Molds and mycotoxins in freshly harvested maize

Abstract

Incidence of toxigenic fungi (molds) and concentration of mycotoxin aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), deoxynivalenol (DON), zearalenone (ZON) and fumonisin (FB1) were studied in the maize grains collected immediately after harvesting in 2012. A total of 29 maize samples were analyzed and the highest incidence was determined for fungal species of Rhizopus (56.41%), Aspergillus (43.66%) and Fusarium (14.97%) genera. Significantly lower incidence was obtained for species of genus Penicillium (3.31%), and especially for species of genera Acremonium (1.38%), Alternaria (0.75%) and Cladosporium (0.14%). Among toxigenic fungi Aspergillus flavus (36.69%) was the most common species of Aspergillus genus, whereas the Fusarium verticillioides with 14.69% of incidence was the predominant species of Fusarium genus. In all studied maize samples, the presence of AFB1, ZON and FB1 mycotoxins was established, except for DON which was established in 75.86% samples. AFB1 was detected in average concentration of 13.95 μg kg-1 for 44.83% of samples, and average concentration higher than 40 μg kg-1 for 55.17% of samples. The average concentrations of DON which was detected was 235 μg kg-1, while it was 98.38 μg kg-1 and 3590 μg kg-1 for the presence of ZON and FB1, respectively. Moderate positive correlation was obtained between concentrations of AFB1 and FB1 (r=0.35), while weak positive correlation was established between concentrations ZON and DON (r=0.02).

Učestalost toksigenih gljiva (plesni) i koncentracija mikotoksina aflatoksina B1 (AFB1), deoksinivalenola (DON), zearalenona (ZON) i fumonizina B1 (FB1) je proučavana u uzorcima zrna kukuruza prikupljenim odmah posle berbe u 2012. godini. U ispitivanih 29 uzoraka najveću zastupljenost imaju vrste iz rodova Rhizopus (56,41%), Aspergillus (43,66%) i Fusarium (14,97%). Značajno niža učestalost ustanovljena je za vrste roda Penicillium (3.31%), a posebno za vrste iz rodova Alternaria (0,75%) i Cladosporium (0,14%). Među toksigenim vrstama, A. flavus (36,69%) je bila najučestalija vrsta iz roda Aspergillus, dok je F. verticillioides sa prisustvom od 14,69% bila dominantna vrsta roda Fusarium. U svim ispitivanim uzorcima kukuruza ustanovljeno je prisustvo mikotoksina AFB1, ZON-a i FB1 (100%), osim DON-a koji je bio prisutan u 75,86% uzoraka. AFB1 je detektovan u prosečnoj koncentraciji od 13,95 μg kg-1 u 44,83% uzoraka i u prosečnoj koncentraciji od više od 40 μg kg-1 u 55,17% uzoraka. Prosečna koncentracija DON-a je bila 235 μg kg-1, ZON-a 98,38 μg kg-1 i FB1 3590 μg kg-1. Srednja pozitivna korelacija ustanovljena je između koncentracija AFB1 i FB1 (r=0,35), dok je slaba pozitivna korelacija utvrđena između koncentracija ZON-a i DON-a (r=0,02).