Limited Surveillance of Fumonisins in Brown Rice and Wheat Harvested in Japan

Abstract

Fumonisins are mycotoxins mainly produced by Fusarium verticillioides, which is a major contaminant of corn. However, there are sporadic reports of fumonisin contamination in wheat worldwide. The rice adherent fungus Gibberella fujikuroi is taxonomically closely related to F. verticillioides. Therefore, the potential risk of fumonisin contamination in rice and wheat is significant. Previously, a sensitive detection method utilizing liquid chromatography with tandem electrospray mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS-MS) was developed for the determination of fumonisins in brown rice. In the present study, the incidence of fumonisins in brown rice and wheat harvested in Japan was investigated using LC-ESI-MS-MS. Forty-eight rice samples and 47 wheat samples were screened and analyzed for the major B-type fumonisins: fumonisin B1 (FB1) and fumonisin B2 (FB2). About 1 kg of rice or wheat seed was divided into three subsamples, and 10 g from each subsample was used for the analysis. The limits of detection were 0.012 and 0.011 mg/kg for FBt and FB2, respectively, in rice samples and 0.010 and 0.008 mg/kg for FB1 and FB2, respectively, in wheat samples. The mean (standard deviation) recoveries of FB1 spiked at 0.50 mg/kg into toxin-free rice and wheat samples were 77.6 (4.2)% and 84.5 (3.1)%, respectively. One of the wheat samples was positive for FBt with a value greater than the limit of detection,but no fumonisin was found in any of the rice samples. This is the first report of fumonisins detected in Japanese wheat.

Occurrence of Fusarium spp. and Fumonisin in Durum Wheat Grains

“…In Argentina, corn and corn products showed different levels of contamination according to the region from which the samples were collected. − Several studies worldwide have reported fumonisins in different crops and foods including rice, sorghum, mung beans, asparagus, black tea, cereals and animal feedstuff . There is also evidence of fumonisin contamination in wheat grains and wheat-based products. − Shephard et al reviewed many of the reports on fumonisins in wheat and concluded that careful evaluation of the analytical methods and possible sources of contamination, as well as confirmation by appropriate and validated methods, is required in order to prevent the reporting of false positive results. However, low fumonisin levels in wheat grain and wheat-based foods in Italy, Spain and Japan have been reported and documented by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry with selected ion monitoring. ,, …”

Fumonisins production potential of Fusarium verticillioides isolated from Serbian maize and wheat kernels

“…The most important fumonisins (FUMs) are FB 1 , fumonisin B 2 (FB 2 ), and fumonisin B 3 (FB 3 ), which are predominantly produced by F. verticillioides, F. proliferatum, F. anthophi lum, and F. nygamai (Yazar and Omurtag, 2008). FUMs are usually present in maize and maize products, but they also can be found in wheat and non-corn based foodstuffs (Cirillo et al 2003;Kushiro et al 2009).…”

Changes in the Concentration of Fumonisins in Forage Rice during the Growing Period, Differences among Cultivars and Sites, and Identification of the Causal Fungus

“…11 For human-consumed rice, the rice husks are removed, and FUM is not detected in the edible brown rice. 12 However, when rice is used to feed ruminants, the husks are not separated from the head, and stems and leaves are included in the fodder. Therefore, the risks of mycotoxin-contaminated rice in livestock fodder differ from those of rice cultivated for human consumption.…”