DON Contamination Research Articles

A core–shell AuNRs@BUT-16 nanocomposite for enhancement SERS detection and efficient removal of deoxynivalenol

IntroductionDeoxynivalenol (DON) is widely found in grains and poses a serious threat to human health, so there is an urgent need to develop methods for its simultaneous removal and detection. The novel metal organic framework (MOF) material BUT-16 has a high adsorption capacity (79.8%) for DON. Meanwhile, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has been widely used for rapid detection of analytes. ObjectivesThe aim of this work is to prepare a material that can be used for enhancement SERS detection and efficient removal of DON. MethodsAuNRs@BUT-16 was prepared by in-situ solvothermal method and characterized using a series of characterization tools. AuNRs@BUT-16 was used as an adsorbent and SERS substrate for the removal and detection of DON, and some factors affecting the adsorption and SERS detection were investigated. The adsorption mechanism between DON and AuNRs@BUT-16 was investigated using molecular docking. The proposed SERS method was used to detect DON contamination in real samples. ResultsThe prepared core–shell AuNRs@BUT-16 showed a synergistic effect in improving DON adsorption and SERS response. 97.6 % of DON was removed by AuNRs@BUT-16 in aqueous solution, and 70 % in 80 % methanol. The pre-enrichment effect of BUT-16 could trap more DON molecules in the “hot spots” of AuNRs, thus the proposed SERS sensor based on AuNRs@BUT-16 substrate displayed outstanding SERS response and the limit of detection of DON was 3.87 × 10−3 μg/mL. Molecular docking revealed that hydrogen bond and π-alkyl interaction were the main reasons for high affinity between BUT-16 and DON, and Au-O bonds facilitated the adsorption of DON on AuNRs. ConclusionsAuNRs@BUT-16 with superior enrichment and SERS detection capabilities has been used for simultaneous removal and SERS detection of DON, and it also has great potential to realize sensitive and selective detection and removal of DON in multiple disciplines.

The Role of Preharvest Natural Infection and Toxin Contamination in Food and Feed Safety in Maize, South-East Hungary, 2014-2021.

Mycotoxins originating in the preharvest period represent a less studied research problem, even though they are of the utmost practical significance in maize production, determining marketability (within EU limits), and storage ability, competitiveness, and profit rate. In this study, 18–23 commercial hybrids were tested between 2014 and 2021. Natural infection from Fusarium spp. was higher than 1.5%, and for Aspergillus spp. this was normally 0.01% or 0, much lower than would be considered as severe infection. In spite of this, many hybrids provided far higher toxin contamination than regulations allow. The maximum preharvest aflatoxin B1 was in 2020 (at 2286 μg/kg), and, in several cases, the value was higher than 1000 μg/kg. The hybrid differences were large. In Hungary, the presence of field-originated aflatoxin B1 was continuous, with three AFB1 epidemics in the 8 years. The highest DON contamination was in 2014 (at 27 mg/kg), and a detectable DON level was found in every hybrid. FUMB1+B2 were the highest in 2014 (at 45.78 mg/kg). At these low infection levels, correlations between visual symptoms and toxin contaminations were mostly non-significant, so it is not feasible to draw a conclusion about toxin contamination from ear rot coverage alone. The toxin contamination of hybrids for a percentage of visual infection is highly variable, and only toxin data can decide about food safety. Hybrids with no visual symptoms and high AFB1 contamination were also identified. Preharvest control, including breeding and variety registration, is therefore of the utmost importance to all three pathogens. Even natural ear rot and toxin data do not prove differences in resistance, so a high ear rot or toxin contamination level should be considered as a risk factor for hybrids. The toxin control of freshly harvested grain is vital for separating healthy and contaminated lots. In addition, proper growing and storage conditions must be ensured to protect the feed safety of the grain.

Predictive models for assessing the risk of Fusarium pseudograminearum mycotoxin contamination in post-harvest wheat with multi-parameter integrated sensors.

