Occurrence Occurrence of of citrinin citrinin in in wheat wheat cultivated cultivated in in Kosovo Kosovo and and Albania Albania during during 2021

Citrinin (CIT) is a mycotoxin responsible for the contamination of many agricultural products, like wheat, barley, corn, rice and their products, as also other foodstuffs and feedstuffs used in human and animal nutrition. It is essentially produced by Penicillium citrinum, although it can also be biosynthesised from Penicillium expansum and Penicillium verrucosum and some species of Aspergillus and Monascus. However, several studies have shown that CIT is known for its genotoxic, hepatotoxic, fetotoxic and teratogenic properties. The aim of this study is to investigate the occurrence of CIT in wheat grain cultivated in Kosovo and Albania. Given the fact that wheat flour is the most consumed product in Kosovo and Albania, it is necessary to analyse the CIT in wheat in these two countries. In total, 60 wheat samples were tested from Fusha e Kosovës (Kosovo), Myzeqeja (Albania) and Fusha e Maliqit (Albania), as places with the highest wheat production. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method was used to determine CIT concentrations. To identify moulds representing potential producers of CIT, traditional macroscopic and microscopic methods and the molecular PCR method of identification were implemented. CIT was detected in 96.6% and 86.6% of wheat grain samples collected in Kosovo and Albania, respectively. The maximum amount of CIT detected in wheat grain was 53.12 µg/ kg in Kosovo, and 45.74 µg/kg in Albania. The amount of CIT found in wheat grain is not comparable with the maximal limits (MLs), as the European legislation does not provide limits for this mycotoxin. However, since there is generally a lack of data about CIT in cereals in Kosovo and Albania, the results can serve as an indicator of wheat grain contamination in this part of the Balkan Peninsula.