Issue 30, 2021

Assessment of trace levels of aflatoxins AFB1 and AFB2 in non-dairy beverages by molecularly imprinted polymer based micro solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

Abstract

A selective molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) adsorbent was synthesised and used in a batch micro-solid phase extraction format for isolating aflatoxins (AFB1, and AFB2) from non-dairy beverages before liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry determination. MIP synthesis (precipitation polymerization in 3 : 1 acetonitrile/toluene as a porogen) was performed with 5,7-dimethoxycoumarin (DMC), methacrylic acid (MAA) and divinylbenzene-80 (DVB) as a dummy template, functional monomer and cross-linker, respectively (1 : 4 : 20 molar ratio). 2,2′-Azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) was used as a polymerization initiator. The adsorbent MIP (50 mg) was enclosed in a cone-shaped polypropylene membrane (porous membrane protected molecularly imprinted micro-solid phase extraction), and parameters such as sample pH, mechanical (orbital-horizontal) shaking, the extraction time (loading stage), the composition of the eluting solution, and the desorption time were optimised. The highest extraction yields were obtained by using 5 mL of non-dairy beverages (pH adjusted at 6.0), and mechanical shaking (150 rpm) for 15 min. Elution was performed with 5 mL of an acetonitrile/formic acid (97.5 : 2.5) mixture under ultrasound (325 W, 35 kHz) for 15 min. After eluate evaporation to dryness and re-dissolution in 150 μL of the mobile phase, the pre-concentration factor of the method was 33.3, which yields limits of detection within the 0.085–0.207 μg L−1 range. In addition, the current proposal was shown to be an accurate and precise method through relative standard deviation of intraday and inter-day assays below 18% and analytical recoveries in the range of 91–104%. However, the method was found to suffer from matrix effects.

Graphical abstract: Assessment of trace levels of aflatoxins AFB1 and AFB2 in non-dairy beverages by molecularly imprinted polymer based micro solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
11 May 2021
Accepted
20 Jun 2021
First published
21 Jun 2021

Anal. Methods, 2021,13, 3433-3443

Assessment of trace levels of aflatoxins AFB1 and AFB2 in non-dairy beverages by molecularly imprinted polymer based micro solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

A. Chmangui, G. D. T. M. Jayasinghe, M. R. Driss, S. Touil, P. Bermejo-Barrera, S. Bouabdallah and A. Moreda-Piñeiro, Anal. Methods, 2021, 13, 3433 DOI: 10.1039/D1AY00793A

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