Ergot sclerotia and ergot alkaloids occurrence in wheat and rye grains produced in Croatia

• Published in: Veterinarska stanica Vol. 53; no. 5; pp. 503 - 511
• Main Authors: Zadravec, Manuela, Vasilj, Višnja, Petrović, Danijela, Cvetnić, Luka, Škrivanko, Mario, Kudumija, Nina, Pleadin, Jelka
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 09.02.2022
• ISSN: 0350-7149; 1849-1170
• DOI: 10.46419/vs.53.5.14

Ergot alkaloids (EAs) are mycotoxins produced by several species of fungi of the genus Claviceps , among which Claviceps purpurea is the most widespread in Europe. This species has been found in many economically important cereal grains, such as rye, wheat, triticale, barley, millet and oats. The distribution of EAs contamination has a sporadic incidence with many factors involved in its occurrence, greatly varying between fungal strains, geographic regions, host plants and regional/local weather conditions, at the same time emphasizing that cool, damp weather favours ergot by enhancing the germination of sclerotia. The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of ergot sclerotia and EAs in wheat and rye grain samples (n = 64) taken during the year 2021 from Croatian cereal producers located in the Central and Eastern parts of Croatia. In two of the rye samples the presence of ergot sclerotia was detected in the amount of 259 mg/kg and 536 mg/kg, whereas none of the wheat samples tested positive for ergot sclerotia. A higher contamination with EAs was determined in the rye samples (18% contaminated, max 167.4 µg/kg), while a lower frequency of contamination, with only one positive sample (1.9 %), was determined in wheat (68.5 µg/kg). The results pointed to a low-level of EAs contamination of wheat and rye cultivated by Croatian producers during the whole investigative period. However, although a low percentage of the positive tested rye samples with EAs was determined, the content of ergot sclerotia in two of the samples was higher than is allowed by legislation for foodstuffs. Because the levels of these mycotoxins and ergot sclerotia content can vary depending on a number of factors, further research of them is required over a longer period of time and under different cereal cultivation and processing conditions. Ergot alkaloidi (EA) su mikotoksini koje proizvodi nekoliko vrsta gljivica iz roda Claviceps , među kojima je Claviceps purpurea najraširenija u Europi. Ova vrsta je pronađena u mnogim ekonomski važnim žitaricama, kao što su raž, pšenica, tritikal, ječam, proso i zob. Distribucija kontaminacije EA ima sporadičnu pojavu, s mnogo čimbenika koji su uključeni u njihovu pojavu, uvelike varirajući između sojeva gljivica, geografskih regija, biljaka domaćina i regionalnog vremena, što ukazuje da hladno i vlažno vrijeme pogoduje ergotu tako što potiče klijanje sklerocija. Cilj ovog istraživanja bio je istražiti pojavu ergot sklerocija i EA u uzorcima pšenice i raži ( n =64) uzetim tijekom 2021. godine od hrvatskih proizvođača žitarica u središnjoj i istočnoj Hrvatskoj. U dva uzorka raži utvrđena je prisutnost ergot sklerocija u količini od 259 mg/kg i 536 mg/kg. U niti jednom uzorku pšenice nije pronađen ergot sklerocij. Veća kontaminacija sa EA utvrđena je u uzorcima raži (18 % kontaminirano, max 167,4 µg/kg), dok je manja učestalost kontaminacije, sa samo jednim pozitivnim uzorkom (1,9 %), utvrđena u pšenici (68,5 µg/kg). Rezultati su ukazali na nisku razinu kontaminacije sa EA pšenice i raži koje su uzgojili hrvatski proizvođači tijekom cijelog istraživanog razdoblja. Međutim, iako je utvrđen nizak postotak pozitivno testiranih uzoraka raži na EA, sadržaj ergot sklerocija u dva uzorka bio je veći nego što je to zakonodavstvom dopušteno za hranu. Budući da razine tih mikotoksina i ergot sklerocija mogu varirati ovisno o brojnim čimbenicima, potrebno je njihovo daljnje istraživanje tijekom dužeg vremenskog razdoblja i pod različitim uvjetima uzgoja i obrade žitarica.