<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<sec>
<h3>Introduction</h3>
<p>Ergot alkaloids (EAs) are toxic substances naturally produced by <italic>Claviceps</italic> fungi. These fungi infest a wide range of cereals and grasses. When domestic animals are exposed to EAs through contaminated feeds, it is detrimental to them and leads to significant economic losses. For that reason, it is important to monitor feed for the presence of EAs, especially with methods enabling their determination in processed materials.</p>
</sec>
<sec>
<h3>Material and Methods</h3>
<p>Ergot alkaloids were extracted with acetonitrile, and dispersive solid phase extraction (d-SPE) was used for clean-up of the extracts. After evaporation, the extracts were reconstituted in ammonium carbonate and acetonitrile and subjected to instrumental analysis using high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. The developed method was validated in terms of linearity, selectivity, repeatability, reproducibility, robustness, matrix effect, limits of quantification and detection and uncertainty. The EA content of 40 compound feeds was determined.</p>
</sec>
<sec>
<h3>Results</h3>
<p>All the assessed validation parameters fulfilled the requirements of Regulation (EU) 2021/808. At least one of the monitored alkaloids was determined in 40% of the samples. The EAs with the highest incidence rate were ergocryptine, ergometrinine and ergocornine. The total concentrations of EAs ranged from under the limit of quantification to 62.3 μg kg<sup>−1</sup>.</p>
</sec>
<sec>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>The results demonstrated that the developed method was suitable for simultaneously determining twelve EAs in compound feed and could be used for routine analysis.</p>
</sec>
</abstract>

Introduction
Ergot alkaloids (EAs) are toxic substances naturally produced by Claviceps fungi. These fungi infest a wide range of cereals and grasses. When domestic animals are exposed to EAs through contaminated feeds, it is detrimental to them and leads to significant economic losses. For that reason, it is important to monitor feed for the presence of EAs, especially with methods enabling their determination in processed materials.


Material and Methods
Ergot alkaloids were extracted with acetonitrile, and dispersive solid phase extraction (d-SPE) was used for clean-up of the extracts. After evaporation, the extracts were reconstituted in ammonium carbonate and acetonitrile and subjected to instrumental analysis using high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. The developed method was validated in terms of linearity, selectivity, repeatability, reproducibility, robustness, matrix effect, limits of quantification and detection and uncertainty. The EA content of 40 compound feeds was determined.


Results
All the assessed validation parameters fulfilled the requirements of Regulation (EU) 2021/808. At least one of the monitored alkaloids was determined in 40% of the samples. The EAs with the highest incidence rate were ergocryptine, ergometrinine and ergocornine. The total concentrations of EAs ranged from under the limit of quantification to 62.3 μg kg−1.


Conclusion
The results demonstrated that the developed method was suitable for simultaneously determining twelve EAs in compound feed and could be used for routine analysis.

Development, in-house validation and application of a method using high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD) for the quantification of 12 ergot alkaloids in compound feeds

Journal of Veterinary Research

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Introduction
Ergot alkaloids (EAs) are toxic substances naturally produced by Claviceps fungi. These fungi infest a wide range of cereals and grasses. When...

Development, in-house validation and application of a method using high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD) for the quantification of 12 ergot alkaloids in compound feeds

Published Online: Dec 19, 2023

Page range: 603 - 610

Received: Jul 17, 2023

Accepted: Dec 05, 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jvetres-2023-0070

Keywords
ergot alkaloids, compound feed, HPLC-FLD, d-SPE

© 2023 Ewelina Kowalczyk et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Development, in-house validation and application of a method using high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD) for the quantification of 12 ergot alkaloids in compound feeds

Published Online: Dec 19, 2023

Page range: 603 - 610

Received: Jul 17, 2023

Accepted: Dec 05, 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jvetres-2023-0070

Keywordsergot alkaloids, compound feed, HPLC-FLD, d-SPE

© 2023 Ewelina Kowalczyk et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
ergot alkaloids, compound feed, HPLC-FLD, d-SPE