Thin-layer chromatography of mycotoxins.

TLC has become an extremely powerful, rapid and in most instances inexpensive separation technique in mycotoxicology. This review presents achievements of its applications in this field. General technical aspects of the TLC of mycotoxins that are discussed include extraction and clean-up procedures, adsorbents and solvent systems, detection methods, two-dimensional TLC, high-performance TLC (HPTLC), quantitation and preparative TLC (PLC). Special applications of TLC deal with multi-mycotoxin analyses and with structurally related or individual mycotoxins (aflatoxins, sterigmatocystins, versicolorins, ochratoxins, rubratoxins, patulin, penicillic acid, mycophenolic acid, butenolide, citreoviridin, trichothecenes, cytochalasans, tremorgenic toxins, epipolythiopiperazine-3,6-diones, hydroxyanthraquinones, zearalenone, citrinin, secalonic acids, cyclopiazonic acid, PR toxin, roquefortine, xanthomegnin, viomellein and naphtho-gamma-pyrones).