HPLC Analysis of In-Shell Walnuts for the Natural Incidence and Co-Occurrence of Fusarial Toxins - Zearalenone, Zearalenol and Deoxynivalenol

An investigation was carried out to determine the natural occurrence of some fusarial toxins viz. , zearalenone (ZEA), zearalenol (ZAL) and deoxynivalenol (DON) in commercially important in-shell walnut kernels. HPLC analysis showed contamination of ZEA in 63.33 % samples and that of ZAL in 13.33 % samples. Among the thirty market samples that were investigated, only one sample of in-shell walnuts was found to be contaminated with DON. Co-occurrence of these fusarial toxins was also detected in some of the in-shell samples. Of the samples analysed, 10 % showed co-occurrence of ZEA and ZAL, whereas 3.33 % samples showed co-occurrence of ZEA and DON. In all these samples, the detected amount of ZAL and DON was much higher than that of ZEA.