To ascertain the most discriminant variables for seven types of Spanish commercial unifloral honeys, stepwise discriminant analysis was performed. Fifteen parameters [pH; water content; electrical conductivity; x, y, and L, chromatic coordinates from the CIE-1931 (xyL) color space; fructose; glucose; sucrose; maltose; isomaltose; maltulose; kojibiose; and the fructose/glucose and glucose/water ratios] were considered. The studied honey types were rosemary, citrus, lavender, sunflower, eucalyptus, heather, and forest. The most discriminant variables, as selected by the multivariate program, were electrical conductivity, color (x, y, L), water content, fructose, and sucrose. All sunflower, eucalyptus, and honeydew honey samples and >90% of the samples from the remaining honey types were correctly classified by using the classification functions devised by the program. The overall proportion of accurately arranged samples was 95.7%. Results were validated by the "jackknifed" procedure and showed that electrical conductivity, color, water content, fructose, and sucrose are highly useful parameters to classify unifloral honeys, although microscopical analysis of honey sediment remains the fundamental tool.

No abstract

No abstract

The native mycobiota of five grape varieties grown in Spain has been studied. Four (Bobal, Tempranillo, Garnacha, and Monastrell) were red varieties and one (Moscatel) was white. The main fungal genera isolated were Alternaria, Cladosporium, and Aspergillus. The isolation frequency of Aspergillus spp. section Nigri in contaminated samples was 82%. Ochratoxin A (OTA) production was assessed using yeast extract-sucrose broth supplemented with 5% bee pollen. Cultures of 205 isolates from this section showed that 74.2% of Aspergillus carbonarius and 14.3% of Aspergillus tubingensis isolates produced OTA at levels ranging from 1.2 to 3,530 ng/ml and from 46.4 to 111.5 ng/ml, respectively. No Aspergillus niger isolate had the ability to produce this toxin under the conditions assayed. Identification of the A. niger aggregate isolates was based on PCR amplification of 5.8S rRNA genes and its two intergenic spacers, internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) and ITS2, followed by digestion with restriction endonuclease RsaI of the PCR products. The restriction patterns were compared with those from strains of A. niger CECT 2807 and A. tubingensis CECT 20393, held at the Spanish Collection of Type Cultures. DNA sequencing of the ITS1-5.8S rRNA gene-ITS2 region of the OTA-producing isolates of A. tubingensis matched 99 to 100% with the nucleotide sequence of strain A. tubingensis CBS 643.92. OTA determination was accomplished by liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. OTA confirmation was carried out by liquid chromatography coupled to ion trap mass spectrometry. The results showed that there are significant differences with regard to the isolation frequency of ochratoxinogenic fungi in the different grape varieties. These differences were uncorrelated to berry color. The ability of A. tubingensis to produce OTA and the influence of grape variety on the occurrence of OTA-producing fungi in grapes are described in this report for the first time.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract