Occurrence and Distribution of 13 Trichothecene Toxins in Naturally Contaminated Maize Plants in Germany

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to monitor the occurrence and distribution of a spectrum of trichothecene toxins in different parts of maize plants. Therefore maize plants were sampled randomly from 13 fields in southwest Germany and the fractions kernels, cobs, husks, stalks, leaves and rudimentary ears were analyzed for eight A-type and five B-type trichothecenes. Each of the toxins was found in at least three of the total of 78 samples. The study revealed that both A-type and B-type trichothecenes may be present in all parts of the maize plant but may be unevenly distributed. For the contents of deoxynivalenol, 3- and 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol, nivalenol, scirpentriol, 15-monoacetoxyscirpenol, HT-2 and T-2 toxin significant differences (p < 0.05) were found between different parts of the maize plants whereas no significant differences were observed for fusarenon-X, 4,15-diacetoxyscirpenol, neosolaniol, T-2 triol and T-2 tetraol. Up to twelve toxins co-occurring in one sample were detected. As a group B-type trichothecenes dominated over A-type trichothecenes concerning incidences and levels. Contamination was strongest with rudimentary ears based on incidence and mean and maximum contents; mean contents with few exceptions tended towards a higher level than in other fractions with significant (p < 0.05) differences compared to leaves for seven toxins.

Multiannual mycotoxin survey in feed materials and feedingstuffs

“…In contrast, they did not detect NIV in 17 samples of maize originating from Czech Republic and Belgium. In this study, the mean contamination levels of NIV in maize samples were lower than the results reported by other researchers Monbaliu et al, 2010;Schollenberger et al, 2012;Zachariasova et al, 2014). Eckard et al (2011) analyzed 19 samples of maize silage and NIV was found in 42% of the samples, with mean concentration of 219 g/kg (maximum content 760 g/kg).…”

“…The highest mean concentration was recorded in samples from Czech Republic (2070 g/kg) and the lowest from Belgium (188 g/kg). In this study, the contamination levels of DON in maize samples were similar to the results reported by Martins et al (2008), Monbaliu et al (2010), Schollenberger et al (2012) and Zachariasova et al (2014), while lower than the results reported by Goertz et al (2010). In the Netherlands, DON was found in 53% samples of maize silage and its mean concentration was 550 g/kg .…”

“…Its mean concentrations were 1780 g/kg (2006) and 2240 g/kg (2007). In another study in Germany, Schollenberger et al (2012) analyzed 13 maize samples and DON was found in 54% of samples, with mean and maximum concentration of 809 g/kg and 3118 g/kg, respectively. In Czech Republic, Zachariasova et al (2014) analyzed 8 maize samples and obtained mean and maximum concentration of 624 g/kg and 1523 g/kg, respectively.…”

“…In Germany, Goertz et al (2010) found that 23% in 2006 and 48% in 2007 of maize samples were contaminated by NIV and its mean concentrations were 160 g/kg and 210 g/kg, respectively. In another study conducted in Germany, 23% of maize samples were contaminated with NIV at mean concentration of 3569 g/kg and maximum content of 43064 g/kg (Schollenberger et al, 2012). Zachariasova et al (2014) analyzed 8 samples of maize and NIV was found at mean concentration of 153 g/kg (maximum content 580 g/kg).…”

Evaluation of toxicities of 7-hydroxyisotrichodermin and 8-hydroxyisotrichodermin, shunt intermediates in the biosynthetic grid of deoxynivalenol, by using a sensitive yeast assay

“…The infected grains are often contaminated with trichothecenes such as deoxynivalenol (DON; Fig. 1), nivalenol (NIV), and acetylated derivatives thereof 1),2), 3) . These mycotoxins, which are characterized by the presence of a ketogroup at C-8, are collectively termed type B trichothecenes.…”