Effects of Phenolic Acids on the Growth and Production of T-2 and HT-2 Toxins by Fusarium langsethiae and F. sporotrichioides.

Elena Ferruz,Florence Richard‐Forget,Susana Lorán,Gisèle Marchegay,Laëtitia Pinson‐Gadais,Agustín Ariño,Vessela Atanasova‐Pénichon,Marie‐Noëlle Bonnin‐Verdal,Christine Ducos,Christian Barreau

doi:10.3390/molecules21040449

Abstract

The effect of natural phenolic acids was tested on the growth and production of T-2 and HT-2 toxins by Fusarium langsethiae and F. sporotrichioides, on Mycotoxin Synthetic medium. Plates treated with 0.5 mM of each phenolic acid (caffeic, chlorogenic, ferulic and p-coumaric) and controls without phenolic acid were incubated for 14 days at 25 °C. Fungal biomass of F. langsethiae and F. sporotrichioides was not reduced by the phenolic acids. However, biosynthesis of T-2 toxin by F. langsethiae was significantly reduced by chlorogenic (23.1%) and ferulic (26.5%) acids. Production of T-2 by F. sporotrichioides also decreased with ferulic acid by 23% (p < 0.05). In contrast, p-coumaric acid significantly stimulated the production of T-2 and HT-2 toxins for both strains. A kinetic study of F. langsethiae with 1 mM ferulic acid showed a significant decrease in fungal biomass, whereas T-2 production increased after 10 days of incubation. The study of gene expression in ferulic supplemented cultures of F. langsethiae revealed a significant inhibition for Tri5, Tri6 and Tri12 genes, while for Tri16 the decrease in gene expression was not statistically significant. Overall, results indicated that phenolic acids had a variable effect on fungal growth and mycotoxin production, depending on the strain and the concentration and type of phenolic acid assayed.

Highlights

T-2 toxin (T-2) and HT-2 toxin (HT-2) are two closely related type A trichothecenes produced by several Fusarium species, mainly F. langsethiae and F. sporotrichioides [1,2]
Caffeic, chlorogenic and ferulic acids increased fungal biomass of F. langsethiae (p < 0.05), while the biomass of F. sporotrichioides increased with caffeic, ferulic and p-coumaric acids (p < 0.05)
The present study has evaluated the efficacy of four phenolic acids against F. sporotrichioides and F. langsethiae in relation to both growth and T-2 and and p‐coumaric) against F. sporotrichioides and F. langsethiae in relation to both growth and T‐2 and HT-2 production

Summary

Introduction

T-2 toxin (T-2) and HT-2 toxin (HT-2) are two closely related type A trichothecenes produced by several Fusarium species, mainly F. langsethiae and F. sporotrichioides [1,2]. These mycotoxins may contaminate harvested grain and feed and food products derived thereof. Their presence in cereals such as oat, barley, maize and wheat in cold temperate climates of northern Europe is well documented [3–6]. T-2 toxin and HT-2 toxin are toxic to all animal species, as well as to humans. The consumption of moldy grains with high levels of T-2 has been associated with human intoxications, such as the Alimentary Toxic Aleukia (ATA), producing sepsis, hemorrhages and pancytopenia [8,9]

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