ABSTRACT
Natural toxins of plant origin are present inherently in fruit plants and vegetables. Phytotoxins may also be present in food plants as a result of selection and new plant breeding methods. Various classes of food toxins such as lectins, cyanogenic glycosides, glycoalkaloids, and muscarin are found in different parts of food plants and those include the foliage, stems, buds, roots, tubers, and fruits. Among the phytotoxins, the most common toxic group includes phytoestrogens and phytosterols, observed in various plants. The detection and analysis of inherent detrimental phytotoxic compounds in food samples has become a serious concern. In this view, a high throughput, gas chromatography, and mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) technique is widely accepted for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of food toxins of plant origin. GC–MS had been the most commonly used technique for the analysis of phytoestrogenic compounds and their metabolites due to its marked potential of high resolution, selectivity, and sensitivity. The selection of an MS analyzer to employ directly relates to the user's need for mass resolution, mass range, spectral collection speed, and sensitivity. The majority of GC–MS applications now utilize bench-top instruments with linear quadrupoles and electron ionization, and generally under the operation mode of full scan and selected monitoring. This chapter comprehensively discusses the analytical strategies of GC-MS, food samples preparation, detection, and analysis of different food toxins of plant origin.