Reliable prediction of the risk of mycotoxin contamination in post-harvest wheat will aid in improvement of the quality and safety. To establish the relationship between Fusarium pseudograminearum mycotoxins and CO2 production, changes in their respective concentrations were monitored for the artificial contamination of wheat under different values of water activities (0.84 aw, 0.92 aw, and 0.97 aw) and temperatures (20 ℃, 25 ℃, and 30 ℃). Water activity played a significant role in all these processes. CO2 concentration together with moisture content and temperature were used as the main parameters to establish DON and ZEN contamination prediction models. The prediction accuracy for DON was 98.15% (R2=0.990) and 90.74% for ZEN (R2=0.982). These models were combined with T/RH/MC/CO2 multi-parameter integrated sensors to form an early warning system, which offers a great prospect to minimise the risk of DON/ZEN contamination in post-harvest wheat.

Influence of Agronomic Factors on Mycotoxin Contamination in Maize and Changes during a 10-Day Harvest-Till-Drying Simulation Period: A Different Perspective.

Agronomic factors can affect mycotoxin contamination of maize, one of the most produced cereals. Maize is usually harvested at 18% moisture, but it is not microbiologically stable until it reaches 14% moisture at the drying plants. We studied how three agronomic factors (crop diversification, tillage system and nitrogen fertilization rate) can affect fungal and mycotoxin contamination (deoxynivalenol and fumonisins B1 and B2) in maize at harvest. In addition, changes in maize during a simulated harvest-till-drying period were studied. DON content at harvest was higher for maize under intensive tillage than using direct drilling (2695 and 474 μg kg−1, respectively). We found two reasons for this: (i) soil crusting in intensive tillage plots caused the formation of pools of water that created high air humidity conditions, favouring the development of DON-producing moulds; (ii) the population of Lumbricus terrestris, an earthworm that would indirectly minimize fungal infection and mycotoxin production on maize kernels, is reduced in intensive tillage plots. Therefore, direct drilling is a better approach than intensive tillage for both preventing DON contamination and preserving soil quality. Concerning the simulated harvest-till-drying period, DON significantly increased between storage days 0 and 5. Water activity dropped on the 4th day, below the threshold for DON production (around 0.91). From our perspective, this study constitutes a step forward towards understanding the relationships between agronomic factors and mycotoxin contamination in maize, and towards improving food safety.

The effects of deoxynivalenol-contaminated corn in low-complexity diets supplemented with either an immune-modulating feed additive, or fish oil on nursery pig growth performance, immune response, small intestinal morphology, and component digestibility.

Three hundred twenty newly weaned pigs (21 days of age; 6.7 ± 0.3 kg BW) were used to determine the effects of supplementing low-complexity (LC) deoxynivalenol- (DON) contaminated nursery diets with a feed additive or fish oil on growth performance and immune response to an Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge. Pens were randomly assigned to 1 of 5 dietary treatments (n = 8 pens per treatment): positive control (PC; contained multiple animal protein sources), or 1 of 4 LC diets (contained only plant-based protein sources) without (NC; negative control) or with ~ 3.5 ppm DON contamination, without (DON‐) or with a feed additive containing a blend of immune-modulating components (DON+; 2 mg/kg, as-fed) or fish oil (DONω3; 2.5%, as-fed). Dietary treatments were fed during phases I and II (7 and 15 days, respectively) and a common phase III diet was fed for 20 days. On day 22, two pigs per pen were injected IM with 30 μg/kg BW LPS and 1 pig per pen with 1 mL saline. Rectal temperatures were recorded at 0, 1, 2, 3 h after injection. At 3 h, blood was collected for plasma cytokine analysis and small intestinal histomorphology was assessed. In phase I, pigs fed PC and NC did not differ for ADG, ADFI and G:F, but these outcomes were greater than for pigs fed DON+ and DONω (P < 0.05). In phase II, pigs fed NC had greater ADG and PC had greater ADFI but lower G:F than pigs fed DON‐ and DONω3 (P < 0.05). At the end of phase II, pigs fed DONω3 tended to have lower BW than PC and NC (P = 0.084 and 0.079, respectively). In phase III and overall, there were no differences among dietary treatments for ADG, ADFI, G:F, or final BW. The LPS injection increased rectal temperature and reduced jejunal and ileal villus height (versus saline; P < 0.05). Plasma interferon-γ concentration was only increased by LPS for pigs fed PC, NC, and DON+ compared to the saline-injected counterparts (P < 0.05). Regardless of LPS injection, jejunal villus height was greater for pigs fed DON+ than DONω3 (P < 0.05) and ileal villus height was greater for pigs fed DON+ and PC than DONω3 (P < 0.05). Therefore, nursery diet complexity did not affect growth performance or immune response to LPS. Regardless of DON contamination and feed additive inclusion in phases I and II, pigs were able to achieve nursery exit BW not different from those fed PC. The feed additive offered marginal benefits for small intestinal villus height and immune response for pigs fed DON-contaminated LC nursery diets.

