Cytotoxicity of fungal metabolites to lepidopteran ( Spodoptera frugiperda) cell line (SF-9)

Abstract

The toxicity of sixteen fungal metabolites produced by some entomopathogenic fungi or biological control fungi agents was evaluated on lepidopteran Spodoptera frugiperda (SF-9) cell line by Trypan blue dye exclusion and MTT-colorimetric assay, after 48 h of incubation. No statistical difference was found between IC 50values (50% Inhibiting Concentration) and CC 50 values (50% Cytotoxicity Concentration) obtained by MTT test and Trypan blue dye exclusion for each fungal metabolite. By MTT assay, the cytotoxicity ranking was fusarenon X (IC 50 0.3 μM)=diacetoxyscirpenol (IC 50 0.5 μM)=beauvericin (IC 50 2.5 μM)=nivalenol (IC 50 5.3 μM)=enniatin (IC 50 6.6 μM) ⩾ gliotoxin (IC 50 7.5 μM) > zearalenone (IC 50 17.5 μM) > deoxynivalenol (IC 50 47.6 μM). By Trypan blue dye exclusion the cytotoxicity ranking was fusarenon X (CC 50 0.4 μM)=diacetoxyscirpenol (CC 50 1.1 μM) beauvericin=(CC 50 3.0 μM)=gliotoxin (CC 50 4.0 μM)=enniatin (CC 50 6.7 μM) ⩾ nivalenol (CC 50 9.5 μM) > zearalenone (CC 50 18.3 μM) > deoxynivalenol (CC 50 45.0 μM). The comparison with other bioassays showed that the SF-9 insect cell line could represent a further tool to screen for the toxic effects of fungal metabolites especially for beauvericin, gliotoxin, and zearalenone.