Grape berries attacked by Lobesia botrana larvae are more easily infected by Aspergillus section Nigri (black aspergilli) ochratoxigenic species. Two-year field trials were carried out in Apulia (Italy) to evaluate a bioinsecticide control strategy against L. botrana and the indirect effect on reducing ochratoxin A (OTA) contamination in vineyards. A commercial Bacillus thuringiensis formulate...

Ochratoxin A (OTA) exposure via ingestion and inhalation has been described in the literature to cause kidney disease in both animals and humans. This paper reviews Ochratoxin A and its relationship to human health and kidney disease with a focus on a possible association with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) in humans. Prevention and treatment strategies for OTA-induced illness are al...

The main source of ochratoxin A (OTA) in the wine food chain is the infection of grapes by "black aspergilli" in the field. OTA-producing black aspergilli include principally Aspergillus carbonarius, followed by A. niger and possibly A. tubingensis. They are opportunistic fungi that develop particularly on damaged berries at ripening, although they may occur and form OTA on grapes from veraison...

We report a single, reliable, non-invasive analytical method for monitoring the fetal level of exposure to different mycotoxins. We assessed by tandem mass spectrometry levels up to 200 nanog/l for ochratoxin A and 500 nanog/l for aflatoxins in sample of serum (n= 71), urine (n= 18) and amniotic fluid (n= 21) of pregnant women. Aflatoxin G1 was present in one sample of serum (3.48 microg/l) and...

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by filamentous fungi that cause a toxic response when ingested by animals or man. Demand of natural fur, such as those from rabbit and chinchilla, produced under controlled conditions, has increased worldwide. The toxicogenic mycoflora contaminating feeds for these animals was enumerated and identified. Six of the major mycotoxins implicated in anim...

A high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for determination of ochratoxin A (OTA) in wine was developed and checked on 14 samples of wine produced in the Republic of Croatia. OTA detection in red and white wine was validated checking the linearity of the method (r2=0.997 and 0.999, respectively), recovery (88 and 95 %, respectively), and precision (RSD=3.1 and 1.4 %, respectively)....

Toxic effects of mycotoxins are still an unresolved subject for health of humans and animals. Therefore, several methods has been created to determine and eliminate mycotoxins from foodstuffs, and also are developing. For instance, utilization of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) when are combined with different analytical tools is one of the developing methods which could be useful for extraction ...

The effect of zinc, copper, and iron levels on production of ochratoxin A by Aspergillus ochraceus Wilhelm in a synthetic medium in a shake culture was investigated. Optimal concentrations of ZnSO(4), CuSO(4), and FeCl(3) for ochratoxin A production were 0.055 to 2.2 mg/liter, 0.004 to 0.04 mg/liter, and 1.2 to 24 mg/liter, respectively. Zinc and copper levels greater than optimum reduced the r...

Results The disease mainly affects males from poor socio-economic backgrounds who are involved in paddy farming . Mild proteinuria was present but urinary sediments were normal. Renal biopsies were reported as interstitial nephritis. Significant predictors of kidney disease in these patients included age, history of smoking, being under treatment for hypertension and drinking well water in the ...

The use of moulds as a seasoning for sausage can have both desirable and undesirable consequences. The desirable consequences are the creation of a successful product that appeals to consumers. The undesirable consequences are due to the growth of undesirable moulds that produce highly toxic secondary metabolites referred to as mycotoxins. The aim of the paper was to investigate the presence of...