Validation of a high performance liquid chromatography method for aflatoxins determination in corn arepas

Abstract

Aflatoxins are toxic metabolites produced by Aspergillus species in raw materials and foodstuffs from agricultural sources. Due to the fact that aflatoxins are potentially carcinogenetic, it is important to have reliable analytic methods that allow determining their levels in food matrices. The main aim of this investigation was to validate the method for aflatoxins determination by high performance liquid chromatography in corn arepas, which are widely consumed in the Colombian coffee region. The evaluated parameters were robustness, selectivity, linearity, sensitivity, repeatability, intermediate precision and recovery. The methodology was successfully validated with and optimal selectivity, linearity > 0.9998, limits of detection and quantification lower than 0.10 μg kg-1, relative standard deviation < 4.5% and recovery > 76.6%. Also, 144 corn arepas samples were analyzed and aflatoxins were found in 9.72% of them, with levels between 0.95 and 11.56 μg kg-1.