Analysis of T-2 and HT-2 toxins in oats and other cereals by means of HPLC with fluorescence detection

Bearing in mind the high toxicity of T-2 and HT-2 toxins which occur in cereals (mainly in oats) EU plans legal limits for these mycotoxins. The occurrence data are insufficient because reliable and sensitive analysis methods are not available. A sensitive HPLC gradient method was developed which is applicable with common HPLC equipment (HPLC with fluorescence detection). After extraction of the toxins from sample matrix with methanol/water the diluted extracts were cleaned-up using immunoaffinity columns and then derivatized with 1-anthroylnitrile/DMAP. The T-2 and HT-2 toxins were separated from peaks of the cereal matrix and derivatization reagent by means of a relatively complex HPLC gradient method. The method was validated for oats, wheat, rye, barley, and maize. The recovery rates were in the range of 70–99%, the precision (RSD_R) of 3–8%. The limits of detection of T-2 and HT-2 toxins were 1 μg/kg. A total of 119 samples of cereals and cereal products was analyzed according to the optimized method. The analyses of 54 samples of dehulled oats and of 11 samples of processed oat products from food industry had a contamination frequency of 100%. The contents (sum of T-2 and HT-2 toxins) amounted to 3 to 174 μg/kg for the dehulled oats and to 4 to 48 μg/kg for the processed oat products. 29 samples of maize and maize products had a contamination frequency of 80% (2–106 μg/kg in the sum of T-2 and HT-2 toxins). In the samples of wheat and barley the toxins were detected only occasionally (contents: 1–10 μg/kg), in rye not at all.