title: Aflatoxins and ochratoxin A and their Aspergillus causal species in Tunisian cereals.
abstract: Occurrence of aflatoxins (AFs) AFB1, AFB2, AFG1, AFG2 and ochra toxin A (OTA) was studied in 65 samples of stored and freshly harvested wheat, barley and maize collected in Tunisia. The mycotoxins were simultaneously extracted and quantified by high performance liquid chromatography. Determination of AF-producing (section Flavi) and OTA-producing Aspergillus species (sections Nigri and Circumdati) was conducted in these samples by species-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results showed that most of maize samples were contaminated with AFs, data after storage showing lower values than those collected at harvest. All contaminated maize samples contained AFG1 and AFG2, among which 27.78% also had AFB1 and AFB2. This AFs pattern was consistent with the A. parasiticus toxin profile. A. flavus however showed the highest frequency in maize but was also found in barley and wheat where no AFs were detected. In contrast, OTA was neither found in maize nor in barley and only one wheat sample contained OTA. A. niger was the only OTA-producing species detected.
authors.affiliation: a Laboratory of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine of Sousse , University of Sousse , Sousse , Tunisia.
authors.forename: Ines
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Jedidi
authors.affiliation: b Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biology , Complutense University of Madrid (UCM) , Madrid , Spain.
authors.forename: Alejandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cruz
authors.affiliation: b Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biology , Complutense University of Madrid (UCM) , Madrid , Spain.
authors.forename: Maria Teresa
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: González-Jaén
authors.affiliation: a Laboratory of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine of Sousse , University of Sousse , Sousse , Tunisia.
authors.forename: Salem
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Said
mesh_terms: D000348:Aflatoxins / Q000032:analysis*; D000383:Agriculture; D001230:Aspergillus; D001231:Aspergillus flavus; D001234:Aspergillus niger; D002523:Edible Grain / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000382:microbiology; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D005523:Food Supply / Q000592:standards*; D001467:Hordeum / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D009793:Ochratoxins / Q000032:analysis*; D006109:Poaceae / Q000382:microbiology*; D013045:Species Specificity; D014908:Triticum / Q000382:microbiology; D014416:Tunisia; D003313:Zea mays / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D000348:Aflatoxins; D009793:Ochratoxins; C025589:ochratoxin A
keywords: PCR; Wheat; aflatoxin B1; aflatoxin B2; aflatoxin G1; aflatoxin G2; barley; maize; ochratoxin A; toxigenic Aspergillus species