Patulin Mycotoxin in Mango and Orange Fruits, Juices, Pulps, and Jams Marketed in Pakistan

Abstract

The objective of the study was to explore the incidence of patulin (PAT) mycotoxin in mango and orange fruits and derived products marketed in Pakistan. A total of 274 samples, including 70 mango fruits, 63 mango-based products (juices, pulp, and jam), 77 orange fruits, and 64 orange-based products, were collected. PAT was determined by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with UV-Vis detector (276 nm). Linear detector response was observed (R2 > 0.99), the limit of detection (LOD) was 5 µg/kg and recovery percentage was 97.4%. The incidence of PAT in mango samples was 61.7%, and the concentration ranged from <LOD to 6415 µg/kg with a mean of 110.9 µg/kg. Our results showed the high susceptibility of mango fruits to patulin, and it was observed that decayed mango fruits were most contaminated with PAT. Among the mango samples, PAT concentration was higher in fruits than in processed products such as mango juice, pulp, and jam. Toxin incidence in orange samples was 52.5% with concentrations from <LOD to 61 µg/kg and a mean of 6.3 µg/kg. As much as 29 samples of mango (21.8%) contained PAT concentration above the regulatory limit (50 µg/kg), whereas there was only one exceeding orange sample (0.7%). Our results show that PAT seems to be a problem in fruits, juices, and derived solid products, especially from mango, and needs surveillance on regular basis.

Patulin Contamination of Citrus Fruits from Punjab and Northern Pakistan and Estimation of Associated Dietary Intake

“…The PAT levels in citrus fruits from Pakistani Punjab and northern Pakistan were significantly different by applying ANOVA (p < 0.05). The present survey results show that PAT contamination in citrus fruits is much higher than that previously reported for mango and orange fruits [27]. In that case, 74 out of 141 samples of orange fruits, juices, pulp, and orange jams were found to contain PAT, and only in one sample did the level exceed 50 µg/kg.…”

“…PAT results in different cultivars of citrus fruits are more comprehensive interims of samples analyzed and from central and northern areas were covered during analysis. However, only two reports [ 22 , 27 ] are documented demonstrating the presence of PAT in fruits and juices. In our previous research [ 22 ], however, citrus fruits were never included and assessed for PAT presence.…”

“…In our previous research [ 22 ], however, citrus fruits were never included and assessed for PAT presence. Furthermore, Hussain et al [ 27 ] investigated the natural presence of PAT in orange fruit, juice, pulp, and orange jam samples. A comprehensive survey was conducted in the undertaken study, and the information would be useful for farmers, traders, and local consumers.…”

Mycotoxins: Biotransformation and Bioavailability Assessment Using Caco-2 Cell Monolayer

“…Ochratoxin A (OTA), the major mycotoxin of the ochratoxins, is produced by various species of the Aspergillus and Penicillium genus [ 8 ]. In addition, Penicillium species are known to produce mycophenolic acid (MPA) [ 9 ] and patulin (PAT) [ 10 , 11 ]. Aflatoxins, including aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), aflatoxin B2 (AFB2), aflatoxin M1 (AFM1), aflatoxin M2 (AFM2), aflatoxin G1 (AFG1), and aflatoxin G2 (AFG2), are the most studied group of mycotoxins produced by Aspergillus flavus [ 12 , 13 ].…”

Mycotoxins: Toxicology, Identification and Control

“…El Jai et al [1] used liquid chromatography coupled to time-offlight mass spectrometry to analyse mycotoxins and conjugated mycotoxins; there were a total of 14 mycotoxins in 40 samples of aromatic medicinal plants (AMPs) from Morocco. Hussain et al [2] analyzed patulin in 274 fruit and derived products samples from Pakistan, and Silva et al [3] evaluated the presence of ochratoxin A in 85 beer samples from Portugal. These results revealed that regular monitoring of cereals or fruits and their products (beer, juices, pulps and jams) during the harvest and processing stages is recommended to enhance the confidence in final consumers.…”