Title
Natural Occurrence of Mycotoxin-Producing Fusaria in Market-Bought Peruvian Cereals: A Food Safety Threat for Andean Populations
Date Issued
01 February 2021
Access level
open access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
Ducos C.
Pinson-Gadais L.
Chereau S.
Richard-Forget F.
Pineau P.
Ponts N.
Université de Toulouse
Unité Organisation Nucléaire et Oncogenèse, Institut Pasteur
Université de Toulouse
Abstract
Consumption of cereals contaminated by mycotoxins poses health risks. For instance, Fumonisins B, mainly produced by Fusarium verticillioides and Fusarium proliferatum, and the type B trichothecene deoxynivalenol, typically produced by Fusarium graminearum, are highly prevalent on cereal grains that are staples of many cultural diets and known to represent a toxic risk hazard. In Peru, corn and other cereals are frequently consumed on a daily basis under various forms, the majority of food grains being sold through traditional markets for direct consumption. Here, we surveyed mycotoxin contents of market-bought grain samples in order to assess the threat these mycotoxins might represent to Peruvian population, with a focus on corn. We found that nearly one sample of Peruvian corn out of six was contaminated with very high levels of Fumonisins, levels mostly ascribed to the presence of F. verticillioides. Extensive profiling of Peruvian corn kernels for fungal contaminants could provide elements to refine the potential risk associated with Fusarium toxins and help define adapted food safety standards.
Volume
13
Issue
2
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Toxicología
Subjects
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-85102605939
PubMed ID
Source
Toxins
Source funding
Sponsor(s)
This research was funded by the French National Alliance for Life Sciences and Health, grant number ENV201408. S.B. has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Framework program under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, agreement number 823935. P.V.O. was supported by a postdoctoral fellowship from the French National Research Institute for Sustain-able Development (IRD) (04077858). JPC was a recipient of a doctoral fellowship from the Peruvian National Council for Science and Technology (212-2015-FONDECYT).
Sources of information:
Directorio de Producción Científica
Scopus