Multi-mycotoxin detection and human exposure risk assessment in medicinal foods. (February 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Liao, Xiaofang; Li, Ying; Long, Nan; Xu, Qingbin; Li, Peng; Wang, Jiabo; Zhou, Lidong; Kong, Weijun
• Is Part Of: Food research international. Volume 164(2023)
• Publication Date: 2023-02
• Subjects: Medicinal foods -- Multi-mycotoxins -- Ultrasonication assisted one-step extraction -- Human exposure risk assessment -- UFLC-MS/MS; Food -- Analysis -- Periodicals; Food industry and trade -- Periodicals; Food industry and trade -- Canada -- Periodicals; Food Technology -- Periodicals; Food -- Periodicals; Food-Processing Industry -- Periodicals; Aliments -- Industrie et commerce -- Périodiques; Aliments -- Industrie et commerce -- Canada -- Périodiques; Aliments -- Recherche -- Périodiques; Food industry and trade; Canada; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 664.005
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2023.112456
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0963-9969

Abstract

Graphical abstract: Highlights: A sensitive UFLC-MS/MS method was developed for multiple mycotoxins in medicinal foods. Ultrasonication assisted one-step extraction without clean-up steps was applied for sample preparation. Fifty-eight out of 103 samples were positive with one or more mycotoxins. Coix seed presented the highest positive incidence, followed by Lily, Chinese yam, Lotus seed and Malt. Coix seed and Lotus seeds that were susceptible to aflatoxins posed great threats to human health. Abstract: Mycotoxin contamination in medicinal foods has attracted increasing global attention. In this study, a simple and sensitive ultrasonication assisted one-step extraction based ultra-fast liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UFLC-MS/MS) method was developed for simultaneous detection of multi-mycotoxins in five kinds of medicinal foods rich in starch. Under optimal conditions, the developed technique displayed excellent analytical performances. Limits of detection and quantitation for the six mycotoxins were 0.04–0.25 ng/mL and 0.10–0.67 ng/mL, respectively. Average recoveries at three fortified levels ranged from 75.33 % to 118.0 %. Real-world application in 103 batches of medicinal foods displayed that 58 samples were positive with one or more mycotoxins at an occurrence rate of 56.31 % (58/103). Coix seed gave the highest positive rate of 96.15 %, followed by Lily (90 %), Chinese yam (50 %), Lotus seed (34.04 %) and Malt (30 %). Zearalenone had the highest positive rate of 28.16 % with contents in 5 Coix seeds exceeding the maximum residue limit (MRL), followed by aflatoxin B1 of 27.18 % (28/103) with contents in 7 Coix seed and 10 Lotus seeds over its MRL, and ochratoxin A (OTA) of 11.65 % with contents in 1 Lotus seed and 5 Lily samples greater than its MRL. Exposure risk assessment indicated that Coix seed and Lotus seeds that were susceptible to aflatoxins posed great threats to human health. Long-term consumption of Lily that was easily contaminated with OTA were also harmful. This work provides a robust platform for multi-mycotoxin monitoring in medicinal foods to protect the consumers from potential health risks.