INTRODUCTION: Medicinal plants are extensively utilized as dietary supplements to encourage disease prevention and to support the treatment of various health disorders. Unfortunately, several plants are known for mycotoxin contamination, which may overwhelm any beneficial effects the plants might have. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to determine the presence of ochratoxin A (OTA) and citrinin (CIT) in medicinal herbal products (MHP). METHODS: Sixty samples of different MHP types were purchased on the Czech market during 2020-2021. Both mycotoxins were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography with a fluorescence detector with immunoaffinity columns employed as a pretreatment. RESULTS: In total, 40% and 27% of samples were above the limit of quantification with the concentrations ranging up to 826.62 ng/g and 472.79 ng/g for OTA and CIT, respectively. The co-occurrence was confirmed in six MHP types. CONCLUSIONS: MHP could be a significant source of OTA and CIT. To protect the health of MHP users, it is desirable to continue monitoring the presence of mycotoxins in MHP. During this study, new OTA regulations for herbs came into force in the EU.

• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

The aim of this study was to conduct a survey assessing (a) the ochratoxin A (OTA) content in different samples of Astragalus propinquus root (AR), one of the fundamental herbs in traditional Chinese medicine, and (b) the rate of OTA transfer to AR decoctions that are traditionally used to reduce general weakness and increase overall vitality. A validated method of high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD) was used to determine OTA concentrations in AR samples and AR decoctions. The limit of quantification was 0.35 ng/g; the recovery of the HPLC method for AR samples was 82%; and the relative standard deviation (SD) of repeatability was 2.6%. All 40 tested AR samples were positive, with a mean value of 451.0 ng/g (range, 28.8-1700.0 ng/g). The transfer rate of OTA to decoctions, from a naturally contaminated and homogenized AR sample (internal reference material) with a concentration of OTA of 288.9 ng/g ± 12.3 (SD), was 83.4% ± 8.5 (SD). We believe it is necessary to continue OTA monitoring in AR and other herbal products, estimate the actual human usual intake, and perform health risk assessment.

• Keywords
• Astragalus propinquus Schischkin, HPLC-FLD, Herbal food supplement, Herbal products, Ochratoxin A, Traditional Chinese medicine,
• MeSH
• Astragalus propinquus MeSH
• Fluorometry methods   MeSH
• Food Contamination analysis   MeSH
• Drugs, Chinese Herbal chemistry   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Ochratoxins analysis   MeSH
• Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid methods   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Huang Qi MeSH Browser
• Drugs, Chinese Herbal MeSH
• ochratoxin A MeSH Browser
• Ochratoxins MeSH

Since ochratoxin A (OTA) was discovered, it has been ubiquitous as a natural contaminant of moldy food and feed. The multiple toxic effects of OTA are a real threat for human beings and animal health. For example, OTA can cause porcine nephropathy but can also damage poultries. Humans exposed to OTA can develop (notably by inhalation in the development of acute renal failure within 24 h) a range of chronic disorders such as upper urothelial carcinoma. OTA plays the main role in the pathogenesis of some renal diseases including Balkan endemic nephropathy, kidney tumors occurring in certain endemic regions of the Balkan Peninsula, and chronic interstitial nephropathy occurring in Northern African countries and likely in other parts of the world. OTA leads to DNA adduct formation, which is known for its genotoxicity and carcinogenicity. The present article discusses how renal carcinogenicity and nephrotoxicity cause both oxidative stress and direct genotoxicity. Careful analyses of the data show that OTA carcinogenic effects are due to combined direct and indirect mechanisms (e.g., genotoxicity, oxidative stress, epigenetic factors). Altogether this provides strong evidence that OTA carcinogenicity can also occur in humans.

• Keywords
• Balkan endemic nephropathy, biomarkers, carcinogenicity, feed, food, microfungi, ochratoxin A, toxicity, urothelial cancer,
• MeSH
• Balkan Nephropathy chemically induced   genetics   history   metabolism   MeSH
• History, 20th Century MeSH
• History, 21st Century MeSH
• Epigenesis, Genetic drug effects   MeSH
• Risk Assessment MeSH
• Kidney drug effects   metabolism   pathology   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Cell Transformation, Neoplastic chemically induced   genetics   metabolism   MeSH
• Kidney Neoplasms chemically induced   genetics   history   metabolism   MeSH
• Ochratoxins history   metabolism   toxicity   MeSH
• Oxidative Stress drug effects   MeSH
• DNA Damage MeSH
• Food Microbiology * history   trends   MeSH
• Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic drug effects   MeSH
• Risk Factors MeSH
• Toxicology * history   trends   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• History, 20th Century MeSH
• History, 21st Century MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Historical Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Review MeSH
• Names of Substances
• ochratoxin A MeSH Browser
• Ochratoxins MeSH

Ochratoxin A is a nephrotoxic and renal carcinogenic mycotoxin and is a common contaminant of various food commodities. Eighty six kinds of foodstuffs (1032 food samples) were collected in 2011-2013. High-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection was used for ochratoxin A determination. Limit of quantification of the method varied between 0.01-0.2 μg/kg depending on the food matrices. The most exposed population is children aged 4-6 years old. Globally for this group, the maximum ochratoxin A dietary exposure for "average consumer" was estimated at 3.3 ng/kg bw/day (lower bound, considering the analytical values below the limit of quantification as 0) and 3.9 ng/kg bw/day (middle bound, considering the analytical values below the limit of quantification as 1/2 limit of quantification). Important sources of exposure for this latter group include grain-based products, confectionery, meat products and fruit juice. The dietary intake for "high consumers" in the group 4-6 years old was estimated from grains and grain-based products at 19.8 ng/kg bw/day (middle bound), from tea at 12.0 ng/kg bw/day (middle bound) and from confectionery at 6.5 ng/kg bw/day (middle bound). For men aged 18-59 years old beer was the main contributor with an intake of 2.60 ng/kg bw/day ("high consumers", middle bound). Tea and grain-based products were identified to be the main contributors for dietary exposure in women aged 18-59 years old. Coffee and wine were identified as a higher contributor of the OTA intake in the population group of women aged 18-59 years old compared to the other population groups.

• Keywords
• Czech population, dietary exposure, exposure sources, food, ochratoxin A,
• MeSH
• Child MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Edible Grain microbiology   MeSH
• Coffee microbiology   MeSH
• Food Contamination analysis   MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Meat Products MeSH
• Adolescent MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Ochratoxins administration & dosage   analysis   toxicity   MeSH
• Fruit and Vegetable Juices microbiology   MeSH
• Beer microbiology   MeSH
• Population Groups * MeSH
• Food Microbiology MeSH
• Child, Preschool MeSH
• Wine microbiology   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Child MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Adolescent MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Child, Preschool MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Geographicals
• Czech Republic MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Coffee MeSH
• ochratoxin A MeSH Browser
• Ochratoxins MeSH