THE ADSORPTION EFFECTS OF A MINERAL ADSORBER OF THE CLINOPTILOLITE TYPE .1. ADSORPTION OF AFLATOXINS B1 AND G2

A new mineral adsorber, representing a concentrate of the zeolitic min eral clinoptilolite, was obtained by technological processing, from a zeolitic tuff deposit in Zlatokop (Serbia, Yugoslavia). in this paper, the adsorbing characteristics of this product for mycotoxins of the a flatoxin group (B1 and G2) sue presented. The investigations were carr ied out at pH2 and pH7, in an electrolyte with a composition similar t o animal gastric juice, in order to evaluate the influence of pH on th e adsorptive characteristics of clinoptilolite. Mycotoxin determinatio ns were carried out in the electrolyte without and with added mineral adsorber after incubation with shaking. at 37 degrees C (in a water ba th). The test solution contained 1 g of mineral adsorber and certain c oncentrations of the toxins (50, 100, 200 and 300 mu g/g). The quantit y of mycotoxin net adsorbed was detected in the supernatant, after chl oroform extraction, by the highly effective liquid chromatographic (HP LC) fluorescene method Measurement of adsorption was started at 5 minu tes and continued up to 48 hours of mycotoxin-mineral adsorber contact . The results obtained show that, immediately after contact with miner al adsorber (5 min) both mycotoxins were adsorbed more than 80%, The l evel of adsorption increased up to 48 hours without the occurrence of desorption. Mycotoxin BI was better adsorbed from the neutral (pH7) th an from the acidic (pH2) medium, while the mycotoxin G2 was better ads orbed in the acidic medium (pH2).