Potential Health Risk Associated with Mycotoxins in Oat Grains Consumed in Spain

Abstract

Spain is a relevant producer of oats (Avena sativa), but to date there has been no study on the occurrence/co-occurrence of mycotoxins in oats marketed in Spain. The present study is addressed to overcome this lack of knowledge. One hundred oat kernel samples were acquired across different Spanish geographic regions during the years 2015–2019 and analyzed for mycotoxin content using an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC–ESI–MS/MS) method and matrix-matched calibration. The focus was on the regulated mycotoxins although other relevant mycotoxins were considered. The percentage of incidence (levels ≥ limit of detection), mean and range (ng/g) of mycotoxins were as follows: zearalenone (66%, mean 39.1, range 28.1–153), HT-2 toxin (47%, mean 37.1, range 4.98–439), deoxynivalenol, (34%, mean 81.4, range 19.1–736), fumonisin B1 (29%, mean 157.5, range 63.2–217.4), and T-2 toxin, (24%, mean 49.9, range 12.3–321). Fumonisin B2, 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol, aflatoxins B1, B2, and G2, and ochratoxin A were also detected at low levels, but aflatoxin G1 was not. The maximum limits established by the European Commission for unprocessed oats were not exceeded, except for zearalenone (in one sample), and the sum of aflatoxins (in two samples). Mycotoxin co-occurrence at quantifiable levels in the same sample (two to five combinations) was found in 31% of samples. The most common mixtures were those of HT-2 + T-2 toxins alone or together with deoxynivalenol and/or zearalenone.

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“…They used Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) to detect and quantify several toxins such as T-2 and HT-2, NIV, DON, ZEN, Fumonisins B1 and B2, etc. Tarazona et al [70] investigated the natural occurrence of mycotoxins in Spanish oat grains samples using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-(ESI+)-MS/MS) multiple reactions monitoring chromatograms of mycotoxins.…”

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“…T-2 toxin-contaminated tests are infrequent (less than 10%), but high levels of T-2 toxin could be observed, including such 24 ppm in grain and 37.7 ppm in peanuts [19]. The T2 was identified at (0.01-0.2) ppm in (13 of 20) maize models from New Zealand [20]. In other study, 11 % of sample are noted from Nova Scotia (spring and winter wheat, 2-6 row, barley) exhibited measurable amounts of T-2 (from 0.16, 0.31 ppm) [17].…”

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“…The frequency and contamination levels of these mycotoxins in oat samples were more extreme than those in wheat and barley, with 32% of the tested oat samples containing DON levels beyond the legislative MRL for unprocessed oats (1750 μg/kg). In more recent research, Tarazona et al [ 112 ] from Spain stated that 22.0% and 3.0% of oat samples ( n = 100) contained detectable DON and 3-ADON, with the maximum levels of 736 μg/kg and 42.6 μg/kg, respectively. In another study conducted on oat bran from Spanish markets, a total of 17% of the samples were contaminated with DON at the maximum level of 230 μg/kg.…”