A survey on the occurrence of mycotoxins in wheat and maize from western Romania

Samples of wheat (n = 25) and maize (II = 30) for animal consumption, collected in 1997 after harvest from western Romania, were analyzed by enzyme immunoassays for mycotoxin contamination. Toxins analyses included deoxynivalenol (DON), 3-acetylDON, 15-acetylDON, fusarenone X (FX), T-2 Toxin (T-2), diacetoxyscirpenol (DAS), zearalenone (ZEA), fumonisin B-1 (FB1), aflatoxin B-1 (AFB(1)), ochratoxin A (OA), and citrinin (CT). DON and acetylDONs were the major contaminants in wheat (100%) and maize (46%). Median values for DON, 3-acetylDON, and 15-acetylDON were 880 mu g kg(-1), 66 mu g kg(-1). and 150 mu g kg(-1) in wheat, and 890 mu g kg(-1) 180 mu g kg(-1), and 620 mu g kg(-1) in maize, respectively. Additionally, 3,19-diacetylDON was detected in some samples by HPLC-EIA analysis. All samples were negative for FX (<150 mu g kg(-1)). T-2 was found in wheat (n = 6) and maize (n = 1) at levels between 13 and 63 mu g kg(-1). DAS (2.6 mu g kg(-1)) was found in one maize sample. ZEA occurred in all wheat and in four maize samples, median values were 10 mu g kg(-1) and 250 mu g kg(-1), respectively. One maize sample contained FB1 (140 mu g kg(-1)). All samples were AFB(1)-negative (<4 mu g kg(-1)). OA was found in one wheat sample (37 mu g kg(-1)), CT was found in one maize sample (580 mu g kg(-1)). This first reported natural occurrence of a range of mycotoxins in Romanian feeding stuff shows that DON and acetyl DONs may be present at levels which may affect animal production.