Cereal Samples Research Articles

Evaluation of sample preparation methods for cereal digestion for subsequent As, Cd, Hg and Pb determination by AAS-based techniques

Sample preparation methodsforcereal digestion were evaluated for the first time for subsequent As, Cd, Hg, and Pb determination by atomic absorption spectroscopy techniques. Microwave-assisted digestion (MW-AD) under high and medium pressure and microwave-induced combustion (MIC) were evaluated. The use of MIC made it possible to digest 700 mg of samples, and agreements of 97, 96, 100 and 92% were obtained for As, Cd, Hg and Pb, respectively, when 7 mol L−1 HNO3 was used as the absorbing solution. It was not necessary to dilute the digests obtained to avoid interferences in the quantification of As, Cd, Hg, and Pb. Although high pressure MW-AD was efficient for cereal digestion, interferences were observed on analyte determination. Limits of quantification obtained by MIC were 0.034 (As), 0.015 (Cd), 0.021 (Hg) and 0.105 (Pb) μg g−1, which are suitable to attain the maximum levels recommended by international agencies in cereal samples.

Simultaneous determination of four ergot alkaloids in food using liquid chromatography tandem spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)

A simple and accurate LC-MS/MS method has been developed for the simultaneous determination of four ergot alkaloids (EAs) including ergosine, ergocryptine, ergocristine and ergocorsine in food. The studied EAs were extracted and cleaned up using QuEChERS technique then separated using C18 column and quantified by MS/MS detector. The positive ESI source was used in this study together with multi-reactive ion monitoring mode. The method, which has been validated according to AOAC International requirements, showed good specificity, with the linearity varying from 5.0 µg/kg to 100 µg/kg, the LODs and LOQs were 0.3 µg/kg and 1.0 µg/kg; the repeatability and recovery were from 3.7 to 12.5 % and 90.6 - 102.8% respectively. The method has been applied to determine the EAs concentration in 90 corn, wheat and cereal samples, of which no samples were detected with the studied EAs.

Dynamic Microwave-assisted Extraction Online Coupled with QuEChERS for the Determination of Organophosphorus Pesticides in Cereals by Gas Chromatography

A rapid analytical method was first developed to detect organophosphorus pesticides(OPPs) in cereals, which used dynamic microwave assisted extraction(DMAE) coupled online with a modified quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe(QuEChERS) method. Cereals samples were mixed with a certain amount of quartz, C18 and primary second amine(PSA), and extracted successively with the acetonitrile-water solution(80%, V/V) under microwave irradiation. The obtained eluate was directly introduced into a collection tube containing NaCl and MgSO4. Finally, the supernate was evaporated and reconstructed, and determined by gas chromatographic spectrometry. Some factors affecting the experimental results were studied and optimized. The extraction and purification processes were carried out coinstantaneously and 12 samples could be treated in one step in 4 min. Low limits of detection(0.43–1.31 µg/kg) for OPPs were obtained in cereals. The relative standard deviations(RSDs) were 2.1%–9.3%. The recoveries of OPPs ranged from 76.1% to 100.2%. By combining the advantages of DMAE with QuEChERS, the sample pretreatment process was simple to operate, with little amount of organic solvent. The whole extraction process was completed in a closed environment, therefore it was very appropriate for daily analysis of OPPs in cereals.

Multi-Mycotoxin Occurrence and Exposure Assessment Approach in Foodstuffs from Algeria.

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.

Study of photodegradation kinetics of aflatoxins in cereals using trilinear component modeling of excitation-emission matrix fluorescence data.

In this work, a smart analytical strategy that combines excitation-emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence detection with alternating trilinear decomposition (ATLD) algorithm was developed for fast, on-line and interference-free study on the photodegradation kinetics of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and aflatoxin G1 (AFG1) in rice and wheat under UV-Vis light (λ = 250-500 nm) treatment. With the aid of prominent "second-order advantage" of ATLD method, pure fluorescence signals of two targeted analytes can be directly resolved out from heavily overlapping spectral environment and accurately quantified even in the presence of unknown matrix interferences. Cereal samples in kinetic processing of photodegradation were detected without complex pretreatment steps except for a simple extraction using methanol/water solution (4:1, v/v), which solves the problem facing varied matrix interferences in the case of on-line monitoring of aflatoxins. The kinetic signals of analytes of interest were directly extracted regardless of varied matrix backgrounds of various cereals. The kinetic curves and degradation speeds of AFB1 and AFG1 can be estimated by resolved quantitative data, optimal radiation conditions including 365 nm wavelength and 35 J m-2 density were discussed for high-efficiency detoxification control of aflatoxins in rice and wheat. This strategy was promising to be as an alternative tool for eco-friendly photodegradation kinetic study of mycotoxins or other hazards in complex foodstuff matrixes.

