Category Archives: mycotoxin

aflatoxin, mycotoxin

Aflatoxins in Feeds

1-cow“Advances in mycotoxin detection and analytic techniques have shown the mycotoxin problem to be much larger and more diverse than once imagined. As the climate changes, as feed materials are being sourced from different parts of the world and novel sources of feed materials are being used the risk to exposure from many toxins simultaneously is now greater than ever before. Even low levels of mycotoxins in animal diets can have a significant impact on livestock production, such as impaired gut health”. This is from the article ‘Mycotoxins: Risk is greater than ever before’ in the magazine All about feed, August 19, 2016. http://www.allaboutfeed.net/Mycotoxins/Articles/2016/8/Mycotoxins-Risk-is-greater-than-ever-before-2859680W/.

Pickering Laboratories can provide some options for laboratories that want to analyze for Mycotoxins. Aflatoxins can be analyzed by iodine derivatization using Pinnacle PCX or Vector PCX or with UVE photochemical reactor. A combination of photochemical reactor and chemical derivatization can be utilized for multi-residue Mycotoxins analysis. Details of these methods can be found at  https://www.pickeringlabs.com/library/method-abstracts-2/#mycotoxins.

Fumonisins, Maria Ofitserova, Method Abstract, Multi-residue Mycotoxin Analysis, mycotoxin, pinnacle pcx, Uncategorized

New Method Abstract MA 249

ma_249Analysis of Mycotoxins is an important part of food and feed safety.  As regulations tighten laboratories all around the world expand their testing capabilities to include analysis for different types of toxic fungi metabolites. Pickering Laboratories has a diverse line of products designed for Mycotoxins analysis, including Pinnacle PCX post-column derivatization system, UVE photochemical reactor and immumoaffinity columns. We also developed several methods for single families of Mycotoxins as well as multi-residue protocols.

Our new Method Abstract MA249 describes fast and sensitive method for analysis of Fumonisins FB1, FB2 and FB3. Fumonisins are derivitized with OPA reagent and detected using Fluorescence detector. HPLC and post-column conditions of this method are aligned with a method being considered by Chinese National Food Safety Standards as new official method for Fumonisins in food.

AOAC, freestyle, mycotoxin, ThermELUTE

AOAC International Annual Meeting in Boca Raton

This year’s meeting was held at the Boca Raton Resort in Florida.  sunsetWe had a booth this year as usual, and we presented our FREESTYLE ThermELUTE system, which is a great new automated system for fast and sensitive Mycotoxin analysis. We also shared some details about this new system in our Vendor presentation and our poster titled “Integrated Analysis and Automated Sample Cleanup of Aflatoxin B/G, M1, Ochratoxin A”banyon tree

In addition to ThermELUTE, Laszlo Torma and Maria Ofitserova were on hand to participate in several community meetings and Expert Review Panels and to present a second poster.

After the exhibition ended on Tuesday afternoon, we stayed to listen to Wednesday’s talks and to present our second poster on Glufosinate, titled simply, “Glufosinate and Glyphosate in Water”  While this herbicide is not necessarily a new topic, it’s certainly a challenging one, and with the developing resistance of the unwanted plants (i.e. weeds) to Glyphosate, growers are turning to this herbicide.

As a team, we sat in on a few sessions; this editor sat in on two:

Honey Production & Veterinary Drug Contamination: Fate & Control in which some new methods for analyzing antibiotics in honey were presented. One particularly interesting presentation highlighted the challenges of finding standards for several degradation products of the antibiotics in the honey.

Analytical Challenges with Chemicals of Emerging Concern to Test Food Quality and Safety: Presentations included studies about the uptake of Emerging contaminants (i.e. flame retardants, diphenhydramine) by crops using reclaimed water, and an interesting technique using metabolomics to determine the authenticity of herbs and spices. A third presenter described their analytical challenges when facing illegal food dyes, such as Rhodamine B in imported products. This last presentation was rather frightening due to the prevalence of these dyes in products from developing countries which are finding their way into our food supply.

Outside of the meeting rooms, the resort is located in a very affluent area of Boca Raton. It was rumored that Oprah Winfrey is a member of the golf club there. Indeed, while taking a short walk around the grounds, we saw a Ferrari, a Mazerati, and a Bentley. Not to mention several Mercedes Benz and Porsche. On the water were several megayachts, mega yachtand an Oyster sailing yacht. oysterThe sailboat included a paid crew, bow thrusters and electric winches, all of which would be very much appreciated by this editor on our boat (although some would argue that such conveniences are “cheating”).

All in all, it was a good meeting. We enjoyed seeing old friends and making new ones.  We look forward to the 2015 meeting in Los Angeles, California.

boca view east

boca view north

 

aflatoxin, freestyle, immunoaffinity cleanup, mycotoxin, ThermELUTE

Cleanup Columns for Aflatoxin M1

Continuing to build on our LCTech product line for Myctoxin analysis, we are very happy to report that we now have cleanup columns for M1 in milk and dairy products.Milch

Borrowing text from our partners at LCTech:

LCTech has developed the immunoaffinity columns AflaCLEAN™ Select M1 and AflaCLEAN™ SMART M1 for the clean-up for aflatoxin M1 from milk and dairy products in the format of 3 mL or the practical SMART format to simplify the sample preparation for the analysis of food.

Both formats of the columns have a loading capacity of 100 ng aflatoxin M1 and convince with excellent recoveries ≥ 90%.

The immunoaffinity column AflaCLEAN™ Select M1 can be automatically processed with the AcceCLEAN™ or the FREESTYLE™ robotic system. The SMART columns impresses especially in combination with the FREESTYLE™ ThermELUTE™ providing an automated handling from extract to the chromatogram with a sample throughput of more than 500 samples per week and a reduced solvent consumption at the same time.