The effect of deoxynivalenol-contaminated corn and an immune-modulating feed additive on growth performance and immune response of nursery pigs fed corn- and soybean meal-based diets.

One hundred eighty newly weaned pigs (21 days of age; 6.9 ± 0.2 kg BW) were used to determine the effects of deoxynivalenol- (DON) contaminated corn and an immune-modulating feed additive on growth performance and immune response of nursery pigs fed corn- and soybean meal-based diets. Pens were randomly assigned to one of five diets: a high-complexity (HC; containing animal protein sources) or one of four low-complexity diets (LC; containing soybean meal as the main protein source) arranged in a 2 × 2 factorial with low (lDON; average 1.4 ppm) or high (hDON; average 3.5 ppm) DON and with or without a feed additive (2 g/kg in complete feed; n = 6 pens per treatment) provided in a three-phase feeding program. On day 7, small intestinal histomorphology was assessed in two pigs per pen. On days 8 and 25, two pigs per pen were immunized with ovalbumin (OVA). Blood was collected on days 8, 25, and 38 for determination of OVA-specific IgG. There were no corn type by feed additive interactions or feed additive effects for growth performance. The ADG, ADFI, and G:F in phase I were not different for pigs fed hDON vs. lDON, but were less than those fed the HC diet (contrasts; P < 0.05). Over the entire nursery period, ADG and ADFI were less for pigs fed hDON vs. those fed lDON (407 vs. 484 g and 651 vs. 769 g, respectively; P < 0.05), ADG was less for pigs fed hDON vs. HC (496 g; P < 0.05), and pigs fed lDON had ADG and ADFI not different from those fed the HC diet. Pigs fed hDON had lower final BW than those fed lDON (24.6 vs. 27.6 kg; P < 0.01) and tended to have lower final BW than pigs fed the HC diet (27.3 kg; contrast; P = 0.052); final BW was not different between pigs fed lDON and HC diets. Jejunal villus heights were shorter for pigs fed hDON and lDON compared to pigs fed HC (438 and 466 vs. 538 µm; contrasts; P < 0.05 and P = 0.090, respectively) and the villus:crypt ratio tended to be less for pigs fed hDON vs. those fed HC (1.87 vs. 2.22; contrast; P = 0.091). On day 38, plasma OVA-specific IgG 1 tended to be less for pigs fed hDON compared to HC (contrast; P = 0.075) and OVA-specific total IgG were less for pigs fed LC diets without the feed additive vs. HC (P < 0.05). Therefore, high DON (~3.5 ppm) in LC nursery diets interfered with compensatory growth and the humoral immune response. The feed additive did not rescue growth performance, regardless of DON contamination level in LC nursery diets.

Efficacy of Fungicides against Fusarium Head Blight Depends on the Timing Relative to Infection Rather than on Wheat Growth Stage

Fungicides used to control Fusarium head blight (FHB) are commonly applied at the wheat growth stage considered to be most susceptible, i.e., anthesis. We compared the efficacy of the most commonly used fungicide groups that were applied following two strategies: (i) at pre-defined growth stages, from the first half of heading to the end of flowering (experiment 1, in 2013 to 2015), or (ii) based on timing of infection by F. graminearum, specifically at 10, 7, 4, or 1 day before, or 3 or 5 days after artificial inoculation of the fungus (experiment 2, in 2017 and 2018). Fungicide efficacy was evaluated in terms of FHB incidence, FHB severity, and DON contamination by using generalised mixed models. In experiment 1, all fungicide groups reduced FHB severity and DON but only by &lt;50% compared to an untreated control, with no differences among fungicides or growth stages at time of application. In experiment 2, the efficacy of fungicides was higher for applications at 1 or 4 days before inoculation than at 7 or 10 days before or 3 or 5 days after inoculation, with differences among fungicide groups. Based on our results, the timing of fungicide application for FHB control should be based on the time of F. graminearum infection rather than on wheat phenology.

