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Extraction of aflatoxins by using mesoporous silica (type UVM-7), and their quantitation by HPLC-MS

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Abstract

A solid-phase extraction procedure has been developed by using a sorbent derived from UVM-7 mesoporous silica. The sorbent was applied to the extraction of aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2 from tea samples followed by HPLC with mass spectrometric detection. The sorbent was characterized by transmission electron microscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance, X-ray diffraction and nitrogen adsorption-desorption. UVM-7 is found to be the best solid phase. The amount of solid-phase, type and volume of eluent, pH value and ionic strength and breakthrough volume were optimized. Following the recommended procedure, recoveries between 96.0 and 98.2% were achieved, with RSD values of <5.1%, and the limits of detection are in the range from 0.14 to 0.7 μg·kg−1. The material is reusable. The method was applied to the analysis of real tea samples. A low matrix effect is found, and recoveries are >88%. The results were compared with those obtained by immunoaffinity columns as a reference method. Only low concentrations of aflatoxin G2 were found in some samples, and results obtained with both methods are shown to be statistically sound and comparable.

Schematic representation of a mesoporous silica sorbent (type UVM-7) for the extraction of aflatoxins (AF) from tea by solid-phase extraction (SPE), and its determination by liquid chromatography. The morphology of the material allows to retain the analytes very well.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the MINECO of Spain and FEDER (MAT2015–64139-C4-2-R, RTI2018-095536-B-I00 and RTI2018-100910-B-C44) and the Generalitat Valenciana (PROMETEO/2016/145). E. P-C thanks the MEC for a FPU grant for Ph.D. studies (FPU16/02358). C. B-S thanks Universitat de València for a grant for Ph.D. studies (INV_PREDOC17F1-540310). V.J.B thanks the MEC for the FPI grant (BES-2017-081521) related with the project FIS2016-77889-R.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Universitat de València, Dr Moliner 50, 46100, Burjassot, Valencia, Spain

    Enric Pellicer-Castell, Carolina Belenguer-Sapiña, José Manuel Herrero-Martínez & Adela R. Mauri-Aucejo

  2. Department of Chemistry, Module 13, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049, Madrid, Spain

    Vicent J. Borràs

  3. Institut of Material Science (ICMUV), Universitat de València, Catedrático José Beltrán 2, 46980, Paterna, Valencia, Spain

    Pedro Amorós & Jamal El Haskouri

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  1. Enric Pellicer-Castell
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Correspondence to Adela R. Mauri-Aucejo.

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Pellicer-Castell, E., Belenguer-Sapiña, C., Borràs, V.J. et al. Extraction of aflatoxins by using mesoporous silica (type UVM-7), and their quantitation by HPLC-MS. Microchim Acta 186, 792 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-019-3958-8

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