RESUMO
In order to determine the concentration levels of the mucotoxin Ochratoxin A [OTA] in human food commodities in Damascus, 13 different samples of almonds, cashew nuts, peanuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, pine nuts, roasted pistachio nuts, wheat, beans, broad beans, lentils, maize, and chickpea were collected from the retail market of Damascus. After grinding and homogenizing of each sample separately, fatty stuff in oily nuts was extactated three times successively by hexan [10 gm of homogenate extracted by 15 ml of the organic solevant] and the fatty suprenatents was discarded. Mycotoxins were extracted from each homogenate [l0gm] by a mixture of acetonetryl and double-distilled-double deionized water [80V/20V]. The extraction procedure was repeated three times. This led to the extraction of OTA, aflatoxin Bl [AF Bl], and zeralonon [ZEN]. The third precipitate was also extracted three times by acetonetryl water [50V/50V] to extract OTA and other mycotoxins, especially deoxynivalenol [DON] and fumonizine Bl [FBI]. Fluorescence HPLC column and monitor was validated. The column was injected with 90 micro l of each extract. The flow rat was 1ml/min under pressure of 14.3 atmospheres, with an excitation at 340 nm and emission at 465 nm. Values of OTA were graphically represented. The highest concentration was found in the peanuts [29.8 micro g/kg], and the lowest in the chickpea [5.1 micro g/kg]. The international consensus of permissible and tolerated concentration in human feeds is 2-4 micro g/kg