Towards high-efficient online specific discrimination of zearalenone by using gold nanoparticles@aptamer-based affinity monolithic column

Sensitive and specific analysis of zearalenone (ZEN) mycotoxin in cereals for ensuring food safety is critical and remains challenging. Herein, a new gold nanoparticles @aptamer-functionalized hybrid affinity monolithic column was proposed and employed for online specific recognition of ZEN by HPLC. Characterization on the morphology, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area mechanical stability and specific performance of the obtained affinity monolith were investigated. A super-high aptamer coverage density could reach 3636 pmol/μL, which is preferable to gain an effective analysis of ZEN with high specificity and a low interference of co-existed substances including typical α-Zearalenol (α-ZOL) and Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1). The sensitive recognition of trace ZEN was obtained with the limit of detection (LOD) as low as 0.05 ng/mL. Applied to real cereal samples, satisfactory recoveries were obtained in the range of 91.6 ± 1.4%–97.8 ± 2.6% (n = 3) in corn, 93.8 ± 3.1%–95.0 ± 3.6% (n = 3) in wheat, and 90.9 ± 4.7%–94.7 ± 3.8% (n = 3) in rice, respectively. The results on quantitative analysis were similar to that of LC–MS and better than that obtained by using immunoaffinity column (IAC) or molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP). This protocol provided an efficient access to high-efficient online specific recognition of ZEN in cereals by using such an aptamer-affinity capillary monolithic column.

Development of Lateral Flow Immunochromatographic Assays Using Colloidal Au Sphere and Nanorods as Signal Marker for the Determination of Zearalenone in Cereals.

This paper describes the development of lateral flow immunochromatographic assays (ICAs) using colloidal Au sphere (SP) and nanorods (NRs) as signal markers for the determination of zearalenone (ZEN) in cereals. The developed ICAs can detect the analyte ZEN within a short time (10 min), and achieve lower limit of detection (LOD). This is the first time that the AuNRs are used as signal probe in immune test strip for ZEN detection. For colloidal AuSP immunochromatographic analysis (AuSP-ICA), the LODs in solution and spiked cereal sample were 5.0 μg L−1 and 60 μg kg−1, and for AuNRs immunochromatographic analysis (AuNRs-ICA) the two LODs achieved 3.0 μg L−1 and 40 μg kg−1, respectively. These two proposed ICAs have minor cross-reaction to the structural analogs of ZEN, and no cross-reactivity with aflatoxin B1, T-2 toxin, ochratoxin A, deoxynivalenol, fumonisin B1. Both of the developed ICAs can specifically and sensitively detect ZEN in cereals, providing an effective strategy for rapid screening and detection of ZEN in a large number of food samples.

Influence of substitution on amino-acid profile, physicochemical and sensory attributes of breakfast cereal from millet, soycake, rice bran and carrot pomace blends

Background: Breakfast is often referred to as the most important meal of the day; however some have limited amount of protein and carotenoid. Hence, this study is aimed to evaluate the amino acid profile, physicochemical and sensory qualities of breakfast cereals from millet, soycake, ricebran, carrot pomace flour blends. The breakfast cereals were formulated using Nutri-survey with respect to 50% Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of protein and fibre for adult and were formulated as follows; MS [Millet+Soycake (70:30) %]; MSR [Millet+Soycake+Ricebran (65:25:10) %]; MSC [Millet+Soycake+Carrot pomace (60:30:10) %] and MRCS [Millet+Ricebran+Carrot pomace+Soy cake (60:30:5:5) %]. The protein content ranged from 2.05-22.37g/100g; crude fat 9.34-22.05g/100g; crude fibre 2.19-3.78g/100g; total ash 3.21-5.43g/100 g; moisture 4.83-6.34g/100g; and carbohydrate 40.59-77.43g/100g respectively. An increase in protein content was observed with an inclusion of soycake into the flour blends. The mineral content ranged from 23.72-34.23mg/100g (P), 0.77-5.59 mg/100g(Fe), 0.03-0.04 mg/100g(Cu), 2.25-3.00mg/100g(Zn) and 0.80-2.71mg/100g(Ca) respectively. The phosphorous was the highest while copper was the least mineral in concentration. The breakfast cereals contained substantial amount of essential amino acid higher than the recommended value for children and adult, having glutamic acid as the most abundant and tryptophan with the least value. The functional properties ranged from; 0.78-0.81g/mL, 1.51-2.42g/mL, 1.66-3.89g/mL, 13.18-15.91g/mL, 12.00-16.00% and 59.44-199.40% for bulk density, oil absorption capacity, water absorption capacity, foam capacity, least gelation and swelling capacity respectively. The values for total carotenoid ranged from 0.0041-1.75mg/100g respectively. Based on the sensory evaluation, sample made from Millet and Soybeans (MS) blend was ranked best and most preferred by the panelist although all the breakfast cereal samples recorded high acceptability by the panelists.

