A rapid TLC-scanning method for the determination of patulin in apple products

A method has been developed for the quantification of patulin in apples, ap ple concentrate, and apple juice, The toxin was extracted with ethyl acetat e, and the extracted solution was further cleaned with 1.5% sodium carbonat e solution before separation on silica gel Layers with toluene-ethyl acetat e-formic acid, 6 + 3 + 1, as mobile phase. The chromatogram was scanned in reflectance mode at lambda = 275 nm, or at lambda = 412 nm if patulin was r evealed by use of MBTH as detection reagent. Quantification was performed b y use of external standard calibration, Calibration curves were constructed for detection at both lambda = 275 nm and lambda = 412 nm; both were linea r over the range 30 to 200 ng per spot with correlation coefficients >0.99. The detection limit was 30 ng per spot when MBTH was used for detection an d 50 ng per spot for direct UV quantification, The relative standard deviat ion of measurements was 4%. The average recovery of the method was 78% for quantities between 50 and 150 ppb.