Zearalenone screening of human breast milk from the Naples area

The mycotoxin zearalenone exhibits estrogenic and anabolic properties in several animal species, humans included. Food contamination by zearalenone is caused either by direct contamination of grains, fruits, and their based-products or by “carry-over” of mycotoxins in animal tissues, milk, and eggs after intake of contaminated feedstuff. Now, a survey on zearalenone contamination in breast milk of healthy primiparous women living in the Naples countryside was conducted. From 47 healthy primiparous women, breast milk samples were collected within the first six weeks after delivery as well as clinical data of mother–newborn pairs. Breast milk analyses were performed with both competitive indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. At 36.9 ± 2.6 days after vaginal delivery, the mean zearalenone contents of the breast milk samples were 1.13 ± 0.34 µg/L. The zearalenone levels correlated with both mother weights before pregnancy (r = ?0.506; P < 0.001) and at delivery (r = ?0.351; P < 0.05). The present results indicate that breast milk may be contaminated with zearalenone.     

脱氧雪腐镰刀菌烯醇、黄曲霉毒素B_1和玉米赤霉烯酮对秀丽隐杆线虫的联合毒性研究

脱氧雪腐镰刀菌烯醇(DON)、黄曲霉毒素B_1(AFB_1)和玉米赤霉烯酮(ZEN)是最为常见的粮食真菌毒素,易共存于谷物产品和动物饲料中,而目前对其联合毒性的研究较少,且研究结果并不完全一致。为探究DON、AFB_1和ZEN的联合毒性作用,本论文以秀丽隐杆线虫(C.elegans)为模型,分别评估了毒素混合物AFB_1+DON、AFB_1+ZEN、DON+ZEN和AFB_1+DON+ZEN对C.elegans的生长发育(体长)和生殖能力(产卵量)的毒性作用,并用Chou-Talalay模型来判定毒素混合物的相互作用类型。研究表明,AFB_1、DON和ZEN单独染毒C.elegans时,其毒作用强弱为AFB_1ZENDON。联合染毒时,AFB_1+DON对C.elegans产生协同作用,而DON+ZEN则产生拮抗作用;AFB_1+ZEN对体长(24 h)和产卵量的毒作用随着暴露浓度的增加,由弱拮抗变为协同作用,而在毒素暴露48 h后,对线虫的生长发育呈协同作用;AFB_1+DON+ZEN除在EC50-24 h和EC75-24 h时对体长产生明显的毒性增强作用外,其他普遍表现出拮抗作用。由此表明,DON、AFB_1和ZEN对C.elegans的联合毒性作用与剂量和时间相关。     

玉米中四种镰刀菌毒素系统检测方法的研究

本文用气相色谱仪同步检测霉变玉米中脱氧雪腐镰刀菌烯醇、二乙酰氧基镳草镰刀菌烯醇、Ｔ－２毒素和玉米赤霉烯酮四种镰刀菌毒素,并筛选出较理想的衍生化试剂和衍生化条件。确定从玉米中对极性不同的四种毒素都有较高回收率的萃取、净化程序。建立了玉米中四种毒素的系统检测方法。本方法对四种毒素的回收率均达到８０％以上。     

玉米赤霉烯酮暴露对秀丽线虫生殖系统的损伤作用

环境雌激素玉米赤霉烯酮(ZEN)的生态安全性近年来受到越来越多的关注。以秀丽隐杆线虫(Caenorhabdites elegans)为模式生物研究ZEN对线虫的生殖损伤作用。在DIC显微镜下观察,48 h暴露后与对照组相比,暴露组线虫性腺臂明显萎缩,卵母细胞数目和大小均受到显著影响(P0.01),并且可见部分暴露组线虫产卵器严重畸形。这均表明ZEN暴露对秀丽隐杆线虫生殖系统的发育和功能可产生损害作用。     

重金属对禾谷镰刀菌的生长及毒素合成的影响

以禾谷镰刀菌为研究对象,研究了常见重金属(Cu、Pb、Zn、Cd)对禾谷镰刀菌菌株生长及其毒素合成的影响。研究结果表明,重金属对菌株的生长和其产毒能力均产生影响。Cu~(2+)和Cd~(2+)对菌株生长影响较大,随着浓度的增加对生长的抑制作用增强,当离子浓度分别为20 mg·L~(-1)和40 mg·L~(-1)时,能够完全抑制菌株生长。Zn~(2+)在0~160 mg·L~(-1)浓度范围内促进菌株生长,在10 mg·L~(-1)浓度下促进毒素合成。Pb~(2+)在察氏培养基中对菌株生长的影响没有明显规律可循,但是,随着Pb~(2+)浓度增加,抑制毒素合成作用增强。     

Estimate of zearalenone exposure through the intake of white and brown rice in the Korean population

Rice samples (n = 482) harvested for 2010–2012 in South Korea were analyzed for zearalenone content by high-performance liquid chromatography and fluorescence detection. The exposure of the Korean populations was assessed by a deterministic approach. Because the proportion of non-detectable results was >80% in white rice but less than <60% in brown rice, the zearalenone levels for white rice were reported as 0.52 µg kg^?1 as lower bound and 2.54 µg kg^?1 as upper bound, while for brown rice the middle bound value was 13.9 µg kg^?1. The average dietary intake of zearalenone from white and brown rice by the Korean population was estimated to be 1.5 ng kg^?1 body weight (bw) day^?1 each. For heavy consumers, the average intakes were 18.5 and 10.1 ng kg^?1 bw day^?1, respectively. The age groups with the highest zearalenone intake were 1–2-year-old children for white rice and 3–6-year-old children for brown rice. Overall, the dietary exposure of the Korean population to zearalenone from white and brown rice was found to be lower than the provisional maximum tolerable daily intake of 0.5 μg kg^?1 bw day^?1.     

