T-2/HT-2 toxin

Chemical formula for T-2 toxin, C24H34O9
Molecular Weight: 466.53 g/mol Chemical formula for HT-2 toxin, C22H32O8
Molecular Weight: 424.48 g/mol

T-2 toxin and HT-2 toxin are mycotoxins of the group trichothecenes type A produced by fungi of the Fusarium genus. As T-2 toxin is readily metabolized to HT-2 toxin and T-2-and HT-2 toxin often occur together in infected cereals, these two mycotoxins are frequently analyzed together.

The combination of T-2 and HT-2 affects many plants, particularly cereal crops and feed materials such as maize, wheat, barley, milo, corn gluten feed, corn gluten meal, corn DDGS and bran. If the diseased grains are consumed, these mycotoxins can cause illnesses in both animals and people. Animals affected by the toxins include swine, dairy cattle, poultry, dogs, cats and horses. Effects of the toxins include digestive disorders, hemorrhage, edema, oral lesions, dermatitis, and blood disorders. T-2 toxin is the principal causal toxin in the human disease alimentary toxic aleukia.

With the growing awareness of food safety in recent years, the European Union issued recommendations in 2013 on the maximum levels of both of these toxins in food and animal feed. An exact and reliable analysis of the grains is necessary in order to able to comply with these EU guide values.

A list of currently available CD T-2/HT-2 toxin products can be downloaded here.