A novel signal‐on fluorescent aptasensor for ochratoxin A detection based on RecJf exonuclease‐induced signal amplification

AbstractThis article describes a simple and homogeneous fluorescent aptasensor for the detection of ochratoxin A (OTA). With its high specificity and simplicity; RecJf exonuclease is used to cleave DNA strand of the FAM‐aptamer/OTA complex and realize target recycling signal amplification. In order to avoid the loss of reaction system, magnetic beads (MBs) are added only once at the last experimental step. This proposed fluorescent aptasensor showed the higher sensitivity in the range of 0.1–100 ng/mL with LOD of 0.056 ng/mL, and the good selectivity against other interfering toxins. The feasibility of the prepared aptasensor was studied by detecting OTA in spiked liquor and cereal samples. The obtained average recoveries ranged from 92% to 115%. This study provides a promising application with convenience and rapidness in the aptasensor fabrication for food safety analysis.

An ultra-selective fluorescence method with enhanced sensitivity for the determination of manganese (VII) in food stuffs using carbon quantum dots as nanoprobe

A novel fluorescence method was for the first time established for the efficient determination of permanganate (Mn(VII)) based on sulfur, chlorine and nitrogen co-doped carbon quantum dots (S,Cl,N-CQDs). The S,Cl,N-CQDs was prepared via a fast and simple acid-base neutralization method. The fluorescence of S,Cl,N-CQDs could be dramatically quenched by Mn(VII) ascribed to a combination of inner filter effect (IFE) and dynamic quenching. Under the optimal working conditions, the S,Cl,N-CQDs-based nanoprobe exhibited high selectivity and sensitivity towards Mn(VII) sensing. A good linear Stern-Volmer equation was obtained for Mn(VII) in a wide concentration range of 0.05–110 μM with a detection limit as low as 12.8 nM. The proposed fluorescence method also exhibits additional advantages of great simplicity, fast in analysis and low cost. The as-fabricated fluorescent nanoprobe was successfully applied for the determination of Mn(VII) in vegetable, cereal and tea samples with high accuracy. It is anticipated that the S,Cl,N-CQDs-based nanoprobe could be further exploited to construct a nanoprobe device for Mn(VII) monitoring in complex food matrix.

Assessment of exposure to nickel intake with selected cereal grains and cereal-based products.

Cereal grains and their products are among the basic components of the diet all over the world. Their consumption varies depending on the dietary habits in each country. Apart from ingredients valuable from a health point of view, these products can also be a source of contaminants. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) included these foodstuffs in the group of main contributors to the dietary exposure to nickel by different groups of the population. The aim of the studies was to determine the nickel content in cereal grains and selected cereal products commercially available in Poland and to assess the exposure of consumers to nickel intake with these foodstuffs. A total of 56 samples of cereal grain and cereal products from trade were tested. Nickel content was determined after microwave mineralization of the samples by atomic absorption spectrometry with a graphite furnace atomization (GFAAS). The estimated exposure for the different groups of the population was assessed and compared with the Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI) value established by the European Food Safety Authority based on an updated risk assessment at 13 μg/kg body weight (b.w.) per day. The mean (MB) and 95th percentile (MB) nickel content in investigated samples of cereal grains and their products were 0.66 mg/kg and 1.93 mg/kg. The mean content of Ni in the analyzed samples of grains was 1.16 mg/kg. Obtained results in this group of products ranged from 0.10 mg/kg for rye to 4.80 mg/kg for millet. In the group of grain products, the mean (MB) concentration of nickel was 0.61 mg/kg (95th percentile (MB) 1.84 mg/kg). The highest nickel level was determined in the samples of bran, groats, and flakes compared to other grain-based products. The highest content of Ni in the group of cereal products was found in the samples of roasted buckwheat 1.81 mg/kg and oat flakes 2.53 mg/kg. Significantly lower nickel content was observed in barley groats as well as for pasta and flour. The estimated average exposure of adults and children to nickel intake with grains and grain-based products ranged from 1.1% to 13.4% of TDI and it does not pose a health risk for consumers. Based on the obtained results, it was found that the nickel content in the tested samples of cereals and their products does not pose a health risk, even though the contamination of individual samples was significant.

