A growing need is emerging for testing to detect the presence of mycotoxins in both raw plant materials and finished cannabis products in order to protect consumer health and safety.

The analysis of mycotoxins in cannabis oils is particularly challenging because the sample lipids can contribute isobaric matrix interferences in addition to general ion suppression, which can reduce accuracy especially at low levels. In this video, a simple pass-through SPE sample cleanup was applied to lipid-rich CBD oils. Excellent chromatographic results were obtained for both aflatoxins and ochratoxins even at 2 ng/g, indicating that the simplified sample prep technique effectively removed lipid interferences.

The SPE sample cleanup was paired with a rapid LC-MS/MS analysis utilizing a Restek Raptor Biphenyl column.