The presence of mycotoxins in cereal grain is a very important food safety issue with the occurrence of masked mycotoxins extensively investigated in recent years. This study investigated the variation of different Fusarium metabolites (including the related regulated, masked, and emerging mycotoxin) in maize from various agriculture regions of South Africa. The relationship between the maize producing regions, the maize type, as well as the mycotoxins was established. A total of 123 maize samples was analyzed by a LC-MS/MS multi-mycotoxin method. The results revealed that all maize types exhibited a mixture of free, masked, and emerging mycotoxins contamination across the regions with an average of 5 and up to 24 out of 42 investigated Fusarium mycotoxins, including 1 to 3 masked forms at the same time. Data obtained show that fumonisin B 1, B 2, B 3, B 4 , and A 1 were the most prevalent mycotoxins and had maximum contamination levels of 8908, 3383, 990, 1014, and 51.5 µg/kg, respectively. Deoxynivalenol occurred in 50% of the samples with a mean concentration of 152 µg/kg (max 1380 µg/kg). Thirty-three percent of the samples were contaminated with zearalenone at a mean concentration of 13.6 µg/kg (max 146 µg/kg). Of the masked mycotoxins, DON-3-glucoside occurred at a high incidence level of 53%. Among emerging toxins, moniliformin, fusarinolic acid, and beauvericin showed high occurrences at 98%, 98%, and 83%, and had maximum contamination levels of 1130, 3422, and 142 µg/kg, respectively. Significant differences in the contamination pattern were observed between the agricultural regions and maize types.
Development of cost-effective and eco-friendly methods of nanoparticle synthesis could play a crucial role in integrating nanotechnology and phytomedicine for biological applications. In this study, biogenic silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized using the ethanolic extract of Pelargonium sidoides DC at 60°C. Formation of nanoparticles was monitored using UV-Visible spectroscopy at different time intervals. A maximum absorption at 456 nm was observed as the reaction time increased, resulting in a red shift of the surface plasmon band (SPB). Attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) revealed the reducing and stabilizing activity of flavonoids, coumarins, tannins, and phenols. Size and morphology of the AgNPs were analysed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) which indicated the spherical nature of the nanoparticles with sizes ranging from 11 to 90 nm. Further characterization of the AgNPs was carried out using EDS, XRD, and Raman spectroscopy, respectively. Additionally, the AgNPs had a marginally higher antimicrobial activity when compared to the plant extract against Gram-positive Streptococcus pneumoniae (ATCC 27336) and Bacillus cereus (ATCC 10876) and Gram-negative Moraxella catarrhalis (ATCC 25240), Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853).
One‐hundred maize samples were analyzed for fungal contamination using conventional and molecular methods. The percentage incidence of different genera isolated revealed the predominance of Fusarium (82%), Penicillium (63%), and Aspergillus species (33%) compared to other genera. Fusarium occurred in 90% and 74% of small scale and commercial samples, respectively, while Penicillium occurred in small scale and commercial samples at an incidence rate of 64% and 62%, respectively. However, among the species, Fusarium verticilloides have the highest incidence of 70% and 76% in commercial and small‐scale maize, respectively, while Penicillium digitatum has 56% total incidence. Aspergillus fumigatus (27%) were also the most dominant of these genera. Fungal genera isolated included Alternaria and Cladosporium although occurring at a lower incidence level of 30%, 32% and 16%, 20%, respectively, in small‐scale and commercial samples. The results emphasize that farmers and consumers should be alerted to the danger of fungal contamination in maize.
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