Advance of research on ochratoxin contamination in grapes and screening methods of toxin producing strains

Ochratoxin A (OTA) was a toxic secondary metabolite produced by Aspergillus and Penicillium fungi.OTA had a huge impact on human and animal health due to its strong toxicity and wide distribution. Grape and its products were one of the main sources of food for OTA. Isolation and screening of strains producing ochratoxin from the surface of diseased grapes was the most commonly used method to research toxigenic strains. Because the toxigenic strains were mainly distributed in the the surface of grapes, theochratoxin contamination levels would be greatly increased when the grape tissue was damaged. Study the distribution of toxigenic strains and its ability of producing toxins provides reference for controlling ochratoxin pollution and finding an effective biological control method. This paper reviewed the occurrence of ochratoxin A (OTA) contamination in grape and the screening methods of mycotoxin producing strains, which provided the basis for the control of OTA pollution in the grape and its products.