Claudia Falavigna | Università degli Studi di Parma (Italy) (original) (raw)

Papers by Claudia Falavigna

International Journal of Food Microbiology, Aug 23, 2012

The production of fumonisin B, A and C and hidden and partially hydrolysed fumonisin occurrence w... more The production of fumonisin B, A and C and hidden and partially hydrolysed fumonisin occurrence was investigated in 3 strains of Fusarium verticillioides isolated from maize, cultured for 21–45 days on malt extract medium at 25 C and 0.955-0.990 water activity (aw). Fumonisin AB and C series were produced by all the strains in all conditions studied, with B-fumonisin>> C-fumonisin> A-fumonisin following a similar trend. The dynamic of fumonisin production was significantly influenced by factors considered and ...

ABSTRACT Conventional analytical methods used for the analysis of fumonisin content in animal fee... more ABSTRACT Conventional analytical methods used for the analysis of fumonisin content in animal feeds fail to take into account the fumonisin content bound to the matrix, which is otherwise bioaccessible and can be absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. Moreover, underestimation of fumonisin content using routine analytical methods can affect animal experiments using cereals contaminated by fungi. In the present study, hidden fumonisin B-1 was analysed in two cereal substrates (maize and wheat) which were inoculated with Fusarium verticillioides (MRC 826). The study compared a routine extraction procedure with an in vitro digestion sample pre-treatment. We found that all samples showed a higher content of fumonisin B-1 after digestion, compared to the free fumonisin obtained only by extraction. The percentage of the hidden form was 38.6% (+/- 18.5) in maize and 28.3% (+/- 17.8) in wheat, expressed as the proportion of total fumonisin B-1. These results indicate that the toxin exposure of the animals determined by the routine fumonisin analysis was underestimated, generally by 40%, as bioaccessibility was not taken into consideration. This is crucial in interpretation (and maybe in re-evaluation) of the results obtained from (other) animal experiments.

ABSTRACT The aim of this work was to study the dynamic profile of mycotoxin producing fungi as we... more ABSTRACT The aim of this work was to study the dynamic profile of mycotoxin producing fungi as well as the accumulation of free and hidden fumonisins along the maize chain. Raw maize was sampled at harvest, at the storehouse and after drying. The study continued on the dried maize bulk along the storage period in a commercial silo, which was sampled during discharge at 6, 7, 8 and 10 months. Finally, the flour obtained after kernel milling and corresponding to the silo discharges was investigated. The sampling approach, designed in agreement with EU regulations and tested for reliability, was used along the maize chain, obtaining very good results. The prevalent fungi found in maize kernels belonged to Fusarium section Liseola. Comparable results, in terms of both fungal incidence and fumonisin contamination, were obtained for the samples collected at harvest and at the storehouse, opening the possibility to adapt the maize chain monitoring to the needs of the farmer/enterprise. A reduction in fungal colony forming units was noticed after drying, supposedly due to the thermal treatment. Very similar amounts of free and hidden fumonisins were detected in raw maize and after drying, confirming the reliability of the sampling approach. During silo storage, up till to 10 months, a significant decrease was recorded for both free and hidden fumonisins. A significant increase in the free-to-total fumonisin ratio was observed moving from stored kernels to commercial flour, suggesting that milling leads to a reduction of the masked fraction. This result, together with the increase of free fumonisins after maize drying, should be considered in future studies. Especially the effect of drying conditions and milling treatments on the fumonisin masking phenomena should be further investigated.

