SPECTROPHOTOMETRIC AND FLUORIMETRIC DETERMINATIONS OF TRICHOTHECENE MYCOTOXINS WITH REAGENTS FOR FORMALDEHYDE

Several trichothecene mycotoxins, such as fusarenone-X (F-X) and T-2 toxin (T-2), readily liberate formaldehyde on heating with sulfuric acid. Spectrophotometric and fluorimetric methods for the determination of trichothecenes with reagents for formaldehyde are therefore possible. F-X (or T-2) can be determined in the 50-1000 mg l-1 (or 50-1500 mg l-1) range by the chromotropic acid method, in the 30-1200 mg l-1 (or 50-2000 mg l-1) range by the phenyl J acid method, and in the 1.25-25 mg l-1 (or 2-40 mg l-1) range by the J acid method. Other trichothecenes, neosolaniol, nivalenol, tetraacetylnivalenol, diacetoxyscirpenol and HT-2 toxin, etc. also give positive reactions but trichothecin and dihydronivalenol do not. © 1979.