34 Effect of Feeding Vitamin D Supplementation on Calcium and Phosphorus Metabolism When Piglets Are Fed a DON Contaminated Diet

Abstract DON has been shown to induce anorexia, oxidative stress, and more recently, alterations in calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) metabolism. It was thus hypothesized that vitamin D3 or 25-OH-D3 can counteract the effects of DON in piglets. The objectives were to confirm the DON effect and to evaluate the impact of a vitamin D supplementation on growth performance and Ca and P metabolism on piglets receiving a DON contaminated feed. A total of 66 piglets received one of the 6 treatments in 2 x 3 factorial design: control treatments (CON) or DON unsupplemented or supplemented with VitD3 or 25-OH-D3. After 21 days, piglets were weighted and feed intake was measured. Bone mineral content of each piglet was measured with dual-intensity X-ray absorptiometry at 21 days. Blood samples were taken to assess concentrations for VitD, P and Ca. Results showed that, DON reduced average daily feed intake and average daily gain (P &amp;lt; 0.001). DON increased BMC per kg live body weight (P &amp;lt; 0.001). Piglets fed DON diet had lower plasma concentrations of 25-OH-D3, 1,25-(OH)2-D3 and phosphate (P &amp;lt; 0.001). The sodium-dependent phosphate transporter 1 (SLC20A2; P &amp;lt; 0.050), sodium/calcium exchanger 1 (SLC8A1; P &amp;lt; 0.032) and Klotho (P &amp;lt; 0.014) gene expression was downregulated by DON contamination in intestinal mucosae. The calbindin d28K (CALB-1) (P &amp;lt; 0.042), SLC8A1 (P &amp;lt; 0.026), TRPV5 (P &amp;lt; 0.041), calbindin d9K (S100G) (P &amp;lt; 0.029) and Klotho (P &amp;lt; 0.013) gene expression was downregulated by DON contamination in the kidney. The 1α-hydroxylase gene expression tended to be downregulated by DON contamination in the kidney as well. The VitD3 and 25-OH-D3 supplementation upregulated vitamin D receptor (VDR, DON x VitD, P &amp;lt; 0.014), SLC8A1 (DON x VitD, P &amp;lt; 0.036) and Klotho (DON x VitD, P &amp;lt; 0.025) in intestinal mucosae, although those gene expressions were downregulated by DON contamination. Thus, DON induced an alteration of vitamin D-calcium-phosphorus metabolism by modifying Ca utilization from mechanisms still under investigation.

Use of carrageenan for the reduction of deoxynivalenol contamination in wheat and barley kernels

Wheat and barley are among the more important staple foods for human and animal nutrition in the World. Nevertheless, these crops constantly suffer from the Fusarium Heat Blight disease, responsible for decrease in yields and the bioaccumulation of the trichothecene deoxynivalenol in kernels. Searching for alternatives to overcome these problems, a set of 14 trials involving wheat and barley cultivars over two consecutive harvest seasons (2018-2019) were carried out in the States of Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The tests consisted in the use of a carrageenan-rich product (Algomel Push®) produced from the red-algae Solieria chordalis in the rates of 1.0 and 2.0 L ha-1 sprayed at the beginning of the tillering stage. Overall, the use of carrageenan decreased DON contamination up to 34.64% and 35.74% when 1.0 and 2.0 L ha-1 of carrageenan was applied in wheat and barley, respectively. An increase in yield and kernels with better bromatological aspects were also seen after the use of carrageenan. Our findings suggest that the bioactive compounds found in the product, mostly carrageenan, have the ability of eliciting the plant’s mechanisms of defence and growth, and can be considered a potential option/tool for farmers and industries to cope with the problem of food quality in their mycotoxicological and bromatological aspects.&#x0D; Key-words: DON; elicitation; FHB; Fusarium graminearum; Solieria chordalis

Maternal Supplementation of Food Ingredient (Prebiotic) or Food Contaminant (Mycotoxin) Influences Mucosal Immune System in Piglets.

