Multi-mycotoxins Analysis in Dried Fruit by LC/MS/MS and a Modified QuEChERS Procedure

A sensitive and reliable multi-mycotoxin method was developed for the simultaneous determination of 16 toxicological important mycotoxins, such as aflatoxins B-1, B-2, G(1), and G(2); enniatins A, A(1), B, and B-1; beauvericin; ochratoxin A; fumonisin B-1, B-2, and B-3; diacetoxyscirprenol; HT-2; and T-2 toxin in dried fruits using liquid chromatography combined with electrospray ionization-triple quadrupole tandem-mass spectrometry. Mycotoxins have been extracted from the samples using a modified quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe procedure. The method was based on a single extraction with acidified acetonitrile, followed by partitioning with salts, avoiding any further clean-up step. Limits of detections ranged from 0.08 to 15 mu g kg(-1) and limits of quantification ranged from 0.2 to 45 mu g kg(-1), which were below the legal limit set by the European Union for the legislated mycotoxines. The recoveries in spiked samples ranged from 60 to 135 % except for beauvericin using matrix-matched calibration curves for quantification, with good inter- and intraday repeatability (respective relative standard deviation <= 20 and 9 %). The developed method was applied to 15 commercial dried fruits: raisins, figs, apricots, plums, and dates purchased in local markets from Spain. Among the mycotoxins studied, enniantins and aflatoxins were the most predominant mycotoxins.