D. Abramson et Rm. Clear, A CONVENIENT METHOD FOR ASSESSING MYCOTOXIN PRODUCTION IN CULTURES OFASPERGILLI AND PENICILLIA, Journal of food protection, 59(6), 1996, pp. 642-644
Production of aflatoxins, sterigmatocystin, citrinin, and ochratoxin A
by Aspergillus and Penicillium species on agar in 50-ml flasks after
21 days was detected and confirmed by thin-layer chromatography. Toxin
s were extracted with 2.5 ml of acidified methylene chloride for 20 to
60 min. Mycotoxin concentrations were estimated by liquid chromatogra
phy. Addition of formic acid to the methylene chloride extraction solv
ent effected an increase in recovery of ochratoxin A from Czapek-yeast
(CY) agar from 20% to 91%. Recoveries of added mycotoxins were genera
lly higher from CY agar than from yeast extract-sucrose (YES) agar and
ranged from 11% (citrinin from YES agar) to 91% (ochratoxin A from CY
agar). The method described is convenient, rapid, and reproducible, s
ince it samples the entire culture surface. Human exposure to volatile
solvents is also minimized.