Chemical Sciences Journal

Determination of Levels of Aflatoxin in Maize Produced from Shebelle Zone, Somali Regional State, Eastern Ethiopia Using UHPLC

Abstract

Kebede Mamo*, Yared Shewarega and Aklilu Melese

Aflatoxin producing substances are extremely dangerous to humans and can result in cancer when taken in foods contaminated with aflatoxin. In this study, the levels of aflatoxins (B1, B2, G1, and G2) in samples of maize collected from several Shebelle Zone districts were quantified. It was examined using a fluorescence detector and UHPLC. The extraction solvents (80:20 v/v percent) were methanol and water. Standard solutions of aflatoxins between 0.5 and 7 g/kg (ppb) demonstrated strong linearity from the calibration curve with regression coefficient (R²) values of >0.9989. The spiked sample average percentage recoveries ranged from 89.78 to 97.87 percent. The average total aflatoxin values in the maize samples from K1, K2, and K3 were 0.14, 356.19, and 174.05 g/kg, respectively. Except for K1, all of the investigated maize samples had aflatoxin levels that above the upper tolerance limits established by international agencies like WHO, and the EU.