3.2. Selection of extraction solvent and multifunctional column
In general, the extraction procedure depends to a great extent on the physicochemical properties of the commodities that are contaminated with aflatoxins. Commodities with high lipid and
pigment content require a more selective treatment followed by extensive purification methods than those with lower content of these components. As aflatoxins are soluble in moderately polar
solvents, they are normally extracted using a mixture of organic solvents such as acetonitrile, chloroform, or methanol. In earlier work, chloroform was commonly used as the extracting solvent,but has since been replaced by more environmentally-friendly solvents. It was reported that a mixture of methanol:water is more suitable compared to the use of acetonitrile:water (Gilbert & Vargas,2003).