High performance thin layer chromatographic screening for aflatoxins in poultry feed by using silica Sep-Paks

The need for a convenient, sensitive and highly selective method to test for aflatoxins in poultry feed samples led to the development of a method based on the CB procedure (AOAC 1980). The CB procedure requires large volumes of solvents, the preparation of silica gel of a specified moisture content and the use of large TLC plates, which have long development times. The desirability of running fortified control samples to monitor aflatoxin recovery and to serve as reference standards doubles the already high volume of solvents required. To overcome these difficulties, a number of changes in the CB method were explored.