The early life period is crucial for the maturation of the intestinal barrier, its immune system, and a life-long beneficial host–microbiota interaction. The study aims to assess the impact of a beneficial dietary (short-chain fructooligosaccharides, scFOS) supplementation vs. a detrimental dietary environment (such as mycotoxin deoxynivalenol, DON) on offspring intestinal immune system developmental profiles. Sows were given scFOS-supplemented or DON-contaminated diets during the last 4 weeks of gestation, whereas force-feeding piglets with DON was performed during the first week of offspring life. Intestinal antigen-presenting cell (APC) subset frequency was analyzed by flow cytometry in the Peyer’s patches and in lamina propria and the responsiveness of intestinal explants to toll-like receptor (TLR) ligands was performed using ELISA and qRT-PCR from post-natal day (PND) 10 until PND90. Perinatal exposure with scFOS did not affect the ontogenesis of APC. While it early induced inflammatory responses in piglets, scFOS further promoted the T regulatory response after TLR activation. Sow and piglet DON contamination decreased CD16+ MHCII+ APC at PND10 in lamina propria associated with IFNγ inflammation and impairment of Treg response. Our study demonstrated that maternal prebiotic supplementation and mycotoxin contamination can modulate the mucosal immune system responsiveness of offspring through different pathways.

Effect of debranning process on deoxynivalenol content in whole‐wheat flours

AbstractBackground and objectivesPost‐harvest mitigation strategies are essential to reduce mycotoxin contamination in wheat‐based foods. The study aimed to evaluate the effect of the debranning process on the deoxynivalenol content in whole‐wheat flour naturally contaminated by Fusarium spp. Thirty commercial wheat samples were used and were obtained in Southern Brazil Region in 2015 crop season.FindingsThe highest DON contamination level was found in the no‐debranned samples and the outermost fraction (extraction rate &gt;95%), which corresponds to the debranning time of 15 s. When all debranning times were included in the analysis, only the samples from Paraná State had the DON content significantly reduced after the debranning.ConclusionsThe debranning process reduced the DON content in whole‐wheat flour with lower to moderate levels of contamination, corresponding to DON content of 1.032 and 1.174 µg/kg, obtained in Paraná and Rio Grande do Sul States, respectively.Significance and noveltyThese results are important for wheat supply chain to meet the legislation requirements and to produce safer foods.

Toxic Effects and Possible Mechanisms of Deoxynivalenol Exposure on Sperm and Testicular Damage in BALB/c Mice.

Deoxynivalenol (DON, vomitoxin) is the most common mycotoxin in cereals and grains. DON contamination can cause a serious health threat to humans and farm animals. DON has been reported to exert significant toxicity effects on the male reproductive system. However, the causes and mechanisms underlying efforts of DON on sperm and testicular damage remain largely unclear. In the present study, we thoroughly investigated this issue. Eighty male BALB/c mice were randomly divided into a control group ( n = 40) and DON treatment group (2.4 mg/kg of body weight, n = 40). The ratio of testes and seminal vesicle to body, sperm survival and motility, and morphology of sperm and testis were observed in DON-treated and control mice. In addition, the concentrations of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA), the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione (GSH), and also the expression levels of JNK/c-Jun signaling and apoptotic factors such as caspase-3, caspase-8, caspase-9, Bim, and Bid were analyzed and compared between the two groups. The results demonstrated that a single topical application of DON significantly increased the percentage of abnormal sperm and decreased the motility of sperm, indicating the sperms are damaged by DON. Additionally, the reduced relative body weight of testis and severe destruction of testicular morphology were observed. Moreover, the increased levels of ROS and MDA levels and decreased activities of SOD and GSH were found in testicular tissues, suggesting that oxidative stress is induced by DON treatment. Furthermore, DON upregulated the expression of stress-induced JNK/c-Jun signaling pathway proteins as well as JNK/c-Jun phosphorylation proteins. In addition, DON could enhance testicular apoptosis by increasing expression levels of apoptotic genes including Bim, cytochrome c, caspase 3, caspase 8, and caspase 9. These results suggest that DON exposure can cause sperm damage, oxidative stress, testicular apoptosis, and phosphorylation of JNK/c-Jun signaling pathway. The underlying mechanisms may be that DON induces sperm damage by exacerbating oxidative stress-mediated testicular apoptosis via JNK/c-Jun signaling pathway.

