HPLC method for simultaneous detection of aflatoxins and cyclopiazonic acid

Abstract

Aspergillus species in section Flavi are among the most relevant mycotoxigenic producing fungi. The organisms are well-known producers of the highly carcinogenic aflatoxins (AF) and of other mycotoxins, such as cyclopiazonic acid (CPA). AF and CPA analyses can be routinely used for identification purposes within the section. Two separate chromatographic runs with distinct columns and detectors for each toxin were required in previous reports. A straightforward high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) procedure for the simultaneous detection of these compounds in fungal cultures was developed in the present work using a methanol/water mobile phase, post-column photochemical derivatization and fluorescence detection. The proposed method was tested with standards and fungal extracts of 24 Aspergillus section Flavi strains and compared to the common individual detection of these mycotoxins by HPLC analyses.