engleski

Seasonal and regional variations of aflatoxin B1 in cereals and oilseeds cultured in Croatia

Cereal grains, highly represented in diet and industrial food and feed, may become contaminated by mycotoxin-producing moulds ; such a contamination may occur either in the field or during storage. The most potent liver carcinogen known in mammals is aflatoxin B1 (AFB1). The aim of this study was to investigate seasonal and regional differences in the level of contamination of cereals used as food and feed components. Maize (n = 574), wheat (n = 354), barley (n = 281), oat (n = 205), soy (n = 194) and sunflower (n = 172) were sampled from different fields and farm factories situated in north-western, eastern and central part of Croatia from 2009 to 2013. The samples were screened for AFB1 using the ELISA immunoassay ; its presence in concentrations over the permissible ones (>MPL) was confirmed using high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC- MS/MS). Statistical analysis was performed using Statistica software, with a statistical significance set at 95% (p=0.05). AFB1 was determined in 29.1% of all investigated samples, among which maize was proven to be the most contaminated, with 29.4% of the samples harbouring AFB1 in concentrations over the permissible ones (mean AFB1 concentration = 26.47 µg/kg). Concentrations of AFB1 higher than allowed were not determined in other cereals and oilseeds in the investigated period. The results revealed the AFB1 occurrence to be significantly (p < 0.05) dependent on the cultivation region, while the highest AFB1 levels generally found in maize during 2013 can be associated with climatic conditions as the most critical factor for mould formation and thus AFB1 production. The toxicity of AFB1 and its seemingly unavoidable occurrence in cereals and oilseeds make the prevention and detoxification the most challenging problem that calls for an effective control, accurate detection and elaborate prevention strategies.

Aflatoxin B1; Cereals; Oilseeds; Seasonal and regional variations; Croatia

nije evidentirano