Occurrence and Levels of Emerging Alternaria Mycotoxins Detected in Spices and Herbs Marketed in Italy

Emerging Alternaria mycotoxins tenuazonic acid (TeA), alternariol (AOH), alternariol monomethyl ether (AME), altenuene (ALT) and tentoxin (TEN) were detected in samples of spices and herbs. A total of 92 samples purchased in Italian markets were analyzed by using a UPLC-MS/MS method. TeA was the predominant mycotoxin with the highest percentage of positive samples (53%), followed by AME, AOH and TEN with overall means of 801.5, 2.4, 6.2 and 10.8 µg/kg, respectively. All samples were negative to ALT. The spices with higher levels of mycotoxins were flax seeds, paprika, red chili and licorice; regarding herbs, they were basil, sage and oregano. While TeA was found to be the most abundant mycotoxin equally in Italian and Lebanese samples, AOH and AME showed significantly lower levels in Italian samples, as Lebanese samples contained concentrations up to 14 times higher. Considering the mean levels of TeA in samples, the daily consumption of >8.7 g of flax seeds, >9.3 g of paprika and >5.8 g of red chili will exceed the threshold of toxicological concern (TTC) of TeA, which is 1500 ng/kg bw for a day. The high percentage of positive samples and the high levels of some mycotoxins observed demonstrate the susceptibility of spices and herbs to Alternaria mycotoxin contamination. These results provide an overview of emerging Alternaria mycotoxins in spices and herbs marketed in Italy and represent a valuable starting point to assess human exposure and support future studies aimed at establishing safe limits to protect human health.