Detection of mycotoxin ochratoxin in some coffee beans and powders available in the local markets

Introduction: Contamination of coffee beans with mycotoxins is common in various countries, especially in imported ones. Transportation and storage play a major role in the contamination of pre- and post-harvest samples with mycotoxins. Objectives: The detection of ochratoxin is considered as one of the types of mycotoxins that can contaminate various foods including cereals, beans, dried fruits and coffee in different countries around the world. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study has been conducted on fifteen samples of coffee beans and powders (three replicates for each sample) including Turkish, Brazilian, Syrian, Jordanian and Italian varieties, were randomly collected from local markets in Baghdad city from March to June 2022. Isolation and identification of fungi were conducted out by cultivating coffee samples on potato dextrose agar medium. Polymerase chain reaction was utilized for the detection of Aspergillus spp. in coffee samples that produced mycotoxins. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) technology was employed to detect the mycotoxin ochratoxin in all coffee samples. Results: Results showed the presence of the causative agents Aspergillus spp. in eight samples of coffee in this study. The main cause of secretion of the mycotoxin ochratoxin in coffee beans and powder was Aspergillus spp. Eight isolates of Aspergillus spp. were diagnosed by polymerase chain reaction technique. All eight isolates belonged to Aspergillus flavus, as indicated by the appearance of a band with a molecular weight of 600 bp. HPLC technique showed that most of coffee samples were contaminated especially Turkish Syrian, and Jordanian samples (0.91, 0.80, and 0.73 μg kg-1 respectively), while low concentrations of ochratoxin were recorded in Italian and Brazilian coffee samples (0.44, 0.39 μg kg-1 respectively). Therefore, there are no significant differences between the brands (P>0.05). Conclusion: The results of this study showed a high level of mycotoxin concentration (ochratoxin) in the Syrian, Jordanian and Turkish samples. However, its concentration was lower in both the Brazilian and Italian coffee samples when using one of the modern practices of HPLC. Therefore, it is necessary to understand and study the importance and impact of these toxins on both human health and the country’s economy.