and $G_2$ added to yeast-extract sucrose broth medium were 66.6%, 59.4%, 67.5% and 59.2%, respectively, for absorbence detection and 82.9%, 71.5%, 80.0% and 69.3%, respectively, for fluorescence detection. The four aflatoxins in culture medium were quantitatively detected by the two methods. The aflatoxins in the rice sample were not detected the absorbence detection method, but were below 10 ppb using the fluorescence detection method. Analysis of aflatoxins by both the absorbence and fluorescence methods coupled with HPLC showed acceptable linearity and good recovery. The absorbence detection was less timeconsuming and safer for treatment. The fluorescence detection was more elective and sensitive though elevated $B_1$ and $G_1$ contents were determined from the TFA-induced conversion of $B_1$ to $B_{2a}$ and $G_1$ to $G_{2a}$.