Ecological and technological factors influencing the distribution of toxin producing micromycetes on oats and their products

Lithuanian University of Agriculture, Studentų 11, LT-53361 Kaunas, Akademija, Lithuania. E-mail: [email protected] The article deals with investigation of micromycetes detected on oats grown for food and fodder under climatic conditions of Lithuania. Attention is focused on the oat varieties that are popular in Lithuania and whose grain is used for producing oat flakes and other products. The distribution of micromycetes spread on oats grown in various regions of Lithuania was investigated in 2003–2005. During the study period, fungi of Alternaria, Fusarium, Cladosporium, Drechslera, Penicillium, Aspergillus, Acremonium, Rhizopus and Rhizomucor prevailed on oats. Fungal contamination of grain brought to a processing factory increased, and fungi mentioned above also prevailed. More evident changes in fungal contamination were noted during grain processing where strong mechanical and thermal factors acted. The highest amounts of micromycetes on oats were associated with oat shells and debris. The contamination was high indoors of a processing plant. Fungi most widely spread on processed oat grain and products belonged to the genera Fusarium, Alternaria, Penicillium, Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Rhizopus, etc. Toxin assessment revealed that fungi growing on oats produced toxins such as nivalenole, T-2 toxin, zearalenone, aflatoxin β1, ochratoxins, patulin and rugulosine.