Determination of type A and type B trichothecenes in paprika and chili pepper using LC-triple quadrupole-MS and GC-ECD.

There is a need to develop sensitive and accurate analytical methods for determining deoxynivalenol (DON), HT-2 toxin and T-2 toxin in paprika to properly assess the relevant risk of human exposure. An optimized analytical method for determination of HT-2 toxin and T-2 toxin using capillary gas chromatography with electron capture detection and another method for determination of DON by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry in paprika was developed. The method for determination of HT-2 toxin and T-2 toxin that gave the best recoveries involved extraction of the sample with acetonitrile-water (84:16, v/v), clean-up by solid-phase extraction on a cartridge made of different sorbent material…

Effect of ethanol on the ability of Oenococcus oeni to remove ochratoxin A in synthetic wine-like media

The study focused on the changes in bacterial population, malolactic fermentation and ochratoxin A (OTA) levels in cultures of Oenococcus oeni performed in synthetic medium supplemented with ethanol and OTA. Growth was better in cultures containing 5% ethanol and was not observed in cultures containing 15% ethanol. The OTA removal ability of O. oeni depended on ethanol and initial OTA levels. The highest toxin removal percentage was observed in cultures containing 5% ethanol and 2 μg OTA/l. In ethanol-containing medium part of OTA was not sorbed by O. oeni and remained in the liquid medium. Thus, it cannot efficiently eliminate OTA in acidic ethanol-containing beverages, such as wine. The e…

Bee pollen, a substrate that stimulates ochratoxin A production by Aspergillus ochraceus Wilh.

The capacity of bee pollen as a substrate for production of ochratoxin A (OTA) by a strain of Aspergillus ochraceus was studied. For control purposes corn, wheat and rice grains, and eleven liquid media were assayed. They were Yeast Extract Sucrose broth (YES), YES supplemented with 0.05, 0.1, 0.5, 1 and 5% bee pollen, YES supplemented with 0.5% peptone, 50% must, Wickerham medium, Aflatoxin Production medium and Coconut Broth Medium. Cultures were maintained at 28 degrees C for 4 weeks and were analyzed every seven days for OTA by liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. OTA production in bee pollen was significantly (P < 0.01) higher than production in corn, wheat and rice grain…

Critical study of and improvements in chromatographic methods for the analysis of type B trichothecenes

Various analytical methods used in the analysis of type B trichothecenes (deoxynivalenol, nivalenol, 3- and 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol) in cereals were compared and optimised in this work. These methods use either GC-electron-capture detection (ECD) of trimethylsilyl, trifluoroacetyl and heptafluorobutyryl derivatives or HPLC with UV or photodiode array detection of analytes. A new HPLC procedure using fluorescence detection prior derivatisation with coumarin-3-carbonyl chloride has been also tested. Five extraction solvents and two solid-phase extraction cartridges (silica, Florisil) plus a especial clean-up column (MycoSep 225) were compared in order to obtain the best recovery of the mycoto…

Effect of carbendazim and physicochemical factors on the growth and ochratoxin A production of Aspergillus carbonarius isolated from grapes.

Carbendazim is a systemic fungicide that is commonly used on several crops (tobacco, fruit, vegetables, cereals, etc.). This fungicide is used to control fungal infections in vineyards. It is indicated against Botrytis cinerea, Uncinula necator, Plasmopara viticola and other fungi and can be used either alone or coupled with other fungicides. However, there is a lack of in-depth studies to evaluate its effectiveness against growth of Aspergillus carbonarius isolated from grapes and OTA production. A medium based on red grape juice was used in this study. Preliminary studies were performed at 0.98 a(w) and 25 degrees C using carbendazim concentrations over a wide range (1-2000 ng/ml medium) …

Determination of ochratoxin A in beer marketed in Spain by liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection using lead hydroxyacetate as a clean-up agent

