Research: Mycotoxins in Argentinean maize

The natural occurrence of mycotoxins in maize in Argentina, from 1999 to 2010 was analyzed.

 

Total aflatoxins, deoxynivalenol and zearalenone, were detected and quantified by TLC.

 

Each aflatoxins and fumonisins was quantified by HPLC.

 

A total of 3,246 samples for freshly harvested (1,655) and storage (1,591) was obtained from different regions, from 1999 to 2010.

 

Except for 2003 year in harvest, and for 2007 in storage, aflatoxins levels were low.

 

Average values of aflatoxin B1 for freshly harvested samples were between 0.38 and 2.54 μg/kg and for storage samples were between 0.22 and 4.5 μg/kg.

 

The average values and frequency of contamination for zearalenone and deoxynivalenol, were low for all years.

 

The average zearalenone contamination in samples of freshly harvested, showed values from no detected up to 83 μg/kg, and in storage samples, from no detected to 17 μg/kg.

 

The average deoxynivalenol contamination of freshly harvested, showed values from no detected up to 140 μg/kg, and for storage samples showed values from no detected to 14 μg/kg.

 

The percentage of maize samples contaminated by fumonisins was between 90 and 100% for all years studied; the average levels were from 1,773 to 9,093 μg/kg for freshly harvested maize and for storage from 2,525 to 11,528 μg/kg.

 

Co-occurrence of aflatoxins and fumonisin was the most frequent (8.4%), followed by zearalenone and fumonisins (2%).