Abstract
Wheat grains collected in three regions of Russia—Volga, Ural, and West Siberia—were analyzed for triangulation of methods in analysis of toxigenic Fusarium species. The presence of fungi and quantitative content of their biomass were detected by using various analytical methods, including a mycological and immunochemical methods, and quantitative PCR. Additionally, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and high-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry were applied for determination of mycotoxins. Regional differences were found regarding the contamination of wheat grain by Fusarium fungi and their toxins. The most important observation was the detection of F. graminearum in the Ural and West Siberian regions, where this pathogen had not been found previously. A maximum damaged grains by F. graminearum and F. sporotrichioides was found in the grain samples from West Siberia. The DNA of F. graminearum was detected in 19.2% and DNA of F. sporotrichioides was found in 84.1% of the analyzed grain samples. The amount of Fusarium antigens in the grain samples from the West Siberian region was 7–8 times higher than in the grain samples from the other two regions. Significant contamination of the grain with deoxynivalenol and T-2/HT-2 toxins (maximum contents were 2239 ppb and 199 ppb, respectively) was detected in the West Siberian region.
Highlights
Fusarium Link is a large cosmopolitan genus of ascomycete fungi consisting of numerous species that are both saprotrophic and pathogenic to cereals
The wheat grain samples were collected from three regions of Russia where, at present, information about grain infection and mycotoxin contamination of grown small grain cereals is limited in comparison to the southern and central parts of European Russia, which feature intense cereal production
The largest number of infected grain samples was detected in the West Siberian region (96.1%), most of which were from Novosibirsk Oblast and Altai Krai, where the maximal percentage of Fusarium damaged grain (FDG)
Summary
Fusarium Link is a large cosmopolitan genus of ascomycete fungi consisting of numerous species that are both saprotrophic and pathogenic to cereals. Some Fusarium species are known to produce different types of mycotoxins, which are the most deleterious of natural metabolites in terms of health effects. The ability to produce mycotoxins varies between species and between strains of the same species, but the quantity of formed metabolites depends on environmental factors. Research on the Fusarium problem in cereals has demonstrated that visual symptoms, fungal incidence, and mycotoxin accumulation in grains are not always closely linked [1–3]. Due to the problem of Fusarium damaged grain (FDG), there is a need for highly accurate methods for detecting the infection of grain batches and quantitative mycotoxin contamination
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