Abstract

Ochratoxins are fungal secondary metabolites that may contaminate a broad variety of foodstuffs, such as grains, vegetables, coffee, dried fruits, beer, wine and meats. Ochratoxins are considered powerful nephrotoxins, carcinogens, teratogens in rats and likely in humans. In 2011, during a programme aimed to survey the presence of ochratoxin A in 35 regularly slaughtered wild boars in Calabria region (Southern Italy), ochratoxin A (OTA) was detected in 35 kidneys, 33 urinary bladders, 33 livers and 32 muscles of 35 animals at the following levels: 1.05 ppb (0.1-3.9 ppb), 0.5 ppb [not detected (ND)-2.6 ppb], 0.4 ppb (ND- 2 ppb), 0.2 ppb (ND-0.5 ppb), respectively. A total of 12 samples of kidney, 4 samples of liver, and 4 samples of urinary bladder showed levels of OTA higher than the level (1 ppb) established by the guidelines of the Italian Ministry of Health circular No. 10.

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