The Role of Preharvest Natural Infection and Toxin Contamination in Food and Feed Safety in Maize, South-East Hungary, 2014-2021.

Mycotoxins originating in the preharvest period represent a less studied research problem, even though they are of the utmost practical significance in maize production, determining marketability (within EU limits), and storage ability, competitiveness, and profit rate. In this study, 18-23 commercial hybrids were tested between 2014 and 2021. Natural infection from Fusarium spp. was higher than 1.5%, and for Aspergillus spp. this was normally 0.01% or 0, much lower than would be considered as severe infection. In spite of this, many hybrids provided far higher toxin contamination than regulations allow. The maximum preharvest aflatoxin B1 was in 2020 (at 2286 µg/kg), and, in several cases, the value was higher than 1000 µg/kg. The hybrid differences were large. In Hungary, the presence of field-originated aflatoxin B1 was continuous, with three AFB1 epidemics in the 8 years. The highest DON contamination was in 2014 (at 27 mg/kg), and a detectable DON level was found in every hybrid. FUMB1+B2 were the highest in 2014 (at 45.78 mg/kg). At these low infection levels, correlations between visual symptoms and toxin contaminations were mostly non-significant, so it is not feasible to draw a conclusion about toxin contamination from ear rot coverage alone. The toxin contamination of hybrids for a percentage of visual infection is highly variable, and only toxin data can decide about food safety. Hybrids with no visual symptoms and high AFB1 contamination were also identified. Preharvest control, including breeding and variety registration, is therefore of the utmost importance to all three pathogens. Even natural ear rot and toxin data do not prove differences in resistance, so a high ear rot or toxin contamination level should be considered as a risk factor for hybrids. The toxin control of freshly harvested grain is vital for separating healthy and contaminated lots. In addition, proper growing and storage conditions must be ensured to protect the feed safety of the grain.

Updating the Methodology of Identifying Maize Hybrids Resistant to Ear Rot Pathogens and Their Toxins-Artificial Inoculation Tests for Kernel Resistance to Fusarium graminearum, F. verticillioides, and Aspergillus flavus.

Resistance to toxigenic fungi and their toxins in maize is a highly important research topic, as mean global losses are estimated at about 10% of the yield. Resistance and toxin data of the hybrids are mostly not given, so farmers are not informed about the food safety risks of their grown hybrids. According to the findings aflatoxin regularly occurs at preharvest in Hungary and possibly other countries in the region can be jeopardized. We tested, with an improved methodology (two isolates, three pathogens, and a toxin control), 18 commercial hybrids (2017-2020) for kernel resistance (%), and for toxin contamination separately by two-two isolates of F. graminearum, F. verticillioides (mg/kg), and A. flavus (µg/kg). The preharvest toxin contamination was measured in the controls. Highly significant kernel resistance and toxin content differences were identified between hybrids to the different fungi. Extreme high toxin production was found for each toxic species. Only about 10-15% of the hybrids showed higher resistance to the fungal species tested and lower contamination level of their toxins. The lacking correlations between resistance to different fungi and toxins suggest that resistance to different fungi and response to toxin contamination inherits independently, so a toxin analysis is necessary. For safety risk estimation, separated artificial and natural kernel infection and toxin data are needed against all pathogens. Higher resistance to A. flavus and F. verticillioides stabilizes or improves feed safety in hot and dry summers, balancing the harmful effect of climate changes. Resistance and toxin tests during variety registration is an utmost necessity. The exclusion of susceptible or highly susceptible hybrids from commercial production results in reduced toxin contamination.

In vitro Interaction between Fumonisin B1 and the Intestinal Microflora of Pigs.

