Rapid determination of the mycotoxin lolitrem B in endophyte-infected perennial ryegrass by high-performance thin-layer chromatography - A validated assay

A method based on high-performance thin-layer chromatography with UV detection, is described for the rapid determination of the mycotoxin lolitrem B in perennial ryegrass infected with the endophytic fungus Acremonium lolii. The method, which requires a clean-up of the crude extract on C-18 Sep-Pak prior to chromatographic analysis, has been validated according to the criteria established by the Journal of Chromatography B. Its preliminary application to samples of seven perennial ryegrass cultivars infected with A. lolii and cultivated in France, revealed the presence of lolitrem B at concentrations ranging between 0.1 and 0.94 mu g/g dry mass. These results are of epidemiological importance for studying the ''ryegrass staggers'', a neurotoxic syndrome which is induced in herbivorous animal species mainly by lolitrem B.