Capillary electrophoresis of the mycotoxin zearalenone using cyclodextrin-enhanced fluorescence

Certain of the cyclodextrins are capable of significantly enhancing the native fluorescence of the estrogenic mycotoxin zearalenone (ZEN). Twenty-two cyclodextrins (CDs) were screened for their ability to enhance the fluorescence of ZEN in a capillary electrophoresis-laser induced fluorescence (CE-LIF) format. Of the CDs that were examined heptakis (2,6-di-O-methyl)-β-CD gave the greatest enhancement. The heptakis (2,6-di-O-methyl)-β-CD was applied to the development of a CE-LIF method for detection of ZEN in maize. The resulting method was capable of detecting ZEN with a limit of quantitation of 5 ng/g maize. Recoveries of ZEN from maize spiked over the range from 5 ng/g to 500 ng/g averaged 103.1 ± 8.5% (n = 20). The CE-LIF method will be useful for future studies of ZEN in maize.