Abstract A new sample treatment for liquid chromatographic analysis of ochratoxin A (OTA) in beer is proposed. Degassed beer is mixed with lead hydroxyacetate, which precipitates some bulk components but does not remove OTA. The precipitate is separated and the acidified liquid is extracted with chloroform. The solvent is evaporated and the residue is dissolved in mobile phase (acetonitrile–water, 40:60, v/v; acidified at pH 3.0 with phosphoric acid) and separated by liquid chromatography using fluorescence detection. The limit of detection was 0.005 ng/ml. The average recovery rate and the average RSD of recovery in the spiking level range 0.01–0.5 ng/ml were 95.5% and about 5%, respective…

Influence of the Interactions among Ecological Variables in the Characterization of Zearalenone Producing Isolates of Fusarium spp.

To carry out the physiological characterization of Fusarium graminearum and F. culmorum isolates with regard to its zearalenone producing ability, an in-depth experiment with a full factorial design was conducted. The effects and mutual interactions of temperature, moisture, substrate and isolate on the production of the toxin were studied. The study was done with twelve isolates of Fusarium (7 of F. graminearum and 5 of F. culmorum). The analysis of variance shows that there is a complex interaction of all of these factors, which can influence the relative concentrations of the mycotoxin produced, and hence, the correct physiological characterization of the strain. All the tested cultures …

Study of Spanish grape mycobiota and ochratoxin A production by Isolates of Aspergillus tubingensis and other members of Aspergillus section Nigri.

ABSTRACT The native mycobiota of five grape varieties grown in Spain has been studied. Four (Bobal, Tempranillo, Garnacha, and Monastrell) were red varieties and one (Moscatel) was white. The main fungal genera isolated were Alternaria , Cladosporium , and Aspergillus . The isolation frequency of Aspergillus spp. section Nigri in contaminated samples was 82%. Ochratoxin A (OTA) production was assessed using yeast extract-sucrose broth supplemented with 5% bee pollen. Cultures of 205 isolates from this section showed that 74.2% of Aspergillus carbonarius and 14.3% of Aspergillus tubingensis isolates produced OTA at levels ranging from 1.2 to 3,530 ng/ml and from 46.4 to 111.5 ng/ml, respecti…

Comparison of extraction and clean-up procedures for analysis of zearalenone in corn, rice and wheat grains by high-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array and fluorescence detection.

The aim of this work was the optimization of some procedures usually used in the analysis of zearalenone (ZEA) in corn and other cereals by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with photodiode array and/or fluorescence detection. The comparison of five extraction solvents is presented. Three solid-phase extraction cartridges (C-18, silica, Florisil) and immuno-affinity columns were also compared to obtain the best recovery of the mycotoxin with the minimal presence of co-extractives in the chromatograms. Mixtures of methanol-1% aqueous NaCl (80.20 or 60:40 v/v) were the best extraction solvents. Florisil provided higher recovery of ZEA than C-18, and silica proved unsuitable. The i…

Predictive assessment of ochratoxin A accumulation in grape juice based-medium by Aspergillus carbonarius using neural networks

Aims: To study the ability of multi-layer perceptron artificial neural networks (MLP-ANN) and radial-basis function networks (RBFNs) to predict ochratoxin A (OTA) concentration over time in grape-based cultures of Aspergillus carbonarius under different conditions of temperature, water activity (a(w)) and sub-inhibitory doses of the fungicide carbendazim. Methods and Results: A strain of A. carbonarius was cultured in a red grape juice-based medium. The input variables to the network were temperature (20-28 degrees C), a(w) (0 center dot 94-0 center dot 98), carbendazim level (0-450 ng ml(-1)) and time (3-15 days after the lag phase). The output of the ANNs was OTA level determined by liqui…

Comparison of different sample treatments for the analysis of ochratoxin A in must, wine and beer by liquid chromatography.

