IngentaConnect Occurrence of Mycotoxin in Farro Samples from Southern Italy

Authors: Raffaello Castoria¹; Giuseppe Lima¹; Rosalia Ferracane²; Andalberto Ritieni²

Source: Journal of Food Protection®, Volume 68, Number 2, February 2005 , pp. 416-420(5)

Publisher: International Association for Food Protection

Abstract:

The occurrence of nine mycotoxins and of contamination by pre- and postharvest fungal pathogens of cereals was investigated in samples of stored Triticum monococcum L., Triticum dicoccon Schrank (emmer), and Triticum spelta L. (spelt). In Italy, all three species are collectively referred to as farro. The samples examined were harvested in summer 2000 from eight different sites in southern Italy. Conventional fluorimetric and diode array–based high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analyses and HPLC–mass spectrometry analyses were used to identify fumonisin B₁ in five samples (up to 70.00

g/ kg), ochratoxin A in seven samples (up to 4.07

g/kg), and beauvericin in three samples (up to 4.44 mg/kg). Enniatin B was detected in one sample (30.00

g/kg), but no zearalenone or fusaproliferin was found. Deoxynivalenol and aflatoxins were not evaluated. The potentially mycotoxigenic fungal species detected were Alternaria alternata, Fusarium proliferatum, Fusarium tricinctum, Penicillium verrucosum, and Penicillium chrysogenum. This is the first report of the natural occurrence of mycotoxins in farro samples.

Document Type: Short communication

Affiliations: 1: Dipartimento di Scienze Animali, Vegetali e dell'Ambiente, Università del Molise, via F. De Sanctis, 86100 Campobasso, Italy 2: Dipartimento di Scienza degli Alimenti, Università di Napoli ''Federico II,'' Parco Gussone, 80055 Portici, Napoli, Italy

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