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Preliminary results on detection of maize treated with electrons for seed dressing and according decontamination and infestation

Erste Ergebnisse zum Nachweis einer Elektronenbehandlung von Mais zur Beizung bzw. Entkeimung und Entwesung

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Abstract

Seeds and cereal grains can be treated with low energy (<300 keV) or high energy (1–10 MeV) electrons for decontamination of phytopathogenic and spoilage organisms. In this preliminary study, maize samples were treated with low energy electrons of 125 keV or high energy electrons of 10 MeV. To identify the electron treatment different detection methods were investigated: photostimulated luminescence (PSL), thermoluminescence (TL), and DNA Comet Assay. These three methods are already standardised at a European level and have now been adopted as general Codex methods for detection of irradiated foodstuffs. The results suggest that the PSL and TL methods are most suitable for detection of electron-treated maize. The DNA Comet Assay was able to detect treatment of maize with high energy electrons for some samples, but could not detect treatment with low energy electrons.

Zusammenfassung

Saatgut und Getreide kann mit niederenergetischen Elektronen (<300 keV) oder hochenergetischen Elektronen (1–10 MeV) wirksam behandelt werden, um Mikroorganismen und Insekten abzutöten. In dieser vorläufigen Studie wurde Mais mit niederenergetischen (125 keV) und hochenergetischen Elektronen (10 MeV) behandelt. Um diese Elektronenbehandlung nachzuweisen, wurden verschiedene Verfahren eingesetzt: Photostimulierte Lumineszenz (PSL), Thermolumineszenz (TL) und DNA-Kometentest. Für diese drei Nachweismethoden existieren bereits Europäische Normen und sie sind als „Allgemeine Codex Methoden“ zum Nachweis bestrahlter Lebensmittel etabliert. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass PSL und TL geeignete Verfahren sind, um sowohl eine Behandlung von Mais mit niederenergetischen als auch mit hochenergetischen Elektronen zu erkennen. Der DNA-Kometentest erwies sich als weniger geeignet: die Behandlung mit niederenergetischen Elektronen konnte—wie erwartet—nicht nachgewiesen werden. Die Behandlung mit hochenergetischen Elektronen konnte bei einer Maissorte erkannt werden, jedoch nicht bei einer anderen Sorte.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Mrs. Sigrid Delincée, Ms. Susanne Vollmer and Mr. Michael Knörr for their technical assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Federal Research Centre for Nutrition and Food, Karlsruhe, Germany

    Mihalis Cutrubinis, Henry Delincée & Mario Stahl

  2. Fraunhofer Institute for Electron Radiation and Plasma Technique FEP, Dresden, Germany

    Olaf Röder

  3. Schmidt-Seeger AG, Eichstätter Strasse 49, 92339 , Beilngries, Germany

    Hans Jürgen Schaller

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  1. Mihalis Cutrubinis
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  2. Henry Delincée
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  3. Mario Stahl
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  4. Olaf Röder
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  5. Hans Jürgen Schaller
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Correspondence to Hans Jürgen Schaller.

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Cutrubinis, M., Delincée, H., Stahl, M. et al. Preliminary results on detection of maize treated with electrons for seed dressing and according decontamination and infestation. Gesunde Pflanzen 57, 129–136 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10343-005-0074-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10343-005-0074-y

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