DETERMINATION OF AFLATOXINS AND OCHRATOXIN A IN WHEAT FROM DIFFERENT REGIONS OF TURKEY BY HPLC WITH FLUORESCENCE DETECTION

This study examines the occurrence of aflatoxins (AF(s)) and ochratoxin A (OTA) in bread and durum wheat samples. A total of 141 samples were collected from eleven different regions of Turkey. An analytical method based on liquid extraction, immunoaffinity column (IAC) clean-up followed by high performance liquid chromatography (IIPLC) was used for the determination of AFs and OTA levels. As a result, AFs and OTA were detected in 2% and 9.2% of wheat samples at concentrations varying from 0.21 to 0.44 mu g kg(-1) and from 0.1 to 3.2 mu g kg(-1), respectively. Aflatoxin B-1 (AFF9 and aflatoxin B-2 (AFB(2)) were found positive in samples ranging between 0.21-0.35 mu g kg(-1) and 0.094 mu g kg(-1), respectively. However, none of the samples contained aflatoxin G(1) (AFG(1)) and aflatoxin G(2) (AFG(2)). The study also recommended that contamination levels in wheat and wheat-based products should be routinely monitored in greater sample numbers to insure food safety.