Studies on the natural occurrences of trichothecenes and zearalenone in Korean cereals (I)

Abstract

The contents of trichothecenes such as nivalenol (NIV), deoxynivalenol (DON), 3-acetyl-DON and f usarenon-X (FX), and zearalenone (ZEN) in Korean cereals (barley, wheat, malt and rye) harvested in 1983 were analyzed by GC-ECD and HPLGFD, and confirmed by GC-MS. NIV, DON and ZEN were detected in 32, 30 and 25 samples, respectively, of 32 unhusked samples, and 19, 8 and 5 samples, respectively, of 21 husked samples. Average contents (ppb) in unhusked barley (28 samples) were NIV (546), DON (118) and ZEN (111), and in husked barley (6 samples) were NIV (130), DON (21) and ZEN (not detected). These toxins were positive in rye, malt and wheat. Neither FX nor 3-acetyl-DON were detected from all the samples. The present data revealed that Korean cereals harvested in 1983 were significantly contaminated with NIV, DON and ZEN, and the incidence and levels were similar to those reported in Japan.