Cereal Grain Samples Research Articles

Removal of triazole and pyrethroid pesticides from wheat grain by water treatment and ultrasound-supported processes

A simple way to reduce pesticides in cereal grains is to use washing methods. The challenge of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of reduction of 3 triazole fungicides (difenoconazole, tebuconazole, tetraconazole) and 3 pyrethroid insecticides (beta-cyfluthrin, cypermethrin, deltamethrin) commonly used in wheat protection. Four different pre-washing methods (hot and cold water washing, twice water, and ultrasound-supported washing) were evaluated. The processing factor (PF) was calculated based on the concentration of pesticides determined by LC–MS/MS in the samples of cereal grains before and after the washing process. PFs were within the range 0.01–0.97. Time, teperature and ultrasound were factors influencing the efficiency of water treatment. The study showed that ultrasound-supported washing eliminated pesticide residues to a greater extent than ordinary washing. This process significantly affected or completely reduced concentrations of triazoles in wheat grains. The highest reduction of residues (99%) was received for tebuconazole and ultrasound washing with heating temperature of 60 °C for a total of 10 min. In all washing processes, pyrethroids were removed with lower efficiency than triazoles. The lowest residue reduction was obtained for cypermethrin and washing under cold water for 5 min (3%; PF = 0.97). Beta-Cyfluthrin showed only a 6–27% reduction regardless of the process (PF: 0.73–0.95). Using static analysis, the relationship between the properties of pesticides and the reduction of their concentration in cereals was clarified and showed a strong correlation.

Maintaining soil productivity as the key factor in European prehistoric and Medieval farming

The study presents nitrogen isotope data from prehistoric and Medieval charred cereal grains and grains from modern experiments in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The results are consistent with δ15N values of cereals from other European countries. Various crops were manured differently, perhaps according to specific societal needs. Surprisingly, the highest (but also the lowest) δ15N value is found in barley. In modern experiments, means of fertilisation other than farmyard manure were tested. Based on these findings, and on soil analysis and prehistoric settlement activity observed within an agricultural landscape, we propose an alternative method for maintaining soil productivity by the periodic movement of fields within the settlement areas into places intensively fertilised by abandoned habitation areas, and vice versa.The results of the isotopic analysis of more than 700 archaeobotanical samples of cereal grains from Europe show that the improvement and maintenance of good soil productivity by adding organic material has been practised everywhere, to a greater or lesser extent, since the very beginnings of agricultural history, and confirm the high level of skill in prehistoric and Early Medieval farming practices.

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.

Radiocarbon Dating of the Transition from the Early to the Middle Bronze Age in Northeastern Syria

ABSTRACTThe paper presents radiocarbon (14C) dates of samples collected from the Bronze Age cultural strata (VI–II) excavated within Sector P, Tell Arbid, Khabur Triangle, northern Mesopotamia. These strata contain objects (remains of a caravanserai, pits, graves, pottery kilns, and multi-phase houses) representing the periods of Early Jezirah 4-5, and Old Jezirah I-II. 14C dating of these strata was especially important because of a clearly visible period of abandonment of the area at the onset of 2nd millennium BC, recorded on all Khabur Triangle sites studied so far, and because of the questionable reliability of the chronology derived from scarce historical sources. Of the 29 samples of cereal grains, 9 appeared to contain residual material, while Bayesian-analyzed 14C ages of the remaining 20 allowed us to say that, at the turn of the 3rd millennium BC, Tell Arbid was abandoned later than other sites in the area, and that it was occupied over a distinctly longer period during the early 2nd millennium.

