Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry determination of the pentafluorobenzoyl derivative of methylhydrazine in false morel (Gyromitra esculenta) as a monitor for the content of the toxin gyromitrin.

Mehrdad Arshadi, Calle Nilsson, Bengt Magnusson

Index: J. Chromatogr. A. 1125(2) , 229-33, (2006)

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Abstract

The main toxic compound found in false morel (Gyromitra esculenta) is acetaldehyde-N-methyl-N-formylhydrazone (gyromitrin). This paper describes a method of determining the total hydrazones content based on acid hydrolysis of gyromitrin and other related hydrazones in air-dried false morel followed by derivatisation of methylhydrazine with pentafluorobenzoyl chloride. The derivative, tris-pentafluorobenzoyl methylhydrazine (tris-PFB-MH) is analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The overall precision of the method is better than 10% (relative standard deviation) for 0.5 ng/microl methylhydrazine in solution. The minimum detectable concentration of methylhydrazine (tris-PFB-MH) by this method is estimated to be approximately 12 pg/microl, which is equal to 0.3 microg/g dry matter (DM) of false morel.