Advances in Molecular Toxicology, 2014

World Mycotoxin Journal, 2012

International Journal of Food Microbiology, 2012

The production of fumonisin B, A and C and hidden and partially hydrolysed fumonisin occurrence w... more The production of fumonisin B, A and C and hidden and partially hydrolysed fumonisin occurrence was investigated in 3 strains of Fusarium verticillioides isolated from maize, cultured for 21-45 days on malt extract medium at 25°C and 0.955-0.990 water activity (a w ). Fumonisin A-B and C series were produced by all the strains in all conditions studied, with B-fumonisin ≫ C-fumonisin > A-fumonisin following a similar trend. The dynamic of fumonisin production was significantly influenced by factors considered and their interaction, with a w = 0.990 as favourable condition in ITEM 10026 and ITEM 10027. All fumonisins were maximised at 30 days incubation in ITEM 10027 and ITEM 1744 and at 45 days incubation in ITEM 10026. Partially hydrolysed fumonisins were detected only for the B-group. Hidden fumonisins were never observed in Fusarium cultures grown on malt extract medium but were detected in the additional trial on maize-based medium, suggesting that the masking phenomenon can occur only in a complex matrix.

International Journal of Food Microbiology, Aug 23, 2012

The production of fumonisin B, A and C and hidden and partially hydrolysed fumonisin occurrence w... more The production of fumonisin B, A and C and hidden and partially hydrolysed fumonisin occurrence was investigated in 3 strains of Fusarium verticillioides isolated from maize, cultured for 21–45 days on malt extract medium at 25 C and 0.955-0.990 water activity (aw). Fumonisin AB and C series were produced by all the strains in all conditions studied, with B-fumonisin>> C-fumonisin> A-fumonisin following a similar trend. The dynamic of fumonisin production was significantly influenced by factors considered and ...

International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, 2015

Food processing may induce thermal degradation of fumonisins in corn via Maillard-type reactions,... more Food processing may induce thermal degradation of fumonisins in corn via Maillard-type reactions, or alkaline hydrolysis via loss of the two tricarballylic acid moieties. In the former case, N-(1-deoxy-D-fructos-1-yl)-fumonisin B 1 (NDF) can be formed, while the latter derivative is called hydrolysed fumonisin B 1 (HFB 1 ). The aim of this study was to deepen the knowledge about the gastrointestinal stability of HFB 1 and NDF in humans. Due to the lack of standard, NDF was chemically synthesised and cleaned up in high purity to be used for further experiments. While NDF is already partially cleaved (about 41%) during simulated digestion, it remained rather stable towards human colon microflora. In contrast to this, HFB 1 is partially metabolised by the colon microflora to unknown compounds after 24 h of fermentation, as seen by a loss of about 22%. Concluding, the cleavage of NDF during digestion as well as the likely metabolisation of HFB 1 emphasise the need for animal trials to ascertain their toxicity in vivo.

Cured meat products are an important part of total processed meat products, among which dry-cured... more Cured meat products are an important part of total processed meat products, among which dry-cured hams are mostly appreciated by consumers. Nevertheless, the generally high salt content partially affects their nutritional value, as the excessive consumption of salty foods is related to the onset of cardiovascular disease and hypertension.Reduction of salt content of cured meat products is a potentially interesting goal, but it is difficult to achieve without impairing the safety and the quality of the product. On the other hand, although the excessive consumption of meat products is indicated as a risk factor for certain diseases, it has been also demonstrated that proteolysis positively influences the digestibility of the products and generates peptides with interesting biological activities (antioxidant, antihypertensive), which may potentially counteract the negative effects. In recent years, a considerable amount of research has focused on the release o f bioactive peptides encr...

Food Research International, 2015

This study deals with the identification of the peptides released after in vitro simulated gastro... more This study deals with the identification of the peptides released after in vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion of dry-cured Parma hams, using a physiological digestion model in terms of number of steps and composition of digestive juices. The obtained peptide mixture was analysed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with single quadrupole mass spectrometer detector and liquid chromatography hyphenated with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry and LTQ-orbitrap. This approach allowed for the identification of up to 81 different peptide sequences, mainly originating not only from myofibrillar proteins but also from sarcoplasmic proteins: the MW range spans between 200 and 1700 Da, with a high number of very short sequences (21 dipeptides and 12 tripeptides). Several identified released peptides are precursors of potentially bioactive sequences. The effect of the maturation time of the ham on the peptide profile obtained upon digestion was assessed: Principal Component Analysis allows for differentiating between 18 months and 24 months aged hams, underlying the importance of maturation on the digestibility of meat proteins and on the eventual release of bioactive sequences.