Also, LCTech have on their website a great resources called Matrix of the Month. Be sure to click over and check it out.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions: support@pickeringlabs.com

clean-up, freestyle, GPC, immunoaffinity cleanup, lctech, mycotoxin, spe

Freestyle Automated Sample Prep Instrument

The new FREESTYLE system is the most adaptable robotic equipment for sample preparation currently available on the market. With its nearly universally applicable system range, numerous processing steps can be elegantly automated. The FREESTYLE system takes on daily routine tasks in the laboratory, but also offers the user the unique opportunity to combine specific working steps that were previously carried out individually.

FREESTYLE SPE Module: The FREESTYLE SPE system is suitable for the fully automated processing of the most diverse column formats. The technology is unique:

    • One rack for different SPE columns: Different columns can be combined in any fashion. Adaptation is achieved through choosing the respective adapter. Different adapters are available for different sized columns.
    • Handling of both open as well as closed (e.g. IAC) columns is possible
    • Sample processing directly on the robotic arm under positive or negative pressure
    • Simple method set-up through pre-determined single steps, which can be arbitrarily combined and parametrized individually:
      • Conditioning
      • Emptying (e.g. let buffer drain off from immunoaffinity columns)
      • Loading: a variety of options for loading the sample onto the column
      • Washing
      • Drying the SPE cartridge with ambient air or nitrogen stream
      • Elution with various solvents, with multiple repetitions, and into different containers
    • Any combination of methods and/or columns within a sample list is possible
    • Various – almost unlimited – possibilities of using different containers for any type of sample or for filling of the eluate

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FREESTYLE EVAporation Module:
The FREESTYLE EVAporation system is suitable for the fully automated evaporation of many samples – if you wish overnight or over the weekend. The novel FREESTYLE technology:

    • allows for free end-volume selection of between 0.2 mL and 5.0 mL (automatic calibration),
    • individually for each sample,
    • combines the rotary evaporator technology (vacuum) with gentle blowing off with nitrogen (optional),
    • allows an automated solvent exchange liquid/liquid or to dryness (optional),
    • results in a concentrate, precisely bottled or dispensed in aliquots in free-selected glasses (e.g. closed GC vials).

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FREESTYLE GPC Module: The FREESTYLE GPC module facilitates the upgrade to a fully automated chromatographic sample preparation system (gel permeation chromatography), as is used for example for clean-up of food, animal feed and environmental samples. It complies in all areas with the requirements of general methods, e.g. DFG S19, EPA 3640A, AOAC 984.21, EN 1528 and more. The module consists of a preparative LC-double piston pump with all its advantages e.g. minimizing pulsation. With a flow rate of say 5 mL/min, the preparative pump incurs only a small load and is consequently particularly low maintenance.

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Be sure to visit www.freestyle-robotic.com for more details, configurator, and applications

aflatoxin, Amino Acid Analysis, AOAC, clean-up, deoxynivalenol, freestyle, HPLC, immunoaffinity cleanup, mycotoxin, ochratoxin

AOAC International Meeting

fountainThe AOAC International held their annual meeting in Chicago, Illinois from August 25-27, 2013.

Pickering Laboratories were on hand to share our latest methods and instruments.  We also gave an Exhibitor Presentation titled “An Automated Highly Sensitive Method for Aflatoxin B/G or Ochratoxin A Clean-up and Analysis – A Novel Approach in Mycotoxin Analysis”

The purpose of the talk was to showcase our newest method and instrument:

Building on the FREESTYLE Automated Sample Preparation Instrument, the new ThermELUTE module and columns enable rapid, sensitive analysis of Aflatoxin or Ochratoxin A. The ThermELUTE module uses a thermal denaturation technique to release jellybean4toxin from a new column format requiring only 20% of usual solvent volumes, and FREESTYLE quantitatively transfers the eluate into the HPLC. In combination with online injection, analytical sensitivity can be increased without manual manipulation. The increase in sensitivity provides a reduction of sample load, while maintaining excellent chromatographic results. The increase of sensitivity allow analysis of mycotoxin levels well below regulatory limits.

The ThermELUTE takes the separate steps of cleanup and analysis, and combines them into one automated system. Using a FREESTYLE robotic system equipped with the

FREESTYLE Automated Sample Preparation System
FREESTYLE Automated Sample Preparation System

ThermELUTE module, we can now clean up a sample for mycotoxins, and then directly inject the cleaned sample onto the HPLC column for analysis!

Automating Mycotoxin Analyses from Cleanup to Detection:

  • Results 3 times faster
  • 80% less solvent
  • Direct connect to HPLC

The brochure for ThermELUTE can be found HERE. To view the slides from our presentation, click HERE.

 

aflatoxin, Amino Acid Analysis, amino acids, antioxidants, artificial perspiration, clean-up, deoxynivalenol, freestyle, glyphosate, GPC, immunoaffinity cleanup, mycotoxin, natural toxins, New Products, pickering, pickering laboratories, pinnacle pcx, post-column derivatization, Uncategorized

2013 Pickering Laboratories North American Catalog

Our latest Catalog for North America is now available!

Click on the link to download the latest product Catalog from Pickering Laboratories, Inc.

Pickering Catalog: http://pickeringlabs-retentiontimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/2013_PickeringLabs_Catalog_NorthAmerica_LowRes.pdf

Inside our catalog you will find a complete product listing for all instruments and consumables we currently have available. From Sample Cleanup to Post-Column Derivatization, to artificial Perspiration and Saliva, we hope you find something you will find useful!