A mini SPE purification method for the simultaneous determination of 15 mycotoxins in Ginkgo biloba leaves and their extracts by UHPLC-MS/MS.

An analytical method combining isotope-dilution ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (ID-UHPLC-MS/MS) with mini solid phase extraction (mini SPE) was established and validated for the simultaneous determination of 15 mycotoxins in Ginkgo biloba leaves and their extracts. The mini SPE column, containing only one-quarter of the sorbent used in a conventional SPE cartridge, maintained satisfactory purification performance while reducing the excessive purification scale of conventional SPE relative to the final sample volume prepared for UHPLC-MS/MS analysis, thereby decreasing sorbent and solvent consumption. Optimized conditions yielded excellent linearity (R² >0.99), acceptable recoveries (73.67%-129.05%) and precision (RSDs <20.25%). Its limits of detection ranged from 0.34 μg/kg to 272.72 μg/kg. Actual samples showed low contamination of DON, DON-3 G, 3-AcDON, 15-AcDON and FB₁. In vitro assays confirmed Ginkgo biloba leaves ethanol extracts inhibited three key toxigenic fungi, possibly reducing mycotoxin levels. This method not only provided a cost-effective and reliable monitoring tool for mycotoxin detection in Ginkgo biloba leaves and extracts, but also offered valuable insights and references for the miniaturization development of other SPE purification columns.