The caecal chyme of pigs was incubated anaerobically in McDougall buffer with and without fumonisin B1 (5 µg/ml) for 0, 24 and 48 h. The plate count agar technique was applied for enumerating the amount of bacteria including aerobic, anaerobic bacteria, coliform, Escherichia coli and Lactobacillus sp. The quantitative polymerase chain reaction was also performed to estimate the number of copies of the total bacteria, Lactobacillus, Bacteroides and Prevotella. No significant differences in the amount of bacterial groups between the experimental (buffer, chyme, and fumonisin B1) and control 1 groups (buffer + chyme) were observed in both methods. Fumonisin B1 and hydrolysed fumonisin B1 concentration were analysed by liquid chromatograghy - mass spectrometry. There was no significant difference in FB1 concentration between the experimental and the control 2 group (buffer and fumonisin B1) at 0 h incubation, 5.185 ± 0.174 µg/ml compared with 6.433 ± 0.076 µg/ml. Fumonisin B1 concentration in the experimental group was reduced to 4.080 ± 0.065 µg/ml at 24 h and to 2.747 ± 0.548 µg/ml at 48 h incubation and was significantly less than that of in the control group. Hydrolysed fumonisin B1 was detected after 24 h incubation (0.012 ± 0 µg/ml). At 48 h incubation time, hydrolysed fumonisin B1 concentration was doubled to 0.024 ± 0.004 µg/ml. These results indicate that fumonisin B1 can be metabolised by caecal microbiota in pigs though the number of studied bacteria did not change.

Transition metal complexes bearing flexible N3 or N3O donor ligands: reactivity toward superoxide radical anion and hydrogen peroxide.

Mononuclear complexes of N-methylpropanoate-N,N-bis-(2-pyridylmethyl)amine (MPBMPA) and N-propanoate-N,N-bis-(2-pyridylmethyl)amine (HPBMPA) with first row transition metals from Mn to Cu were synthesized and characterized by spectroscopy (infrared, UV-visible), electrochemistry (cyclic voltammetry), microanalysis and in four cases X-ray crystallography. Structure of the complexes revealed high flexibility of these ligands that can adopt facial (Fe) and meridional (Cu) geometry. Activity in the degradation of reactive oxygen species (superoxide radical anion: superoxide dismutase (SOD)-like activity and hydrogen peroxide: catalase-like activity) was tested throughout the complex series in aqueous solutions. In connection with the catalytic dismutation of H(2)O(2), bleaching tests with morin were also conducted in water. Comparison of the two ligands helped in elucidating the possible role of the carboxylate moiety in the different catalytic reactions. Although no general trends could be revealed between reactivity and constitution of the first coordination sphere, plausible explanations for differences are discussed individually for SOD like, catalase-like and bleaching activity.

[Prognostic factors of primary spinal tumors]. / Primer gerincdaganatok prognosztikai faktorai.

AIMS: Primary spinal tumors are rare diseases and there are less objective data in the international literature. We analyzed the epidemiology and clinical consequences of primary spinal tumors based on the clinical experience of the National Center for Spinal Disorders. METHODS: Demographic and clinical data of 300 patients treated in our institute between 1995 and 2007 was collected retrospectively and analysed. RESULTS: Beyond the relatively more frequent pathologies (chordoma, myeloma multiplex) we treated in our hospital some of the very rare types of tumors (spinal leiomyosarcoma, synovial sarcoma). Primary spinal tumors are most often located in the lumbosacral region causing most frequently (73%) local or radiating pain. Modern therapy of these patologies is based on the surgical intervention. Mean operation time was 130 minutes, mean blood loss was 650 ml in our pratice during these often technically challenging surgeries. We found a significant association among the operation time, the blood loss and the extension of the tumor (p < 0.01). Histology (p < 0.0001), severity of symptomes (p < 0.05) and blood loss (p < 0.05) were significantly related to mortality. Local recurrence was more than 5-fold in case of patients previously operated in another institute (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: We successfully determined some significant prognostic factor on clinical behavior of primary spinal tumors performing a large scale retrospective study. Long time follow up of the patients and completion of our database with prospective data are planned for the future.

[Orthopedic treatment of vertebral compression fractures in osteoporosis]. / A kompressziós csigolyatörések ortopédiai kezelése osteoporosisban.

Vertebral compression fracture is the most common type of fractures in osteoporosis increasing the mortality and morbidity of the systemic disease. Adequate treatment of the vertebral compression fractures is always in the focus of the national and international spine meetings and one of the most innovative fields in the spine care is the surgical therapy of the osteoporotic spine. Here, the authors summarize the orthopedic treatment options for vertebral compression fractures based on a literature review and their own institutional experience.

Sacral tumors and management.

The evaluation and complex treatments of sacral tumors require a multidisciplinary approach. Because of the complex anatomy conditions and biomechanics of the lumbo-pelvic junction, surgical treatment of sacral neoplasms is one of the most challenging fields in spine. Here, diagnostic process and surgical and nonsurgical treatment options for sacral tumors are summarized based on the literature and on the authors' own experiences.