Deactivation of mycotoxins. I. An in vitro study of zearalenone adsorption on new polymeric adsorbents

Abstract

This study describes the elimination of zearalenone concentrations in vitro using two new polymeric forms of cross‐linked polyvinylpyrrolidone (cryogels of cross‐linked PVP). Adsorption of zearalenone was studied under isothermal conditions and simulating pH of intestinal environment. A Freundlich isotherm was used to describe the adsorption data obtained. The results showed significant decrease of zearalenone concentrations, ranging from 33.5–66.2 % per 25 mg of polymer. Adsorption capacity (k) was estimated to be higher than that of previously tested adsorbents, including crospovidone. The data indicate the need to investigate structure peculiarities in order to improve mycotoxin deactivation procedures using PVP derivatives.     

玉米赤霉烯酮暴露导致的秀丽隐杆线虫生殖及发育毒性的世代间比较

利用模式生物秀丽隐杆线虫(Caenorhabditis elegans,C.elegans)对玉米赤霉烯酮(zearalenone,ZEN)暴露导致的生殖、发育缺陷在世代间的可传递性进行了研究。对亲代染毒,后代断毒恢复,实验结果显示,ZEN暴露导致的体长发育缺陷可在线虫后代中得到恢复,而生殖毒性可产生严重缺陷,且这种缺陷在后代中没有明显的恢复。通过多代持续染毒实验,发现ZEN对亲代P0、子一代F1和子二代F2线虫产生的生殖和发育毒性存在差异,其毒性作用强度为P0F2F1。线虫世代之间的发育缺陷和生殖缺陷表现出逐代修复的规律,但修复程度不同,推测与线虫自身修复的复杂应激活动有关。     

The influence of deoxynivalenol and zearalenone on steroid hormone production by porcine ovarian granulosa cells in vitro

Fusarium mycotoxins deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZEA) are frequently occurring in feed of pigs together. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible in vitro effects of DON and ZEA, alone or their combination on steroid secretion of porcine ovarian granulosa cells (GCs). A species-specific model with porcine ovarian GCs was used to study the potential endocrine disrupting effects of DON and ZEA alone and in co-exposure. Progesterone (P4) and estradiol (E2) were determined by radioimmunoassay (RIA) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The results of this study demonstrate that DON alone at the higher concentrations may act to stimulate P4 (at 1,000, 2,000, 3,000 and 5,000 ng mL^?1 but not 10 and 100 ng mL^?1) and E2 (at 2,000, 3,000 and 5,000 ng mL^?1 but not 10, 100 and 1000 ng mL^?1) secretion. The effects of ZEA on P4 and E2 secretion were not confirmed. DON in combination with the other fusariotoxin ZEA may impair steroidogenesis. Results aslo demonstrate different toxicological effects of fusariotoxins on follicle stimulating hormone-induced secretion of P4 and E2. All these results taken together suggest that fusariotoxin and their interactions can impact ovarian steroidogenesis, thereby demonstrating their potential reproductive effects in pigs.     

Development of enterosorbents that can be added to food and water to reduce toxin exposures during disasters

Humans and animals can be exposed to mixtures of chemicals from food and water, especially during disasters such as extended droughts, hurricanes and floods. Drought stress facilitates the occurrence of mycotoxins such as aflatoxins B₁ (AfB₁) and zearalenone (ZEN), while hurricanes and floods can mobilize toxic soil and sediments containing important pesticides (such as glyphosate). To address this problem in food, feed and water, we developed broad-acting, clay-based enterosorbents that can reduce toxin exposures when included in the diet. In this study, we processed sodium and calcium montmorillonite clays with high concentrations of sulfuric acid to increase surface areas and porosities, and conducted equilibrium isothermal analyses and dosimetry studies to derive binding parameters and gain insight into: (1) surface capacities and affinities, (2) potential mechanisms of sorption, (3) thermodynamics (enthalpy) of toxin/surface interactions and (4) estimated dose of sorbent required to maintain toxin threshold limits. We have also used a toxin-sensitive living organism (Hydra vulgaris) to predict the safety and efficacy of newly developed sorbents. Our results indicated that acid processed montmorillonites were effective sorbents for AfB₁, ZEN and glyphosate, with high capacity and tight binding, and effectively protected hydra against individual toxins, as well as mixtures of mycotoxins.