Occurrence of Mycotoxins in Winter Rye Varieties Cultivated in Poland (2017–2019)

Abstract

Rye (Secale cereale L.) is one of the most important cereals and is used in both the food and feed industries. It is produced mainly in a belt extending from Russia through Poland to Germany. Despite the great economic importance of this cereal, there is little research on rye contamination with mycotoxins. In this study, the occurrence of Fusarium mycotoxins (deoxynivalenol, nivalenol, 3-acetyl-deoxynivalenol, monoacetoxyscirpenol, diacetoxyscirpenol, T-2 toxin, HT-2 toxin, and zearalenone), as well as ochratoxin A, in 60 winter rye samples of four varieties (KWS Binntto, KWS Serafino, Dańkowskie Granat and Farm Saved Seed) cultivated in three consecutive growing seasons in five different regions of Poland was determined using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry and fluorescence detection. Deoxynivalenol, T-2 toxin, HT-2 toxin, and zearalenone had the highest occurrence in samples (90%, 63%, 57%, and 45% positive results, respectively). The mean concentrations of these analytes were 28.8 µg/kg (maximum 354.1 µg/kg), 0.98 µg/kg (maximum 6.63 µg/kg), 2.98 µg/kg (maximum 29.8 µg/kg), and 0.69 µg/kg (maximum 10.2 µg/kg), respectively. The mean concentrations for individual mycotoxins were highest in the 2016/2017 growing season. In the 2016/2017 growing season, at least two mycotoxins were detected in 95% of the samples, while in the 2018/2019 growing season, 70% of samples contained one or no mycotoxins. The frequencies of mycotoxin occurrence in different rye varieties were similar. Although a high frequency of mycotoxin occurrence was noted (especially deoxynivalenol), their concentrations were low, and none of the analyzed rye samples exceeded the maximum acceptable mycotoxin level set by the European Commission.

The Occurrence and Contamination Level of Ochratoxin A in Plant and Animal-Derived Food Commodities

“…OTA was found in 75.0% rye and 20.0% wheat, but there was none in rice and millet flours. In Poland, only 3% of rye samples were contaminated with concentrations below 2.75 µg/kg [39]. Above all, the levels of OTA in cereals vary greatly in countries and cereal commodities.…”

Essential oils: An eco‐friendly alternative for controlling toxigenic fungi in cereal grains

“…Due to the reasons above, it is crucial to monitor and implement effective strategies for controlling the Bacon et al, 2008;Cheng et al, 2022;Choi et al, 2018;Liverpool-Tasie et al, 2019;Mallmann et al, 2020;Meyer et al, 2003;Park et al, 2018;Tebele et al Caramês et al, 2020;Choi et al, 2021;Islam et al, 2021;Kovač et al, 2021;Mruczyk et al, 2021;Pinheiro et al, 2021;Ropejko & Twaruŝek, 2021;Shi et al Haidukowski et al, 2022;Kosicki et al, 2020;Meyer et al, 2019;Piacentini et al, 2018;Shi et al, 2019;Xu et al de Colli et al, 2021;…”

Ochratoxin A—The Current Knowledge Concerning Hepatotoxicity, Mode of Action and Possible Prevention

“…OTA occurs in many food products and beverages as reported in many studies. It contaminates wheat [ 8 ], flour [ 9 ], rye [ 10 ], maize [ 11 ], rice [ 12 , 13 ], and coffee [ 14 , 15 ]. Some studies described the OTA presence in baby food products [ 16 , 17 , 18 ].…”