IMMUNOAFFINITY COLUMN COUPLED WITH LIQUID-CHROMATOGRAPHY FOR DETERMINATION OF FUMONISIN B-1 IN CANNED AND FROZEN SWEET CORN

A modified liquid chromatographic (LC) method for determining fumonisin B-1 (FB1) in corn was applied to canned and frozen sweet corn. The corn is extracted with methanol-water (8 + 2), and the extract is filtered. The filtrate is diluted with water and passed through an immunoaffinity column. After the column is washed with water, FB1 is eluted with methanol-water (8 + 2). The eluate is evaporated to dryness by using a vacuum concentrator, and the residue is dissolved in acetonitrile-water (1 + 1). FB1 is derivatized with o-phthaldialdehyde. The derivative is separated on a reversed-phase C-18 LC column using acetonitrile-water-acetic acid (50 + 50 + 1) and quantitated with a fluorescence detector. Recoveries of FB1 from canned and frozen corn spiked over the range of 50-200 ng/g were 76-88%. The limit of determination was about 25 ng/g, and the limit of detection was about 4 ng/g. The method was applied to 97 commercial canned and frozen sweet corn samples collected from different areas of the United States. Sixty samples contained no FB1. Low levels (trace-82 ng FB1/g corn) were found in 35 samples; 235 ng FB1/g was found in 1 canned corn sample, and 350 ng FB1/g was found in 1 frozen corn sample.