Analytical Methods for the Determination of Alternaria Mycotoxins

The genus Alternaria comprises ubiquitous pathogens and saprophytes. They can even grow at low temperature, so they are the main fungi responsible for the spoilage of various fruits, vegetables, grains and their products during long-distance transport and refrigerated storage. Alternaria mycotoxins are the secondary metabolite of the genus Alternaria. They can be divided into five main classes according to their chemical structures, including dibenzopyrone derivatives, tetramic acid derivatives, perylene derivatives, AAL toxins and miscellaneous structures. Alternaria mycotoxins are associated with many health effects because of their mutagenicity, teratogenicity and carcinogenicity, which can cause economic losses to agriculture and serious diseases in humans and animals. So far, there is still a lack of monitoring data on these contaminants of Alternaria mycotoxins. Moreover, there are still no statutory or guideline limits set for Alternaria mycotoxins in food and feed by regulatory authorities worldwide. Until now, many analytical methods have been developed for the detection and quantification of Alternaria mycotoxins. On the basis of briefly introducing the chemical structures and toxicities of Alternaria mycotoxins, this article provides an overview of the progress achieved in the detection techniques for Alternaria mycotoxins, focusing on the analytical methods of thin layer chromatography (TLC), gas chromatography (GC), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), liquid chromatography (LC), liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and so on. Finally, the problems of these analytical methods and future development trends are discussed.