Determination of multi-mycotoxin dietaries exposure level in humans in rural area of Limpopo Province, South Africa

Abstract: Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites that are produced by filamentous mycotoxigenic fungi belonging to the Alternaria, Aspergillus, Fusarium and Penicillium genera. Agricultural grains, such as maize, sorghum and wheat are commonly consumed and classified as staple foodstuffs in South Africa, but known to be prone to fungal infestation and subsequent mycotoxin contamination. Hence, there is a crucial need to frequently monitor the levels of this food contaminant, to mitigate against exposure to its harmful effects toward humans. Multi-class mycotoxins were extracted from the food samples and analysed using liquid chromatographytandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The adopted extraction method for maize, sorghum and wheat was comprehensively validated to determine method performance...M.Sc. (Biotechnology