Sterigmatocystin

Chemical formula for Sterigmatocystin, C18H12O6
Molecular Weight: 324.28 g/mol

Sterigmatocystin (SMC) is a mycotoxin with a very similar structure to AFB1. Sterigmatocystin is produced by more than 50 types of fungus, including the Aspergillus fungus species. Being a biogenic precursor of AFB1, both SMC and AFB1 possess a similar structure consisting of a xanthone nucleus attached with a bifuran.

Sterigmatocystin has been found in samples of nuts, beer and grains including wheat, barley, rye, oat and rice, as well as Grain products including flour, bread and pastries, pasta, cereal and muesli.

No country has legislation for sterigmatocystin. Natural occurrence appears to be infrequent although only a limited number of surveys have been carried out. The detection limit recommended by the EFSA is 1.5 ppb. Such a detection level is difficult to achieve due to the background noise Therefore, sample purification and concentration of the toxin using of an immunoaffinity column is necessary before detection in order to guarantee an exact quantification.

A list of currently available CD Sterigmatocystin products can be downloaded here.