Abstract Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a mycotoxin produced by some species of Aspergillus and Penicillium verrucosum. It has been found in foods and feed all over the world. There is a great concern about OTA because it is nephrotoxic and probably, carcinogenic to humans. Most of analytical methods developed for OTA in wine, beer and other products are based on LC with fluorescence detection (LC–FLD). In the present work, various procedures for extraction and/or clean-up for determination of OTA in musts, wine and beer by LC–FLD were compared: (1) dilution with polyethylen glycol 8000 and NaHCO3 solution and clean-up an on immunoaffinity column (IAC); (2) extraction with chloroform and IAC clean-u…

Characterization of Fusarium spp. isolates by PCR-RFLP analysis of the intergenic spacer region of the rRNA gene (rDNA)

In the present study, 44 Fusarium spp. isolates (5 Fusarium culmorum, 7 Fusarium graminearum, 1 Fusarium cerealis, 1 Fusarium poae, 26 Fusarium oxysporum, and 4 Gibberella fujikuroi species complex) were characterized morphologically, physiologically and genetically. All except one (Dutch Collection: CBS 620.72) were isolated from different hosts grown in various Spanish localizations. Morphological characterization was made according to macroscopic and microscopic aspects. Physiological characterization was based on their ability to produce zearalenone (ZEA) and type B trichothecenes (deoxynivalenol, nivalenol and 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol). ZEA was determined by liquid chromatography and tri…

An overview of ochratoxin A in beer and wine.

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a mycotoxin produced mainly by several fungal species of the genera Aspergillus and Penicillium. This mycotoxin has been shown to be nephrotoxic, hepatotoxic, teratogenic and carcinogenic to animals and has been classified as a possible carcinogen to humans. OTA occurs in a variety of foods, including beer and wine. Reports on OTA occurrence in beer indicate that this is a worldwide problem due to the widespread consumption of this beverage. At present, the European Union (EU) has not set a maximum allowable limit (MAL) for this mycotoxin in beer, although there is a limit in barley and malt. Studies carried out in different countries agree in the high proportion of sa…

Differentiation of Penicillium griseofulvum Dierckx isolates by enzyme assays and by patulin and griseofulvin analyses

The production of patulin and griseofulvin by 49 different isolates of Penicillium griseofulvum Dierckx was analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography. Eleven isolates were obtained from pistachio nuts, 37 were obtained from wheat seeds, and 1 was obtained from the American Type Culture Collection. Activities of 19 enzymes were also assayed by the API ZYM system. From these results it may be deduced that there are two different groups among the strains tested which cannot be distinguished by morphological and cultural characteristics. One group of isolates did not produce detectable amounts of patulin and griseofulvin when grown in sucrose-yeast extract and Wickerham media, while en…

Comparative assessment of solid-phase extraction clean-up procedures, GC columns and perfluoroacylation reagents for determination of type B trichothecenes in wheat by GC–ECD

Abstract Various solid-phase extraction (SPE) procedures for clean-up, two perfluoroacylation reagents (pentafluoropropionic anhydride (PFPA) and heptafluorobutyric anhydride (HFBA)) and two chromatographic columns (HP-1701 and HP-5) have been assessed comparatively to achieve the determination of type B trichothecenes (deoxynivalenol (DON), nivalenol (NIV), 3- and 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol (3- and 15-ADON)) in wheat grain by gas chromatography (GC)–electron-capture detection (ECD). Spiked wheat samples were extracted with acetonitrile–water (84:16, v/v). Tested SPE procedures were MycoSep 225 column, Florisil and different cartridges prepared in the laboratory with mixtures of various sorben…

Mycotoxins and mycotoxigenic moulds in nuts and sunflower seeds for human consumption

A survey was carried out to obtain data on the occurrence of mycotoxins and the mycotoxin-producing potential of fungi isolated from nuts (almonds, peanuts, hazelnuts, pistachio nuts) and sunflower seeds in Spain. Thin-layer chromatography was used to separate the toxins. Aflatoxins were detected in one sample of almonds (95 ppb aflatoxin B1 and 15 ppb aflaxtoxin B2) and in one sample of peanuts at a level below 10 ppb of aflatoxin B1. 100% of samples showed variable incidence of fungal contamination. The predominant fungi present in samples were Penicillium spp, Aspergillus niger, A. flavus, A. glaucus and Rhizopus spp. The results showed that isolates of different species were able to pro…