Effects of milling on the extraction efficiency of incurred pesticides in cereals

ABSTRACTThis study investigated the effects of particle size and milling temperature on the extraction efficiencies of pesticide residues from cereal flour. Samples of cereal grains (barley, oat, rye and wheat) were milled using a centrifugal mill with four different sieves (0.2, 1.0, 3.0 and 5.0 mm) or a knife mill both at room temperature and after freezing of the grain at –80°C overnight. The incurred pesticides in the test materials were extracted by the QuEChERS method and analysed by LC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS. The particle size distribution for the milled samples was determined using a vibratory sieve shaker. Based on the pesticide levels recovered from each of the different millings and the corresponding particle size distributions, it was confirmed that smaller average particle sizes increase the extraction efficiency up to 31%, with all other factors equal. The cereals milled at room temperature produced lower pesticide extraction efficiencies compared with cereals milled when still frozen, especially for heat-sensitive pesticides. Furthermore, milling frozen grains was easier and resulted in more homogeneous samples with smaller relative particle sizes.

European survey on sterigmatocystin in cereals, cereals-based products, beer and nuts

Based on the EFSA proposal ‘Survey on sterigmatocystin in food’ (GP/EFSA/CONTAM/2013/02), this study provides a survey on the occurrence of this mycotoxin. A total of 1,259 samples of cereal grains (429), cereal products (713), beer (53) and nuts (64) were analysed for the presence of sterigmatocystin (STC). Samples were mainly collected at processing plants, storage facilities, wholesale and retail between August 2013 and November 2014, in nine European countries, mostly Greece, Italy, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. The products originated from 27 European countries and 18 other countries. All samples were analysed by methods based on liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. The limit of quantification (LOQ) was 0.5 µg/kg and the limit of detection (LOD) was in the range 0.05-0.15 µg/kg (0.005-0.01 µg/l for beer). Overall, STC was identified in 10% of the samples; it was not detected in either beer or nut samples. More than 50% of the contaminated samples contained levels between LOD and LOQ; in the other cases, levels were between 0.5-6 µg/kg with one exception (33 µg/kg in oats). In cereal grains, rice and oats seemed the cereals most prone to STC contamination (100% unprocessed rice, 22% oats grains); however the number of rice samples was limited (n=28) and the samples were collected almost exclusively in Italy and Greece. In cereal products, levels were lower than in cereal grains. The highest incidence was in processed rice (21%) and breakfast cereals (19%), while for the other cereal products this was between 5-7%. In the contaminated cereal products, rice and oats were often present as ingredients.

Pesticide residues in cereal crop grains in Poland in 2013.

This paper presents the results of the audit on pesticide residues in cereal grains throughout Poland in 2013. The number of all samples of cereal grains was 380. Altogether 292 active substances of plant protection products were checked in the audit. Qualitative and quantative analyses were done according to Polish Standard PN-EN 15562:2008, using the LC-MS/MS technique. The methods (QuEChERS) is based on extraction of residues of plant protection products from a sample using acetonitrile. In the samples analyzed, 62 % of them did not contain any pesticide residues, 34 % of samples of cereal grains contained such residues but below the maximum residue limit, 3 % contained residues over the maximum limit, whereas 1 % of the samples contained illegal substances. The lowest amounts of pesticide residues were found in cereal grains coming from fields with cereal mixtures and in Avena grains, while the highest amounts were in Hordeum and Triticum grains. The substances found most often were fungicide residues. In northern and southern regions of Poland (Silesian, Pomeranian, and Kuyavian-Pomeranian voivodeships), cereal grains with pesticide residues were much more common than in other regions of Poland.

Survey on sterigmatocystin in food

A total of 1 259 samples of cereal grains, cereal products, beer and nuts were analysed for the presence of the mycotoxin sterigmatocystin. Samples were mainly collected at processing plants, storage facilities, wholesale and retail between August 2013 and November 2014, in nine European countries (mostly Greece, Italy, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom (UK), additionally in Cyprus, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland). The products originated from 27 European countries and 18 other countries (mostly rice and nuts). The samples comprised cereal grains (221 wheat, 35 rye, 33 maize, 59 barley, 51 oats, 2 spelt, 117 rice), grain milling products (125), pasta (115), bread/rolls (143), breakfast cereals/muesli (97), fine bakery ware (90), cereal-based infant food (54), beer (53), peanuts (28) and hazelnuts (36). All samples were analysed by methods based on liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS).

