Quantitative PCR (qPCR) for estimating the presence of and its mycotoxins in barley grains.

Members within the species complex (FSAMSC) are able to produce mycotoxins, such as deoxynivalenol (DON), nivalenol (NIV), zearalenone (ZEN) and enniatins (ENNs) in food products. Consequently, alternative methods for assessing the levels of these mycotoxins are relevant for quick decision-making. In this context, qPCR based on key mycotoxin biosynthetic genes could aid in determining the toxigenic fungal biomass, and could therefore infer mycotoxin content.

Fate and Behavior of Field-Applied Pesticides during Malting and Mashing Processes.

The present work aimed to study the fate of field-applied pesticides during malting and mashing processes. Twenty-four field-collected barley samples were subject to micromalting followed by lab-scale mashing to investigate the carryover of residual pesticides from barley to malt and then from malt to sweet wort. The citrate-buffered QuEChERS sample preparation method was adapted for simultaneous determination of 57 pesticide residues in grain, malt, spent grains, and sweet wort samples using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectroscopy (UPLC-MS/MS).

Wild rice (O. latifolia) from natural ecosystems in the Pantanal region of Brazil: Host to Fusarium incarnatum-equiseti species complex and highly contaminated by zearalenone.

We assessed the mycobiota diversity and mycotoxin levels present in wild rice (Oryza latifolia) from the Pantanal region of Brazil; fundamental aspects of which are severely understudied as an edible plant from a natural ecosystem. We found multiple fungal species contaminating the rice samples; the most frequent genera being Fusarium, Nigrospora and Cladosporium (35.9%, 26.