This document describes a method for the determination of the sum of six ergot alkaloids (ergocornine, ergometrine, ergocristine, ergotamine, ergosine and ergocryptine) and their -inine epimer pairs by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) after clean-up by dispersive solid phase extraction (dSPE).
The method has been validated in the range 13,2 µg/kg to 168 µg/kg for the sum of the twelve ergot alkaloids, in rye flour, rye bread and cereal products (breakfast cereal, infant breakfast cereal, and crispbread) that contained rye as an ingredient, as well as seeded wholemeal flour and a barley and rye flour mixture.
Method performance was satisfactory in the range 24,1 µg/kg to 168 µg/kg, however at lower concentrations RSDR values were greater than 44 %, and HorRat values exceeded 2,0, indicating the method may not be fully suitable at concentrations below 24 µg/kg for sum of ergot alkaloids, although it is suitable for screening at these concentrations.