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190Proceeding of the 4 rd International Symposium“NEW RESEARCH IN BIOTECHNOLOGY” USAMV Bucharest, Romania, 2011RESEARCH ON MYCOTOXIN CONTENT OF TRITICUM AESTIVUM INROMANIAN SOUTH CROPSAMALIA MITELUŢ 1 , ALINA CULEŢU 1,2 , IRINA SMEU 2 , MONA POPA 11 University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Biotechnology, Bd. Mărăsti, no.59,Bucharest, Romania, e-mail: amaliamitelut@yahoo.com2 National Institute of Research & Development for Food Bioresources – IBA Bucharest, Str. Dinu Vintilă, no.1-6,Bucharest, Romania, e-mail: alinaculetu@yahoo.comAbstract. In this study, there have been analyzed 69 wheat samples (Triticum aestivum, Dropiavariety) from 8 different regions situated in southern Romania; samples were provided in 2010 rightafter harvesting.For these samples were determined microbiological analysis (total number of germ, yeastsand molds), mycotoxin content (deoxynivalenol – DON, zearalenone – ZEA) and also physicalchemicaltests (percentage of impurities and foreign bodies, number of moldy grains).Following the interpretation of results it was found that in all wheat samples studied, the mycotoxincontent was below the maximum levels allowed for unprocessed cereals established by CE no.1881/2006 regulation, except for Teleorman county were 2 samples exceed the limit for ZEA content.There were samples in which mycotoxin content was not detected: 92.7% of samplesanalyzed for ZEA, respectively 34.8% for DON content, the values being below the limit of detectionof the method used for analysis.This paper is part of a research project funding by National Research Program PN II(no.52-132/2008).Keywords: Triticum aestivum, Dropia variety, deoxynivalenol, zearalenone1. INTRODUCTIONMycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by fungi, with different andcomplex chemical structures and common characteristics, such as: resistance to thermaldegradation, persistence during processing of products. Once formed mycotoxin will reachthe final consumer products.Wheat can be contaminated with mycotoxins produced by a variety of fungi, inparticular by Fusarium species [1]. Growth of these fungi and formation of mycotoxins canoccur, depending on some conditions, such as: crop growth, harvest, transport, storage(fungi multiply when relative humidity is 80 – 85%, and temperature is high, above 26 0 C)and processing [2].The most important Fusarium mycotoxins that can frequently occur at biologicallysignificant concentrations in cereals are: fumonisins, zearalenone (ZEA) andtrichothecenes: deoxynivalenol (DON), nivalenol and T-2 toxin. Mycotoxins DON andZEA are produced by Fusarium graminearum, Fusarium culmorum and Fusariumcrookwellense.DON (also called vomitoxin) is the most important trichothecenes because of its highincidence in cereals, including maize, wheat, barley, oats, but it is not one of the mostacutely toxic of this group of mycotoxins [3].