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Occurrence of Fumonisin B1 in Corn from the Main Corn-Producing Areas of China

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Abstract

Fumonisin B1 (FB1) is the most abundant of the fumonisin mycotoxins, mainly produced in maize by F. verticillioides and F. proliferatum. A total of 282 corn samples harvested in 2005 from six provinces, the main corn-producing areas of China, were analyzed for FB1 using high-performance liquid chromatography. All samples except one were (99.6%) positive for FB1 at levels varying from 3 to 71,121 ng/g with mean and median levels for all samples of 6,662 and 1,569 ng/g, respectively. During an analysis of the distribution pattern for FB1, it became apparent that 43.6% of tested samples had FB1 concentrations below 1,000 ng/g, while 25.2% contained in excess of 5,000 ng/g. The average exposure to FB1 (1.1 μg/kg body weight/day) is within the provisional maximum tolerable daily intake of 2 μg/kg body weight/day set by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives.

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Abbreviations

FB1 :

Fumonisin B1

HPLC:

High performance liquid chromatography

OPA:

o-Phthaldialdehyde

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by National Science and Technology Program of the Tenth-Five-Year Plan from Ministry of Science and Technology of China (Basic Contract N; 2001BA804A3205).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Public Health, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110001, China

    Hui-Zhi Gong, Yan-Xi Li, Hong-Yu Zhang, Bing Li, Yue Zhao, Fei Yu & Jun Yang

  2. National Institute for Nutrition and Food Safety, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 100021, China

    Rong Ji

  3. Central Laboratory, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110001, China

    Lin Sun

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  1. Hui-Zhi Gong
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  2. Rong Ji
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  3. Yan-Xi Li
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  4. Hong-Yu Zhang
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  7. Lin Sun
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  9. Jun Yang
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Correspondence to Jun Yang.

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Gong, HZ., Ji, R., Li, YX. et al. Occurrence of Fumonisin B1 in Corn from the Main Corn-Producing Areas of China. Mycopathologia 167, 31–36 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11046-008-9146-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11046-008-9146-8

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