Reduction of deoxynivalenol in barley by treatment with aqueous sodium carbonate and heat.

Naturally contaminated lots of Canadian barley containing either 18.4 or 4.3 microg/g deoxynivalenol (DON) were heated at 80 degrees C, with small amounts of water or 1 M sodium carbonate solution to study the rate of DON reduction. Samples were heated in sealed polypropylene containers for periods of up to 8 days. In the 18.4 microg/g DON barley, rapid reductions were observed: with no solutions added, DON declined to 14.7 microg/g after 1 day, and to 4.9 microg/g after 8 days solely due to heat; with water at 10 mL/100 g barley, DON levels reached 3.7 microg/g after 8 days; with 1 M sodium carbonate solution added at 10 mL/100 g barley, DON declined to 4.7 microg/g after 1 day, and to 0.4 microg/g after 8 days; with 20 mL/100 g barley, DON declined to 1.4 microg/g after 1 day and to near-zero levels after 8 days. In the 4.3 microg/g DON barley, more gradual reductions were evident: with no solutions added, DON declined to 2.9 microg/g after 8 days solely due to heat; with water at 10 mL/100 g barley, DON levels reached 2.3 microg/g after 8 days; with 1 M sodium carbonate solution added at 10 mL/100 g barley, DON declined to 2.7 microg/g after 1 day, and to near-zero levels after 8 days; with 20 mL/100 g barley, DON declined to 1.4 microg/g after 1 day and to near-zero levels after 3, 5 and 8 days.