Tropane alkaloids in food

A large number of wild and cultured plants produce secondary metabolites that are toxic to humans and animals. Through accidental or intentional mixing of these plants with normal food and feed the consumers of these products will be exposed to the toxins. In this report tropane alkaloids will be discussed

The analysis of lipophilic marine toxins

Consumption of lipophilic marine toxin contaminated shellfish can lead to severe intoxications. Methods described in European Union (EU) legislation to test for the presence of these toxins are based on a mouse or rat bioassay. These assays are unethical and have a poor sensitivity and selectivity. For this reason there is an urgent need for alternative methods. Most promising alternatives are the methods based on liquid chromatography - tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). A LC-MS/MS method with alkaline chromatographic conditions in which we were able to separate and analyze the most important toxins in a single analysis was developed. Furthermore, a clean up procedure based on solid phase extraction (SPE) was developed. A combination of SPE clean up and alkaline chromatographic conditions resulted in reduced matrix effects for all matrices tested (mussel, scallop and oyster). The developed SPE & LC-MS/MS method was in-house validated using EU Commission Decision 2002/657/EC. With respect to accuracy, repeatability, reproducibility and decision limit the method performed well. The method also performed excellently in view of possible new limits that are 4- to 5-fold lower than current limits for some toxins. A collaborative study was also performed for the most important toxins of the lipophilic marine toxin group

Safe food and feed through an integrated toolbox for mycotoxin management: the MyToolBox approach

There is a pressing need to mobilise the wealth of knowledge from the international mycotoxin research conducted over the past 25-30 years, and to perform cutting-edge research where knowledge gaps still exist. This knowledge needs to be integrated into affordable and practical tools for farmers and food processors along the chain in order to reduce the risk of mycotoxin contamination of crops, feed and food. This is the mission of MyToolBox – a four-year project which has received funding from the European Commission. It mobilises a multi-actor partnership (academia, farmers, technology small and medium sized enterprises, food industry and policy stakeholders) to develop novel interventions aimed at achieving a significant reduction in crop losses due to mycotoxin contamination. Besides a field-to-fork approach, MyToolBox also considers safe use options of contaminated batches, such as the efficient production of biofuels. Compared to previous efforts of mycotoxin reduction strategies, the distinguishing feature of MyToolBox is to provide the recommended measures to the end users along the food and feed chain in a web-based MyToolBox platform (e-toolbox). The project focuses on small grain cereals, maize, peanuts and dried figs, applicable to agricultural conditions in the EU and China. Crop losses using existing practices are being compared with crop losses after novel pre-harvest interventions including investigation of genetic resistance to fungal infection, cultural control (e.g. minimum tillage or crop debris treatment), the use of novel biopesticides suitable for organic farming, competitive biocontrol treatment and development of novel modelling approaches to predict mycotoxin contamination. Research into post-harvest measures includes real-time monitoring during storage, innovative sorting of crops using vision-technology, novel milling technology and studying the effects of baking on mycotoxins at an industrial scale

A detailed description of the phenotypic spectrum of North Sea Progressive Myoclonus Epilepsy in a large cohort of seventeen patients

Introduction: In 2011, a homozygous mutation in GOSR2 (c.430G > T; p. Gly144Trp) was reported as a novel cause of Progressive Myoclonus Epilepsy (PME) with early-onset ataxia. Interestingly, the ancestors of patients originate from countries bound to the North Sea, hence the condition was termed North Sea PME (NSPME). Until now, only 20 patients have been reported in literature. Here, we provide a detailed description of clinical and neurophysiological data of seventeen patients. Methods: We collected clinical and neurophysiological data from the medical records of seventeen NSPME patients (5–46 years). In addition, we conducted an interview focused on factors influencing myoclonus severity. Results: The core clinical features of NSPME are early-onset ataxia, myoclonus and seizures, with additionally areflexia and scoliosis. Factors such as fever, illness, heat, emotions, stress, noise and light (flashes) all exacerbated myoclonic jerks. Epilepsy severity ranged from the absence of or incidental clinical seizures to frequent daily seizures and status epilepticus. Some patients made use of a wheelchair during their first decade, whereas others still walked independently during their third decade. Neurophysiological features suggesting neuromuscular involvement in NSPME were variable, with findings ranging from indicative of sensory neuronopathy and anterior horn cell involvement to an isolated absent H-reflex. Conclusion: Although the sequence of symptoms is rather homogeneous, the severity of symptoms and rate of progression varied considerably among individual patients. Common triggers for myoclonus can be identified and myoclonus is difficult to treat; to what extent neuromuscular involvement contributes to the phenotype remains