Post-Harvest Contamination with Mycotoxins in the Context of the Geographic and Agroclimatic Conditions in Romania.

This study aimed to assess post-harvest contamination with mycotoxins in the context of the geographic and agroclimatic conditions in Romania in 2012–2015, a period that was characterized by extreme meteorological events and the effects of climate change. The samples were randomly sampled from five agricultural regions of Romania and analyzed for mycotoxins by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. An SPSS analysis was done to explore correlations between mycotoxins (deoxynivalenol—DON, aflatoxins—AF, ochratoxin A—OTA, zearalenone—ZEA), product types (raw cereal, processed cereal, cereal-based food), geographic coordinates (latitude, longitude, agricultural region), and agroclimatic factors (air temperature, precipitation, soil moisture reserve, aridity index, soil type). In the southeast part of the Southern Plain and Dobrogea (Baragan Plain, located at 44–45° N, 26–27° E), contamination with AF and OTA was higher in raw and processed cereals (maize in silo, silo corn germs) in the dry years (2012 and 2013), and contamination with DON was high in processed cereals (wheat flour type 450) in the rainy year (2014). DON and OTA contamination were significantly correlated with cumulative precipitation in all years, while AF and ZEA contamination were non-significantly correlated with climatic factors and aridity indices. The distribution of mycotoxins by product type and the non-robust correlations between post-harvest mycotoxins and agrometeorological factors could be explained by the use of quality management systems that control cereal at warehouse receptions, performant processing technologies, and the quality of storage spaces of agri-food companies. The Baragan Plain is Romania’s most sensitive area to the predicted climate change in southeast Europe, which may be associated with its increased cereal contamination with AF and OTA.

Modelling climate change impacts on mycotoxin contamination

Projected climate change effects will influence primary agricultural systems and thus food security, directly via impacts on yields, and indirectly via impacts on its safety, with mycotoxins considered as crucial hazards. Mycotoxins are produced by a wide variety of fungal species, each having their own characteristics and requirements. The geographic distribution of toxigenic fungi reflects their ecological needs, with thermophilic fungi prevalent at lower latitudes and psychrophiles at the higher latitudes. A resulting gradient of mycotoxin contamination has been repeatedly stressed. Changes in climatic conditions will lead to shifts in the fungal population and the mycotoxin patterns. In general, climate change is expected to increase mycotoxin contamination of crops, but due to the complexity of mycoflora associated to each crop and its interaction with the environment, it appears rash to draw conclusions without specific studies. Very recently first quantitative estimations of impacts of climate change on mycotoxin occurrence have been made. Two studies each applied models of different disciplines including climate projection, crop phenology and fungal/mycotoxin prediction to cereals cultivated in Europe. They were followed by a case study on climate change effects onAlternaria moulds and their mycotoxins in tomato. Results showed that DON contamination of wheat grown in Europe was, in general, expected to increase. However, variation was large, and in some years and some regions a decrease in DON contamination was expected. Regarding aflatoxin contamination of maize grown in Europe, an increase was estimated, mainly in the +2 °C scenario. Two main research gaps were identified related to the (limited) number of existing quantitative models taking into account climate change and their validation in limited areas. Efforts are therefore mandatory to be prepared for future changes and challenges on model validation and limited mycotoxin-crop combinations.

