Quantitation of fumonisins in corn by HPLC with o-phthalaldehyde postcolumn derivatization and their identification by LC/MS.

Fumonisins B1 (FB1) and B2 (FB2) were isocratically separated on a fluorocarbon column without using an ion pair reagent and nonvolatile buffer during the HPLC and were detected by an o-phthalaldehyde postcolumn derivatization system using a fluorescence detector. The minimum detectable concentrations of FB1 and FB2 in corn by this system were 0.01 micrograms/g and 0.01 micrograms/g, respectively. The separated fumonisins were further identified by a directly interfaced ion trap MS using electrospray ionization. FB1 and FB2 in naturally contaminated corn were identified in the selective ion monitoring mode at concentrations of 3.75 micrograms/g and 1.44 micrograms/g, respectively.