title: Occurrence of the C-series fumonisins in maize from the former Transkei region of South Africa.
abstract: Fumonisins are a group of structurally related mycotoxins produced mainly in maize by Fusarium verticillioides and F. proliferatum. The most abundant naturally occurring analogue is fumonisin B(1) (FB(1)), with lesser amounts of fumonisin B(2) (FB(2)) and fumonisin B(3) (FB(3)) occurring. The C-series fumonisins (FCs) are structurally analogous to the B-series but lack the C-1 methyl group. Good and mouldy subsistence-grown maize samples were collected from the Centane and Bizana districts in the former Transkei region of South Africa. After extraction with methanol/water and clean-up on strong anion exchange solid phase extraction cartridges, FB(1), FB(2), FB(3), FC(1), FC(3) and FC(4) were determined by reversed-phase LC-MS/MS using positive ion electrospray ionisation. FB(1) levels in both good and mouldy maize from Centane (means (±SD) 2.75 ± 2.24 and 23.4 ± 12.5 mg kg(-1), respectively) were higher than the corresponding levels in maize samples from Bizana (means 0.056 ± 0.157 and 3.71 ± 5.01 mg kg(-1), respectively). Similarly, FC(1) levels in both good and mouldy maize from Centane (means 0.107 ± 0.099 and 0.814 ± 0.391 mg kg(-1), respectively) were higher than in Bizana, where FC(1) was detected in only one (0.018 mg kg(-1)) of 19 good maize samples and occurred in mouldy maize with a mean of 0.102 ± 0.135 mg kg(-1). A significant correlation (r=0.982, p<0.01) was observed between FB(1) and FC(1) levels in all samples, with FC(1) levels at 3.3% of the corresponding FB(1) levels. FC(4) levels were similar to FC(1), whereas only low amounts of FC(3) were detected.
authors: PROMEC Unit, Medical Research Council, PO Box 19070, Tygerberg 7505, South Africa. gordon.shephard@mrc.ac.za
authors: G S
authors: GS
authors: Shephard
authors: L
authors: L
authors: van der Westhuizen
authors: V
authors: V
authors: Sewram
authors: J
authors: J
authors: van Zyl
authors: J P
authors: JP
authors: Rheeder
mesh_terms: D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis; D037341:Fumonisins / Q000032:analysis*; D013019:South Africa; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry; D003313:Zea mays / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D037341:Fumonisins; C103446:fumonisin C3; C056933:fumonisin B1