title: Mycobiota and Mycotoxins in Traditional Medicinal Seeds from China.
abstract: The multi-mycotoxin occurrence for internal and superficial fungi contamination were comprehensively assessed in medicinal seeds used as food or beverage. Based on a polyphasic approach using morphological characters, β-tubulin and ITS gene blast, a total of 27 species belonging to 12 genera were identified from surface-sterilized seeds. Chaetomium globosporum was most predominant (23%), followed by Microascus trigonosporus (12%) and Alternaria alternata (9%). With respect to superficial mycobiota, thirty-four species belonging to 17 genera were detected. Aspergillus niger and Penicillium polonicum were predominant (12% and 15%, respectively). Medicinal seed samples and potential toxigenic fungi were tested for ochratoxin A (OTA) and aflatoxins (AFB1, AFB2, AFG1, AFG2) using UPLC-MS/MS. Platycladi seeds were contaminated with AFB1 (52.0 µg/kg) and tangerine seed was contaminated with OTA (92.3 µg/kg). Subsequent analysis indicated that one A. flavus strain isolated from platycladi seed was able to synthesize AFB1 (102.0 µg/kg) and AFB2 (15.3 µg/kg). Two P. polonicum strains isolated from tangerine and lychee seeds were able to synthesize OTA (4.1 µg/kg and 14.8 µg/kg, respectively). These results identify potential sources of OTA and aflatoxins in medicinal seeds and allude to the need to establish permitted limits for these mycotoxins in these seeds that are commonly consumed by humans.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100193, China. amanda_j_chen@163.com.
authors.forename: Amanda Juan
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100193, China. jiao_1110@163.com.
authors.forename: Xiaolin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Jiao
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100193, China. hu713th@163.com.
authors.forename: Yongjian
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100193, China. luchauluchau@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Xiaohong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100193, China. wwgao411@sina.com.
authors.forename: Weiwei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gao
mesh_terms: D002681:China; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000737:chemistry*; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods; D003904:Mitosporic Fungi / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009183:Mycotoxins / Q000032:analysis*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000382:microbiology*; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D009183:Mycotoxins
keywords: UPLC-MS/MS; aflatoxins; medicinal seeds; mycobiota; mycotoxigenic fungi; ochratoxin A