Harvested longan (Dimocarpus longan Lour.) fruit are susceptible to decay caused by both bacterial and fungal infections. Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a kind of mycotoxin produced by a number of fungi. In this study, OTA was extracted from longan fruit pulp by 80% methanol and then loaded on C-18 solid-phase extraction columns. The extract solution was then analyzed by high-performance liquid chromato...

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a nephrotoxic mycotoxin with carcinogenic properties. Its presence was detected in various foodstuffs all over the world but with significantly higher frequency and concentrations in areas with endemic nephropathy (EN). Even though food is often contaminated with more than one mycotoxin, earlier studies focused on the occurrence and toxicology of only OTA. Only a limited n...

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a thermostable mycotoxin that contaminates a great variety of foodstuffs. It is nephrotoxic in all of the mammalian species tested, the pig being the most sensitive one; among rodents, rats are the most susceptible to OTA carcinogenicity. Kinetics, by studying the absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of xenobiotics, is an important tool in the extrapolation o...

Ochratoxin A (OTA) was extracted from 84 rice samples and rice products by using accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) and analysed with liquid chromatography coupled with fluorescence detection. Samples were collected from rice cultivars, local markets and supermarkets; 64 were of non-organic and 20 of organic production. 7.8% of non-organic samples had OTA levels from 4.3 to 27.3 microg/kg and...

This review addresses the unresolved aetiology of several nephropathies and associated upper tract tumours diagnosed all over the world, but especially in the Balkan regions. Studies conducted over the last 35 years point to mycotoxins, mainly ochratoxin A (OTA) as the main culprit. Recent theories however have implicated aristolochic acids (AA). The aim of this review is to put forward argumen...

In vineyards the presence of certain fungi may lead to the production of the mycotoxin ochratoxin A (OTA) and subsequent contamination of grapes and wine. Furthermore, winery wastewaters contaminated with OTA may represent an environmental hazard. Therefore, it is imperative to assess the fate of this mycotoxin in conventional wastewater treatment systems. The aim of the present work was to ass...

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are a promising solution to reduce exposure to dietary mycotoxins because of the unique mycotoxin decontaminating characteristic of some LAB. Ochratoxin A (OTA) is one of the most prominent mycotoxins found in agricultural commodities. The present work reports on the ability of Pediococcus parvulus strains that were isolated from Douro wines that spontaneously underwe...

Mycotoxins are microbial agents which cause food or feed-borne intoxications. Mycotoxins are undesireable compounds often found in cereal grains and forages. Production of mycotoxins is dependent on environmental conditions and agricultural practices. Moisture level ranges between 13% to 18% and temperatures between 20 C and 30 C can increase fungal growth rate during growing seasons as well as...

Fifty samples of artisan salami purchased in Veneto (Italy) were analysed for the determination of ochratoxin A (OTA). The analytical method, based on a sample preparation procedure with immunoaffinity columns (IACs), together with analysis by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FD), has guaranteed a high rate of recovery (about 97%), limit of detection (LOD...

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a mycotoxin produced by several fungi. Many foods can be contaminated by OTA, which is consequently found in the blood of humans and animals. It is known that OTA accumulates in the brain. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of OTA on the brain. For this purpose, the effect of OTA on N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor subunits 2A (NR2A) and 2B (NR2B) in ...