Journal of Separation Science, 2009

A new multiresidual LC-DAD-MS/MS method for the simultaneous detection of the major flavonoids an... more A new multiresidual LC-DAD-MS/MS method for the simultaneous detection of the major flavonoids and glycoalkaloids occurring in tomatoes has been developed and applied to the characterization of seven varieties of raw tomatoes grown in Italy and to their processed products. The new method allowed to determine rapidly the concentration of these secondary metabolites in a single analysis, showing that their content can be quite variable among the different varieties considered. On the contrary, a great depletion in glycoalkaloids and flavonoids is observed after processing, probably due to the harsh thermal treatment, which prevents the recognition of the varieties in the processed products.

Journal of Mass Spectrometry, 2012

Fumonisins are a family of food-borne mycotoxins with a wide spectrum of toxicological activities... more Fumonisins are a family of food-borne mycotoxins with a wide spectrum of toxicological activities, produced by Fusarium verticillioides. Twenty-eight fumonisin analogues have been characterised so far, which can be separated into four main groups, identified as fumonisin A, B, C and P, being fumonisin B the most widely occurring in maize and corn-based food. In this work, major and minor fumonisin analogues produced by F. verticillioides have been determined by the development of a suitable tandem mass spectrometry procedure for target compound identification and quantification. The method has been applied to the determination of the major fumonisins in culture media of F. verticillioides and in mouldy maize. In addition to the main fumonisins produced by F. verticillioides, also secondary compounds such as FB4, FB5, FAs and FCs have been detected in both fungal liquid cultures and contaminated maize samples. The use of this method for quantification of major and minor fumonisins may be useful for an exhaustive evaluation of their occurrence and toxicological relevance in food; moreover, it may be applied for a better definition of the fumonisin biosynthetic pathways in different growing media as well as in maize.

Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2010

Hidden fumonisins have received great attention in the last years as they have been frequently fo... more Hidden fumonisins have received great attention in the last years as they have been frequently found in maize products in addition to the free forms. Several papers have shown that interaction with macromolecular components such as protein and starch is at the base of the phenomenon: although the nature of the interaction (covalent or not) is still not clarified, the occurrence of hidden forms is generally revealed by the application of an alkaline hydrolysis procedure. In this study, an in vitro digestion model has been applied to raw maize to evaluate the possible release of hidden fumonisins under gastrointestinal conditions. Upon digestion of the food matrix, an increased amount of total detectable fumonisins was observed in comparison with the analysis on the nondigested matrix, an amount even higher than that calculated through the application of the hydrolysis procedure. Besides the analytical issues, our data have serious implications, since consumers may be exposed to a systematic higher risk than that estimated by conventional techniques.

Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2012

This study was designed to investigate the role of hybrids in maize Fusarium section Liseola inte... more This study was designed to investigate the role of hybrids in maize Fusarium section Liseola interaction and fumonisin production, with particular emphasis on the occurrence and accumulation of hidden fumonisins in maize (masking phenomenon). In this 2 year study, naturally infected field crops were chosen with 10 maize hybrids, six of them grown in both years. Maize samples collected in 2010 showed a higher incidence of fungal infection as well as higher fumonisin contamination than those obtained in 2009 but a very similar incidence of F. section Liseola. Fumonisin masking was confirmed in raw maize, with a lower amount of hidden forms as compared to free fumonisins detected in the year with higher contamination. The chemical composition of the different hybrids was determined and correlated with the contamination data: the results obtained highlight the main role of fatty acids, with a higher fumonisin contamination in hybrids showing a higher linoleic acid content and a higher masking action in hybrids with higher oleic to linoleic ratio. These results represent a good basis to explain maize hybrid susceptibility to F. section Liseola infection, fumonisin contamination, and masking not related to a specific commercial hybrid but extendable to all hybrids.

