Fusarium toxins in wheat from an area in Henan Province, PR China, with a previous human red mould intoxication episode

Wheat samples of the 1998 and 1999 crops from Puyang, an area in Henan Province, PR China with a previous human red mould intoxication episode, were analysed for trichothecenes and zearalenone (ZEA). For the 1998 Puyang crop, deoxynivalenol (DON) was the predominant toxin detected abundantly and frequently at a level of up to 14000 μgkg-1 (mean 2850 μgkg-1) in 30 of 31 (97%) wheat samples. Among these were 21 (70%) with a DON level that exceeded the Chinese regulation of 1000 μgkg-1. Nivalenol (NIV) and 15-acetyl-DON (15-ADON) were also found at 578 μgkg-1 (one sample) and 59–1800 μgkg-1 (mean 365 μgkg-1, 20 samples), respectively. ZEA co-occurred in 21 samples at 9–1400 μgkg-1 (mean 209 μgkg-1). Twenty-five (89%) wheat samples from Zhumadian, a region without a history of human red mould intoxication in the same province, contained low levels of DON (53–1240, mean 223 μgkg-1) with seven (25%) co-contaminated with ZEA (10–217, mean 108 μgkg-1). All were free from 15-ADON and NIV. Significant differences in DON, 15-ADON and ZEA concentrations between both areas were found. DON (<1000 μgkg-1) and ZEA (5–113 μgkg-1) were also detected in the 1999 Puyang wheat. Proper environmental conditions for Fusarium species surviving winter combined with unusual high precipitation during wheat flowering were responsible for a high concentration of Fusarium mycotoxins in the 1998 Puyang wheat.