Determination of mycotoxins in food and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in environmental samples using LC-MS/MS

Abstract

Food contamination with mycotoxins has caused concern nationally and internationally because of its potential genotoxic and carcinogenic effects, and also the possible additive or synergistic effects that may result from their combination in the same food. Monitoring of mycotoxins in foods is extremely important for public health, aimed at the adoption of technological measures in order to reduce exposure to foods considered at risk of these toxins. Another highlighted worldwide problem is the strong impact that human activities have caused on the marine environment, at the point to threaten and undermine many ecosystem. The presence of organic contaminants in marine compartments, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) has been reported by several research developed in the world, and its impact on populations that inhabit these ecosystems is not fully known; there is the suspicion of the connection with this contamination with the development of neoplasia in some populations of animals, for example the fibropapillomatose in sea turtles species. The unequivocal identification of organic contaminants in food and environmental samples is of paramount importance and analytical technique employed is an indispensable tool for monitoring and quantification of analytes. The liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) promote a great quantity of structural information of the analyte has a high selectivity and robustness, and has been used in the detection of a large number of different analytes in complex and different matrixes. In this context, this project aims to use this sophisticated technology to meet two important demands for human and environmental health food, ie, determine the following mycotoxins: aflatoxins (B1, B2, G1 and G2), ochratoxin A, fumonisin (B1, B2 and B3), deoxynivalenol and its masked shapes (3-acetyl-deoxynivalenol, 15 - acetyl-deoxynivalenol and deoxynivalenol-3-glucoside) and zearalenone in samples of processed food corn, and evaluate the presence of PAHs (naphthalene, acenaphthylene, acenaphthene, fluorene, phenanthrene, anthracene, fluoranthene, pyrene, benz[a]anthracene, chyrsene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, benzo[k]fluoranthene, benz[a]pyrene, indeno [1,2,3-cd]pyreno, dibenz [ah] anthracene and benzo [ghi]perylene). In samples of sediment, algae and tissue (adipose or liver) of sea turtles Chelonia mydas species with and without the presence of fibropapillomatose from various regions of the Brazilian coast. (AU)