International Journal of Food Microbiology, 2013

Fusarium verticillioides and F. proliferatum can infect maize ears and produce fumonisins. The fu... more Fusarium verticillioides and F. proliferatum can infect maize ears and produce fumonisins. The fumonisin B (FB) series is the most prolifically produced, followed by fumonisin C (FC), A (FA) and P (FP); moreover hidden forms of fumonisins have been detected in maize and derivatives. There is a lack of information about which maize component may affect fumonisin pattern production. Therefore, in this work we studied the role of cornmeal and corn starch, as the sole source of nutrition, in the production dynamic of all fumonisin series, hidden forms included, in different strains of F. verticillioides and F. proliferatum incubated at 25°C for 7-45 days. Both Fusarium species produced high amounts of FB, following the chemotype FB 1 > FB 2 > FB 3 ; FC and FA were produced in lesser amounts, showing the chemotypes: FA 2 + FA 3 > FA 1 and FC 1 > FC 2 + FC 3 > FC 4 , respectively; while no FP were detected. F. verticillioides was more prolific than F. proliferatum in fumonisin production (ten times more on average) in all the tested conditions. Fumonisin production was higher in cornmeal than in starch based medium in both Fusarium species; FA and FC were detected only in the former medium. An important role of amylopectin as an inducing factor for fumonisin biosynthesis was suggested, as were acid pH conditions. Fumonisin hidden forms may occur in cornmeal medium, whereas they were never found at significant levels in corn starch medium.

Food Additives & Contaminants: Part A, 2013

Fumonisin derivatives obtained by esterification of fumonisin B₁ (FB₁) with palmitic, oleic and l... more Fumonisin derivatives obtained by esterification of fumonisin B₁ (FB₁) with palmitic, oleic and linoleic fatty acids have been recently described, but never reported in raw maize so far. In this study, the presence of oleoyl-EFB₁ (EFB₁OA) and linoleoyl-EFB₁ (EFB₁LA) in raw maize is reported by means of a suitable LC-ESI-MS/MS method. In addition, the production of EFB₁ derivatives by three Fusarium verticillioides strains is described on malt extract-based media and on corn meal-based growth media. EFB₁OA and EFB₁LA were produced by all considered strains in corn meal medium, with EFB₁LA > EFB₁OA. On the contrary, EFB₁OA and EFB₁LA were never observed in Fusarium cultures grown on a malt extract medium, suggesting that the esterification of FB₁ can occur only in a complex matrix such as maize.

Rapporti ISTISAN, 2010

... Claudia Falavigna, Chiara Dall'Asta, Gianni Galaverna, Arnaldo Dossena, Rosangela Marche... more ... Claudia Falavigna, Chiara Dall'Asta, Gianni Galaverna, Arnaldo Dossena, Rosangela Marchelli Dipartimento di Chimica Organica e Industriale, Università ... di Fusarium) maltato e non maltato sono stati forniti dall'Istituto Sperimentale Cerealicolo di Fiorenzuola (Piacenza, Italia). ...

ISTISAN Congressi, 2012

in italiano: In questo lavoro è stata studiata la produzione di fumonisine BAC, le fumonisine mas... more in italiano: In questo lavoro è stata studiata la produzione di fumonisine BAC, le fumonisine mascherate ep ialmente idrolizzate in tre ceppi di Fusarium verticillioides, messi in cultura a 25 C ed incubati per 21-30-45 giorni su substrato liquido ME (Malt Extract) con acqua libera (aw) 0.995-0.990. Tutti i ceppi hanno prodotto fumonisine ABC a tutte le condizioni studiate, in particolare la produzione dei tre analoghi ha seguito un trend similare in ogni ceppo, con fumonisina B>> fumonisina C> fumonisina A. La dinamica di ...

