Polarographic study of aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2 : application of differential-pulse polarography to the determination of aflatoxin B1 in various foodstuffs

Abstract

The polarographic behaviour of aflatoxins B₁, B₂, G₁, and G₂ has been investigated and found to parallel closely that of coumarin and its derivatives. Differential-pulse polarography has been applied to the determination of aflatoxin B₁ in a variety of food products. Good agreement was obtained between the differential-pulse polarographic method and visual comparison of the fluorescence exhibited by the aflatoxin following thin-layer chromatographic separation. Electroactive interferences co-extracted from high lipid-containing foods were removed by separation on a Sephadex LH-20 column.