Preparation of an ampouled aflatoxin M1 calibrant for a certification excercise and distribution of samples

Een aflatoxine M1 in chloroform (massaconcentratie: 0.1 u,g/ml) werd bereid en geampulleerd ten behoeve van een certificeringsstudie voor melkpoeder RM 283. In totaal werden 47 ampullen bereid, die elk 2,5 ml standaardoplossing bevatten. De massa concentratie aan aflatoxine M1 en het netto gewicht werden gecontroleerd in 6 ampullen, die op regelmatige tijdstippen gedurende het ampulleren waren uitgenomen. Aflatoxin M1 was homogeen verdeeld over de ampullen. De gemiddelde massaconcentratie was 0.0999 +_ 0.0015 u'g/ml. De verschillen in massa concentratie tussen de ampullen (C.V.=1,4%) vielen binnen de bepalingsfout. De verschillen in gewicht vielen binnen de specificaties van de dispenser. Het verschil tussen deze partij en de vorige partij aflatoxine M1 standaardoplossing was niet significant. Vier zakjes melkpoeder RM 282 "blank" en vier zakjes melkpoeder RM 283 "low level" werden tezamen met een ampul aflatoxine M1 verzonden aan deAbstract not availableEG/BC

Determination of T-2/HT-2 toxins in duplicate diets in the Netherlands by GC-MS/MS method development and estimation of human exposure

T-2 and HT-2 toxins (T-2 and HT-2) are important trichothecenes. They have been subject of formal risk assessment by various organisations, including the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). The EFSA CONTAM Panel recently established a group Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI) of 100 ng/kg body weight/day for the sum of T-2 and HT-2. To assess the actual dietary exposure of Dutch consumers to T-2 and HT-2 a study was conducted in the Netherlands, in which duplicate portions of 24-h diets collected in 2011 were investigated for these toxins. This collection comprised 128 duplicate diets of the adult segment of the Dutch population, divided over a spring and autumn collection period. The diets in the study were homogenised and processed to lyophilised powders. Aliquots of every two of the samples were pooled to test portions that were analysed with a method, based on immunoaffinity chromatography clean-up in combination with GC-MS/MS determination. The method had a limit of quantification of 0.01 mu g/kg original non-lyophilised diet for both T-2 and HT-2. Recoveries ranged from 92-114% for T-2 and from 71-106% for HT-2, determined at levels of addition ranging from 0.1-0.3 mu g/kg. In practically all samples investigated, numerical values for the concentrations of T-2 and HT-2 could be obtained. Exposure estimates of the sum of T-2 and HT-2 in the 2011 study ranged from non-detectable to 18.6 ng/kg body weight/day. In addition limited sets of pooled samples of duplicate diets retained from collections in the period 1976-2004 were analysed for T-2 and HT-2. In all samples the mean and individual intakes of the sum of T-2 and HT-2 of the respondents were below the group TDI of the EFSA CONTAM Panel. From this study it was concluded that no health risks are expected from current exposure of adult Dutch consumers to T-2 and HT-2

Orientational investigations to the occurence of agaritine in Dutch Mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus)

Beperkt orienterend onderzoek is verricht naar het voorkomen van agaritine in Nederlandse champignons. Onderzocht werden 15 monsters van verschillend ras en ontwikkelingsstadium. Agaritine werd semi kwantitatief bepaald in verse champignons, daags na de oogst, terwijl enkele monsters na twee dagen bewaren bij + 2 graden C. nogmaals werden geanalyseerd. Een gedeelte van deze bewaarde monsters werd bovendien geblancheerd waarna het agaritinegehalte in de geblancheerde champignons en het blancheerwater werd bepaald. Agaritine was in alle onderzochte monsters champignons aanwezig in gehalten varierend van 200-800 mg/kg, zowel in verse als in enkele dagen bewaarde champignons. Doorgaans liggen de gehalten in gesloten champignons hoger dan die in open champignons. De gevonden gehalten stemmen overeen met gegevens uit de literatuur. Er werden geen aanwijzigingen verkregen dat blancheren gedurende 5 minuten bij 100 graden C leidt tot afbraakAbstract not availableHI