International Journal of Food Microbiology, Aug 23, 2012

The production of fumonisin B, A and C and hidden and partially hydrolysed fumonisin occurrence w... more The production of fumonisin B, A and C and hidden and partially hydrolysed fumonisin occurrence was investigated in 3 strains of Fusarium verticillioides isolated from maize, cultured for 21–45 days on malt extract medium at 25 C and 0.955-0.990 water activity (aw). Fumonisin AB and C series were produced by all the strains in all conditions studied, with B-fumonisin>> C-fumonisin> A-fumonisin following a similar trend. The dynamic of fumonisin production was significantly influenced by factors considered and ...

ABSTRACT Conventional analytical methods used for the analysis of fumonisin content in animal fee... more ABSTRACT Conventional analytical methods used for the analysis of fumonisin content in animal feeds fail to take into account the fumonisin content bound to the matrix, which is otherwise bioaccessible and can be absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. Moreover, underestimation of fumonisin content using routine analytical methods can affect animal experiments using cereals contaminated by fungi. In the present study, hidden fumonisin B-1 was analysed in two cereal substrates (maize and wheat) which were inoculated with Fusarium verticillioides (MRC 826). The study compared a routine extraction procedure with an in vitro digestion sample pre-treatment. We found that all samples showed a higher content of fumonisin B-1 after digestion, compared to the free fumonisin obtained only by extraction. The percentage of the hidden form was 38.6% (+/- 18.5) in maize and 28.3% (+/- 17.8) in wheat, expressed as the proportion of total fumonisin B-1. These results indicate that the toxin exposure of the animals determined by the routine fumonisin analysis was underestimated, generally by 40%, as bioaccessibility was not taken into consideration. This is crucial in interpretation (and maybe in re-evaluation) of the results obtained from (other) animal experiments.

ABSTRACT The aim of this work was to study the dynamic profile of mycotoxin producing fungi as we... more ABSTRACT The aim of this work was to study the dynamic profile of mycotoxin producing fungi as well as the accumulation of free and hidden fumonisins along the maize chain. Raw maize was sampled at harvest, at the storehouse and after drying. The study continued on the dried maize bulk along the storage period in a commercial silo, which was sampled during discharge at 6, 7, 8 and 10 months. Finally, the flour obtained after kernel milling and corresponding to the silo discharges was investigated. The sampling approach, designed in agreement with EU regulations and tested for reliability, was used along the maize chain, obtaining very good results. The prevalent fungi found in maize kernels belonged to Fusarium section Liseola. Comparable results, in terms of both fungal incidence and fumonisin contamination, were obtained for the samples collected at harvest and at the storehouse, opening the possibility to adapt the maize chain monitoring to the needs of the farmer/enterprise. A reduction in fungal colony forming units was noticed after drying, supposedly due to the thermal treatment. Very similar amounts of free and hidden fumonisins were detected in raw maize and after drying, confirming the reliability of the sampling approach. During silo storage, up till to 10 months, a significant decrease was recorded for both free and hidden fumonisins. A significant increase in the free-to-total fumonisin ratio was observed moving from stored kernels to commercial flour, suggesting that milling leads to a reduction of the masked fraction. This result, together with the increase of free fumonisins after maize drying, should be considered in future studies. Especially the effect of drying conditions and milling treatments on the fumonisin masking phenomena should be further investigated.

