title: Mycotoxin Contamination in Sugarcane Grass and Juice: First Report on Detection of Multiple Mycotoxins and Exposure Assessment for Aflatoxins B₁ and G₁ in Humans.
abstract: This study was conducted to investigate the natural co-occurrence of multiple toxic fungal and bacterial metabolites in sugarcane grass and juice intended for human consumption in Upper Egypt. Quantification of the target analytes has been done using the "dilute and shoot" approach followed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). A total number of 29 and 33 different metabolites were detected in 21 sugarcane grass and 40 juice samples, respectively, with a trend of concentrations being higher in grass than in juice. Among the regulated mycotoxins, only aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁) and aflatoxin G₁ (AFG₁) were detected. The prevalence of AFB₁ was in 48% of grass samples and in 58% of juice with a maximum concentration of 30.6 μg/kg and 2.10 μg/kg, respectively. AFG₁ was detected in 10% of grass samples (7.76 μg/kg) and 18% of juice samples (34 μg/kg). Dietary exposure was assessed using a juice frequency questionnaire of adult inhabitants in Assiut City. The assessment revealed different levels of exposure to AFB₁ between males and females in winter and summer seasons. The estimated seasonal exposure ranged from 0.20 to 0.40 ng/kg b.w./day in winter and from 0.38 to 0.90 ng/kg b.w./day in summer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut 71515, Egypt. mohamed.fathi@vet.au.edu.eg.|Center for Analytical Chemistry, Department of Agrobiotechnology (IFA-Tulln), University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Konrad Lorenz Str 20, Tulln A-3430, Austria. mohamed.fathi@vet.au.edu.eg.
authors.forename: Mohamed F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Abdallah
authors.affiliation: Center for Analytical Chemistry, Department of Agrobiotechnology (IFA-Tulln), University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Konrad Lorenz Str 20, Tulln A-3430, Austria. rudolf.krska@boku.ac.at.
authors.forename: Rudolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Krska
authors.affiliation: Center for Analytical Chemistry, Department of Agrobiotechnology (IFA-Tulln), University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Konrad Lorenz Str 20, Tulln A-3430, Austria. michael.sulyok@boku.ac.at.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sulyok
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001628:Beverages / Q000032:analysis*; D004032:Diet; D004534:Egypt; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009183:Mycotoxins / Q000032:analysis*; D018547:Plant Stems / Q000737:chemistry*; D031786:Saccharum / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D009183:Mycotoxins
keywords: LC-MS/MS; aflatoxins; exposure assessment; mycotoxins; sugarcane; sugarcane juice