Efficient adsorption of the mycotoxins zearalenone and T-2 toxin on a modified yeast glucan

1,3-Beta-D-glucan derived from baker's yeast was chemically modified in two steps yielding crosslinked carboxymethyl glucan as the sodium salt (2). After cation exchange with hexadecyltrimethylammonium chloride, a hydrophobic adsorbent (3) was obtained which showed an excellent binding of the estrogenic mycotoxin zearalenone with a maximum adsorption of up to 183 mg/g. Compound 3 additionally showed a relatively high adsorption capacity for the trichothecene T-2 toxin of at least 10 mg/g. Starting from 2, various derivatives were prepared by cation exchange using quaternary ammonium salts bearing substituents besides methyl from four to 18 carbon atoms. The adsorption of T-2 toxin on these derivatives were compared with compound 3 leading to the conclusion that 3 is the best adsorbent of all investigated tetraalkylammonium-modified derivatives of 2.