Fungal contamination and Aflatoxin B1 and Ochratoxin A in Lebanese wine-grapes and musts

Food Chem Toxicol. 2008 Jun;46(6):2244-50. doi: 10.1016/j.fct.2008.02.026. Epub 2008 Mar 7.

Abstract

Five hundred and ten strains of filamentous fungi were isolated from Lebanese grapes during 2005 at veraison and harvesting periods. Four hundred eighty-seven isolates belonged to the Aspergillus spp. (95.5%) and 23 belonged to the Penicillium spp. (4.5%). Black aspergilli constituted 56.9% (52.2% Aspergillus niger aggregates, 2.9% Aspergillus japonicus and 1.8% Aspergillus carbonarius) while the isolation rate of Aspergillus flavus the none habitual member of grape mycobiota was 43.1% of the total Aspergillus spp. isolated. All isolates were tested for the ability to produce the Ochratoxin A (OTA) and the Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1). A. carbonarius showed that it is the only species able to produce the OTA with a production ability of 100% and a maximum concentration reaching 8.38microg/g CYA. As for the aflatoxigenic ability, 43.4% of A. flavus isolates produced this mycotoxin with a maximum production reaching 22.6microg/g CYA while none of the other isolates showed a production capacity of this mycotoxin. Forty-seven samples of must produced from the collected grapes were also analyzed. None of these samples was contaminated by OTA at a detectable limit while 40% of these same samples were found to contain AFB1 with concentrations ranging from 0.01 to 0.46microgl(-1).

MeSH terms

  • Aflatoxin B1 / analysis*
  • Aflatoxin B1 / biosynthesis
  • Aspergillus / isolation & purification
  • Aspergillus / metabolism
  • Carcinogens / analysis*
  • Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
  • Culture Media
  • Food Contamination / analysis*
  • Lebanon
  • Ochratoxins / analysis*
  • Penicillium / isolation & purification
  • Penicillium / metabolism
  • Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet
  • Vitis / chemistry*
  • Wine / analysis*

Substances

  • Carcinogens
  • Culture Media
  • Ochratoxins
  • ochratoxin A
  • Aflatoxin B1