Determination of Multiple Mycotoxins and Their Natural Occurrence in Edible Vegetable Oils Using Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry.

Thammaporn Junsai,Samak Sutjarit,Mario Giorgi,Antonio Francesco Logrieco,Zhaowei Zhang,Amnart Poapolathep,Saranya Poapolathep,Peiwu Li

doi:10.3390/foods10112795

Abstract

The prevalence of mycotoxins is often increased by the climatic conditions prevailing in tropical regions. Reports have revealed the contamination of mycotoxins in some types of vegetable oil. However, vegetable oil is one of the essential ingredients used in food preparation. Thus, this study determined the occurrence of multi-mycotoxins in six types of vegetable oils commercially available in Thailand to assess the consumer health risk. In total, 300 vegetable oil samples (olive oil, palm oil, soybean oil, corn oil, sunflower oil, and rice bran oil) collected from various markets in Thailand were analyzed for the presence of nine mycotoxins, namely, aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), aflatoxin B2 (AFB2), aflatoxin G1 (AFG1), aflatoxin G2 (AFG2), beauvericin (BEA), ochratoxin A (OTA), zearalenone (ZEA), fumonisin B1 (FB1), and fumonisin B2 (FB2) using a quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS)-based procedure and a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer equipped with an electrospray ionization source. The incidences of mycotoxin contamination varied among the different types of oil samples. AFB1, AFB2, ZEA, FB1, and FB2 were most frequently found in contaminated samples. AFB2, BEA, ZEA, FB1, and FB2 contaminated olive oil samples, whereas AFB1, AFB2, AFG2, and OTA contaminated palm oil samples. AFB1, AFB2, and ZEA were found in soybean oils, whereas ZEA, FB1, and FB2 contaminated corn oil samples. AFB1 and AFG1 contaminated sunflower oil samples, whereas AFB1, AFB2, AFG1, and OTA were detected in rice bran oil samples. However, the contamination levels of the analyzed mycotoxins were below the regulatory limits.

Highlights

Mycotoxins are natural secondary metabolites produced by filamentous fungi, such as Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Fusarium genera [1]
The pure analytical standards of the mycotoxins aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), aflatoxin B2 (AFB2), aflatoxin G1 (AFG1), aflatoxin G2 (AFG2), ochratoxin A (OTA), and BEA were purchased from Romer Labs (Tulln, Austria), while ZEA, fumonisin B1 (FB1), and fumonisin B2 (FB2) were sourced from Sigma-Aldrich (Taufkirchen, Germany)
The results demonstrated the successful development of an LC–MS/MS method as an excellent tool for the simultaneous identification of nine mycotoxins in six types of edible vegetable oil samples

Summary

Introduction

Mycotoxins are natural secondary metabolites produced by filamentous fungi, such as Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Fusarium genera [1]. Agricultural products can be contaminated starting from plant development in the field, through harvesting, and during the processing, storage, and transport of the final product [2]. Mycotoxin contaminations affect human health and economic factors [3]. More than 400 mycotoxins with different levels of toxicity have been identified in cereals, fruits, vegetables, and other agricultural commodities [4]. Environmental changes and temperature fluctuations are the main factors affecting fungal growth and mycotoxin production [5]. Mycotoxin contamination can occur in a large variety of agricultural products, especially in seeds and grains, which are considered some of the most important staple foods globally. Mycotoxins are very persistent in food and are usually not completely eliminated during food processing operations [6]

Methods

Results

Conclusion