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The correlation between the occurrence of four enniatins (ENA, ENA1, ENB, and ENB1) and beauvericin (BEA) and the weather parameters during anthesis and preharvest period was studied in 97 wheat samples collected in 2014 and 2015 across three counties from central and south Romania (Braşov, Dâmboviţa, and Teleorman). The highest mean values of ENA (16.1 μg kg −1 ) and ENB (147.1 μg kg −1 ) were measured in the samples from Braşov county in the harvest year 2015, whereas for ENA1 and ENB1 the highest means (55.2 μg kg −1 , and 108.0 μg kg −1 , respectively) were noted in samples from Teleorman county in 2014. Statistically significant differences ( P < 0.05) were identified between ENA1 and ENB1 and the harvest year, coupled with a strong correlation with the weather parameters (ENA1: r s = 0.8745 and r s = 0.9326; ENB1: r s = 0.7814 and r s = 0.8909, for temperature and precipitation, respectively). Principal component analysis revealed that the influence of weather parameters on emerging mycotoxin concentrations in wheat samples varied by region. This study showed that the presence and levels of emerging mycotoxins are related to weather parameters from the respective Romanian region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the presence of fourteen Fusarium mycotoxins, legislated by the European Union – deoxynivalenol, zearalenone, HT-2 and T-2 toxins (EC/1881/2006; 2013/165/EU), or non-legislated (five trichothecens and five “emerging” mycotoxins), was evaluated in 31 whole unprocessed wheat samples and 35 white wheat flour samples from different areas of Romania. For this purpose, a validated multi-mycotoxins liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method was applied. Seventy three percent of the analyzed samples contained at least one mycotoxin. The highest occurrence was for enniatin B, 71% of the analyzed samples being positive (21–407 μg kg −1 ). Regarding the legislated mycotoxins, deoxynivalenol was detected in 14% (111–1787 μg kg −1 ) of the samples, while zearalenone was detected in 9% (51–1135 μg kg −1 ). Only one sample was positive for neosolaniol. Concerning the co-occurrence, 42% of the samples were contaminated with two to five mycotoxins, the most frequent being the binary or tertiary combinations of enniatins. This is the first study applied to Romanian wheat grains and flour samples using a high sensitive multi-mycotoxins method, and which included also “emerging” mycotoxins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the influence of weather conditions on mycotoxin presence in wheat, deoxynivalenol (DON), 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol (3AcDON), 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol (15AcDON), fusarenon-X (FUS-X), nivalenol (NIV), HT-2 toxin (HT-2), T-2 toxin (T-2), diacetoxyscirpenol (DAS), neosolaniol (NEO) and zearalenone (ZEN) were evaluated in 102 Romanian wheat samples coming from five wheat growing areas during 2015. Only six mycotoxins were detected, while FUS-X, DAS, NEO and NIV were not present in the wheat samples. Mycotoxin concentrations were correlated with precipitation and temperature values during anthesis and the preharvest period. Overall, the highest frequency was registered for DON, while the lowest frequency was registered for NIV. In the North Muntenia, DON and ZEN registered high frequencies (68% and 16%, respectively). This region was characterized in June and July by medium to high values of rainfall (41⁻100 mm/month) and normal temperatures (mean of 20.0 °C in June and 24.0 °C in July), suggesting that precipitation levels influence fungi and mycotoxin development to a greater extent compared to the influence of temperature.