Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites of fungi and represent a serious problem for human health. Due to growing interest, various aspects have been widely studied by scientific groups. One of these aspects relates to the food industry and associated beer production. Mycotoxins can be present in the basic raw materials for beer production as well as in brewed beer. Problematic mycotoxins that pose a serious risk of toxicity are aflatoxins especially aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), fumonisins (FBs), and zearalenone (ZEN) and its metabolites, deoxynivalenol (DON) including its acetylated forms and also the modified form deoxynivalenol-3-glucoside (DON-3G), T-2 toxin, HT-2 toxin, and ochratoxin A. The Research Institute of Brewing and Malting has been dealing with the issue of mycotoxins since 2008. This study describes the analysis of the above mycotoxins during 2020-2024 in barley (n = 775), malt (n = 751), and commercially available beers (n = 522) using QuEChERS, immunoaffinity columns, and UPLC-MS/MS. The results showed positive samples of mycotoxins in brewing and malting matrices at the level of micrograms per kilogram (barley, malt) and nanograms per liter for beer. Therefore, it is a residual concentration and the accurate quantitative determination of mycotoxins, correct interpretation of the results in connection with toxicological values, and the maximum permissible levels of mycotoxins play a key role in global food safety and consumer protection.

• Klíčová slova
• Brewing, Immunoaffinity columns, Malting, Mycotoxins, QuEChERS, UPLC-MS/MS,
• MeSH
• ječmen (rod) chemie   mikrobiologie   MeSH
• jedlá semena * chemie   MeSH
• kontaminace potravin * analýza   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mykotoxiny * analýza   MeSH
• pivo * analýza   MeSH
• tandemová hmotnostní spektrometrie MeSH
• vysokoúčinná kapalinová chromatografie MeSH
• zearalenon analýza   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• mykotoxiny * MeSH
• zearalenon MeSH

The silymarin complex extracted from milk thistle provides significant health benefits, particularly due to its antioxidant and hepatoprotective properties. However, plant substances can be contaminated by a number of fungi types and their secondary metabolites-mycotoxins. This work deals with the determination of aflatoxins and zearalenone and its metabolites in 39 different samples grown in 2020 and 2021. Analysis of mycotoxins was performed by UHPLC-MS/MS after immunoaffinity column AFLAPREP® and EASI-EXTRACT® ZEARALENONE clean-up. The presence of aflatoxins was not confirmed in the monitored samples, but 1/3 of the samples were contaminated with zearalenone in the range of 2.8-378.9 µg/kg. Metabolites of zearalenone such as α-zearalenol, α-zearalanol, and β-zearalanol were not detected in any of the samples. β-Zearalenol was found in two samples (2.6 µg/kg and 29.8 µg/kg).

• Klíčová slova
• Aflatoxins, Food safety, Milk thistle, UHPLC-MS/MS, Zearalenone,
• MeSH
• aflatoxiny analýza   MeSH
• kontaminace potravin * analýza   zákonodárství a právo   MeSH
• mykotoxiny * analýza   MeSH
• ostropestřec mariánský * chemie   mikrobiologie   MeSH
• tandemová hmotnostní spektrometrie MeSH
• vysokoúčinná kapalinová chromatografie MeSH
• zearalenon analýza   MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• aflatoxiny MeSH
• mykotoxiny * MeSH
• zearalenon MeSH

The amount of total polyphenol content (TPC) in the grain could provide insights into the conditions during maturation and might also serve as an indicator of the grain's ability to germinate in the malting process or as seeds in the field. Varieties with higher natural TPC content might exhibit better germination parameters both in the field and in the malt house. This study investigates the relationship between TPC and seed germination characteristics i.e. seed vigour in four spring barley varieties over two years, considering diverse environmental conditions and exposure to drought conditions. The evaluation of seed germination characteristics in barley, with a focus on the root length and average diameter under drought conditions (-0.5 MPa) and suboptimal temperature (10 °C), was conducted. Drought conditions were induced using polyethylene glycol (PEG 6000). After durations of seven and fourteen days, the germinated seeds from the Petri dishes were scanned and subjected to analysis using WinRHIZO software following the metrics: Len 7, Len 14 (root length after seven and fourteen days in cm) and AvgD 7, AvgD 14 (root diameter after seven and fourteen days in mm). The findings support our initial hypothesis, indicating a variety-specific relationship between seed germination characteristics and increased TPC, where higher germination parameters might be associated with elevated TPC levels in some barley varieties.

• Klíčová slova
• Drought conditions, Environment, Genotype, Seed germination characteristics, Spring barley, TPC,
• MeSH
• ječmen (rod) * růst a vývoj   fyziologie   MeSH
• klíčení * fyziologie   MeSH
• klimatické změny * MeSH
• období sucha MeSH
• polyfenoly * analýza   metabolismus   MeSH
• roční období MeSH
• semena rostlinná * růst a vývoj   MeSH
• teplota MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• polyfenoly * MeSH