Method for the analysis in maize of the Fusarium mycotoxin moniliformin employing ion-pairing extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography.

The Fusarium mycotoxin moniliformin (hydroxycyclobutenedione) has been determined in maize using a novel method with a recovery of 70-80% at 400-1600 micrograms/kg and 60% at the detection limit of 100 micrograms/kg. The method requires extraction of the toxin into aqueous tetra-n-butylammonium hydroxide and removal of cations from this solution by ion-exchange chromatography. Following clean-up by partitioning against dichloromethane, further quaternary ammonium reagent was added to the aqueous phase which was absorbed onto a hydrophilic matrix and the tetra-n-butylammonium moniliformate ion pair extracted into dichloromethane. After evaporation of the organic eluent, the residue was dissolved in aqueous sodium chloride and moniliformin quantitated by ion-pair high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection. A batch of five samples may be analysed in 5-6 h including the chromatographic determination.