Occurrence and co-occurrence of Fusarium mycotoxins in wheat grains and wheat flour from Romania

Abstract In this study, the presence of fourteen Fusarium mycotoxins, legislated by the European Union – deoxynivalenol, zearalenone, HT-2 and T-2 toxins (EC/1881/2006; 2013/165/EU), or non-legislated (five trichothecens and five “emerging” mycotoxins), was evaluated in 31 whole unprocessed wheat samples and 35 white wheat flour samples from different areas of Romania. For this purpose, a validated multi-mycotoxins liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method was applied. Seventy three percent of the analyzed samples contained at least one mycotoxin. The highest occurrence was for enniatin B, 71% of the analyzed samples being positive (21–407 μg kg−1). Regarding the legislated myco…

Advantages of Hyaluronic Acid and Its Combination with Other Bioactive Ingredients in Cosmeceuticals

This study proposes a review on hyaluronic acid (HA) known as hyaluronan or hyaluronate and its derivates and their application in cosmetic formulations. HA is a glycosaminoglycan constituted from two disaccharides (N-acetylglucosamine and D-glucuronic acid), isolated initially from the vitreous humour of the eye, and subsequently discovered in different tissues or fluids (especially in the articular cartilage and the synovial fluid). It is ubiquitous in vertebrates, including humans, and it is involved in diverse biological processes, such as cell differentiation, embryological development, inflammation, wound healing, etc. HA has many qualities that recommend it over other substances used…

Protective Effects of a Discontinuous Treatment with Alpha-Lipoic Acid in Obesity-Related Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction, in Rats

Obesity induces hemodynamic and humoral changes that are associated with functional and structural cardiac remodeling, which ultimately result in the development of heart failure (HF) with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). In recent years, pharmacological studies in patients with HFpEF were mostly unsatisfactory. In these conditions, alternative new therapeutic approaches are necessary. The aim of our study was (1) to assess the effects of obesity on heart function in an experimental model and (2) to evaluate the efficacy of an alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) antioxidant treatment. Sprague-Dawley rats (7 weeks old) were either included in the control group (n = 6) or subjected to abdominal aorti…

Presence of Enniatins and Beauvericin in Romanian Wheat Samples: From Raw Material to Products for Direct Human Consumption

In this study, a total of 244 wheat and wheat-based products collected from Romania were analyzed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) in order to evaluate the presence of four enniatins (ENs; i.e., ENA, ENA1, ENB, and ENB1) and beauvericin (BEA). For the wheat samples, the influence of agricultural practices was assessed, whereas the results for the wheat-based products were used to calculate the estimated daily intake of emerging mycotoxins through wheat consumption for the Romanian population. ENB presented the highest incidence (41% in wheat and 32% in wheat-based products), with its maximum levels of 815 μg kg−1 and 170 μg kg−1 in wheat and wheat-based products,…

Analysis of enniatins and beauvericin by LC-MS/MS in wheat-based products

Due to the matrix complexity for wheat-based products, a comparative study of different rapid extraction procedures was performed for the extraction of enniatins (ENA, ENA1, ENB, ENB1) and beauvericin in flour, pasta, breakfast cereals, and biscuits. Three different approaches were studied during the extraction and purification steps (shaker, Ultra-Turrax, and QuEChERS) for each matrix. Liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) with electrospray source working in a positive mode was used. For the analysis of the five mycotoxins, the three methods were tested in terms of recovery, matrix effect, and sensibility, concluding that Ultra-Turrax extraction was the most …

First study on trichothecene and zearalenone exposure of the Romanian population through wheat-based products consumption

Abstract In this study, a dietary exposure assessment of mycotoxins was conducted for the Romanian population using the contamination data of a various categories of wheat-based products for direct human consumption. Wheat-based foods (n = 181) commercialized in Romania, including flour, bread, biscuits, breakfast cereals and pasta, were evaluated by GC-QqQ-MS/MS for the occurrence of deoxynivalenol (DON), 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol (3AcDON), 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol (15AcDON), fusarenon-X, nivalenol, HT-2 and T-2 toxins, diacetoxyscirpenol, neosolaniol and zearalenone (ZEA). DON and 15AcDON were detected in 63 and 5% of all the analyzed samples, whereas 13-AcDON, HT-2, T-2, NIV and ZEA were not…

Study on Trichothecene and Zearalenone Presence in Romanian Wheat Relative to Weather Conditions

To evaluate the influence of weather conditions on mycotoxin presence in wheat, deoxynivalenol (DON), 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol (3AcDON), 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol (15AcDON), fusarenon-X (FUS-X), nivalenol (NIV), HT-2 toxin (HT-2), T-2 toxin (T-2), diacetoxyscirpenol (DAS), neosolaniol (NEO) and zearalenone (ZEN) were evaluated in 102 Romanian wheat samples coming from five wheat growing areas during 2015. Only six mycotoxins were detected, while FUS-X, DAS, NEO and NIV were not present in the wheat samples. Mycotoxin concentrations were correlated with precipitation and temperature values during anthesis and the preharvest period. Overall, the highest frequency was registered for DON, while the…

Zearalenone presence in wheat field samples from Romania

Climatic conditions influence emerging mycotoxin presence in wheat grown in Romania – A 2-year survey

Abstract The correlation between the occurrence of four enniatins (ENA, ENA1, ENB, and ENB1) and beauvericin (BEA) and the weather parameters during anthesis and preharvest period was studied in 97 wheat samples collected in 2014 and 2015 across three counties from central and south Romania (Brasov, Dâmboviţa, and Teleorman). The highest mean values of ENA (16.1 μg kg −1 ) and ENB (147.1 μg kg −1 ) were measured in the samples from Brasov county in the harvest year 2015, whereas for ENA1 and ENB1 the highest means (55.2 μg kg −1 , and 108.0 μg kg −1 , respectively) were noted in samples from Teleorman county in 2014. Statistically significant differences ( P r s  = 0.8745 and r s  = 0.9326;…