Background: Deoxynivalenol (DON) is one of the most important fungal mycotoxins excreted by different Fusarium species in many types of grains and food commodities. It has high damage impact on human and animal immune systems. Objective: This in vitro study aimed to evaluate the influence of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) as an inhibitor for the DON toxin excreted from some Fusarium spp., which were isolated from barely, wheat, and corn grains. Methods: Ag-NPs were estimated on Minimum Inhibitory Concentration, using levels of 5, 25, 50, 75, and 100 ppm, while the effect on DON was conducted with ELISA. Tri13 and Tri7 primers were used to evaluate the impact of Ag-NPs on the DNA of tested toxigenic Fusarium isolates. Results: Results revealed that the relative density values (Rd, %) of the isolated Fusarium from barley, wheat, and corn grains were 41.27, 26.47, and 30.76%, respectively. The predominant fungus was F. graminearum and F. culmorum in wheat and barley, respectively. The maximum inhibition diameters used for concentrations were 0.5, 2.8, 3.2, 3.3, and 3.31 mm, respectively. The impact of Ag-NPs on genomic structure was limited. Results demonstrated that Ag-NPs have the ability to reduce the linear growth of Fusarium spp. and eliminate the DON toxin to 34.44, 34.60, and 34.89% at 50, 75, and 100 ppm. Conclusions: Ag-NPs are considered nontransgenic substances, and their impact on Fusarium DNA under tested concentrations has been neglected. Ag-NPs may work as an alternative to fungicides to reduce fungal growth and eliminate DON mycotoxins.

Medicinal herbs are the ancient, traditional way of treating many diseases and are now considered the first natural source of pharmaceutical active ingredients. Therefore, it is very important to focus on the hygiene of these plants so as to make sure they are safe for consumption. This work aimed to monitor the common heavy and radioactive elements in some commonly used herbs: anise, chamomile, clover, cumin, coriander, fennel, roselle, rosemary, sage, and thyme. A total of 12 elements were measured including 2 radionuclides, Al, As, Cd, Hg, Co, Cr, Ni, Pb, Sr, Th, U, and V. Heavy metals are ecologically and biologically important, and may be involved in some health disorder symptoms within the human body. Samples were digested with a microwave digester and measurements were completed with ICP-MS/MS in Helium mode to increase sensitivity, lower the background, and avoid interferences. Method validation and verification were performed through the spiking process at 2.0 µg/kg level, and then RSD, LOD, and LOQ were calculated. Recoveries ranged from 93–103% for all elements and RSD% from 2.8–9.6%. Hg and Th were not detected in all samples, while U was detected in some sample of anise, rosemary, sage, and thyme, and ranged from 0.018–0.048 mg/kg. As was detected in anise, fennel, roselle, and rosemary, and ranged from 0.0.031–5.88 mg/kg. Al, Cd, Co, Cr, Ni, Pb, Sr, and V were detected in most samples of all herbs, and ranged from 3.88–17.80, 0.122–0.654, 0.019–0.851, 0.344–2.91, 1.872–5.82, 0.120–12.56, 0.128–0.844, and 0.083–0.912 mg/kg, respectively.

Wheat and barley grains are two of the most important nutritional grains for humans and animals and they play an essential role in the nutritional cycle by different ratios according to people's nutritional habits. This work aimed to monitor ten of the most important heavy metals in some European-origin wheat and barley grains during the season of 2018. The measured elements, Al, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Hg, Mo, Ni, Pb, and V, are of importance ecologically and biologically and may be involved in many health disorders affecting the human body. Moisture, protein, and specific grain weights were checked. Samples were digested using microwave acid digestion and the elements measured with ICP-MS/MS in He mode to increase sensitivity, lower the background, and avoid interference. Method validation and verification were carried out through spiking at two levels (2.0 and 10 ppb), then RSD, LOD, and LOQ were calculated. Recoveries were >97% for all elements at both levels with an RSD of <7.6%. Results revealed that As, Cd, Hg, and Pb were not detected in most wheat and barley samples, whereas Cd was detected in one sample of Ukrainian wheat and two samples of Estonian barley (but in very small traces). Pb was detected in three samples of Polish wheat (in very small traces). Al, Mo, and Ni were detected in some samples of wheat and barley of all origins, whereas other elements were at very low levels considered to be negligible concentrations.

Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is considered the main crop in deserts and arid areas such as Saudi Arabia. Five Streptomyces species and other fungal species were isolated from date palm rhizosphere soil of several cultivars, such as Barhi, Khalas, Sullaj, and Sukkari, in the Ghat and El-Gouf regions. Streptomyces strains were isolated on Biolog universal growth agar medium and were identified following Biolog methods. The predominant Streptomyces isolated from this present survey was S. plicatus followed by S. rimosus, S. rutgersensus, and S. griseus. The number of soilborne fungi in the tested soil decreased with the increased number of isolated Streptomyces. There was a significant positive correlation between the date palm cultivar and the number of isolated Streptomyces. The in vitro effects of isolated Streptomyces species on some toxigenic fungi were also studied. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, immunoaffinity column chromatography, and high-performance liquid chromatography were used to study the mycotoxins. The concentration of most of the tested mycotoxins was reduced significantly with the presence of the Streptomyces isolates. Results indicate that some Streptomyces isolates established in date palm rhizosphere have the ability to reduce production of mycotoxins of some toxigenic fungi; thus they have the potential of reducing the subsequent disease occurrence. Therefore they can be applied in wider range as biocontrol agents.

The walls of yeast cells, which contain β- d -glucan biopolymers, have an active role in reducing mycotoxins in animal feed. This study aimed to evaluate the β- d -glucan biopolymers as a mycotoxin binder for fumonisin (FUM) and deoxynivalenol (DON) toxins as well as their effect on the nutritional value of soybean, which is considered one of the important feed row materials. The evaluation was carried out using some toxigenic Fusarium isolates (Fusarium solani, F. oxysporum , and F. verticillioides ) in vitro and in vivo . The FUM and DON levels were determined by immune affinity column. The F. verticillioides was the most toxigenic, followed by F. oxysporum and lastly F. solani , while secretion of DON toxin was determined to be greater than FUM with all the tested fungi. The effectiveness of β- d -glucan biopolymers on FUM and DON absorption was greater than clay and calcium propionate. In vivo , treating soybean seeds with β- d -glucan biopolymers led to reduction in the level of FUM and DON toxins in seeds artificially inoculated by F. verticillioides . β- d -glucan treatment also has a low effect on nutritional components of the seeds compared to untreated ones. In conclusion, this study found a new approach to reduce Fusarium mycotoxins in feed to an allowable safe limit and at the same time maintaining the nutritional value of these materials.

Background: Cereal grains are an important for the nutrition of both humans and animals, and contribute to the nutrition cycle in different ways. Chemical contaminants are important to be monitored in food due to their direct effects on human health. Objective: This work aimed to monitor some of the hazardous chemical contaminants i.e., organochlorines (OCs), pyrethroids, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in wheat and barley grains of European origin during 2019. Method: Samples were collected consecutively during the season and the QuEChERS technique (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe) followed by GC-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) analysis was used in the extraction and cleaning up for all analyzed compounds. The method was verified, and a recovery study was performed at two spiking levels: 0.01 and 0.05 µg/g. RSD(%), LOD, and LOQ were calculated. Recovery ranged from 78.70–104.00% for all compounds at both levels at RSD 2.16–11.76%. Fat, moisture, protein, and specific weight contents of both grains of all studied origins were also recorded. Results: Results revealed that all detected pesticides were lower than the estimated maximum residue limits (MRLs). Few congeners of PCBs and PAHs were detected in the most of origins with tiny amounts but no estimated MRLs for it in cereal grains to be compared. Conclusions: None of the analyzed OCs were detected except endosulfan-I which was detected in some wheat samples from Ukraine and Poland, and some barley samples from Latvia, but still lower than the MRL. Highlights: None of the OCs, highly toxic PCBs or the carcinogenic PAH benzo[a]pyrene were detected in any analyzed samples.