Moulds and mycotoxins in stored maize grains

Abstract

In this study the presence of moulds and mycotoxins in samples of stored maize grains in the period from October 2011 to September 2012 was investigated. Mycological analyses of whole and broken grains showed the presence of species from the genera Alternaria, Aspergillus, Fusarium, Penicillium, Rhizopus and others. Among the Aspergillus and Fusarium genera as potentially toxigenic fungi, Aspergillus flavus was identified with the highest percentage on broken grains (20.38%) whereas F. verticilioides was the predominant species in the whole maize grains (34.04%). In addition, it was obtained that tested samples of stored maize grains were 100% positive with aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), zearalenone (ZON), deoxynivalenol (DON) and fumonisin B1 (FB1) with an average concentration of 1.39 μg kg-1, 71.79 μg kg-1, 128.17 μg kg-1, and 1610.83 μg kg-1, respectively. A significant positive correlation was found between the moisture content and the presence of Fusarium spp. on the broken grains (r = 0.44) and between the moisture content and the concentration of DON (r = 0.61). However, a significant negative correlation was found between moisture content and FB1 (r = -0.34), and between the concentration of ZON and DON mycotoxins (r = -0.58).

U radu je ispitivano prisustvo plesni i mikotoksina u uzorcima zrna uskladištenog kukuruza u periodu od oktobra 2011. do septembra 2012. godine. Mikološkim analizama celog i slomljenog zrna kukuruza ustanovljeno je prisustvo vrsta iz rodova Alternaria, Aspergillus, Fusarium, Penicillium, Rhizopus i drugih. Od potencijalno toksigenih vrsta iz rodova Aspergillus i Fusarium, identifikovane su u najvećem procentu A. flavus na slomljenom (20,38%) i F. verticillioides na celom zrnu kukuruza (34,04%). Ispitivani uzorci uskladištenog kukuruza bili su 100% pozitivni sa aflatoksinom B1 (AFB1), zearalenonom (ZON), deoksinivalenolom (DON) i fumonizinom B1 (FB1) sa prosečnim koncentracijama 1,39 μg kg-1, 71,79 μg kg-1, 128,17 μg kg-1 i 1610,83 μg kg-1, respektivno. Statistički značajna pozitivna korelacija ustanovljena je između sadržaja vlage i prisustva Fusarium spp. na slomljenom zrnu kukuruza (r = 0,44), kao i između sadržaja vlage i koncentracije DON (r = 0,61). Statistički značajna negativna korelacija ustanovljena je između sadržaja vlage i FB1 (r = -0,34), kao i između koncentracija ZON i DON mikotoksina (r = -0,58).