Effects of moulds on the safety and processing quality of Triticum aestivum

Abstract

Wheat and wheat products are frequently subjected to mould infestations. Many of them are potential producers of various mycotoxins. Some of the consequences, due to the infestations by genus Fusarium and Alternaria, are mostly: yield loss, decrease of biological and technological quality, and unacceptable quality of infected kernels for the production and processing into human food because of the possible presence of mycotoxins. It is unknown whether and how the contaminated grains are distributed during milling into various flour streams and finished products. Wholegrain flours and related products contain all anatomic parts of kernels, including mycotoxins. It is a known fact that mycotoxins are resistant to thermal degradation, so they do not loose their toxicity during processing. Moulds from genus Fusarium spp. and Alternaria spp. synthesize mycotoxins, mostly zearalenon and ochratoxin A. The aim of the investigation was to examine mould contamination of wheat grain, as well as to identify the isolated species, especially those capable of producing toxins, and to determine their impact on technological quality, safety and sanitary condition of wheat. Six varieties of wheat, contaminated with moulds, were investigated. Each sample was separated manually into four fractions: sound kernels, black germ kernels, kernels infected slightly and those infected severely with Fusarium spp.Psenica i preradjevine od nje namenjene humanoj ishrani veoma cesto podlozne su infekciji razlicitih plesni. Mnogi od njih su potencijalni producenti siroke lepeze mikotoksina. Kao posledica napada plesni iz rodova Fusarium i Alternaria vecinom su gubici u prinosu, pad bioloskog i tehnoloskog kvaliteta, nepodobnost inficiranih zrna za proizvodnju i preradu u ljudsku hranu zbog eventualnog sadrzaja mikotoksina. Nepoznato je kako i da li se kontaminirana zrna plesnima odvajaju u mlinskoj cistionici i rasporedjuju u odredjene tipove brasna, kao i u finalne proizvode. Integralno brasno i proizvodi od njega sadrze sve anatomske delove zrna, samim tim i mikotoksine. Poznato je da su mikotoksini izrazito termostabilni i ne gube toksicnost pri termickoj obradi, odnosno proizvodnji finalnih proizvoda. Plesni iz rodova Fusarium spp i Alternaria spp sintetisu u zrnu zita mikotoksine i to vecinom zeralenon i ohratoksin A. Cilj ispitivanja je bio da se utvrdi prisustvo plesni u psenicnim zrnima. Posebno je vazno da se izvrsi identifikacija izolovanih vrsta i to pre svega toksigenih vrsta kao i da se odredi njihov uticaj na tehnoloski kvalitet i zdravstveno bezbednu ispravnost psenice. Ispitano je sest sorti psenice kontaminiranih plesnima i svi uzorci su senzorno razdvojeni na cetiri frakcije zrna: zdrava, tamnoklicna, malo i jako fuzariozna.