3 to 4651.3 μg/kg (mean 1689.8 μg/kg), and DON was detected in 61.6% samples from the northern region at levels ranging from 222.6 to 4732.3 μg/kg

(mean 2031.4 μg/kg). No significant difference was observed (p > 0.05) by the Mann–Whitney Test in the mean DON levels between the two regions investigated. HDAC inhibitor Paraná State accounts for approximately 56% of the national wheat production, and several municipalities from the northern region are among the main national producers. Table 2 shows the natural occurrence of DON in the 2008 and 2009 growing seasons. According to the Mann–Whitney Test, no significant difference (p > 0.05) was found in mean DON levels from the two growing seasons. DON was detected in 61.9% of samples from the 2008 growing season, with levels ranging from 206.3 to 4651.3 μg/kg (mean of

1750.8 μg/kg), whereas DON was detected in 72% of samples from the 2009 season (2051.1 μg/kg), with levels ranging from 300.3 to 4732.3 μg/kg ( Fig. 1). DON levels from the 2008 and 2009 growing seasons ( Table 2) were higher than those observed in the 2006 and 2007 growing seasons Veliparib in vitro (8 non-detected samples in 2006, and 1 positive sample in 2007 over 7 samples; unpublished data) due to an outbreak of FHB that occurred in these years in northern Paraná State. In 2009, cultivation was delayed because the region received atypical rainfall during April, the month that wheat cultivation usually begins in Paraná. From June to August of that year, the region received approximately 400 mm of rainfall, above the historical average Org 27569 of approximately 200 mm ( IAPAR, 2009). A relationship between FHB outbreaks and wet conditions during flowering has been previously reported ( Pan, Bonsignore, Rivas, Perera, & Bettucci, 2007). In a study conducted in Rio Grande do Sul State (Brazil), Del Ponte, Garda-Buffon, and Badiale-Furlong (2012) revealed higher DON levels in the growing seasons of 2007 and 2008 than in 2006. The authors emphasised that a higher prevalence

of DON may be partially related to the higher risk of FHB epidemics during those years. Stanković et al. (2012) observed higher DON levels in wheat from Serbia in 2005 (605.5 μg/kg) when compared to the 2007 growing season (282.8 μg/kg) and suggested that rainfall at the time of flowering was the decisive factor. The maximum DON level tolerated by the Commission of The European Communities (2007) for unprocessed durum wheat is set at 1750 μg/kg. In Brazil, a specific guideline for DON was recently published by the Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA; Brasil, 2011). The limits in whole wheat grains and whole wheat flour are set at 2000 μg/kg and 1750 μg/kg to wheat flour. Under the maximum limits proposed by the Brazilian Health Surveillance Agency for whole wheat grains, 71 samples (62.8%) were safe for human consumption (Fig. 1). The limit will be decreased over time to allow grain producers and the industry to adapt to the legislation without causing a shortage of wheat.