Advances in Molecular Toxicology, 2014

World Mycotoxin Journal, 2012

International Journal of Food Microbiology, 2012

The production of fumonisin B, A and C and hidden and partially hydrolysed fumonisin occurrence w... more The production of fumonisin B, A and C and hidden and partially hydrolysed fumonisin occurrence was investigated in 3 strains of Fusarium verticillioides isolated from maize, cultured for 21-45 days on malt extract medium at 25°C and 0.955-0.990 water activity (a w ). Fumonisin A-B and C series were produced by all the strains in all conditions studied, with B-fumonisin ≫ C-fumonisin > A-fumonisin following a similar trend. The dynamic of fumonisin production was significantly influenced by factors considered and their interaction, with a w = 0.990 as favourable condition in ITEM 10026 and ITEM 10027. All fumonisins were maximised at 30 days incubation in ITEM 10027 and ITEM 1744 and at 45 days incubation in ITEM 10026. Partially hydrolysed fumonisins were detected only for the B-group. Hidden fumonisins were never observed in Fusarium cultures grown on malt extract medium but were detected in the additional trial on maize-based medium, suggesting that the masking phenomenon can occur only in a complex matrix.

International Journal of Food Microbiology, Aug 23, 2012

The production of fumonisin B, A and C and hidden and partially hydrolysed fumonisin occurrence w... more The production of fumonisin B, A and C and hidden and partially hydrolysed fumonisin occurrence was investigated in 3 strains of Fusarium verticillioides isolated from maize, cultured for 21–45 days on malt extract medium at 25 C and 0.955-0.990 water activity (aw). Fumonisin AB and C series were produced by all the strains in all conditions studied, with B-fumonisin>> C-fumonisin> A-fumonisin following a similar trend. The dynamic of fumonisin production was significantly influenced by factors considered and ...

International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, 2015

Food processing may induce thermal degradation of fumonisins in corn via Maillard-type reactions,... more Food processing may induce thermal degradation of fumonisins in corn via Maillard-type reactions, or alkaline hydrolysis via loss of the two tricarballylic acid moieties. In the former case, N-(1-deoxy-D-fructos-1-yl)-fumonisin B 1 (NDF) can be formed, while the latter derivative is called hydrolysed fumonisin B 1 (HFB 1 ). The aim of this study was to deepen the knowledge about the gastrointestinal stability of HFB 1 and NDF in humans. Due to the lack of standard, NDF was chemically synthesised and cleaned up in high purity to be used for further experiments. While NDF is already partially cleaved (about 41%) during simulated digestion, it remained rather stable towards human colon microflora. In contrast to this, HFB 1 is partially metabolised by the colon microflora to unknown compounds after 24 h of fermentation, as seen by a loss of about 22%. Concluding, the cleavage of NDF during digestion as well as the likely metabolisation of HFB 1 emphasise the need for animal trials to ascertain their toxicity in vivo.

Cured meat products are an important part of total processed meat products, among which dry-cured... more Cured meat products are an important part of total processed meat products, among which dry-cured hams are mostly appreciated by consumers. Nevertheless, the generally high salt content partially affects their nutritional value, as the excessive consumption of salty foods is related to the onset of cardiovascular disease and hypertension.Reduction of salt content of cured meat products is a potentially interesting goal, but it is difficult to achieve without impairing the safety and the quality of the product. On the other hand, although the excessive consumption of meat products is indicated as a risk factor for certain diseases, it has been also demonstrated that proteolysis positively influences the digestibility of the products and generates peptides with interesting biological activities (antioxidant, antihypertensive), which may potentially counteract the negative effects. In recent years, a considerable amount of research has focused on the release o f bioactive peptides encr...

Food Research International, 2015

This study deals with the identification of the peptides released after in vitro simulated gastro... more This study deals with the identification of the peptides released after in vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion of dry-cured Parma hams, using a physiological digestion model in terms of number of steps and composition of digestive juices. The obtained peptide mixture was analysed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with single quadrupole mass spectrometer detector and liquid chromatography hyphenated with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry and LTQ-orbitrap. This approach allowed for the identification of up to 81 different peptide sequences, mainly originating not only from myofibrillar proteins but also from sarcoplasmic proteins: the MW range spans between 200 and 1700 Da, with a high number of very short sequences (21 dipeptides and 12 tripeptides). Several identified released peptides are precursors of potentially bioactive sequences. The effect of the maturation time of the ham on the peptide profile obtained upon digestion was assessed: Principal Component Analysis allows for differentiating between 18 months and 24 months aged hams, underlying the importance of maturation on the digestibility of meat proteins and on the eventual release of bioactive sequences.

