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Ergot alkaloids (EAs) are mycotoxins produced by several species of fungi of the genus Claviceps, among which Claviceps purpurea is the most widespread in Europe. This species has been found in many economically important cereal grains, such as rye, wheat, triticale, barley, millet and oats. The distribution of EA contamination has a sporadic incidence, with many factors involved in its occurrence, greatly varying between fungal strains, geographic regions, host plants and regional/local weather conditions. Cool, damp weather favours ergot by enhancing the germination of sclerotia. The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of ergot sclerotia and EAs in wheat and rye grain samples (n = 64) collected during 2021 from Croatian cereal producers in central and eastern Croatia. In two rye samples, the presence of ergot sclerotia was detected in the amount of 259 mg/kg and 536 mg/kg, whereas no wheat samples tested positive for ergot sclerotia. A higher contamination with EAs was determined in the rye samples (18% contaminated; max 167.4 μg/kg), while a lower frequency of contamination was determined in wheat, with only one positive sample (1.9%; 68.5 μg/kg). The results indicate low-level EA contamination of wheat and rye cultivated by Croatian producers during the study period. However, despite the low incidence of positive rye samples with EAs, the contents of ergot sclerotia in two samples were higher than permitted by the legislation for foodstuffs. Since the levels of these mycotoxins and ergot sclerotia content can vary depending on a number of factors, further research is required over a longer period of time and under different cereal cultivation and processing conditions. ; Ergot-alkaloidi (EA) su mikotoksini koje proizvodi nekoliko vrsta gljivica iz roda Claviceps, među kojima je i Claviceps purpurea najraširenija gljivica u Europi. Ova vrsta je pronađena u ekonomski važnim žitaricama, kao što su: raž, pšenica, tritikal, ječam, proso i zob. Distribucija kontaminacije EA ima sporadičnu pojavu s mnogo čimbenika koji su uključeni u njihovu pojavu, uvelike varirajući između sojeva gljivica, geografskih regija, biljaka domaćina i regionalnog vremena, što ukazuje da hladno i vlažno vrijeme pogoduje ergotu tako što potiče klijanje sklerocija. Cilj je ovog istraživanja bio istražiti pojavu ergot- sklerocija i EA u uzorcima pšenice i raži (n=64) uzorkovanih tijekom 2021. godine od hrvatskih proizvođača žitarica u središnjoj i istočnoj Hrvatskoj. U dva uzorka raži utvrđena je prisutnost ergot-sklerocija u količini od 259 mg/kg i 536 mg/kg. Niti u jednom uzorku pšenice nije pronađen ergot-sklerocij. Veća kontaminacija s EA utvrđena je u uzorcima raži (18 % kontaminirano, max 167,4 μg/kg), dok je manja učestalost kontaminacije, sa samo jednim pozitivnim uzorkom (1,9 %), utvrđena u pšenici (68,5 μg/kg). Rezultati su ukazali na nisku razinu kontaminacije s EA pšenice i raži koje su uzgojili hrvatski proizvođači tijekom cijelog istraživanog razdoblja. Međutim, iako je utvrđen nizak postotak pozitivno testiranih uzoraka raži na EA, sadržaj ergot-sklerocija u dva uzorka bio je veći nego što je to za hranu zakonodavstvom dopušteno. Budući da razine tih mikotoksina i ergot-sklerocija mogu varirati ovisno o brojnim čimbenicima, potrebno je njihovo daljnje istraživanje tijekom dužeg vremenskog razdoblja i pod različitim uvjetima uzgoja i obrade žitarica.

Citrinin (CIT) is a mycotoxin responsible for the contamination of many agricultural products, like wheat, barley, corn, rice and their products, as also other foodstuffs and feedstuffs used in human and animal nutrition. It is essentially produced by Penicillium citrinum, although it can also be biosynthesised from Penicillium expansum and Penicillium verrucosum and some species of Aspergillus and Monascus. However, several studies have shown that CIT is known for its genotoxic, hepatotoxic, fetotoxic and teratogenic properties. The aim of this study is to investigate the occurrence of CIT in wheat grain cultivated in Kosovo and Albania. Given the fact that wheat flour is the most consumed product in Kosovo and Albania, it is necessary to analyse the CIT in wheat in these two countries. In total, 60 wheat samples were tested from Fusha e Kosovës (Kosovo), Myzeqeja (Albania) and Fusha e Maliqit (Albania), as places with the highest wheat production. The enzyme- linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method was used to determine CIT concentrations. To identify moulds representing potential producers of CIT, traditional macroscopic and microscopic methods and the molecular PCR method of identification were implemented. CIT was detected in 96.6% and 86.6% of wheat grain samples collected in Kosovo and Albania, respectively. The maximum amount of CIT detected in wheat grain was 53.12 μg/ kg in Kosovo, and 45.74 μg/kg in Albania. The amount of CIT found in wheat grain is not comparable with the maximal limits (MLs), as the European legislation does not provide limits for this mycotoxin. However, since there is generally a lack of data about CIT in cereals in Kosovo and Albania, the results can serve as an indicator of wheat grain contamination in this part of the Balkan Peninsula. ; itrinin (CIT) predstavlja mikotoksin za koji je utvrđeno da je odgovoran za kontaminaciju mnogih poljoprivrednih proizvoda poput: pšenice, ječma, kukuruza, riže i njihovih proizvoda, kao i drugih namirnica i hrane za životinje, osim onih na ...