title: Ochratoxin A in red paprika: relationship with the origin of the raw material.
abstract: The occurrence of ochratoxin A (OA) in paprika elaborated from peppers grown in several countries (Peru, Brazil, Zimbabwe and Spain) was studied, using an immunoaffinity clean-up column coupled to liquid chromatography and fluorescence detection. The preparation of the methyl ester (OA-Me) and liquid chromatography-electrospray-ion trap-mass spectrometry was used both to confirm the identity of the chromatographic peak that correspond to OA and to quantify it at low levels or in dirty fractions. A total of 115 strains of moulds were isolated; 85 of the fungal strains were obtained from OA contaminated paprika samples and identified as belonging to the Aspergillus Section Circumdati group (A. ochraceus) and Section Nigri group (A. niger, A. carbonarius). Among the latter ones, 31% of the A. ochraceus isolates and one A. niger were OA producers in vitro. None of the mould strains isolated from paprika samples with undetectable levels of OA or concentrations below 1 microg kg(-1) were toxin producers. Great differences in OA content in paprika samples were found, and a relationship with the climatic conditions of the geographic origin of the samples, and with cultural and technical practices in pepper manipulation is suggested.
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Murcia University, 30100 Murcia, Spain. almela@um.es
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Almela
authors.forename: Virginia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rabe
authors.forename: Blas
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sánchez
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Torrella
authors.forename: José P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: López-Pérez
authors.forename: José A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Gabaldón
authors.forename: Lucía
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Guardiola
mesh_terms: D001230:Aspergillus / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism*; D002212:Capsicum / Q000737:chemistry*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods; D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D005513:Food Inspection; D005516:Food Microbiology; D007881:Legislation, Food; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods; D009793:Ochratoxins / Q000032:analysis*; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D009793:Ochratoxins; C025589:ochratoxin A