Chapter 3 Techniques of Liquid Column Chromatography

Abstract

This chapter presents the methodology of column liquid chromatography covering sample pretreatment, classical column chromatography, mini-column chromatography, and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), with the main emphasis on HPLC. This is now the most widely used chromatographic method in the analytical laboratory. HPLC allows ultratrace analysis of a wide variety of compounds. Many analytes can be analyzed at a nanogram level, but detection limits of a picogram or even less have been demonstrated in certain cases using special techniques. The aim of the sampling and sample preparation procedures is to produce as representative a laboratory sample as possible. This sample is then analyzed using an analytical procedure that comprises extraction, clean-up, qualitative, quantitative, and confirmatory steps. The choice of sample clean-up method(s) depends critically on the type of mycotoxin(s) and matrix in question, the expected concentration of the mycotoxin(s), and the available final analytical method used for the detection and determination. Generally, analysis of agricultural commodities necessitates extensive clean-up before the final analysis is feasible.