Journal of Separation Science, 2009

A new multiresidual LC-DAD-MS/MS method for the simultaneous detection of the major flavonoids an... more A new multiresidual LC-DAD-MS/MS method for the simultaneous detection of the major flavonoids and glycoalkaloids occurring in tomatoes has been developed and applied to the characterization of seven varieties of raw tomatoes grown in Italy and to their processed products. The new method allowed to determine rapidly the concentration of these secondary metabolites in a single analysis, showing that their content can be quite variable among the different varieties considered. On the contrary, a great depletion in glycoalkaloids and flavonoids is observed after processing, probably due to the harsh thermal treatment, which prevents the recognition of the varieties in the processed products.

Journal of Mass Spectrometry, 2012

Fumonisins are a family of food-borne mycotoxins with a wide spectrum of toxicological activities... more Fumonisins are a family of food-borne mycotoxins with a wide spectrum of toxicological activities, produced by Fusarium verticillioides. Twenty-eight fumonisin analogues have been characterised so far, which can be separated into four main groups, identified as fumonisin A, B, C and P, being fumonisin B the most widely occurring in maize and corn-based food. In this work, major and minor fumonisin analogues produced by F. verticillioides have been determined by the development of a suitable tandem mass spectrometry procedure for target compound identification and quantification. The method has been applied to the determination of the major fumonisins in culture media of F. verticillioides and in mouldy maize. In addition to the main fumonisins produced by F. verticillioides, also secondary compounds such as FB4, FB5, FAs and FCs have been detected in both fungal liquid cultures and contaminated maize samples. The use of this method for quantification of major and minor fumonisins may be useful for an exhaustive evaluation of their occurrence and toxicological relevance in food; moreover, it may be applied for a better definition of the fumonisin biosynthetic pathways in different growing media as well as in maize.

Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2010

Hidden fumonisins have received great attention in the last years as they have been frequently fo... more Hidden fumonisins have received great attention in the last years as they have been frequently found in maize products in addition to the free forms. Several papers have shown that interaction with macromolecular components such as protein and starch is at the base of the phenomenon: although the nature of the interaction (covalent or not) is still not clarified, the occurrence of hidden forms is generally revealed by the application of an alkaline hydrolysis procedure. In this study, an in vitro digestion model has been applied to raw maize to evaluate the possible release of hidden fumonisins under gastrointestinal conditions. Upon digestion of the food matrix, an increased amount of total detectable fumonisins was observed in comparison with the analysis on the nondigested matrix, an amount even higher than that calculated through the application of the hydrolysis procedure. Besides the analytical issues, our data have serious implications, since consumers may be exposed to a systematic higher risk than that estimated by conventional techniques.

Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2012

This study was designed to investigate the role of hybrids in maize Fusarium section Liseola inte... more This study was designed to investigate the role of hybrids in maize Fusarium section Liseola interaction and fumonisin production, with particular emphasis on the occurrence and accumulation of hidden fumonisins in maize (masking phenomenon). In this 2 year study, naturally infected field crops were chosen with 10 maize hybrids, six of them grown in both years. Maize samples collected in 2010 showed a higher incidence of fungal infection as well as higher fumonisin contamination than those obtained in 2009 but a very similar incidence of F. section Liseola. Fumonisin masking was confirmed in raw maize, with a lower amount of hidden forms as compared to free fumonisins detected in the year with higher contamination. The chemical composition of the different hybrids was determined and correlated with the contamination data: the results obtained highlight the main role of fatty acids, with a higher fumonisin contamination in hybrids showing a higher linoleic acid content and a higher masking action in hybrids with higher oleic to linoleic ratio. These results represent a good basis to explain maize hybrid susceptibility to F. section Liseola infection, fumonisin contamination, and masking not related to a specific commercial hybrid but extendable to all hybrids.

