NATURAL OCCURRENCE OF ALTERNARIOL AND ALTERNARIOL METHYL-ETHER IN SPANISH APPLE JUICE CONCENTRATES

A limited survey of 32 samples of apple juice concentrates, destined f or the production of commercial juices, was carried out in order to ev aluate the natural occurrence of the Alternaria metabolites alternario l and alternariol methyl ether. A high-performance liquid chromatograp hic method based on solid-phase extraction columns for extraction and purification of the toxins was used. Both mycotoxins were found as nat ural contaminants in 50% of the samples analyzed. Levels of alternario l were in the range 1.35-5.42 ng/ml. Alternariol methyl ether was pres ent in most cases only at trace levels, and the highest amount detecte d was 1.71 ng/ml in one sample. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rig hts reserved.