Survey of the mycobiota of Spanish malting barley and evaluation of the mycotoxin producing potential of species of Alternaria, Aspergillus and Fusarium

The present work deals with the toxigenic mycobiota occurring in Spanish malting barley and the capability for producing mycotoxins by several important toxigenic fungi. One hundred and eighty seven samples of malting barley were gathered from Spanish breweries before processing. One hundred and fifty kernels per sample were surface-sanitized with a 2% sodium hypochlorite solution and incubated on three culture media. The most abundant fungi were species of Alternaria, Aspergillus, Penicillium and Fusarium, which were present in 93%, 82.3%, 57.8% and 27.8% of the samples, respectively. To evaluate their mycotoxin producing potential a number of isolates belonging to each genus, except Penic…

Lactic acid bacteria: a potential tool to reduce ochratoxin A in wine

E. M. Mateo, A. Medina, F. Mateo, F.M. Valle Algarra, R. Mateo, and M. Jimenez 1 Dpto. de Microbiologia i Ecologia. Universitat de Valencia. Dr. Moliner 50, E-46100, Burjassot, Valencia, Spain. 2 Dpto. de Quimica Analitica. Universitat de Valencia. Dr. Moliner 50, E-46100, Burjassot, Valencia, Spain. 3 Dpto. de Ingenieria Electronica, Universitat Politecnica de Valencia, Camino de Vera, 14. E-46022, Valencia, Spain.

Liquid chromatographic determination of toxigenic secondary metabolites produced by Fusarium strains.

Various liquid chromatographic methods used in the analysis of mycotoxins (zearalenone, trichothecenes and fumonisins) produced by Fusarium species were compared in this work. The results demonstrate the suitability of modern clean-up procedures employing multifunctional MycoSep and immunoaffinity columns although these methods are more expensive than conventional methodologies for clean-up. HPLC with both fluorescence and photodiode array detection is a suitable technique for the analysis of toxic secondary metabolites produced by Fusarium species; different derivatisation strategies have been studied to improve the sensitivity of the technique because of the low concentration of these met…

Determination of mycotoxins produced by Fusarium isolates from banana fruits by capillary gas chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography.

A method of analysis for trichothecenes (nivalenol, deoxynivalenol, 3- and 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol, diacetoxyscirpenol, neosolaniol, T-2 tetraol, T-2 and HT-2 toxins), zearalenone and zearalenols, and another method for determination of fumonisin B1 are described and applied to cultures of Fusarium isolated from bananas. Both methods were adapted from different techniques of extraction, clean-up and determination of these mycotoxins. The first method involves extraction with methanol-1% aqueous sodium chloride, clean-up of extracts by partition with hexane and dichloromethane, additional solid reversed-phase clean-up and analysis of two eluates by both high-performance liquid chromatography…

Detection and quantification of patulin and griseofulvin by high pressure liquid chromatography in different strains of Penicillium griseofulvum Dierckx.

Patulin and griseofulvin production by twelve strains ofPenicillium griseofulvum Dierckx, eleven of which were isolated from pistachio (Pistacia vera) nuts and the other was supplied by the Spanish Collection of Type Culture, was investigated. Six strains of the eleven isolated had ability to produce patulin and griseofulvin in Yes medium. All the strains studied had no ability to produce patulin in Wickerham medium. Griseofulvin production was significant in both media but higher in Wickerham.These metabolites were separated and determined in the chloroform extracts of cultures by high performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection. The best conditions were: acetonitrile - wa…

Influence of nitrogen and carbon sources on the production of ochratoxin A by ochratoxigenic strains of Aspergillus spp. isolated from grapes.

