Abstract:

A novel method for the determination of 8 mycotoxins, including alternariol (AOH), alternariol monamethyl
ether (AME), tenuazonic acid (TeA), altenuene (ALT), tentoxin (TEN), patulin (PAT), ochratoxin A (OTA) and citrinin
(CIT) in fruits and vegetables was developed using a laboratory-prepared solid phase extraction (SPE) column coupled
with ultra performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). The sample was extracted with
80% acetonitrile solution, and cleaned up on the SPE column. The separation of the analytes was carried out on an Acquity
CORTECS UPLC C18 column (100 mm × 2.1 mm, 1.6 μm) using a mobile phase composed of a mixture of acetonitrile and
5 mmol/L ammonium acetate aqueous solution with gradient elution. The extract was determined by UPLC-MS/MS. Matrixmatched
calibration was used for the quantification. The proposed method showed a good linear correlation with correlation
coefficients all above 0.99. The recoveries for blank samples fortified at three levels ranged from 76.0% to 102.7% with
RSDs from 0.8% to 4.7%. The limits of detection (LODs) ranged from 1 to 5 μg/kg. The method possessed the advantages
of sensitivity, simplicity and fastness, and was successfully applied in the determination of low levels of mycotoxins residues
in apple, sweet cherry and tomato samples.

Key words: mycotoxins, laboratory-prepared solid phase extraction column, ultra performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS), fruits and vegetables