Fusaria and Fusarium toxins in maize : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Veterinary Pathology and Public Health at Massey University (original) (raw)
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Dynamics of incidence and frequency of populations of Fusarium species on stored maize grain
Biotechnology in Animal Husbandry, 2007
Production and providing of high quality maize grain are of primary importance for livestock production since maize is the main component of livestock feed. Contamination with fungi not only diminishes the quality of grain, but some fungi species can produce highly toxic compounds known as mycotoxins. Considering that maize is economically the most important grown plant in Serbia, content and intensity of frequency of these pathogen fungi species are investigated in maize stored in the storage facilities. Based on studies of the fungi incidence in stored maize intended for nutrition of livestock, it was established that during the period from February 2005 to March 2006, some fungi species were present successively (Fusarium spp., Penicillium spp.), other with interruptions of one (Nigrospora spp., Aspergillus spp., Acremonium spp., Alternaria spp), three (Mucor spp., Chaetomium spp., Rhizopus spp.) to four months (Cladosporium spp.), and also sporadically during three (Epicoccum sp...
Fusarium species and mycotoxin profiles on commercial maize hybrids in Germany
European Journal of Plant Pathology, 2010
In Germany, maize is one of the most important agriculture commodities, a major component in animal feed as well as an essential substrate producing biogas. Maize ear rot poses a major impact worldwide as it is caused by several Fusarium spp., most of which have the ability to produce mycotoxins. Despite of the expansion of the maize acreage in recent years, limited information is available concerning the incidence of Fusarium ear rot in Germany. Therefore, in a two-year survey maize crops were sampled in the major maizeproducing areas in Germany to establish the severity of Fusarium ear rot and the biodiversity of Fusarium species. In 2006, the frequency of kernels infected by Fusarium spp. ranged from 0.7 % to 99.7 %; the average incidence was 32.4 %. Thirteen Fusarium species were isolated from maize kernels, with F. verticillioides, F. graminearum and F. proliferatum being the predominant species. In 2007, the highest incidence of Fusarium ear rot was 64 %; the mean level of infection was 21.7 %. F. graminearum was by far the most frequent species isolated from all sampled fields in 2007. In addition, F. crookwellense, F. subglutinans and F. avenaceum were also frequently isolated. In particular, the fumonisin-producing species F. verticillioides an F. proliferatum were less frequent than in 2006. The year-to-year variability in the frequency of Fusarium species and in the overall infection rate may be explained by significant differences in temperature and precipitation during the growth periods.
European Journal of Plant Pathology, 2009
The Fusarium species complex of maize kernels and stem pieces as well as mycotoxin contamination of commercial grain maize hybrids for animal feed were evaluated in Switzerland. Throughout 2 years, natural Fusarium infection varied significantly between the years and the locations and it ranged from 0.4% to 49.7% for kernels and from 24.2% to 83.8% for stem pieces. Using the agar plate method, 16 different Fusarium species were isolated from kernels and 15 from stem pieces. The Fusarium species composition, prevalence and impact differed between the north and the south and between kernel and stem piece samples. The dominant species on kernels in the north were F. verticillioides (32.9%), F. graminearum (31.3%), F. proliferatum (7.3%) and F. crookwellense (7.1%), in the south F. verticillioides (57.1%), F. subglutinans (24.6%), F. proliferatum (14.8%) and F. graminearum (1.5%) and on stem pieces F. equiseti (36.0%), F. verticillioides (20.1%), F. graminearum (9.5%), F. crookwellense (6.2%) and F. subglutinans (6.2%). In the south, fumonisin concentration of most hybrids exceeded guidance values for animal feed. Other Fusarium species isolated were F. avenaceum, F. culmorum, F. oxysporum, F. poae, F. sambucinum, F. semitectum, F. sporotrichioides, F. solani, F. tricinctum and F. venenatum. Maize hybrids varied in their susceptibility to Fusarium infection. Because of the high diversity of Fusarium species encountered in Switzerland representing a high toxigenic potential, we propose to screen maize hybrids for resistance against various Fusarium species and examine maize produce for several mycotoxins in order to ensure feed safety.
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2000
Maize (Zea mays) and wheat (Triticum aestivum) collected in the foothills of the Nepal Himalaya Mountains were analyzed for Fusarium species and mycotoxins: fumonisins, nivalenol (NIV), and deoxynivalenol (DON). Predominant species were Gibberella fujikuroi mating population A (F. moniliforme) in maize and F. graminearum in maize and wheat; G. fujikuroi mating population D (F. proliferatum), F. acuminatum, F. avenaceum, F. chlamydosporum, F. equiseti, F. oxysporum, F. semitectum, and F. torulosum were also present. Strains of G. fujikuroi mating population A produced fumonisins, and strains of F. graminearum produced NIV or DON. By immunoassay or highperformance liquid chromatography, fumonisins were >1000 ng/g in 22% of 74 maize samples. By immunoassay or fluorometry, NIV and DON were >1000 ng/g in 16% of maize samples but were not detected in wheat. Fumonisins and DON were not eliminated by traditional fermentation for producing maize beer, but Nepalese rural and urban women were able to detoxify contaminated maize by hand-sorting visibly diseased kernels.
