Eco-friendly one-step egg white gel preparation for sensitive detection of 13 trichothecenes in oats using UHPLC-MS/MS.

ABSTRACT

Oat products have gained widespread recognition as a health food due to their rich and balanced nutritional profile and convenience. However, the unique matrix composition of oats, which differs significantly from other cereals, presents specific challenges for mycotoxin analysis. This study presents an ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) method enhanced with an innovative egg white gel pretreatment for the simultaneous analysis of 13 regulated and unregulated trichothecenes in oats. The method demonstrated excellent performance with high accuracy (> 87.5%), repeatability (< 5.7%), and reproducibility (< 8.1%). Analysis of 100 commercial oat products revealed a concerning detection rate (78%) for at least one of the 11 trichothecenes investigated. Notably, deoxynivalenol, exceeding the standard limit in 2% of samples, exhibited the highest detection rate (62%). Additionally, concerning co-occurrence patterns and positive correlations were observed, highlighting potential synergistic effects. The first-time detection of unregulated mycotoxins (T-2 triol, 4,15-diacetoxyscirpenol, 15-acetoxyscirpenol, and neosolaniol) underscores the need for comprehensive monitoring. This method, while developed for oats, shows potential for broader application to other cereals, though further investigation and confirmation are necessary. These findings suggest a potentially underestimated risk of trichothecenes in oats, necessitating continuous monitoring to ensure consumer safety.