Deoxynivalenol [HRP]

A mycotoxicological survey was conducted in breakfast (n = 172) and infant (n = 43) cereals commercialized in Brazil. Samples were collected in 2018 for analyses of: aflatoxins (AFs) B-1 (AFB1), B-2, G(1) and G(2); fumonisins (FBs) B-1 (FB1) and B-2; zearalenone (ZEN); the trichothecenes (TRCs) deoxynivalenol (DON), T-2 toxin, HT-2 toxin, nivalenol, fusarenon X, 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol, 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol and diacetoxyscirpenol; and ochratoxin A. FBI was the most prevalent metabolite in breakfast cereals, being detected in 26.7% of the samples (mean 105 mu g/kg); ZEN had the second highest positivity, 14.8% (mean 17 mu g/kg), followed by DON with 10% (mean 44 mu g/kg). In infant cereals, FBI also had the highest incidence, 27.8% (mean 55 mu g/kg), followed by DON with 10.3% (mean 36 mu g/kg) and ZEN with 6.9% (mean 3 mu g/kg). Mycotoxins contamination was found in 31.4% (n = 54) of the breakfast cereals and in 18.6% (n = 8) of the infant cereals. In these positive samples, co-occurrence of two or three mycotoxins was detected in 31.5% (n = 17) of the breakfast cereals and in 25% (n = 2) of the infant cereals. The mycotoxins found co-contaminating the breakfast cereals belong to the genera Aspergillus and Fusarium; ZEN, followed by AFRI, were the most prevalent ones. As for the infant cereals, the associated fungal metabolites are produced by the genus Fusarium; the highest incidence was seen for ZEN. Low contamination and positivity of mycotoxins were found herein; nonetheless, in some samples these substances were present at levels which transgress those preconized in the Brazilian legislation. Therefore, mycotoxicological monitoring of this type of product throughout the nation is crucial in order to identify the potential risk to which the Brazilian population is exposed, particularly the children.

Soil macroarthropods are organisms considered as key factors to sustain soil quality and sustainability due to their services to soil ecosystem. The community structure and seasonal variation of soil macroarthropods in 5-year cultivation of green manure plant species in the Brazilian semi-arid, Areia, Paraiba, Brazil were investigated between June and December 2018. Soil samples and macroarthropod specimens were collected using soil cores and Provid-type traps, respectively, during rainy and dry seasons. We characterized both soil chemical properties and macroarthropod community under ten green manure plant species:Brachiaria decumbensStapf. cv. Basilisk, Canavalia ensiformis(L.) DC,Crotalaria junceaL.,Crotalaria ochroleucaG. Don,Crotalaria spectabilisRoth,Lablab purpureus(L.) Sweet,Mucuna pruriens(L.) DC.,Neonotonia wightii(Wight & Arn.) J.A. Lackey,Pennisetum glaucumL., andStilozobium aterrimumPiper & Tracy. The highest values of richness, diversity and dominance in the macroarthropod community during the rainy season were found on the plots whereC. spectabilisandM. prurienswere cultivated, whereas during the dry season the highest values were found in the plots whereC. ochroleuca,C. spectabilis, andS. aterrimumwere cultivated. In the plots whereB. decumbensandP. glaucumwhere cultivated, we found lower values of richness, diversity, and dominance in the macroarthropod community compared to the leguminous plant species during rainy and dry seasons. Our findings suggest that: 1) green manure practice and seasonality changed soil macroarthropod community, trophic structure, and ecological processes in semi-arid conditions; and 2) abundance of predators, ecosystem engineers, decomposers and herbivores was promoted by plant species from Fabaceae family. The results highlight the importance to consider plant species from Fabaceae family as habitat and food resources for soil fauna community.