Detection some aflatoxins in some locally marketed raw peanuts

Aflatoxins are toxic secondary metabolites which are produced by some fungi that invade many different crops before and after harvest especially peanuts. In this study twenty samples of raw peanut kernels were randomly collected from different supermarkets in Latakia city, Syria for detection of their contamination with aflatoxins. The levels of aflatoxins in collected samples were determined using high performance liquid chromatography equipped with post-column photochemical reactor for enhanced detection and fluorescence detector. Extraction and cleanup of aflatoxins were achieved by 70% methanol and immunoaffinity column (IAC). A detection limit of (0.02–0.04ng/ml) and a quantification limit of (0.06–0.132 ng/ml) were obtained for the studied types of aflatoxins. The linearity was in the range (0.156–20ng/ml) for AFB1, AFB2, AFG1 and AFG2. 55% and 25% of the samples were contaminated with Total aflatoxins and AFB1, respectively. The concentrations in all investigated samples ranged from not detected to 149.96μg/kg with mean concentration ±SD (16.49±34.08 μg/kg) for total aflatoxins and from not detected to 37.10μg/kg with mean ±SD (3.46±8.94μg/kg) for AFB1. 25% and 50% of tested samples exceeded the maximum acceptable limits set by the European commission.