SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION OF AFLATOXINS B1 B2 G1 AND G2 AND COMPARISON OF SEMI-SYNTHETIC AFLATOXINS B2 AND G2 WITH NATURALLY-OCCURRING AFLATOXINS B2 AND G2

A method is described for the isolation of highly purified aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2 from extracts of Aspergillus flavus. The four aflatoxins, isolated from background impurities by rapid passage of the extracts through an acid alumina column, are separated from each other by chromatography on a silica gel column. Aflatoxins B2 and G2 are prepared by hydrogenation of the mixture of aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2 and then separated by elution from a silica gel column with chloroform containing 0.7% ethanol. A comparison of semi-synthetic aflatoxins B2 and G2 with naturally-occurring aflatoxins B2 and G2 shows no significant difference in physical properties. © 1969, American Oil Chemists’ Society. All rights reserved.