title: Occurrence and distribution of 13 trichothecene toxins in naturally contaminated maize plants in Germany.
abstract: The objective of the present study was to monitor the occurrence and distribution of a spectrum of trichothecene toxins in different parts of maize plants. Therefore maize plants were sampled randomly from 13 fields in southwest Germany and the fractions kernels, cobs, husks, stalks, leaves and rudimentary ears were analyzed for eight A-type and five B-type trichothecenes. Each of the toxins was found in at least three of the total of 78 samples. The study revealed that both A-type and B-type trichothecenes may be present in all parts of the maize plant but may be unevenly distributed. For the contents of deoxynivalenol, 3- and 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol, nivalenol, scirpentriol, 15-monoacetoxyscirpenol, HT-2 and T-2 toxin significant differences (p < 0.05) were found between different parts of the maize plants whereas no significant differences were observed for fusarenon-X, 4,15-diacetoxyscirpenol, neosolaniol, T-2 triol and T-2 tetraol. Up to twelve toxins co-occurring in one sample were detected. As a group B-type trichothecenes dominated over A-type trichothecenes concerning incidences and levels. Contamination was strongest with rudimentary ears based on incidence and mean and maximum contents; mean contents with few exceptions tended towards a higher level than in other fractions with significant (p < 0.05) differences compared to leaves for seven toxins.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Animal Nutrition, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany. m.schollenberger@uni-hohenheim.de
authors.forename: Margit
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schollenberger
authors.forename: Hans-Martin
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Katrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ernst
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sondermann
authors.forename: Melanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Liebscher
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schlecker
authors.forename: Gerald
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wischer
authors.forename: Winfried
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Drochner
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hartung
authors.forename: Hans-Peter
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Piepho
mesh_terms: D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D005516:Food Microbiology; D005858:Germany; D013605:T-2 Toxin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000032:analysis; D014255:Trichothecenes / Q000032:analysis*; D003313:Zea mays / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D014255:Trichothecenes; C038854:scirpentriol; C002469:fusarenon-X; C046700:T-2 tetraol; C043247:3-acetyldeoxynivalenol; C038405:nivalenol; C016009:neosolaniol; C046760:15-acetyldeoxynivalenol; C045747:monoacetoxyscirpenol; D013605:T-2 Toxin; C007262:deoxynivalenol; C001809:diacetoxyscirpenol