The analysis of aflatoxins by high-performance liquid chromatography.

The potential of high-performance liquid chromatography as a technique for separating aflatoxins B₁ B₂, G₁, G₂, B_2a, Q₁, M₁, P₁, aflatoxicol, and a degradation product of aflatoxin B₁, 2,3-dihydrodiol, has been assessed. A microparticulate silica adsorption column used with a 1:1 chloroform -dichloromethane eluant provided good resolution of aflatoxins B₁, B₂, G₁, and G₂ but the addition of 1% propan-2-ol was necessary for the elution of aflatoxins M₁ and Q₁. By selecting appropriate solvent mixtures, good resolution of all of the aflatoxins studied was obtained using columns containing an octadecyl (C₁₈) reversed-phase bonded to a microparticulate support. Details are given for resolving: (1) aflatoxins B₁, B₂, G₁, and G₂ using a 5% tetrahydrofuran-15% dimethylformamide in water eluant and (2) aflatoxins B₁ B_2a, Q₁ M₁ P₁ aflatoxicol, and a product of aflatoxin B₁ 2,3-dihydrodiol treated with Tris-buffer, using either 15% dimethylformamide in water or 10% tetrahydrofuran in water as eluant.