This work studies the influence of nitrogen and carbon source on ochratoxin A production by three Aspergillus isolates A. ochraceus (Aso2), A. carbonarius (Ac25) and A. tubingensis (Bo66), all isolated from grapes. A basal medium (0.01 g/l FeSO4.7H2O, 0.5 g/l MgSO4.7H2O, 0.5 g/l Na2HPO4.2H2O, 1.0 g/l KCl) was prepared. This medium was supplemented with different nitrogen sources, both inorganic [(NH4)3PO(4), 0.3 g/l plus NH4NO3, 0.2 g/l] and organic (histidine, proline, arginine, phenylalanine, tryptophan or tyrosine) at two concentrations (0.05 g/l or 0.3 g/l), and different carbon sources (sucrose, glucose, maltose, arabinose or fructose) at three concentrations (10 g/l, 50 g/l or 150 g/l…

Influence of the storage conditions on some physicochemical and mycological parameters of honey

The authors studied the changes in yeast and mould counts, pH, free and lactone acidity, colour and sugar composition undergone by honeys with water contents of 169, 188 and 220 g kg-1 on storage at refrigeration temperature (4–7°C), room temperature and 28°C for two years. Of the solid culture media assayed, honey agar and osmophilic medium fostered yeast growth while malt-extract agar and yeast-extract-malt-extract agar allowed for better development of filamentous fungi. The yeasts isolated belonged to the genera Saccharomyces, Schizosaccharomyces and Zygosaccharomyces, while filamentous moulds were of the genera Aspergillus, Penicillium, Fusarium and Alternaria. The honeys studied under…

Classification of Spanish Unifloral Honeys by Discriminant Analysis of Electrical Conductivity, Color, Water Content, Sugars, and pH

To ascertain the most discriminant variables for seven types of Spanish commercial unifloral honeys, stepwise discriminant analysis was performed. Fifteen parameters [pH; water content; electrical conductivity; x, y, and L, chromatic coordinates from the CIE-1931 (xyL) color space; fructose; glucose; sucrose; maltose; isomaltose; maltulose; kojibiose; and the fructose/glucose and glucose/water ratios] were considered. The studied honey types were rosemary, citrus, lavender, sunflower, eucalyptus, heather, and forest. The most discriminant variables, as selected by the multivariate program, were electrical conductivity, color (x, y, L), water content, fructose, and sucrose. All sunflower, eu…

New method for determination of ochratoxin A in beer using zinc acetate and solid-phase extraction silica cartridges

Abstract A new method for the determination of ochratoxin A (OTA) in beer has been developed. The new method has been compared with a reference method currently accepted as AOAC official first action. The limits of detection and quantification of the proposed method were 0.0008 and 0.0025 ng/ml, respectively, while they were 0.0025 and 0.0075 ng/ml, respectively, in the AOAC method used as reference. The recovery levels in the 0.025–0.40 ng OTA/ml spiking range for the proposed and the reference methods were 80.6–87.6% and 78.2–83.8%, respectively. The relative standard deviations of recoveries were 2.6–7.5% for the proposed method and 0.7–6.1% for the reference method. Passing and Bablok r…

Influence of environmental factors on the biosynthesis of type B trichothecenes by isolates of Fusarium spp. from Spanish crops.

Various species of Fusarium can produce trichothecene mycotoxins that contaminate food commodities and can represent a risk for human and animal health. In this paper, a full factorial design was applied to study the influence of incubation temperature, water activity (a(w)) and type of isolate on the production of deoxynivalenol (DON), nivalenol (NIV) and 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol (3-AcDON) in corn kernel cultures by three isolates of Fusarium graminearum and three isolates of Fusarium culmorum from crops grown in Spain. The tested temperatures were 15, 20, 28 and 32 degrees C. The a(w)-values were 0.960, 0.970 and 0.980. Moisture of cultures (within the studied range) did not affect signific…

