Report from the 5th international symposium on mycotoxins and toxigenic moulds : challenges and perspectives (MYTOX) held in Ghent, Belgium, May 2016

The association research platform MYTOX “Mycotoxins and Toxigenic Moulds” held the 5th meeting of its International Symposium in Ghent, Belgium on 11 May 2016.[...

Human Mycotoxin Biomonitoring: Conclusive remarks on direct or indirect assessment of urinary deoxynivalenol

Deoxynivalenol is one of the most ubiquitous mycotoxins in the Western diet through its presence in cereals and cereal products. A vast amount of studies indicate the worrying level of exposure to this toxin, while even high percentages of the population exceed the tolerable daily intake. To evaluate and assess dietary exposure, analysis of urinary levels of deoxynivalenol and its glucuronides has been proposed as a reliable methodology. An indirect preliminary method was used based on the cleavage of deoxynivalenol glucuronides through the use of enzymes (beta-glucuronidase) and subsequent determination of "total deoxynivalenol" (sum of free and released mycotoxins by hydrolysis). Next, a direct procedure for quantification of deoxynivalenol-3-glucuronide and deoxynivalenol-15-glucuronide was developed. As deoxynivalenol glucuronides reference standards are not commercially available, the indirect method is widely applied. However, to not underestimate the total deoxynivalenol exposure in urine, the direct and indirect methodologies need to be compared. Urinary samples (n = 96) with a confirmed presence of deoxynivalenol and/or deoxynivalenol glucuronides were analysed using both approaches. The indirect method clarified that not all deoxynivalenol glucuronides were transformed to free deoxynivalenol during enzymatic treatment, causing an underestimation of total deoxynivalenol. This short communication concludes on the application of direct or indirect assessment of urinary deoxynivalenol

The status of Fusarium mycotoxins in Sub-Saharan Africa : a review of emerging trends and post-harvest mitigation strategies towards food control

Fusarium fungi are common plant pathogens causing several plant diseases. The presence of these molds in plants exposes crops to toxic secondary metabolites called Fusarium mycotoxins. The most studied Fusarium mycotoxins include fumonisins, zearalenone, and trichothecenes. Studies have highlighted the economic impact of mycotoxins produced by Fusarium. These arrays of toxins have been implicated as the causal agents of wide varieties of toxic health effects in humans and animals ranging from acute to chronic. Global surveillance of Fusarium mycotoxins has recorded significant progress in its control; however, little attention has been paid to Fusarium mycotoxins in sub-Saharan Africa, thus translating to limited occurrence data. In addition, legislative regulation is virtually non-existent. The emergence of modified Fusarium mycotoxins, which may contribute to additional toxic effects, worsens an already precarious situation. This review highlights the status of Fusarium mycotoxins in sub-Saharan Africa, the possible food processing mitigation strategies, as well as future perspectives

Report from the 1st MYCOKEY international conference Global Mycotoxin Reduction in the Food and Feed Chain held in Ghent, Belgium, 11-14 September 2017

Aflatoxins are cancer-promoting natural toxins that are produced by the fungus Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. Aflatoxins have been regarded as one of the most fatal threat in food safety, due to their strong hepatotoxic, carcinogenic and teratogenic effects on human beings and animals. Among them, aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is one of the common types which have received considerable attention. Thus, developing a rapid, simple and reliable method for determination of AFB1 in foods is very important. Herein, a preliminary study of Frster resonance energy transfer (FRET) immunoassay based on the cadmium-free quantum dots for determination of AFB1 was described. To avoid the use of hazardous heavy metals, core/shell InP/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) as an alternative for Cd-based QDs were synthesized. A silica shell with epoxy groups was used for water solubilization of the obtained nanoparticles. Then a specific anti-AFB1 monoclonal antibody (mAb) was labelled with the hydrophilic QDs via these highly reactive epoxy groups. Gel electrophoresis was used to control the binding. After that, the FRET system was developed using the Cd-free QDs conjugate as donor. Graphene oxide was selected as acceptor. In order to keep the distance between donor and acceptor close enough, the size of silica coated QDs should be controlled strictly. We found that 1-dodecantiol which was used for ligands change on the surface of InP/ZnS QDs was better than oleylamine and the optimum amount of tetraoxysilane was 5 mu L in the silylanization. Besides, only ethanol and hexane were used to wash silica coated QDs which could ensure good dispersion of QDs in water. The cut-off value for the determination of AFB1 in tube was 10 ng/mL with a preliminary study. Compared to reported FRET assays with Cd-based QDs, the developed FRET was easy-to-operate, visual and safe

Molecularly imprinted polymers immobilized on 3D printed scaffolds as novel solid phase extraction sorbent for metergoline

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