Coleman hard red spring wheat

Spaner, D., Navabi, A., Strenzke, K., Iqbal, M. and Beres, B. 2015. Coleman hard red spring wheat. Can. J. Plant Sci. 95: 1037–1041. ‘Coleman’ hard red spring wheat is an awned, hollow-stemmed cultivar of high yield potential adapted to the wheat growing regions of western Canada. Averaged over 30 site-years, during 3 yr of testing in the Parkland Wheat Cooperative Registration Test (2010–2012), Coleman was higher yielding than Katepwa (8.5%) (P≤0.05), AC Splendor (5.8%) (P≤0.05), CDC Teal (2.1%) and CDC Osler (2%), exhibited maturity, height and lodging resistance similar to, or in the range of the checks, had higher test weights than the checks and showed good resistance to leaf, stem and stripe rust. Coleman exhibited Fusarium head blight resistance greater than and DON contamination levels lower than the check cultivars. Coleman exhibited susceptible reactions to common bunt and loose smut. End-use quality attributes of Coleman meet the specifications of the Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS) wheat market class.

Effect of cleaning, sorting and milling processes in wheat mycotoxin content

Mycotoxins are a ubiquitous contaminant and are difficult to prevent or to diminish; it is, therefore, important to establish the contributions of processing steps to eliminating mycotoxins in the production of safer foods. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of wheat cleaning, sorting, and milling processes on Fusarium mycotoxin distribution in two naturally contaminated wheat cultivars. The study focused on evaluating the effects of first-stage processing methods, cleaning, and gravity separator, on wheat mycotoxin content. The distribution of Fusarium mycotoxins was analyzed after two milling processes. Firstly, a Laboratory Mill 3100 was used to obtain the whole milled wheat. Secondly, a pilot-scale mill Quadrumat Senior was used to get wheat milled fractions (finished flour and bran). Wheat samples (BRS Parrudo and BRS 374) were collected during the 2014 season that were highly vulnerable to Fusarium outbreaks in Southern Brazil. Fusarium toxin (DON, 3-ADON, 15-ADON, NIV, and ZON) levels were determined for all milled fractions via chromatography (UHPLC-MS/MS). The cleaning and sorting methods employed post-harvest significantly reduced the mycotoxin content in wheat. The reduction of mycotoxin was progressive through each processing method, and the gravity separator equipment resulted in the lowest contamination levels in products intended for human consumption for both cultivars. Through the milling process, the DON contamination in finished flour was significantly lower than in milled wheat; however, there were no significant differences in contamination between the milled wheat and bran. The cleaning and sorting methods for both wheat cultivars generated safer foods when compared with unsorted wheat samples (BRS Parrudo and BRS 374).

Coleman hard red spring wheat

Spaner, D., Navabi, A., Strenzke, K., Iqbal, M. and Beres, B. 2015. Coleman hard red spring wheat. Can. J. Plant Sci. 95: 1037-1041. ‘Coleman’ hard red spring wheat is an awned, hollow-stemmed cultivar of high yield potential adapted to the wheat growing regions of western Canada. Averaged over 30 site-years, during 3 yr of testing in the Parkland Wheat Cooperative Registration Test (2010-2012), Coleman was higher yielding than Katepwa (8.5%) (P≤0.05), AC Splendor (5.8%) (P≤0.05), CDC Teal (2.1%) and CDC Osler (2%), exhibited maturity, height and lodging resistance similar to, or in the range of the checks, had higher test weights than the checks and showed good resistance to leaf, stem and stripe rust. Coleman exhibited Fusarium head blight resistance greater than and DON contamination levels lower than the check cultivars. Coleman exhibited susceptible reactions to common bunt and loose smut. End-use quality attributes of Coleman meet the specifications of the Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS) wheat mark...

Fusarium species, chemotype characterisation and trichothecene contamination of durum and soft wheat in an area of central Italy.

