RESUMO
A survey was carried out to determine Fusarium species and fumonisin contamination in 55 durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. var. durum) samples collected during two harvest seasons (2007 and 2008) using HPLC and further LC-MS/MS confirmation. All samples showed Fusarium contamination with infection levels ranging from 8 to 66%, F. proliferatum being the species most frequently isolated during 2007 and the second most frequently isolated one during the 2008 harvest season, respectively. Natural contamination with fumonisins was found in both harvest seasons. In 2007, 97% of the samples showed total fumonisin (FB(1) + FB(2)) levels ranging from 10.5 to 1245.7 ng/g, while very low levels of fumonisins were detected in samples collected during 2008. These results could be explained by differences in the amount of rainfall during both periods evaluated. A selected number (n = 48) of F. proliferatum isolates showed fumonisin production capability on autoclaved rice. This is the first report of the presence of natural fumonisins in durum wheat grains.