Quantitative detection of Fusarium pathogens and their mycotoxins in South African maize
Plant Pathology, 2012
The distribution and co-occurrence of four Fusarium species and their mycotoxins were investigated in maize samples from two susceptible cultivars collected at 14 localities in South Africa during 2008 and 2009. Real-time PCR was used to quantify the respective Fusarium species in maize grain, and mycotoxins were quantified by multi-toxin analysis using HPLC-MS. In 2008, F. graminearum was the predominant species associated with maize ear rot in the eastern Free State, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal provinces, while F. verticillioides was predominant in the Northwest, the western Free State and the Northern Cape provinces. In 2009, maize ear rot infection was higher and F. graminearum became the predominant species found in the Northwest province. Fusarium subglutinans was associated with maize ear rot in both years at most of the localities, while F. proliferatum was not detected from any of the localities. Type B trichothecenes, especially deoxynivalenol, and zearalenone were well correlated with the amount of F. graminearum, fumonisins with F. verticillioides, and moniliformin and beauvericin with F. subglutinans. This information is of great importance to aid understanding of the distribution and epidemiology of Fusarium species in South Africa, and for predicting mycotoxin contamination risks and implementing preventative disease management strategies.
Acta agriculturae Slovenica, 2013
Several phytopathogenic Fusarium species occurring worldwide on cereals as causal agents of 'head blight' (scab) of small grain cereals and 'ear rot' of maize, are capable of accumulating, in infected kernels, several mycotoxins some of which of notable impact to human and animal health. Fusarium graminearum, F. culmorum, F. poae, F. avenaceum and Microdochium nivale predominantly cause Fusarium diseases of small-grain cereals. Maize is predominantly attacked by F. graminearum, F. moniliforme, F. proliferatum and F. subglutinans. The review is focused on the influence of climatic variables, particularly temperature, humidity and rainfall on growth, reproduction, survival, competitive ability, mycotoxicity and pathogenicity of Fusarium fungi commonly isolated from wheat, barley and maize.
Journal of food protection, 2007
Sixty samples of corn from both conventional and organic farms were tested for internal fungal contamination. Molds were identified to genus, and those belonging to the genus Fusarium were identified to species. Twenty isolates of Fusarium verticillioides were tested with a high-performance liquid chromatography-naphthalene dicarboxaldehyde-fluorescence method for their ability to produce fumonisins B1 and B2. The internal fungal infection in organic maize (63.20%) was significantly higher than that in conventional maize (40.27%) (P < 0.05). However, the distribution of fungal genera indicated a significantly higher prevalence of Fusarium in conventional (34.93%) than in organic (18.15%) maize, making Fusarium the predominant fungus in conventional maize. This difference in mold distribution between organic and conventional maize was attributed to the difference in cultivation system. The dominant Fusarium species in both conventional and organic samples was F. verticillioides. T...
2011
The mycoflora and Fusarium mycotoxins, zearalenone and fumonisin B1, associated with 100 samples of maize and sorghum grains and meals sold in Gaborone (Botswana) were determined. Fungal contamination was greatest on sorghum grains (96%) and least on white maize grains (77%). Maize and sorghum meals had a fungal contamination of 2.5 10 CFU/g and 2.3 10 CFU/g, respectively. The predominant genera isolated from the grains and meals were Aspergillus, Fusarium, and Penicillium. Other genera included Alternaria, Nigrospora, Acremonium and Phoma. Fusarium verticillioides was the most prevalent Fusarium species, accounting for 76% of all the Fusarium isolates. Other Fusarium species were F. proliferatum, F. semitectum and F. subglutinans. The presence of these fungi in food commodities may lead to food deterioration, and mycotoxin contamination. Nine isolates of Fusarium belonging to the four species were tested for their ability to produce fumonisin B1 on autoclaved maize and sorghum subs...
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2000
Maize (Zea mays) and wheat (Triticum aestivum) collected in the foothills of the Nepal Himalaya Mountains were analyzed for Fusarium species and mycotoxins: fumonisins, nivalenol (NIV), and deoxynivalenol (DON). Predominant species were Gibberella fujikuroi mating population A (F. moniliforme) in maize and F. graminearum in maize and wheat; G. fujikuroi mating population D (F. proliferatum), F. acuminatum, F. avenaceum, F. chlamydosporum, F. equiseti, F. oxysporum, F. semitectum, and F. torulosum were also present. Strains of G. fujikuroi mating population A produced fumonisins, and strains of F. graminearum produced NIV or DON. By immunoassay or highperformance liquid chromatography, fumonisins were >1000 ng/g in 22% of 74 maize samples. By immunoassay or fluorometry, NIV and DON were >1000 ng/g in 16% of maize samples but were not detected in wheat. Fumonisins and DON were not eliminated by traditional fermentation for producing maize beer, but Nepalese rural and urban women were able to detoxify contaminated maize by hand-sorting visibly diseased kernels.