title: [Natural occurrence of masked deoxynivalenol and multi-mycotoxins in cereals from China harvested in 2007 and 2008].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To elucidate the natural occurrence of masked deoxynivalenol (DON-3-G) and other multi-mycotoxins in cereals from parts of China.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 446 corn and wheat samples harvested in 2007 and 2008 collected from Henan, Hebei, Guangxi, Anhui, Sichuan, Chongqing and Jiangsu provinces were analyzed for DON-3-G and other multi-mycotoxins (including deoxynivalenol (DON), zearalenone (ZEN), nivalenol (NIV), et al) by UPLC-MS/MS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Corn and wheat samples were mainly contaminated by DON and its derivatives as well as ZEN.88% (169/192) of wheat samples were positive for DON (range: 1.5 - 590.7 µg/kg; median: 30.8 µg/kg); 22.9% (44/192) of wheat samples were contaminated with ZEN (range: 1.7 - 3425.0 µg/kg; median: 8.0 µg/kg) and six samples contained ZEN concentration higher than the ZEN tolerance limit of 60 µg/kg. DON was detected in 50.5% (103/204) corn samples (range: 1.6 - 4374.4 µg/kg; median: 94.9 µg/kg); Seven samples contained DON exceeding the tolerance limit of 1000 µg/kg for DON. Additionally, ZEN was found in 41.7% (85/204) corn samples with the concentration between 1.6 µg/kg and 4808.7 µg/kg (median: 48.5 µg/kg) and there were 37 corn samples with ZEN level in the excess of tolerance limit for ZEN (60 µg/kg). DON-3-G was detected in corn and wheat samples for the first time in China with the median level of 21.4 µg/kg and 34.6 µg/kg for wheat and corn, respectively. Wheat was more heavily contaminated with DON-3-G than both 3-acetyl-DON (3-A-DON, median: 4.1 µg/kg) and 15-acetyl-DON (15-A-DON, median: 3.1 µg/kg) (t values were 5.111 and 5.966, respectively, both P values < 0.01). While, the level of 15-A-DON (median: 48.6 µg/kg) in corn was higher than 3-A-DON (median: 6.8 µg/kg) (t = -3.579, P < 0.01). The concentration of DON, DON-3-G, 3-A-DON, 15-A-DON and ZEN in corn were higher than that in wheat (Z values were -3.492, -1.960, -2.467, -8.711 and -6.272, respectively, all P values < 0.05). Wheat (median: 29.0 µg/kg) contained higher NIV in comparison with corn (median: 18.2 µg/kg, Z = -2.086, P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Wheat and corn samples from parts of China were contaminated with multi-mycotoxins and DON was the predominant;in comparison of wheat, corn was more heavily contaminated with DON, DON-3-G, 3-A-DON, 15-A-DON and ZEN.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nutrition and Food Safety, China Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100050, China. lifengqin0224@gmail.com
authors.forename: Feng-qin
authors.initials: FQ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Chuan-chuan
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Hong-xia
authors.initials: HX
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D002681:China; D002523:Edible Grain / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000382:microbiology; D005506:Food Contamination; D005516:Food Microbiology; D005670:Fusarium / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009183:Mycotoxins / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014255:Trichothecenes / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014908:Triticum / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology; D003313:Zea mays / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D009183:Mycotoxins; D014255:Trichothecenes; C007262:deoxynivalenol