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Twenty-four samples including 14 functional foods and 10 spices obtained from Chinese markets were examined for their mould profile. The mycotoxin contamination levels were also determined by an optimized HPLC-FLD method. 124 fungal isolates belonging to four different genera were recovered with Aspergillus and Penicillium as predominant fungi, with an incidence of 66.1% and 15.3%, respectively. In functional foods Aspergillus niger section (57.1%) was isolated more frequently, followed by Aspergillus flavi section (50.0%) and Aspergillus ochraceus section (21.4%), with the most contaminated samples being Coix seeds. Similar fungal presence and frequency were encountered in spice with A. niger section group (60.0%) and A. flavi section (40.0%) as main fungi. Cumin and Pricklyash peel samples showed the highest fungal contamination. Four functional foods and three spices were found to be positive at low levels for mycotoxins including aflatoxin B1 (up to 0.26μg/kg) and ochratoxin A (OTA) (5.0μg/kg). The more frequently detected mycotoxin was AFB1 (16.7%)., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A simple and sensitive HPLC coupled with photodiode array (HPLC-PDA) method was developed for simultaneous determination of seven lignans in Justicia procumbens using relative response factors (RRFs). The chromatographic separation was performed on a Shiseido Capcell Pak C(18) column (250 × 4.6 mm id, 5 μm), a gradient elution of acetonitrile/water, and a photodiode array detector. The column temperature was maintained at 35°C and the detection wavelength was set at 256 nm. Chinensinaphthol methyl ether was selected as the reference compound for calculating the relative response factors of the lignans. It has shown that the RRFs for lignans are quite similar at 256 nm of detection under different analytical conditions (different columns and HPLC instruments). Using RRFs, not every lignan is needed as a reference standard, making the method ideal for rapid, routine analysis, especially for those laboratories where lignans standards are not readily available. An economic and practicable HPLC method using RRFs was established for the determination of seven lignans in J. procumbens. This method not only can determine multiple indexes in traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) simultaneously, but also resolve the problem of lacking of chemical standards. It will be a good quality evaluation method and pattern for TCMs., (© 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Objective: To develop a method for the simultaneous determination of aflatoxin B1, B2, G1, G2 and ochratoxin A in Glycyrrhiza uralensis by HPLC-FLD after immunoaffinity column with online post-column photochemical derivatization., Method: Sample was extracted with MeOH: H2O (80:20) and cleaned up by immunoaffinity column. The toxins were separated by reversed-phase HPLC and the mobile phase was consisted of methanol and 0.5% acetic acid solution with gradient elution. The determination was carried out by fluorescence detector after photochemical derivatization., Result: The detection limits of aflatoxin G2, G1, B2, B1 and ochratoxin A were 0.02, 0.06, 0.015, 0.03 and 0.25 microg x kg(-1), respectively. The recoveries of analytes were from 76.0% to 103% and the relative standard deviations (RSDs) were below 13%., Conclusion: The method is a simple, accurate and can be used to determine the contents of aflatoxin B1, B2, G1, G2 and ochratoxin A in G. uralensis simultaneously.