pnut pnut Peanut Science 0095-3679 0095-3679 American Peanut Research and Education Society 10.3146/i0095-3679-17-2-12 Articles Computerized System to Quantify Aflatoxin Using Thin Layer Chromatography1 T. B. Whitaker *, J. W. Dickens , and A. B. Slate 2 Agricultural Engineers, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, North Carolina State University, Box 7625, Raleigh, NC 27695–7625

1Paper No. 12250 of the Journal Series of the North Carolina Agricultural Research Service, Raleigh, NC 27695–7643. The use of trade names in this publication does not imply endorsement by the North Carolina Agricultural Research Service nor the United States Department of Agriculture of the products named, nor criticism of similar ones not mentioned.

 *Corresponding author. 7 1990 17 2 96 100 22 10 1990 American Peanut Research and Education Society 1990 American Peanut Research and Education Society Abstract

A microcomputer was interfaced to an instrument (spotmeter) previously designed to measure the fluorescent intensity of aflatoxin spots on thin layer chromatography (TLC) plates. Software was developed that uses a cubic regression equation to describe the relationships between the spotmeter readings and the known quantities of aflatoxin in standard spots on TLC plates. The regression technique also provides methods to detect spotting and/or measurement errors. Based on the regression equation and measurements of sample extract spots on the same TLC plate, the system computes and records the amount of aflatoxin in the sample extract spots and the concentration of aflatoxin that was in the extracted sample. The percent error associated with computed amounts of aflatoxin in sample extract spots is affected by the amount of aflatoxin in the sample extract spots and standard spots on the plate. The average percent error ranged from 14.9% for a 2.6 ng spot of 4.1% for a 13 ng spot.

 Key Words Peanuts; , aflatoxin; , TLC; , computer system