Natural Radioactivity Level of <sup>238</sup>U, <sup>232</sup>Th, and <sup>40</sup>K in Baby Food and Committed Annual Effective Dose Assessment in Bangladesh

Worldwide, the contagion of chronic diseases like diabetes and cancer among children has made the nutritionists thoughtful. Food contamination with radioactivity, became a severe health threat for children below five since they are under developing immune systems and cannot fight off infections like adults. Radioactivity concentrated in food chain may be transferred to human body and increase the cumulative risk of developing cancer and some other diseases. Therefore the assessment of radioactivity levels in baby food and their associated doses are of crucial importance for health safety. The study is focused on the radiation contamination of baby food due to the nuclear disasters and make public awareness about infant’s nutrition followed by the health safety. The natural radioactivity level due to 238U, 232Th and 40K in baby food (cereals and powder milk) samples, marketed in Bangladesh were estimated and annual effective dose was assessed. Gamma spectrometry was performed by HPGe detector coupled with MCA, and certified reference materials were used for quantification and quality control. The average concentrations of 238U, 232Th and 40K were found to be 5.42±0.42, 5.71±0.50 and 334.4±12 Bq.Kg-1 in milk sample and 2.98±0.38, 3.94±0.29 and 155.7±7.5 Bq.Kg-1 in cereal sample respectively. The committed effective doses due to ingestion of natural radionuclides (238U, 232Th and 40K) from the consumption of milk and cereals for age group <1 year were 1.30 and 0.51 mSv/yr and for age group 1-2 year were 0.31 and 0.15 mSv/yr respectively. The age group < 1yr, who are completely depend on formula milk are under highly threat since their annual effective dose 1.30 mSv/yr exceeds the recommended permissible limit of 1 mSv/yr. The data generated in this study will provide base-line radiometric values of activity concentration and annual effective dose attributed from baby foods in Bangladesh.

Are Molecularly Imprinted Polymers (MIPs) Beneficial in Detection and Determination of Mycotoxins in Cereal Samples

The process of matrix clean-up and extraction of analytes has a significant influence on the detection and determination of the analyte, especially in trace amounts. Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are solid particles that can absorb specific molecules regarding the template molecule used in the synthesis process of each type of MIP. As a result, they can be used in more effective and more specific solid-phase extraction processes. On the other hand, mycotoxins are second metabolites of molds and fungus which are potentially cytotoxic and/or genotoxic even in trace amounts, and due to extensive consumption of cereals and the great concern of public health, several methods were developed and currently are in the process of development to detect and determine the presence and amounts of mycotoxins in cereals. This review is aimed to investigate the application and efficacy of MIPs in detecting and determination of mycotoxins in cereals.

Detection of Seed Borne Fungi Associated with Some Cereals and Legume Crops of Seeds Grown in Main Season at Holetta Agricultural Research Center

Fungi are a major cause of postharvest deterioration of cereals and legumes. The current work was carried out using sixteen samples of eight crops wheat, barley, Teff, oat, lentil, fababean, mungbean and chickpea samples were collected to investigate the presence and incidence of seed borne fungi associated with them using PDA media. Results of the mycological analysis revealed that a total of 14 fungi belonging to 11 genera viz. Penicillium sp., Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Bipolaris sp., Botrytis sp., Eppicocum sp., Sclerotium sp., Alternaria sp., Fusarium graminaerum, Fusarium moniliformae, Fusarium oxysporium, Trichoderma sp., Tilletia sp. and Rhizopus sp. were isolated from samples of the different crop seeds obtained from seed multiplication store, EIAR, HARC. Infection percentage varied from 5-100% in samples of seed multiplication store. In wheat variety wane and limu, in oat variety CI8237, CI8238, CI8239 and CI8240, in chickpea variety Natoli, Habru and Arerti, and in fababean variety Dosha showed 100% infection followed by Wolki of Fababean (97.5%), and one variety of Mungbean showed infection of 80%. One variety Iboni of Barley showed 75% infection and Dagem and Kora of Teff showed 37.5% and 12.5% infection. Bekoji variety of Lentil showed least infections of 5%. The obtained results revealed that seed-borne pathogens were present in most seed samples of important cereals and legume crops. Some of the identified fungi are potential producers of mycotoxins, thus their presence is important in terms of reduced food safety for humans and animals. Therefore, an early and accurate diagnosis and pathogen surveillance will provide time for the development and the application of disease management strategies.

