Levels of ochratoxin A in blood from Norwegian and Swedish blood donors and their possible correlation with food consumption.

Blood levels of ochratoxin A were determined in 406 Scandinavian blood donors (206 from Oslo, Norway, and 200 from Visby on the island of Gotland, Sweden), using an HPLC method. In connection with the blood collection, the subjects were asked to fill in a food questionnaire to obtain individual dietary information relevant to ochratoxin A exposure. The mean plasma level of ochratoxin A was 0.

Ochratoxin A in rice cultivars after inoculation of Penicillium verrucosum.

The natural occurrence of ochratoxin A in grain samples of 23 rice cultivars was in the range 0.01-1.0 ng g(-1) rice.

Intermediates in the penicillic acid biosynthesis in Penicillium cyclopium.

Feeding experiments using 14C-labelled precurosrs demonstrate the following sequence of the biological formation of penicillic acid in Penicillium cyclopium: orsellinic acid leads to 2-O-methylorsellinic acid leads to 1,4-dihydroxy-6-methoxy-2-methylbenzene leads 6-methoxy-2-methyl-benzoquinone(1,4)leads to penicillic acid.