Natural Occurrence and Co-Contamination of Twelve Mycotoxins in Industry-Submitted Cool-Season Cereal Grains Grown under a Low Heat Unit Climate Condition

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate the prevalence of mycotoxins in industry-submitted cool-season barley and wheat grown under low heat unit climate conditions. Seventy-two barley samples and 83 wheat samples were submitted by producers and industry from May 2016 to May 2017. The concentrations of twelve common mycotoxins, including nivalenol (NIV), deoxynivalenol (DON), 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol (3-ADON), 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol (15-ADON), ochratoxin A (OTA), zearalenone (ZEN), α-zearalenol (α-ZAL), β-zearalenol (β-ZAL), diacetoxyscirpenol (DAS), T-2 toxin (T-2), HT-2 toxin (HT-2), and aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), were determined using the liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry method. Mycotoxins were detected in 40 barley (56%) and 35 wheat (42%) samples submitted by producers and industry. DON showed the highest incidence in barley (44%) and wheat (33%). None of the barley samples contained detectable DAS and no wheat samples tested positive for α-ZAL, DAS, T-2, or AFB1. Co-occurrence of DON and other mycotoxins was frequently observed. Among the mycotoxin-positive samples, 70% of barley samples and 54% of wheat samples were co-contaminated with at least two mycotoxins. Four barley (6%) and five wheat (6%) samples contained levels of DON above 1000 μg/kg (regulatory level in diets for lactating dairy animals) and HT-2 content in five barley (7%) and four wheat (5%) samples exceeded 100 μg/kg (regulatory level in diets for cattle and poultry). Overall, contamination of these mycotoxins was more frequent and more severe in barley in comparison with wheat that was submitted by producers and industry. Comprehensive strategies, including the prevention of Fusarium toxins contamination, the routine monitoring of their prevalence, the detoxification of them in feed and food, as well as the inhibition of their absorption in the gastrointestinal tract, are highly required. A rapid detection method needs to be developed to screen mycotoxins in industry-submitted cool-season cereal grains.

Occurrence and Co-Occurrence of Mycotoxins in Cereal-Based Feed and Food

“…With regards to occurrence of native forms, DON, FBs, and ZEN showed the highest simulated potential co-occurrence value, and in particular, DON was more probable to be found in co-occurrence with FBs in maize and with ZEN in wheat. This finding is consistent with the results of a recent study conducted on Canadian cereal samples where the co-occurrence of DON and other Fusarium mycotoxins was frequently observed in wheat and barley [29].…”

Prevalence and Exposure Assessment of Aflatoxins Through Black Tea Consumption in the Multan City of Pakistan and the Impact of Tea Making Process on Aflatoxins

“…The unpacked tea samples are usually stored in bulk until being supplied to markets, the bulk storage facilitates moisture migration and as a result increases the chances of mold growth any mycotoxins production (Chen et al, 2018). The prevalence of aflatoxins in line with this study is already reported in various foodstuff of Pakistan, for instance, in milk samples (Ismail et al, 2016), in animal feed samples (Ismail et al, 2017), and in mother milk samples (Khan et al, 2018) indicating that the environmental conditions in Pakistan are quite favorable for the growth of fungus and the production of aflatoxins.…”

Incidence and exposure assessment of aflatoxins and ochratoxin A in Egyptian wheat

“…In a study on stored wheat, AFB 1 was detected in four wheat samples at levels above the European Commission regulatory limit of 2 ppb in grains for human consumption [ 35 ]. In a recent study, Shi et al [ 36 ] found that wheat samples grown under low heat unit climate conditions were not contaminated by AFB 1 .…”