MULTI-MYCOTOXINS ANALYSIS IN MILK BY HPLC/FL

Milk is a product widely consumed by people in all age groups. Despite of the constant concern with quality, milk can present contamination by several mycotoxins as related by numerous research. However, only aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) is regulated by national and international legislation. Therefore, the need for further studies aiming at the identification and quantification of various mycotoxins in milk is necessary. The aim of this work was to identify and quantify multi-mictotoxins in ultra high temperature (UHT) milk: aflatoxins M1 (AFM1), B1 (AFB1), G1 (AFG1) and G2 (AFG2), zearalenone (ZEA) and ochratoxin (OTA). Mycotoxins in milk were extracted and purified from the 30 samples commercialized in Western Paraná, by modified QuEChERS and analyzed using ultra high performance liquid chromatography-fluorescence detection. Linear calibration curves were obtained for each of the mycotoxins in different concentration ranges. The limits of quantification (LQ) were 0.16; 1.08; 0.01; 0.12; 0.33 and 8.93 μg.Kg-1 for AFM1, AFB1, AFG1, AFG2, OTA and ZEA, respectively. Of the samples evaluated, the presence of AFB1, AFG1, AFG2 and AFM1 was detected in 43% (N = 13), 56% (N = 16), 93% (N = 28) and 20% (N = 6), respectively, at different concentration ranges. The values found for AFM1 did not exceed the limits recommended by current legislation; however, when compared to European legislation all samples would be out of range. No ZEA and OTA were identified. This is the first report with the multi-micotoxins contamination studied in UHT milk from Brazil; however, there is a need for continued monitoring of milk contamination in order to subsidize further research and regulatory bodies.