0000000000407017

AUTHOR

David Romera

Study on mycotoxin contamination of maize kernels in Spain

Abstract Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced mainly by fungal species belonging to the genera Fusarium, Aspergillus and Penicillium and belong to the most relevant contaminants of food and feed. Cereals are the main source of mycotoxins in the diet. The most prominent mycotoxins are aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2 (AFB1, AFB2, AFG1 and AFG2), fumonisins B1 and B2 (FB1 and FB2), ochratoxin A (OTA), zearalenone (ZEA), deoxynivalenol (DON), 3- and 15-acetyl-deoxynivalenol (3- and 15-ADON), and T-2 and HT-2 toxins. Maximum levels allowed in food are very different depending on mycotoxin and food type, consumer susceptibility and current legislation in each country. Among cereals, maize a…

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Potential use of machine learning methods in assessment of Fusarium culmorum and Fusariumproliferatum growth and mycotoxin production in treatments with antifungal agents.

Abstract The use of Fusarium-controlling fungicides is necessary to limit crop loss. Little is known about the effect of commercial antifungal formulations at sub-lethal doses, and their interaction with abiotic factors, on Fusarium culmorum and F. proliferatum development and on zearalenone and fumonisin biosynthesis, respectively. In the present study different treatments based on sulfur, trifloxystrobin and demethylation inhibitor fungicides (cyproconazole, tebuconazole and prothioconazole) under different environmental conditions, in Maize Extract Medium (MEM), are assayed in vitro. Then, several machine learning methods (neural networks, random forest and extreme gradient boosted trees…

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Determination of multiple mycotoxins in feedstuffs by combined use of UPLC–MS/MS and UPLC–QTOF–MS

In this report, a UPLC-ESI-MS/MS method for the simultaneous determination of aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, zearalenone, deoxynivalenol, fumonisins, T-2 and HT-2 toxins, fusarenone X, diacetoxyscirpenol, and 3- and 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol in feedstuffs was developed. A quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometer detector (QTOF-MS) operating in full scan mode was combined with the UPLC-ESI-MS/MS system to confirm the identity of detected mycotoxins and to identify other possible microbial metabolites occurring in samples. Sixty-two feed samples from the Spanish market were analyzed. Extraction of metabolites was carried out with acetonitrile-water-formic acid (80:19:1, v/v/v). Method detection a…

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Assessment of azole fungicides as a tool to control growth of Aspergillus flavus and aflatoxin B1 and B2 production in maize

ABSTRACTAspergillus flavus is a highly aflatoxin (AF)-producing species infecting maize and other crops. It is dominant in tropical regions, but it is also considered an emerging problem associated with climate change in Europe. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of azole fungicides (prochloraz, tebuconazole and a 2:1 (w/w) mixture of prochloraz plus tebuconazole) to control the growth of A. flavus and AF production in yeast-extract–sucrose (YES) agar and in maize kernels under different water activities (aw) and temperatures. Aflatoxins B1 and B2 were determined by LC with fluorescence detection and post-column derivatisation of AFB1. In YES medium and maize grains inoculated…

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