Preliminary study of Ochratoxin A in human plasma in agricultural zones of Chile and its relation to food consumption.

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a mycotoxin produced by different species of Aspergillus and Penicillium fungi. The presence of OTA in human blood has been reported in many studies, especially in Europe, however none have been done in South America. In this study, 88 blood samples from healthy donors from two different Chilean agricultural zones were analyzed. In parallel with sample collection, the donors filled a questionnaire regarding food intake during the last three months. The blood samples were collected in Colbún in March and July of 2004 and in San Vicente de Tagua--Tagua in October of 2004. The extraction procedure was done in the solid phase with a Sep-Pak RP-18 cartridge and a final purification with immunoaffinity Ochraprep columns. The presence of OTA was confirmed by the formation of Ochratoxin A methyl ester. Fifty four percent of the samples collected in Colbún and 91% of samples from San Vicente de Tagua - Tagua were positive to OTA at ranges of 0.07-2.75 ppb and 0.22-2.12 ppb, respectively. The OTA levels in serum did not show a good correlation with normal dietary consumption.