Neural network models for prediction of trichothecene content in wheat

Fusarium graminearum is a mould that causes serious diseases in cereals worldwide and that synthesises mycotoxins such as deoxynivalenol (DON), which can seriously affect human and animal health. Predicting the level of mycotoxin accumulation in food is very difficult, because of the complexity of the influencing parameters. In this work, we have studied the possibility of using artificial neural networks (NN) to predict DON level attained in F. graminearum wheat cultures taking as inputs the fungal contamination level of the cereal, the water activity as a measure of the available water for fungal growth in the cereal, the temperature and time. DON analysis was performed by gas chromatogr…

Utility of the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphisms of the intergenic spacer region of the rDNA for characterizing Gibberella fujikuroi isolates.

Summary In the present report, a total of thirty-one isolates of Gibberella fujikuroi (Sawada) Wollenw. species complex of Fusarium (section Liseola) morphologically classified as F. moniliforme according to the taxonomy of Nelson, Toussoun and Marasas (1983) were analyzed for their ability to produce fumonisin B1 and fumonisin B2 by an optimized liquid chromatographic method. They were isolated from three hosts (Zea mays, Musa sapientum and Pinus pinea). The results indicate that M. sapientum is a preferential host for G. fujikuroi isolates with low or null capacity for producing fumonisins, while isolates from Z. mays and P. pinea are generally high fumonisin producers. The molecular char…

Fumonisin production in rice cultures of Fusarium verticillioides under different incubation conditions using an optimized analytical method.

Fumonisin B1 (FB1) and fumonisin B2 (FB2) are the main members of a family of mycotoxins produced by various fungal species belonging to the Gibberella fujikuroi complex. The present work shows the results of a comparative study of various clean-up and derivatization procedures for analysis of fumonisins in rice cultures. Fumonisins were extracted from rice with acetonitrile/water (50/50, v/v). For clean-up, three solid-phase extraction procedures were assayed (C18 cartridge, SAX cartridge, and a combination of both). Two reagents (o-phthaldialdehyde and 4-fluoro-7-nitro-benzofurazan) were studied comparatively for formation of fluorescent derivatives. The separation was carried out by LC u…

Characterization of Gibberella fujikuroi complex isolates by fumonisin B-1 and B-2 analysis and by RAPD and restriction analysis of PCR-amplified internal transcribed spacers of ribosomal DNA

Summary Twenty nine isolates of Fusarium spp. (twenty four of them belonging to the Gibberella fujikuroi complex) isolated from banana and corn from different geographical regions were analyzed for their ability to produce fumonisins B 1 and B 2 and for genetic relatedness using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and restriction analysis of PCR amplification products of the 5.8s ribosomal DNA-intervening internal transcribed spacer regions (ITS I-5.8S-ITS II). For RAPD analysis, six of twenty oligonucleotide primers were selected after testing with five Fusarium spp. isolates and used to characterize 24 additional isolates. DNA fragments from the 29 isolates of Fusarium spp., which wer…

Efficacy of natamycin for control of growth and ochratoxin A production by Aspergillus carbonarius strains under different environmental conditions

Aims:  To examine the efficacy of natamycin produced by Streptomyces natalensis against strains of Aspergillus carbonarius growth and ochratoxin A (OTA) production under different environmental factors on a grape juice-based medium. Methods and Results:  Detailed studies in the range 0–20 ng ml−1 for control of growth and ochratoxin production by strains of A. carbonarius at 0·98, 0·96 and 0·94 water availabilities (aw) and 15–25°C on a fresh red grape extract medium were examined. Inhibition of growth was depending on temperature and aw level. At 15°C, 5–10 ng ml−1 natamycin was effective in reducing growth almost completely. However, at 20–25°C and all the three aw levels, growth was only…

Comparison of Different Analytical Methods for Determination of Type B Trichothecenes in Wheat and Ochratoxin A in Beer

Capillary column gas chromatographic identification of sugars in honey as trimethylsilyl derivatives.

