NATURAL OCCURRENCE OF MYCOTOXINS IN CEREALS FROM MAZANDARAN AND GOLESTAN PROVINCES

Bakground-Aflatoxins (AF) and ochratoxin A (OA) are two toxic substances produced by specific types of fungi. Many reports consider them as carcinogens and nephropathogens, respectively. Objective-The aim of this study was to present the natural occurrence of AF and OA in some important foodstuffs in the southern Caspian littoral. Methods-Fourteen barley and nine corn samples, intended for animal feed, were collected from Golestan and Mazandaran provinces, northern Iran, and were analyzed for AF and OA by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Results-In corn samples, aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and aflatoxin B2 (AFB2) were detected in 8 (88.8%) and 6 (66.6%) samples at a mean level of 15.83 and 2.99 ppb (median 1.72 and 1 ppb) respectively. Only one of the AF-contaminated corn samples was co-contaminated with OA at a concentration of 0.35 ppb. Neither AF nor OA were found in any of the barley samples. Conclusion-This study was the first report on natural occurrence of OA and its cooccurrence with AF in the corn samples of northern Iran. Although our findings showed a low level of AF and OA, we recommend a periodical survey to be conducted on the natural occurrence of mycotoxins in cereals from the Caspian littoral.