Investigadoras de la Universidad de Navarra estudian la presencia de ocratoxinas en los vinos con denominación de origen Navarra
Researchers from the University of Navarra study the presence of ochratoxins in wines with the Navarra Designation of Origin.
Scientists have developed a novel method of analysis to measure these substances, classified as possible carcinogens, in broths.
Scientists at the University of Navarra have developed a novel method of analysis to determine the presence of ochratoxins, substances classified as possible carcinogens, in wine. The researchers are evaluating these substances in wines from Navarra, although they also plan to study samples from other origins.
Ochratoxins are a family of compounds produced by fungi that contaminate food. Among them, ochratoxin A (OTA) is the most important, due to its toxicity and because its presence in wine has been demonstrated in different countries, including Spain.
The authors point out that "wine is the second most common source of OTA intake, after cereals, source . It is a substance classified as a possible carcinogen, and its capacity to damage the kidney, liver, immune system and fetus has been demonstrated in animals". For this reason, the European Union has set a maximum limit for this mycotoxin in wine of 2 µg/L.
Likewise, "other ochratoxins have also been observed in wine, such as C or B, and the presence of methyl-OTA (MeOTA) is possible, since it is synthesized by the same fungi," they explain.
This analysis method, developed by researchers Rebeca Remiro and María Ibáñez-Vea and directed by Elena Lizarraga and Elena González-Peñas, presents two novelties: on the one hand, it allows determining these four compounds simultaneously -since until now the methods only measured the presence of OTA-; and on the other hand, it achieves a detection limit well below that allowed by European legislation for OTA and the lowest achieved so far in the scientific literature, "so it constitutes a good tool for the control of these substances in wine", they state.
First results: presence of OTA below the legislated limit
Although the study is in an initial phase, the data of the first analyses show that the presence of these substances in Navarra wines is below the legislated limit for OTA.
The work is part of the doctoral thesis of Rebeca Remiro from Pamplona and was awarded in the V edition of the José Antonio García Domínguez Awards, given at the IX Scientific meeting of the Spanish Society of Chromatography and Related Techniques. The study, chosen among more than 100 researches, is developed in the department of Chemistry Organic and Pharmaceutical of the research center in Applied Pharmacobiology (CIFA).
Likewise, the project is financed by the "You choose, you decide" program of Fundación Caja Navarra, through the project "Presence of toxins in food and their implication in human health".