Analysis ofFusarium toxins in grain via dust: a promising field of application for rapid test systems

Abstract

On site, mycotoxin measurements shall enable rapid decisions on the acceptance or rejection of lots. Hence, results have to be available fast, easy to get and, first of all, reliable. An innovative approach using dust samples was tested for its fitness for on-site mycotoxin analyses of grain lots and compared to current practice in grain testing. To prove correlation between mycotoxin concentrations in dust and respective concentrations in grain, regression analyses were performed. To obtain data points, dust was sieved from grain and both samples were analysed. As the contamination of the overall sample and its dust particles correlated well (wheat: R2DON=0.85, R2ZEA=0.82; rye: R2DON=0.73), contaminations in the grain were predictable from concentrations determined in respective dust particles. For on-site analysis, common lateral flow devices (LFD) were evaluated for their suitability to detect deoxynivalenol (DON) in grain dusts. On site, grain and dust samples were taken during the unloading of trucks using a customised dust-sampler. In contrast to grain samples, no additional physical sample preparation or homogenisation step was needed for dust. Instead, the sample was directly extracted and analysed for DON using LFD. By means of the regression line DON concentrations in grain were predicted from dust results and compared to concentrations directly measured in grain samples. No false negative results were observed and a contaminated grain lot (<1000 ?g/ kg DON) could be clearly identified. Evidence for reduced measurement uncertainty compared to current practice at lower total measurement costs was given. In this way, the fitness for purpose of the new approach combining rapid analyses with dust sampling for on-site mycotoxin screening was shown. The innovative high-throughput technology has the potential to improve on-site mycotoxin measurements in terms of speed, sensitivity, manageability and reliability and thus is a promising tool for enhanced industrial self-control.

Mycotoxin Contamination in the EU Feed Supply Chain: A Focus on Cereal Byproducts

“…Although rapid methods for on-site mycotoxin measurements are available, the time and effort that are required to obtain a representative sample may still represent a limit for the rapid screening of mycotoxin contamination. Recently, evidence for a significant correlation of concentrations of DON in grain dust and byproducts of grain cleaning with concentrations in whole grains has been given [ 153 , 154 , 155 ]. Therefore, the sampling and analysis of dust and byproducts of cereal grain cleaning may represent an opportunity to improve on-site rapid mycotoxin measurements and a promising tool for control and mitigate the mycotoxins problem at the industrial level.…”

Frequent Occupational Exposure to Fusarium Mycotoxins of Workers in the Swiss Grain Industry

“…Indeed, there is a good correlation between grain and wheat dust for the presence of DON and ZEN [8,9], as well as of fungi that might produce them between grain dust and aerosols [10]. Although high exposure to grain dust is inevitable during direct handling of grain or straw or during the cleaning of surfaces contaminated by grain dust [1,3], the identification of determinants of high exposure to mycotoxins may help employers to optimize the safety of workstations.…”

Relationship between Mycotoxin Content in Winter Wheat Grain and Aspirated Dust Collected during Harvest and after Storage

“…Often, the lower matrix effect is referred to as an advantage for mycotoxin detection in grain dust over grain. 10 However, at the same dilution factor, we found a higher matrix effect in grain dust with either ion suppression or enhancement, depending on the mycotoxins considered ( Table 1 ).…”

“… 25 Our results corroborate previous results by Reichel et al in wheat. 10 Another consideration is the nature of the fungal infection: Fusarium proliferatum (Matsushita) Nirenberg is considered the predominant species producing fumonisins ( 11 – 13 ) in wheat, 26 , 27 albeit in low concentrations. 28 Infection often occurs systemically, as an endophyte, with transmission from seed or roots to kernels.…”

“…In 2004, Stroka et al first described a sampling technique to estimate the mycotoxin content in bulk material from a small vacuumed dust fraction. 8 Later, in 2014 in Europe, the relationship between aspirated grain dust collected from small field plots, 9 or while the whole grain is unloading from trucks to grain elevators, 10 was described providing reliable regression between the DON content in the grain with that in the dust. In storage, mycotoxins, such as OTA (22) produced by P. verrucosum, present an even more significant challenge for grain sampling and testing.…”