Quantitative analysis of ochratoxin A in wine and beer using solid phase extraction and high performance liquid chromatography–fluorescence detection

Abstract

A reliable and accurate method is described for the quantitative analysis of ochratoxin A (OTA) in wine and beer. The method involves the use of disposable non-polar polymeric and aminopropyl solid-phase extraction cartridges to isolate the mycotoxin from alcoholic beverages. Extracts were subsequently analysed using reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography–fluorescence detection with post column ammoniation to improve the limit of detection. The precision of the method determined at three levels in both wine and beer was less than 5% (RSD). Standard addition studies in both wine and beer showed that the recovery of OTA varied between 90 and 106% over a concentration range of 0.016–1.284 µg l⁻¹. The detection and quantification limits were shown to be better than 0.004 (S/N = 3) and 0.016 µg l⁻¹ (S/N = 10) for both beer and wine.

Keywords:

• Ochratoxin A
• solid phase extraction
• post-column ammoniation
• wine
• beer
• ion suppression

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Dr A. Alves for her permission to use the results of the Interlaboratory study of OTA in wine. We are also grateful to Kylie McClelland and Michael Kelly for their meticulous technical assistance.