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Mycotoxin Contaminants of Walnuts - Preliminary Studies
 
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1
Faculty of Health Sciences, Pope John Paul II State School of Higher Education in Biała Podlaska, Poland
 
2
Innovation Research Centre, Pope John Paul II State School of Higher Education in Biała Podlaska, Poland
 
3
Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland
 
 
Submission date: 2021-01-28
 
 
Final revision date: 2021-04-30
 
 
Acceptance date: 2021-06-15
 
 
Online publication date: 2021-11-18
 
 
Publication date: 2021-12-23
 
 
Corresponding author
Małgorzata Tokarska-Rodak   

Faculty of Health Sciences, Pope John Paul II State School of Higher Education in Biała Podlaska, Sidorska 95-97, 21-500, Biała Podlaska, Poland
 
 
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2022;31(1):493-498
 
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ABSTRACT
Mycotoxins are important indicators of product quality. They show various levels of toxicity, and contaminated food can cause acute, sub-acute, or chronic food poisoning and exert a negative effect on human health. The aim of the study was to determine the concentration of selected mycotoxins: total aflatoxins, aflatoxin B1, ochratoxin A, fumonisin, T-2/HT-2 toxins, and zearalenone in walnuts collected in private household gardens in Lublin Province. Walnut (in shells) were collected in June/July 2020. The material, i.e. 38 walnut samples from autumn harvest in 2019, was donated for the analyses voluntarily. Quantitative tests ELISA were used to detect the presence of mycotoxins in the edible part of the nuts. Over 86% of the walnut samples were found to exceed the maximum residue levels for the total aflatoxin concentration (4 μg/kg) for tree nuts intended for human consumption or used as an ingredient in food products. The concentration of aflatoxin B1 exceeded the allowable level of 2 μg/kg in over 65% of the samples. In addition to aflatoxins, two other mycotoxins (ochratoxin A and T-2/HT-2) were detected in over 28% of the samples, three compounds (ochratoxin A, fumonisin, and T-2/HT-2) - in 15.8% of the samples, and ochratoxin A, T-2/HT-2, and zearalenone were contained in 10.5% of the samples. Aflatoxin is the most common fungal contaminant of walnuts however other mycotoxins, may be identified in this product as well. Potentially they all exert an unfavorable impact on consumer health..
eISSN:2083-5906
ISSN:1230-1485
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