A Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry Method for the Detection and Quantitation of Monofluoroacetate in Plants Toxic to Livestock

Monofluoroacetate (MFA) is a potent
toxin that occurs in over 50
plant species in Africa, Australia, and South America and is responsible
for significant livestock deaths in these regions. A gas chromatography–mass
spectrometry (GC-MS) method for the analysis of MFA in plants based
on the derivatization of MFA with n-propanol in the
presence of sulfuric acid to form propyl fluoroacetate was developed.
This method compared favorably to a currently employed high-performance
liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) method for
the analysis of MFA in plants. The GC-MS method was applied to the
analysis of MFA in herbarium specimens of Fridericia elegans, Niedenzuella stannea, N. multiglandulosa, N. acutifolia, and Aenigmatanthera lasiandra. This is the first report of MFA being detected in F. elegans, N. multiglandulosa, N. acutifolia, and A. lasiandra, some of which have been reported
to cause sudden death or that are toxic to livestock.