Premium
Ochratoxin a Contamination of Foodstuffs in an Area With Balkan (Endemic) Nephropathy
Author(s) -
Pavlović M.,
Plestina R.,
Krogh P.
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
acta pathologica microbiologica scandinavica section b microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.909
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1600-0463
pISSN - 0304-131X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1699-0463.1979.tb02433.x
Subject(s) - ochratoxin a , contamination , nephropathy , mycotoxin , ochratoxin , biology , food science , toxicology , veterinary medicine , medicine , ecology , endocrinology , diabetes mellitus
Ochratoxin A is a nephrotoxic fungal metabolite (mycotoxin) occurring in foodstuffs. The compound is causally associated with mycotoxic porcine nephropathy, a disease comparable with a human kidney desease, Balkan (endemic) nephropathy. A survey of 768 samples of foodstuffs (cereals and bread), locally produced in an area of Yugoslavia where Balkan (endemic) nephropathy is prevalent, has revealed that ochratoxin A is constantly present in parts of foodstuffs. The mean freqency of ochratoxin A contamination of cereals in the study period was 8.7 per cent, but a pronounced annual variation was encountered, with frequencies of contamination up to 43 per cent. These contamination frequencies are higher than those reported elsewhere for foodstuffs for human consumption. Thus further evidence is provided to support the hypothesis that ochratoxin A might be a disease determinant of Balkan (endemic) nephropathy.