This document describes a method for the determination of individual ergot alkaloids and tropane alkaloids in unprocessed cereals and cereal-based compound feeds by high performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS).
This method has been successfully validated by collaborative trial in the following matrices: rye, barley, wheat, complete feed for bovine, porcine and poultry. Validation in buckwheat produced acceptable results, but the relative standard reproducibility was higher for most analytes in comparison with the other matrices. This may be related to the matrix. The validated range of the method is approximately 10 to 250 µg/kg for individual alkaloids. Determination of concentrations above 250 µg/kg is possible by applying a higher spiking level and dilution of the sample extract, but this has not been validated in the collaborative trial.
The method is applicable for the determination, by means of one-point standard addition to the sample, of ergocornine in the tested range of 12 µg/kg to 221 µg/kg, ergocorninine in the tested range of 9 µg/kg to 196 µg/kg, ergocristine in the tested range of 14 µg/kg to 312 µg/kg, ergocristinine in the tested range of 12 µg/kg to 258 µg/kg, a-ergocryptine in the tested range of 10 µg/kg to 184 µg/kg, a-ergocryptinine in the tested range of 8 µg/kg to 171 µg/kg, ergometrine in the tested range of 12 µg/kg to 174 µg/kg, ergometrinine in the tested range of 3 µg/kg to 172 µg/kg, ergosine in the tested range of 12 µg/kg to 226 µg/kg, ergosinine in the tested range of 9 µg/kg to 273 µg/kg, ergotamine in the tested range of 11 µg/kg to 443 µg/kg, ergotaminine in the tested range of 10 µg/kg to 273 µg/kg, atropine in the tested range of 16 µg/kg to 252 µg/kg and scopolamine in the tested range of 15 µg/kg to 246 µg/kg.