Concentration and Risk Assessment of Potentially Toxic Elements, Lead and Cadmium, in Vegetables and Cereals Consumed in Western Iran

The concentration of cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) in vegetable (potatoes, onions, tomatoes, lettuce, leeks, and carrots) and cereal (wheat and rice) samples collected from Iran were investigated by a graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometer. In addition, we determined the health risks due to exposure to Cd and Pb through vegetable and cereal consumption by computing the estimated daily intake, the target hazard quotient (THQ), the total THQ, and the margin of exposure. The mean concentrations of Pb in potato, onion, tomato, lettuce, leek, carrot, wheat, and rice samples were measured as 0.029 ± 0.011, 0.016 ± 0.012, 0.007 ± 0.005, 0.022 ± 0.020, 0.040 ± 0.048, 0.029 ± 0.025, 0.123 ± 0.120, and 0.097 ± 0.059 mg kg-1 wet weight, respectively, and all were below the maximum allowable concentrations set by the European Union. The mean concentrations of Cd in potatoes, onions, tomatoes, lettuce, leeks, carrots, wheat, and rice samples were measured as 0.022 ± 0.013, 0.011 ± 0.009, 0.003 ± 0.003, 0.007 ± 0.005, 0.015 ± 0.024, 0.013 ± 0.011, 0.046 ± 0.043, and 0.049 ± 0.04 mg kg-1 wet weight, respectively, and all were below the permissible levels established by the European Union. The corresponding values for the estimated daily intake of Cd were acceptable and lower than the provisional tolerable daily intake. The THQ and total THQ values of Cd through consumption of all vegetables and cereals were lower than 1. The margin of exposure values for Pb in samples were >1, showing no significant human health risks for both potentially toxic elements. The findings of this study indicated there is no risk associated with exposure to Pb and Cd through the intake of selected vegetables and cereals in western Iran.

Detection of zearalenone in an aptamer assay using attenuated internal reflection ellipsometry and it's cereal sample applications

Mycotoxins are toxic compounds produced by the metabolism of certain fungi that threaten the food and agricultural industry. Over hundreds of mycotoxins, one of the most common toxins, zearalenone (ZEN), has toxic effects on human and animal health due to its mutagenicity, treatogenicity, carcinogenicity, nephrotoxicity, immunotoxicity, and genotoxicity. In this work, attenuated internal reflection spectroscopic ellipsometry (AIR-SE) combined with the signal amplification via surface plasmon resonance conditions that were proved to be a highly sensitive analytical tool in bio-sensing was developed for the sensitive and selective ZEN detection in cereal products such as corn, wheat, rice, and oat. Combined with the oligonucleotide aptamer for ZEN recognition, our proposed method showed good performance with yielding 0.08 ng/mL LOD and 0.01–1000 ng/mL detection range. A mini-review was also introduced in, to compare various methods for ZEN detection.

Modified QuEChERS Extraction and HPLC-MS/MS for Simultaneous Determination of 155 Pesticide Residues in Rice (Oryza sativa L.).

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is the staple food of more than half of the world’s population. The main factors affecting the quality of rice include grain length, texture, stickiness, flavor, and aroma. Pesticides are intended for the protection of plant products from weeds, fungi, or insects. However, pesticides also result in negative effects such as environment disturbances, pest resistance and toxicity to both users and food consumers. The aim of this study was to conduct validation experiments of a method for the determination of multi-pesticides in rice, a model food of other cereals. A quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) method was used for the extraction of pesticide residues from rice followed by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) with a triple quadrupole instrument using electrospray ionization. The analytical method has chromatography-tandem according to SANTE/11813/2017. The limit of quantification was 5 μg/kg. Recoveries for the 155 analyzed pesticides ranged between 77.1% for pirimiphos-ethyl and 111.5% for flutriafol and they were determined at 3 spiking levels. The proposed method was demonstrated to be quick, simple, precise, and accurate and allowed for evaluating the compliance of cereals samples with legislated maximum residue levels of pesticides in the European Union.

