Quantification of deoxynivalenol and -fumonisins in cereals and derived products by high-performance liquid chromatography

Abstract

Mycotoxins are toxic, hazardous chemicals that affect human and animal health. The most common problem that importers are facing when importing cereals from main supplying countries is contamination with mycotoxins. The aim of the present study was to assess the presence of deoxynivalenol (DON) and fumonisins (FUM) in cereals and derived products. A total of 225 samples (60 wheat, 60 maize, 40 rice, 40 pasta and 25 maize chip) collected from Turkey were analysed by high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method. The method performance was satisfactory and allowed to quantify target analytes accurately. DON was determined in 6.7% of wheat samples with a range of 158-653 mu g/kg. Only two rice and two pasta samples contain trace amounts of DON, while no DON was detected in maize and maize chip products. Eleven maize samples (18.3%) contained fumonisin B-1 (FB1), but levels (125-830 mu g/kg) were below the European Union maximum level of 4000 mu g/kg. FB1 was not detected in any wheat and rice sample, but it was detected in just one pasta and one maize chip sample. It is recommended to further monitoring both of free and modified Fusarium toxins in cereals and derived products throughout Turkey.