International Journal of Food Microbiology, 2013

Fusarium verticillioides and F. proliferatum can infect maize ears and produce fumonisins. The fu... more Fusarium verticillioides and F. proliferatum can infect maize ears and produce fumonisins. The fumonisin B (FB) series is the most prolifically produced, followed by fumonisin C (FC), A (FA) and P (FP); moreover hidden forms of fumonisins have been detected in maize and derivatives. There is a lack of information about which maize component may affect fumonisin pattern production. Therefore, in this work we studied the role of cornmeal and corn starch, as the sole source of nutrition, in the production dynamic of all fumonisin series, hidden forms included, in different strains of F. verticillioides and F. proliferatum incubated at 25°C for 7-45 days. Both Fusarium species produced high amounts of FB, following the chemotype FB 1 > FB 2 > FB 3 ; FC and FA were produced in lesser amounts, showing the chemotypes: FA 2 + FA 3 > FA 1 and FC 1 > FC 2 + FC 3 > FC 4 , respectively; while no FP were detected. F. verticillioides was more prolific than F. proliferatum in fumonisin production (ten times more on average) in all the tested conditions. Fumonisin production was higher in cornmeal than in starch based medium in both Fusarium species; FA and FC were detected only in the former medium. An important role of amylopectin as an inducing factor for fumonisin biosynthesis was suggested, as were acid pH conditions. Fumonisin hidden forms may occur in cornmeal medium, whereas they were never found at significant levels in corn starch medium.

Food Additives & Contaminants: Part A, 2013

Fumonisin derivatives obtained by esterification of fumonisin B₁ (FB₁) with palmitic, oleic and l... more Fumonisin derivatives obtained by esterification of fumonisin B₁ (FB₁) with palmitic, oleic and linoleic fatty acids have been recently described, but never reported in raw maize so far. In this study, the presence of oleoyl-EFB₁ (EFB₁OA) and linoleoyl-EFB₁ (EFB₁LA) in raw maize is reported by means of a suitable LC-ESI-MS/MS method. In addition, the production of EFB₁ derivatives by three Fusarium verticillioides strains is described on malt extract-based media and on corn meal-based growth media. EFB₁OA and EFB₁LA were produced by all considered strains in corn meal medium, with EFB₁LA > EFB₁OA. On the contrary, EFB₁OA and EFB₁LA were never observed in Fusarium cultures grown on a malt extract medium, suggesting that the esterification of FB₁ can occur only in a complex matrix such as maize.

Rapporti ISTISAN, 2010

... Claudia Falavigna, Chiara Dall'Asta, Gianni Galaverna, Arnaldo Dossena, Rosangela Marche... more ... Claudia Falavigna, Chiara Dall'Asta, Gianni Galaverna, Arnaldo Dossena, Rosangela Marchelli Dipartimento di Chimica Organica e Industriale, Università ... di Fusarium) maltato e non maltato sono stati forniti dall'Istituto Sperimentale Cerealicolo di Fiorenzuola (Piacenza, Italia). ...

ISTISAN Congressi, 2012

in italiano: In questo lavoro è stata studiata la produzione di fumonisine BAC, le fumonisine mas... more in italiano: In questo lavoro è stata studiata la produzione di fumonisine BAC, le fumonisine mascherate ep ialmente idrolizzate in tre ceppi di Fusarium verticillioides, messi in cultura a 25 C ed incubati per 21-30-45 giorni su substrato liquido ME (Malt Extract) con acqua libera (aw) 0.995-0.990. Tutti i ceppi hanno prodotto fumonisine ABC a tutte le condizioni studiate, in particolare la produzione dei tre analoghi ha seguito un trend similare in ogni ceppo, con fumonisina B>> fumonisina C> fumonisina A. La dinamica di ...