Characterization of Fatty Acids in Cereals and Oilseeds from the Republic of Serbia by Gas Chromatography – Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) with Chemometrics

This study investigates the potential of fatty acid profiles of various industrial crops to discriminate them based on their botanical origin. All of the analyzed plants were grown on experimental fields at Rimski Šančevi, Republic of Serbia. Cereal samples (corn, wheat, barley, and oat) were milled into flour and lipid fractions were extracted using n-hexane. Lipid fractions of oilseed samples (rape, flax, safflower, and pumpkin) were obtained by mechanical pressing. The fatty acids present in lipid fractions, were derivatized into corresponding volatile methyl esters (FAMEs) and determined on a gas chromatography/mass spectrometry instrument (GC-MS). Peaks of eluting compounds were simultaneously identified using mass spectra libraries, giving a match quality of over 90%. The peaks of molecular ions of methyl esters of 9 dominant fatty acids were extracted, and their abundances used to create numerical matrices for further data processing. Chemometric multivariate data analysis tools—principal component analysis (PCA), cluster analysis (CA), principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA), were used to extract significant variables, visualize discriminations, and classify between analyzed plant samples. The applied tools demonstrated separations of analyzed cereals in three groups: corn, oat and the samples of small grains—wheat and barley. In the case of oilseeds a clear separation between all four plant species was obtained. This work represents a new concept of the application of fatty acid analysis in developing authentication methods for industrial crops and their staple food products.

Sixty Years After the First Description: Genome Sequence and Biological Characterization of European Wheat Striate Mosaic Virus Infecting Cereal Crops.

High-throughput sequencing technologies were used to identify plant viruses in cereal samples surveyed from 2012 to 2017. Fifteen genome sequences of a tenuivirus infecting wheat, oats, and spelt in Estonia, Norway, and Sweden were identified and characterized by their distances to other tenuivirus sequences. Like most tenuiviruses, the genome of this tenuivirus contains four genomic segments. The isolates found from different countries shared at least 92% nucleotide sequence identity at the genome level. The planthopper Javesella pellucida was identified as a vector of the virus. Laboratory transmission tests using this vector indicated that wheat, oats, barley, rye, and triticale, but none of the tested pasture grass species (Alopecurus pratensis, Dactylis glomerata, Festuca rubra, Lolium multiflorum, Phleum pratense, and Poa pratensis), are susceptible. Taking into account the vector and host range data, the tenuivirus we have found most probably represents European wheat striate mosaic virus first identified about 60 years ago. Interestingly, whereas we were not able to infect any of the tested cereal species mechanically, Nicotiana benthamiana was infected via mechanical inoculation in laboratory conditions, displaying symptoms of yellow spots and vein clearing evolving into necrosis, eventually leading to plant death. Surprisingly, one of the virus genome segments (RNA2) encoding both a putative host systemic movement enhancer protein and a putative vector transmission factor was not detected in N. benthamiana after several passages even though systemic infection was observed, raising fundamental questions about the role of this segment in the systemic spread in several hosts.

Identification of the wild and cultivated hosts of wheat dwarf virus and oat dwarf virus in Iran.

In the last decade two mastreviruses, Wheat dwarf virus (WDV) and Oat dwarf virus (ODV) have been reported from cereal farms in Iran. In a survey, wild and cultivated hosts of these mastreviruses were studied during 2015 to 2017. Symptomatic small grain cereal samples and weed species were collected and assayed for WDV and/or ODV infection by PCR. While WDV which was detected in 139/284 (49%) of total symptomatic samples, low incidence (2%) was recorded for ODV which was detected only in slender wild oat (Avena barbata Pott ex Link) and red brome (Bromus rubens L.). In agroinfection studies, the clone of ODV infected common oat (A. sativa) and slender wild oat (A. barbata) with the low efficiency and did not infect wheat or barley. ODV was transmitted by the leafhopper Psammotettix alienus, from agroinfected common oat to healthy seedlings. The results show that, in contrast to WDV, ODV has a low incidence and a narrow host range in gramineous plants.