Abstract
Wheat contaminated with deoxynivalenol (DON), and distillers dried grain and solubles (DDGS) obtained after ethanol production from the contaminated wheat, were irradiated to doses ranging from 2.0 to 55.8 kGy using an electron accelerator. Samples of wet distillers grain, distillers solubles and stillage obtained during production of DDGS were also irradiated. All samples were analysed for Fusarium trichothecene mycotoxins by a method involving use of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The three production intermediates showed dose-dependent reductions in their DON contents ranging from 47.5 to 75.5% at the highest doses. Electron beam treatment produced a 17.6% reduction in the DON level of wheat at the highest dose used, but had no effect on DON in DDGS. These results indicate that electron beam treatment may provide a method for reducing DON levels in DDGS on an industrial scale.
Acknowledgements
The authors thank Husky Energy and Mr Raymond Dyck, Grain Marketing Coordinator at Husky Energy's Minnedosa ethanol plant, for providing samples for the investigations. Partial funding for this project was provided through the Agri-Food Research and Development Initiative I, Project No. 05-709, presided over by the Manitoba Association of Agricultural Societies. The authors gratefully acknowledge the contributions of the Governments of Canada and Manitoba through this initiative. The authors also thank Danny Saydak for preparation of trichothecene analysis. Any data, analysis of data, project results, conclusions, and other information contained in this paper are those of the authors and not of the Manitoba Association of Agricultural Societies or the Governments of Canada or Manitoba.
Notes
†Grain Research Laboratory Paper No. 964