Chiang Mai Journal of Science

This study was a survey of　estrogenic mycotoxin zearalenone (ZEA), which dangerously causes endometrial hyperplasia and cancer of esophagus in human body,　 and aimed to determine its incidental contamination　in corn for human consumption with economical method. The survey　was performed with 55 samples by an adaptation of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Consequently, the result indicated that 17 samples (31.0%) were contaminated in a range from 6.5 to 236 mg/kg. The positive samples by the ELISA analyses were committed to high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method with an immuno-affinity column for clean-up. Before the measurement of the confirmed sample, the HPLC method was validated using a blank corn kernel matrix. The average recovery of blank corn kernel spiked with ZEA at levels of 100-550 mg/kg was 98.2%. The detection was confirmed by fluorescence spectral scanning throughout the chromatographic running. The method’s limitation of the detection was 3 mg/kg for ZEA in corn samples and the linear range applicable for analyses was 5-700 mg/kg of ZEA. Of 17 samples confirmed by HPLC, 14 samples were observed to be contaminated in a comparable range from 8.0 to 301 mg/kg. The comparative analysis of 17 positive of corn kernel samples used in ELISA and HPLC methods showed a sensitive correlation (R2=0.9538).