Deoxynivalenol contamination in Tunisian barley in the 2009 harvest

Abstract

In Tunisia, barley is commonly used in human consumption in a variety of food forms. In this regard, a high quality of this agricultural product is always demanded by consumers. A survey of the natural occurrence of deoxynivalenol (DON), the most common Fusarium mycotoxin in small grain cereals, in barley harvested in the main cropping regions in Northern Tunisia in the 2009 harvest was conducted. A total of 72 samples were analysed for DON using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a UV visible detector set at 220 nm. Between 36% and 100% of the samples were positive for DON with averages ranging from 1.2 to 2.4 mg kg⁻¹. A positive correlation between DON levels and temperature was seen; on the other side no correlation between DON contents and rainfall was observed. In this study we notably showed the effect of regions on DON contamination.

Keywords:

• cereals
• mycotoxins
• trichothecenes

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by Le Ministère Tunisien de l’Enseignement Supérieur, de la Recherche Scientifique et de la Technologie. The authors thank Dr Mbarek Chetoui (Faculty of Sciences, El Manar, Tunisia) for his kind advice and help, and Dr Salwa Bacha (University of La Manouba, Tunisia) for correction of the English manuscript.