[Study of the presence of sterigmatocystin in Czechoslovak grain]

Owing to its carcinogenic, hepatotoxic, nephrotoxic and dermatotoxic action, sterigmatocystine belongs to risky substances. Grains should be therefore examined for its content. A detailed description of a simple method for a current examination of grains for sterigmatocystine content is given and the method is recommended. Seventy-four samples were examined (24 samples of wheat, 19 samples of barley, 16 samples of maize, 10 samples of oats and 5 samples of rye) coming from the South Moravian, West Slovakian and East Slovakian regions from the 1980 and 1981 harvests. Only two barley samples and two maize samples were found to be positive: the maize samples contained about 50 micrograms and the samples of barley 200 and 400 micrograms of sterigmatocystine per 1 kg. One sample of wheat had a trace amount of the substance.