fusarenon-x and zearalenol

A total of 60 samples of wheat flour were collected during the first 6 months of 1999 from mills and food stores in an area in southwest Germany. Samples included whole-grain and two types of white flour with these three groups characterized by a high, medium and low ash content. The contents of deoxynivalenol (DON), nivalenol (NIV), 3- and 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol, HT-2 toxin (HT-2), T-2 toxin (T-2) and fusarenon-X (FUS-X) were determined by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, and those of zearalenone (ZEA), alpha- and beta-zearalenol (alpha- and beta-ZOL) by high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. FUS-X, alpha- and beta-ZOL were not detected in any sample. Based on incidence and level, DON was the predominant toxin followed by NIV and ZEA for all three flour types. The overall degree of toxin contamination was lower with decreasing ash content. This suggests a localization of the toxins analyzed primarily in the outer parts of the original wheat kernels. The median DON content was significantly (P<0.05) higher for wheat flour originating from wheat of conventional than of organic production.

Topics: Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Flour; Food Analysis; Food Microbiology; Fusarium; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Germany; Mycotoxins; T-2 Toxin; Trichothecenes; Triticum; Zearalenone; Zeranol

A total of 237 commercially available samples of cereal-based foods including bread and related products, noodles, breakfast cereals, baby and infant foods, rice and other foods were randomly collected in southwest Germany during the first six months of 1998. The trichothecenes deoxynivalenol (DON), 3- and 15-acetyl-deoxynivalenol (3-,15-ADON), nivalenol (NIV), fusarenon-X (FUS-X), T-2 toxin (T-2) and HT-2 toxin (HT-2) were determined by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry following clean-up by a two stage solid-phase extraction. Detection limits ranged between 2 and 12 micrograms/kg. Based on all samples, the incidence of DON, HT-2, T-2, 3-ADON, 15-ADON, and NIV was at 71, 18, 4, 4, 4 and 2%, respectively; the average contents in positive samples were at 103, 16, 14, 17, 24 and 109 micrograms/kg, respectively. Fus-X was not detected in any sample. A lower (P < 0.05) DON content was found in baby and infant foods as well as in cookies and cakes compared to bread. Overall, based on the incidence and level of all six toxins, the degree of contamination was lowest in baby and infant foods. Foods produced from either white or whole grain flour did not differ (P > 0.05) with regard to the incidence and level of DON. In foods produced from cereals of organic production both the incidence and median content of DON was lower compared to conventional production. Zearalenone, alpha- and beta-zearalenol were determined by high performance liquid chromatography in 20 selected samples, mostly baby and infant foods. These toxins were not present in excess of the detection limit in any sample.

Topics: Bread; Chromatography, Affinity; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Edible Grain; Food Microbiology; Fusarium; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Germany; Humans; Infant Food; Mycoses; Mycotoxins; Oryza; Secale; Spectrometry, Fluorescence; T-2 Toxin; Trichothecenes; Triticum; Zea mays; Zearalenone; Zeranol

Fusarium crookwellense KF748 (NRRL A-28100) (isolated from dry rotted potato tubers in Central Poland) produced six mycotoxins on both rice and corn substrates at 25 degrees C. The metabolites detected were zearalenone, alpha-trans-zearalenol, beta-trans-zearalenol, fusarin C, and the trichothecenes fusarenone X and nivalenol. This is the first report of formation of alpha-trans-zearalenol, beta-trans-zearalenol, fusarenone X, and nivalenol by F. crookwellense.

Topics: Chromatography, Thin Layer; Fermentation; Fusarium; Mutagens; Mycotoxins; Oryza; Polyenes; Solanum tuberosum; Trichothecenes; Zea mays; Zearalenone; Zeranol