Characteristic of grain contamination with weeds in some cereal varieties

Grain contamination with weeds in winter wheat, winter rye, spring barley and seeding oats harvested with combines was examined. A different number of seeds and weed species was found to be present in 1 kg of grain of the cereal varieties compared. Certain similarities were noticed in the botanical composition and in the frequency of occurrence of weed seeds in the examined samples of cereal grains.

In vitro starch digestion and predicted glycemic index of cereal grains commonly utilized in pig nutrition

Starch is the largest constituent in diets for pigs and its structure is considered to have a great impact on the rate of starch digestion. Despite several works showing starch is digested at varying rates in vitro, limited information exist on the characterization of single feedstuffs commonly utilized in pig nutrition through a predicted glycemic index (pGI) approach. Our objectives were: (1) to assess the variability of in vitro starch digestibility of cereal grains as a mean of screening samples by involving a pGI approach, (2) to investigate the role of heat processing and amylose level on pGI and (3) to investigate relationships among pGI, chemical variables and Englyst starch fractions. For this purpose, 137 samples of cereal grains [normal and low-amylose and heat processed (NA, LA and HP, respectively)] were evaluated using an in vitro method based on the Englyst-assay for nutritional classification of starch and a non-linear model was used to fit starch digestibility data. Starch digestion potential greatly differed among cereal grains (P<0.05). Consequently, pGI values differed (P<0.05), ranging from 15.9 for sorghum to 106.9 for HP rice. In general, higher pGI scores were recorded for HP and LA cereals than respective NA counterparts (P<0.05). Differences (P<0.05) were measured both in the rate of starch digestion (ranging from 0.017/min for NA maize to 0.182/min for HP rice) and in the starch digestible fractions. In particular, rapidly digestible starch (RDS) ranged from 119g/kg dry matter (DM) for sorghum to 704g/kg DM for HP rice, whereas resistant starch (RS) ranged from 32g/kg DM for HP barley to 275g/kg DM for sorghum. The loading plots of principal component (PC) analysis revealed significant relationships between pGI and variables of interest, showing that both chemical compositions and starch fractions could affect the pGI. In particular, the PC analysis conducted on all samples revealed that pGI was positively related with glucose and RDS (P<0.05) and negatively related to crude lipid, slowly digestible starch and RS (P<0.05) contents. The pGI approach could be a rapid, laboratory-based functional evaluation of starch value of cereal feeds entering in pig diet formulations.

Transfer of137Cs and90Sr from finnish soils to cereal grains

The transfer of 137 Cs and 90 Sr from soil to cereal grains in various regions in Finland was studied in 1994-1997. The samples of cereal grains were collected from private farms and combined to represent different soil types and regions in Finland. Altogether 318 composite regional samples of rye, wheat, oats and barley were analysed for 137 Cs, and 45 for 90 Sr. The aggregated transfer factors from the mean regional 137 Cs deposition (kBq m-2 ) to cereal grains were calculated. The soils were classified in three main types: organic, sand and silt, and clay soils. The mean transfer factors (m2 kg-1 (dw)*10-3 ) of 137 Cs for cereal grains were highest in organic soils ranging from 0.013 to 0.12, lowest in clay soils, ranging from 0.015 to 0.061, and decreased in the order : oats > rye > barley on wheat. The concentrations of 90 Sr were higher in the cereal grains from sand and silt soils than from the clay and organic soils. The regional 137 Cs transfer factors from soil to cereal grains found in this study were compared with data for the nuclear weapons fallout period and for a few post-Chernobyl years.

