Browsing by Subject "Mycotoxins"
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Item Bonded phase high performance liquid chromatography of spore mycotoxins(Texas Tech University, 2001-05) Qi, ZhuhuaMycotoxins produced by molds are common contaminants of many important crops, including wheat, com, rice and peanuts. Some mycotoxins are found in fruits and vegetables. These contaminants have a broad range of toxic effects, including carcinogenicity, neurotoxicity, and reproductive and developmental toxicity. The occurrence of mycotoxins in foods is an unavoidable worldwide problem. About 80 countries have imposed regulatory limits to minimize human and animal exposure to mycotoxins. Regulatory limits, including international standards, have tremendous economic impact and must be developed using scientific-based risk assessments. This thesis is focused on the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of mycotoxins. Chapter I is a review of the application of HPLC on the determination of mycotoxins. Two major types of mycotoxins - aflatoxins and trichothecenes are discussed in details. Other mycotoxins are also surveyed. 113 references are cited. Chapter II describes a simple and sensitive method for simultaneous determination of verrucarin A, verrucarol and roridin A. This method was applied to the analysis of a spore mycotoxin sample form Stachybotrys atra. Greatly improved analytical separations resulted from the use a new phenyl-hexyl bonded phase column. Chromatographic and analytical figures of merit are presented. Additional work is also discussedItem Stachybotrys chartarum mycotoxins and growth prevention(Texas Tech University, 2000-12) Karunasena, EnushaRecent studies have correlated Stachybotrys chartarum with sick-building syndrome (SBS). Sick-building syndrome is a term used by scienfists and laymen to describe conditions in which individuals living or working in a building complain of particular discomforts experienced only when they are in a specific environment. Stachybotrys chartarum produces mycotoxins that are able to produce symptoms that individuals in SBS complain of the fungal spores produced by Stachybotrys species are not commonly found in the air of buildings with significant fungal growth. Individuals in buildings with significant Stachybotrys growth display symptoms of exposure to the mycotoxins. The intent of this project was to identify whether the carbohydrate matrix and the mycotoxins embedded in them could be removed from the spores by repeated washings with methanol versus phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). The second portion of my thesis involves the evaluation of building materials that are able to prevent fungal growth. Currently, building materials such as ceiling tiles consist of cellulose-based materials, which allow for fungal growth in the presence of water-damage. The intent of this project is to determine whether an inorganic based ceiling tile is able to support fungal growth if an organic food source and water are made available.