A method for identifying carbohydrates (mono-, di- and trisaccharides) in honey is presented. It is based on the separate preparation of both trimethylsilyl ethers and oxime trimethylsilyl ethers of the sugars followed by their gas chromatographic separation on a fused-silica capillary column coated with OV-101 using temperature programming. From the two chromatograms, the number of peaks given by each derivatized sugar, their relative retention times and peak-area ratios are used for identification. The identities of two unidentified trisaccharide peaks are considered. Quantitative applications to honey sugar analysis are discussed.

Occurrence of mycotoxin producing fungi in bee pollen

The natural mycobiota occurring in bee pollen is studied in the present report with special attention to analyze the incidence of fungal species that are potential producers of mycotoxins. A total of 90 ready-to-eat bee pollen samples were analyzed. Eighty-seven samples were collected in stores placed in different Spanish areas and three were from Buenos Aires (Argentina). The statistical results (ANOVA) showed that yeasts and Penicillium spp. were the predominant fungi. With regard to the potential mycotoxin producing species, Penicillium verrucosum, Aspergillus niger aggregate, Aspergillus carbonarius, Aspergillus ochraceus, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus parasiticus and Alternaria spp. …

Sugar profiles of Spanish unifloral honeys

The levels of various sugars (fructose, glucose, sucrose, maltose, maltulose, kojibiose, isomaltose, raffinose, erlose and melezitose) as well as the glucose/fructose and glucose/water ratios were determined in different Spanish unifloral honey types (rosemary, orange blossom, lavender, sunflower, eucalyptus, heather, honeydew). Sugars were determined by gas chromatography of the trimethylsilyloxime derivatives. There were significant differences among the honey types in relation to sugar composition. Fructose, glucose, sucrose, maltose and the glucose/water ratio were selected by discriminant analysis as the better parameters for the correct classification of the honey samples into their p…

An Overview on the Status of Toxigenic Fungi and Mycotoxins in Spain

Mycotoxins are a group of secondary metabolites which are produced by various filamentous fungi, and which can produce a toxic response in animals or humans after ingestion of contaminated food. The main toxigenic fungi isolated from foods and feeds belong to the genera Penicillium, Aspergillus, Fusarium and Alternaria. Spores of these moulds are almost universally present everywhere, they fall on plants and, under appropriate conditions, they can germinate and generate mycelia causing crop spoilage and/or production of mycotoxins.

Erratum to: Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (3rd edition) (Autophagy, 12, 1, 1-222, 10.1080/15548627.2015.1100356

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Comparison of different analytical processes for patulin determination in apple juice

F. M. Valle-Algarra, R. Mateo, A. Medina, F. Mateo, E. M. Mateo, E. Sanchis Blanco, J.V. Gimeno-Adelantado, J. Peris-Vicente and M. Jimenez 1 Dpto. de Quimica Analitica, Facultad de Quimica, Universidad de Valencia, Dr. Moliner 50, E-46100 Burjassot, Valencia, Spain 2 Dpto. de Microbiologia y Ecologia, Facultad de Biologia, Universidad de Valencia, Dr. Moliner 50, E-46100 Burjassot, Valencia, Spain 3 Dpto. de Ingenieria Electronica, Universidad Politecnica de Valencia, Camino de Vera 14, E-46022, Valencia, Spain

Determination of type A trichothecenes by high-performance liquid chromatography with coumarin-3-carbonyl chloride derivatisation and fluorescence detection.

A method for the analysis of type A trichothecenes T-2 toxin, HT-2 toxin, neosolaniol and diacetoxyscirpenol by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection using coumarin-3-carbonyl chloride has been developed. Different parameters concerning the analytical procedure such as stability of both the reagent and derivatised analytes, time and temperature of the derivatisation reaction, were studied and optimised. Three different clean-up procedures (solid-phase extraction with silica gel or C-18 cartridges, and liquid-liquid partition between toluene and dihydrogen phosphate buffer) were tested in order to remove the excess reagent peaks. The last procedure gave the best …