Classification of Bulk Samples of Cereal Grains using Machine Vision

Digital image analysis algorithms were developed to classify bulk samples of Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS) wheat, Canada Western Amber Durum (CWAD) wheat, barley, oats, and rye using textural and colour features. The textural features of bulk samples were extracted from different colours, i.e ., red R , green G , or blue B , and colour band combinations [black & white {(R+G+B)/3}; (3 R+2 G+1 B)/6; (2 R+1 G+3 B)/6; or (1 R+3 G+2 B)/6] of images to determine the colour or colour band combination that gave the highest classification accuracies in cereal grains. The textural features extracted from the red colour band at maximum gray-level value 32 gave the highest classification accuracies in cereal grains (mean accuracy, the average of the classification accuracies of the above-mentioned cereal grains, was 100% when tested on an independent data set that had 10 500 grain kernels). When the original bulk images were partitioned into sub-images and textural or colour features extracted from the sub-images were used, the classification accuracies of cereal grains decreased compared to when the original bulk images were used. The mean accuracy was 100% when colour features of bulk samples were used for classification of cereal grains in an independent data set.

Radiocarbon Accelerator (AMS) Dates for the Epipaleolithic Settlement At Abu Hureyra, Syria

The prehistoric settlement of Abu Hureyra in Syria was occupied in both the Epipaleolithic and Neolithic periods. It has provided significant evidence for changes in economy at the time of the inception of agriculture in southwest Asia. Twenty accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) dates have been obtained to determine the duration of occupation of the Epipaleolithic settlement there and the precise age of samples of cereal grains and animal bones found within it. The results have demonstrated that the AMS technique can answer such questions because it dates exceedingly small samples with high precision. The dates indicate that the Epipaleolithic settlement was inhabited for about a millennium, from before 11,000 to nearly 10,000 bp, significantly longer than had been anticipated from study of the artifacts.

Occurrence of Aflatoxins and Citrinin in Commercial Corn Flours in Tokyo

A survey of mycotoxin contamination was carried out on a total of 94 samples of cereal grains and products. All samples were collected from commercial sources in Tokyo.Aflatoxin B1, B2 and citrinin were detected together in 11 samples of corn flour in the range of 3.7-37, 2.3-9.9 and 10-98ppb, respectively. In addition, these mycotoxins were detected in 2 samples of corn grains imported from Thailand as raw material for corn flour.This is the first report on the natural occurrence of this mixture of mycotoxins in commercial foods in Japan.It is noteworthy that the samples from Thailand were also contaminated with Aspergillus flavus and Penicillium citrinum.

Nitrogen analysis of whole seeds

AbstractWhole seeds were digested in sulfuric acid with catalyst in conical beakers on a hot plate and the digest was analyzed for nitrogen. The nitrogen analysis of the digest can be performed by distillation‐titration or colorimetrically, using manual or automatic procedures, linear regression analyses of 8 samples of 16 soybeans each gave values that agreed within 2% of those obtained by the standard Kjeldahl procedure. Precision of the method is 1.8 relative standard deviation compared with 1.4 relative standard deviation for the standard method. The whole seed procedure gives results that are independent of seed size and has been applied to samples of both oilseeds and cereal grains.

Modification of the Neutral-Detergent Fiber Procedure for Cereals and Vegetables by Using α-Amylase

Abstract Samples with a high starch content that were incubated at 40°C overnight (12-18 hr) in pH 7 buffer with bacterial α-amylase before determination of their neutral-detergent fiber (NDF) contents were easier to filter and had lower estimates of NDF and hemicellulose than when the conventional procedure was used. At neutral pH, bacterial a-amylase was more effective in this role than 2 common fungal amylase preparations. Pretreatment with pepsin at pH 1.8 also reduced the estimates of NDF content but some samples still proved difficult to filter. Bacterial α-amylase that was added during the initial step of the ccnventional procedure exhibited some activity even after boiling in neutral-detergent reagent for 30 min and promoted rapid filtration of the samples, but led to estimates that were higher than those obtained following overnight incubation at 40°C. The reported modification of incubating samples overnight with α-amylase promotes rapid filtration, and thereby gives more accurate NDF estimates and less analytical variation for samples of cereal grains and vegetables that have a high starch content.