Fungi and their metabolites in grain from individual households in Croatia

ABSTRACT

A total of 117 fungal metabolites were detected in grains collected in Gunja-G (flooded village) and Gornji Stupnik-GS (control village), located in the Zagreb County, Croatia. Major mycotoxins and derivatives (17), ergot alkaloids (14), Fusarium (23), Aspergillus (18), Penicillium (18), Alternaria (7) and other fungal and unspecific metabolites (20) were found. A higher number of metabolites co-occurred per sample in grains from G (115) than in GS (91). Regulated mycotoxins were below maximum limits except fumonisins B_1,2 in 15–20% of grains and aflatoxin B_1. Fusarium metabolites contaminated more than 50% of grains at both locations. Besides FB_1,2, bikaverin, aurofusarin, culmorin and 15-hidroxyculmorin were detected at relatively high concentrations. Ergot alkaloids were detected at 2–18 times higher concentrations in grains from G as compared to GS. Majority of Aspergillus mycotoxins were present at a low frequency (5–15%). Penicillium metabolites recovered with higher frequency in GS (55–70%) than in G (20–55%). Alteranaria metabolites prevailed in grains from G (60–80%).

KEYWORDS:

• Co-occurrence
• non-regulated mycotoxins
• LC-MS/MS
• Fusarium metabolites
• ergot alkaloids
• grains
• Croatia
• climate change

Acknowledgments

The teachers Marijana Markoljević, Senka Klišanić, Matilda Šokčević, Jasminka Hot and Stipica Mišura, from Elementary School Antun and Stjepan Radić in Gunja, as well the technician Mrs. Štefica Babić are greatly acknowledged for their work. The teachers in Elementary School Gornji Stupnik are greatly acknowledged for their hospitality and help in collecting the samples. Makso Herman is greatly acknowledged for English language editing.

Additional information

Funding

This work was financially supported by the Croatian Science Foundation under project no IP-09-2014-5982 (MycotoxA).