Production of type-B trichothecenes by Fusarium meridionale, F. graminearum, and F. austroamericanum in wheat plants and rice medium.

Abstract

Food security goes beyond food being available; the food needs to be free of contaminants. Trichothecenes mycotoxins, produced by Fusarium fungus, are. among the most frequently found contaminants of wheat. In this study, we evaluated the production of trichothecenes Deoxynivalenol (DON), 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol (3-AcDON), 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol (15-AcDON), and nivalenol (NIV) by Fusarium meridionale, F. austroamericanum, and F. graminearum grown in wheat plants and rice medium. Fusarim meridionale was efficient only in the production of NIV (production range (pr) from 1340 to 2864µgkg-1 in wheat plant), and F. austroamericanum in the production of 3-AcDON (pr from 50 to 192µgkg-1 in wheat plant, and from 986 to 7045µgkg-1 in rice medium) and DON (pr from 4076 to 13,701µgkg-1 in wheat plant, and from 184 to 43,395µgkg-1 in rice medium). Already, F. graminearum was efficient in the production of 3-AcDON only in rice medium (pr from 81 to 2342µgkg-1), 15-AcDON in wheat plant (pr from 80 to 295µgkg-1) and in rice medium (pr from 436 to 8597µgkg-1), and DON also in wheat plant (pr from 7746 to 12,046µgkg-1) and in rice medium (pr from 695 to 49,624µgkg-1). The specificity of F. meridionale in the production of NIV but not the production of DON could generate a food security problem in regions where this species occurs and the amounts of NIV in grains and derivatives are not regulated in the food chain, as in Brazil.