Identification of aflatoxins by quadrupole mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry.

MS/MS daughter experiments were recorded for aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, G2, M1, M2, and aflatoxicol, using 3 ionization modes. Daughters were recorded from the molecular ion (M+) using electron impact ionization (EI). Daughters from the protonated molecules (MH+) were recorded in the positive ion mode and the daughters from the molecular anion (M-) were recorded in the negative ion mode using chemical ionization (CI). These daughter spectra are all relatively simple. The EI daughters are quite similar to conventional EI spectra. The yield of (M-) is about 100 times greater than the yield of M+ in EI or MH+ in isobutane CI spectrum. Negative ion daughter spectra were used to demonstrate the feasibility of determining the presence of aflatoxin B1 in crude extracts of contaminated corn. Aflatoxin B1 could be detected at 10 ppb.