GAS-CHROMATOGRAPHY MASS-SPECTROMETRY OF ALTERNARIA MYCOTOXINS

Heptafluorobutyrate (HFB) derivatives have not previously been used fo r GC of Alternaria mycotoxins. Capillary (0.5 mu m film) GC-mass spect rometry (MS) showed that full and partial derivatives of alternariol ( AGH), alternariol monomethyl ether (AME) and altenuene (ALT); a struct urally uncharacterized derivative of altertoxin I (ALTX-I); and a tris -HFB derivative of tenuazonic acid (TA) were formed with heptafluorobu tyric anhydride and a basic catalyst. Full and partial trimethylsilyl (TMS) ethers of these mycotoxins were formed with Tri-Sil TBT. Apple j uice extracts caused increased response in GC-MS of AGH bis-HFB and bi s-TMS derivatives. Natural occurrence of AGH in apple juice has been d emonstrated.