ERGOSTEROL AND FUSARIUM TOXINS IN WHEAT B RAN AND WHEAT

Samples of wheat bran and wheat intended mainly for feed use were coll ected in two years in an area of southwest Germany and analysed for er gosterol (ERG), an indicator of fungal biomass, and the Fusarium toxin s, deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZEA). ERG, DON and ZEA were f ound in 100, 100 and 71 % of bran, and in 100, 74 and 18 % of wheat sa mples, respectively. Mean contents of ERG, DON and ZEA were at 11.3 mg /kg, 788 mug/kg and 20 mug/kg in bran, and at 4.7 mg/kg, 204 mug/kg an d 11 mug/kg in wheat samples, respectively, the differences between me an contents being significant at p < 0,01. DON contents exceeding 1 mg /kg were found in 24 % of bran, and in 2 % of wheat samples, ZEA conte nts exceeding 60 mug/kg were found in 3 % of bran and 1 % of wheat sam ples. It is recommended thath wheat bran should be restrictively used in feeding rations for pigs and in human consumption.