Mycotoxin, fruit toxicity

Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by fungi growing within or on foods. They can be a serious threat to human and animal health (Nagler el al., 2001). Table 11.4 details mycotoxins associated with soft drinks and fruit juice manufacture and raw materials. Patulin is the most common mycotoxin associated with fruit juice, particular ly apple juice (Pitt Hocking, 1997). It commonly occurs if juice is produced from stored apples. Mould growth in infected apples increases with time, raising levels of patulin. The use of windfall apples for juice is also a factor. Avoidance of windfall apples, filtration of juice and pressing quickly after harvest are all methods to reduce the incidence of patulin in juice. Patulin can be destroyed by fermentation to cider or by the addition of ascorbic acid (Marth, 1992). Within Europe, the European Union has set a limit of 50 ig/kg for patulin in both apple juice and cider. A recent survey of apple products in Chile found that 28% of samples of juice and concentrate exceeded this limit (Canas Aranda, 1996). 

Mycotoxins are toxic chemical metabolic products produced by microscopic mold fungi that colonize cereal crops, fruits, and vegetables and some of them exhibit carcinogenic and mutagenic properties. The allowed maximum levels in foodstuffs are very low and exhaustive exU action, preconcentration, and clean-up processes are required to attain the desired sensitivity. The alternative of ED (amperometric detection) combined with HPLC can be useful to simplify the detection of such low concentration levels. However, it has been used rarely for the analysis of these compounds in food because many of these compounds can be elecfrochemically oxidized or reduced at extreme potentials. Visconti et al [144], analyzed... 

The mycotoxin ochratoxin A (AAA) (7), which is a possible human carcinogen, continues to receive extensive attention due to its presence in a myriad of foods and beverages (1520, 1521) and its well-established toxicity (teratogenicity, mutagenicity, immunotoxicity, genotoxicity, and carcinogenicity) (1522-1524). Major sources of ochratoxin A are grapes, must, and wine (1525-1533), cereals (1534), beer (1535,1536), dried fruit (1537), roasted coffee (1538), and cocoa products and chocolate (1539). 

Mycotoxins are highly toxic compounds produced by fungi. Thus, in fruit juices several mycotoxins... 

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