Abstract
A survey on 120 cereal samples (barley, maize, rice and wheat) from Algerian markets has been carried out to evaluate the presence of 15 mycotoxins (ochratoxin A, deoxynivalenol, fumonisin B1 and B2, T-2 and HT-2 toxins, zearalenone, fusarenon X, citrinin, sterigmatocystin, enniatins A, A1, B and B1, and beauvericin). With this purpose, a QuEChERS-based extraction and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) were used. Analytical results showed that 78 cereal samples (65%) were contaminated with at least one toxin, while 50% were contaminated with three to nine mycotoxins. T-2 toxin, citrinin, beauvericin and deoxynivalenol were the most commonly found mycotoxins (frequency of 50%, 41.6%, 40.8% and 33.3%, respectively). Fumonisins (B1 + B2), enniatins B and B1, deoxynivalenol and zearalenone registered high concentrations (289–48878 µg/kg, 1.2–5288 µg/kg, 15–4569 µg/kg, 48–2055 µg/kg and 10.4–579 µg/kg, respectively). Furthermore, concentrations higher than those allowed by the European Union (EU) were observed in 21, 8 and 1 samples for fumonisins, zearalenone and deoxinivalenol, respectively. As a conclusion, the high levels of fumonisins (B1 + B2) in maize and deoxynivalenol, zearalenone and HT-2 + T-2 toxins in wheat, represent a health risk for the average adult consumer in Algeria. These results pointed out the necessity of a consistent control and the definition of maximum allowed levels for mycotoxins in Algerian foodstuffs.
Highlights
Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites of low molecular weight produced by a variety of fungi
The main objective of this work is the validation of an analytical method based on a simple QuEChERS-based extraction and UHPLC–MS/MS for the determination of 15 mycotoxins, namely: ochratoxin A (OTA), deoxynivalenol (DON), fumonisin B1 (FB1) and B2 (FB2), T-2 and HT-2 toxins, ZEN, fusarenon X (F-X), citrinin (CIT), sterigmatocystin (STE), enniatin A (ENNA), A1 (ENNA1), B (ENNB)
Such a trend was observed by Ghali et al in cereals from Tunisia, reporting the highest levels for fumonisins in maize samples at an incidence rate of 52% [46]. This confirms that the risk of fumonisin contamination of wheat, barley and rice is rather low due to the known tendency of the Fusarium spp. producing fumonisins (F. verticillioides and F. proliferatum) to infect maize [47]. This result is in agreement with other previous studies: a high fumonisin incidence was reported in Nigerian maize-based products with concentrations ranging from 74 to 22064 μg/kg [43], in maize from South Africa, reporting concentrations up to 53863 μg/kg for FB1 [48], and from Ethiopia, where 77% samples of maize contaminated with fumonisins at concentrations between 25–4500 μg/kg, were attributed to F. verticillioides [49]
Summary
Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites of low molecular weight produced by a variety of fungi (mainly Aspergillus, Fusarium and Penicillium spp.) They present diverse chemical structures, having different biological effects on animals and humans, such as teratogenicity, carcinogenicity, mutagenicity, immunotoxicity or neurotoxicity [1,2]. Safe), are being increasingly applied to the analysis of mycotoxins, due to their feasibility, flexibility, versatility, low cost and rapidity [36] Within this context, the main objective of this work is the validation of an analytical method based on a simple QuEChERS-based extraction and UHPLC–MS/MS for the determination of 15 mycotoxins, namely: OTA, deoxynivalenol (DON), fumonisin B1 (FB1) and B2 (FB2), T-2 and HT-2 toxins, ZEN, fusarenon X (F-X), citrinin (CIT), sterigmatocystin (STE), enniatin A (ENNA), A1 (ENNA1), B (ENNB). The analysis of cereals samples (barley, maize, rice and wheat) collected from different Algerian markets will help to estimate the potential contribution to the dietary exposure of Algerian consumers
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