Liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) determination of phase II metabolites of the mycotoxin zearalenone in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana

The biotransformation products of zearalenone, a Fusarium mycotoxin, were elucidated using the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. After treatment of plant seedlings with 50 mu M zearalenone, both the liquid media and the plant extracts were analysed by liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). An array of 17 different metabolites, most prominently glucosides, malonylglucosides, di-hexose-and hexose-pentose disaccharides of zearalenone, and alpha- and beta-zearalenol, were detected in the samples. Time courses for the different zearalenone metabolites were recorded and they give a closer insight into the metabolism kinetics. A scheme proposing the zearalenone metabolism in A. thaliana is given. The aspect of food safety regarding the (potential) occurrence of masked mycotoxins in agricultural commodities is discussed.