Fusarium head blight (FHB) of wheat is an important disease causing yield losses and mycotoxin contamination. The aim of the work was to detect and characterise trichothecene producing Fusarium species in durum and soft wheat cultivated in an area of central Italy in 2009 and 2010 and to determine trichothecene contamination by LC-MS/MS in the grain. F. graminearum s. str. was the most frequent species. In 2009, the occurrence of F. avenaceum and F. poae was higher than in 2010. Among F. graminearum strains, the 15-acetyl deoxynivalenol (15-ADON) chemotype could be found more frequently, followed by nivalenol (NIV) and 3-ADON chemotypes, while all F. culmorum isolates belonged to the 3-ADON chemotype. All F. poae strains were NIV chemotypes. In vitro trichothecene production confirmed molecular characterisation. Durum wheat was characterised by a higher average DON contamination with respect to soft wheat, NIV was always detected at appreciable levels while type-A trichothecenes were mostly found in durum wheat samples in 2009 with 6% of samples exceeding the contamination level recently recommended by the European Union. Climatic conditions were confirmed to be predominant factors influencing mycotoxigenic species composition and mycotoxin contaminations. However, NIV contamination was found to occur irrespective of climatic conditions, suggesting that it may often represent an under-estimated risk to be further investigated.

A Review on Mycotoxins in Food and Feed: Malaysia Case Study.

Fungi are distributed worldwide and can be found in various foods and feedstuffs from almost every part of the world. Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by some fungal species and may impose food safety risks to human health. Among all mycotoxins, aflatoxins (AFs), ochratoxin A (OTA), trichothecenes, deoxynivalenol (DON and T-2 toxin), zearalenone (ZEN), and fumonisins (FMN) have received much attention due to high frequency and severe health effects in humans and animals. Malaysia has heavy rainfall throughout the year, high temperatures (28 to 31 °C), and high relative humidity (70% to 80% during wet seasons). Stored crops under such conditions can easily be contaminated by mycotoxin-producing fungi. The most important mycotoxins in Malaysian foods are AFs, OTA, DON, ZEN, and FMN that can be found in peanuts, cereal grains, cocoa beans, and spices. AFs have been reported to occur in several cereal grains, feeds, nuts, and nut products consumed in Malaysia. Spices, oilseeds, milk, eggs, and herbal medicines have been reported to be contaminated with AFs (lower than the Malaysian acceptable level of 35 ng/g for total AFs). OTA, a possible human carcinogen, was reported in cereal grains, nuts, and spices in Malaysian market. ZEN was detected in Malaysian rice, oat, barley, maize meal, and wheat at different levels. DON contamination, although at low levels, was reported in rice, maize, barley, oat, wheat, and wheat-based products in Malaysia. FMN was reported in feed and some cereal grains consumed in Malaysia. Since some food commodities are more susceptible than others to fungal growth and mycotoxin contamination, more stringent prevention and control methods are required.

Impact of Climate Change Effects on Contamination of Cereal Grains with Deoxynivalenol

Climate change is expected to aggravate feed and food safety problems of crops; however, quantitative estimates are scarce. This study aimed to estimate impacts of climate change effects on deoxynivalenol contamination of wheat and maize grown in the Netherlands by 2040. Quantitative modelling was applied, considering both direct effects of changing climate on toxin contamination and indirect effects via shifts in crop phenology. Climate change projections for the IPCC A1B emission scenario were used for the scenario period 2031-2050 relative to the baseline period of 1975-1994. Climatic data from two different global and regional climate model combinations were used. A weather generator was applied for downscaling climate data to local conditions. Crop phenology models and prediction models for DON contamination used, each for winter wheat and grain maize. Results showed that flowering and full maturity of both wheat and maize will advance with future climate. Flowering advanced on average 5 and 11 days for wheat, and 7 and 14 days for maize (two climate model combinations). Full maturity was on average 10 and 17 days earlier for wheat, and 19 and 36 days earlier for maize. On the country level, contamination of wheat with deoxynivalenol decreased slightly, but not significantly. Variability between regions was large, and individual regions showed a significant increase in deoxynivalenol concentrations. For maize, an overall decrease in deoxynivalenol contamination was projected, which was significant for one climate model combination, but not significant for the other one. In general, results disagree with previous reported expectations of increased feed and food safety hazards under climate change. This study illustrated the relevance of using quantitative models to estimate the impacts of climate change effects on food safety, and of considering both direct and indirect effects when assessing climate change impacts on crops and related food safety hazards.