Penicillium Thomii Research Articles

Screening of mycoflora and ochratoxin A on common culinary herbs and spices in Kenya

The study aimed to screen fungal diversity and ochratoxin A levels on culinary spice and herb samples sold in open-air markets and supermarkets in Nairobi County, Kenya. All herbs were grown in Kenya, while locally-produced and imported spices were purchased from both types of retail outlet. The results showed a high frequency of Aspergillus and Penicillium species contaminating the samples. The isolated species included Aspergillus ochraceous, Aspergillus nomiae, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus ustus, Aspergillus terrus, Aspergillus nidulans, Aspergillus clavutus, Penicillium crustosum, Penicillium expansum, Penicillium brevicompactum, Penicillium glabrum, Penicillium thomii, Penicillium citrinum, Penicillium polonicum, and Cladosporium cladosporioides. Total fungal count on spice and herb samples collected from various sources varied between 6 and 7 CFU/mL. Of imported spices, garlic had the highest fungal diversity, while cardamom had the least. For spices from both open market and supermarket outlets, cloves had the highest fungal diversity, while white pepper had the least. For the herbs sampled from the open markets, basil was the most contaminated, while sage was the least. In supermarket samples, parsley, sage, and mint had the highest fungal diversity, and bay had the least. The results indicate the contamination of spices and herbs with OTA at high concentrations. The calibration curve was saturated at 40 µg/kg; with samples of garlic, cinnamon, red chili, basil, thyme, mint, sage, and parsley having levels above this. Of the spices, imported ginger had the highest OTA levels (28.7 µg/kg), while turmeric from the open market had the least, 2.14 µg/kg. For herb samples, parsley from the open market had the highest OTA levels at 29.4 µg/kg, while marjoram from the open market had the lowest at 6.35 µg/kg. The results demonstrate the presence of mycotoxigenic fungi and OTA contamination of marketed culinary herbs and spices beyond acceptable limits. Hence, there is a need for informed and sustainable mitigation strategies aimed at reducing human exposure in Kenya to OTA mycotoxicosis through dietary intake of spices and herbs.

A novel mycelial pellet applied to remove polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: High adsorption performance & its mechanisms

Mycelial pellets formed by Penicillium thomii ZJJ were applied as efficient biosorbents for the removal of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are a type of ubiquitous harmful hydrophobic pollutants. The live mycelial pellets were able to remove 93.48 % of pyrene at a concentration of 100 mg/L within 48 h, demonstrating a maximum adsorption capacity of 285.63 mg/g. Meanwhile, the heat-killed one also achieved a removal rate of 65.01 %. Among the six typical PAHs (pyrene, phenanthrene, fluorene, anthracene, fluoranthene, benzo[a]pyrene), the mycelial pellets preferentially adsorbed the high molecular weight PAHs, which also have higher toxicity, resulting in higher removal efficiency. The experimental results showed that the biosorption of mycelial pellets was mainly a spontaneous physical adsorption process that occurred as a monolayer on a homogeneous surface, with mass transfer being the key rate-limiting step. The main adsorption sites on the surface of mycelia were carboxyl and N-containing groups. Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) produced by mycelial pellets could enhance adsorption, and its coupling with dead mycelia could achieve basically the same removal effect to that of living one. It can be concluded that biosorption by mycelial pellets occurred due to the influence of electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions, consisting of five steps. Furthermore, the potential applicability of mycelial pellets has been investigated considering diverse factors. The mycelia showed high environmental tolerance, which could effectively remove pyrene across a wide range of pH and salt concentration. And pellets diameters and humic acid concentration had a significant effect on microbial adsorption effect. Based on a cost-effectiveness analysis, mycelium pellets were found to be a low-cost adsorbent. The research outcomes facilitate a thorough comprehension of the adsorption process of pyrene by mycelial pellets and their relevant applications, proposing a cost-effective method without potential environmental issues (heat-killed mycelial pellets plus EPS) to removal PAHs.

Zonal Patterns of Changes in the Taxonomic Composition of Culturable Microfungi Isolated from Permafrost Peatlands of the European Northeast

This paper provides the results of a study on fungal species diversity in the active and permafrost layers of peatlands within frozen peatbogs in the flatland areas of the cryolitozone, European Northeast of Russia (forest-tundra zone, southern and northern tundra subzones). Fungal taxonomic list includes eighty-three species from seventeen genera and two forms of Mycelia sterilia. The phylum Mucoromycota is represented by fifteen species (18% of total isolate number), and these species exhibit the following distribution by genus: Mucor (four), Mortierella (seven), Umbelopsis (three), Podila (one). Ascomycota is represented by sixty-eight species from thirteen genera. The genus Penicillium dominates the species saturation (thirty-seven species, 44%). Soil microfungal complex is represented by rare species (51%), random species (32%), frequent species (15%), and dominant species (2%). In peat soils, dominant species are Penicillium canescens (72%) and non-pigmented (albino) Mycelia sterilia (61%); abundant species are Talaromyces funiculosus (41%), Pseudogymnoascus pannorum (36%), albino Mycelia sterilia (29%), Umbelopsis vinacea (25%), Mortierella alpina (17%), Penicillium decumbens (21%), P. spinulosum (20%), and P. canescens (17%). In active layers of peat soils, abundant species are Penicillium thomii (14%), Mycelia sterilia (13%), Penicillium spinulosum (13%), Penicillium simplicissimum (13%) in forest-tundra; Talaromyces funiculosus (21%), albino Mycelia sterilia (15%), Umbelopsis vinacea (14%) in southern tundra; Penicillium decumbens (23%), P. canescens (17%), P. thomii (13%) in northern tundra. In permafrost peat layers, abundant species are Penicillium spinulosum (17%), Talaromyces funiculosus (34%), and Umbelopsis vinacea (15%) in forest-tundra; Pseudogymnoascus pannorum (30%) and Mortierella alpina (28%) in southern tundra; Pseudogymnoascus pannorum (80%) in northern tundra.

Chromone Derivatives with α-Glucosidase Inhibitory Activity from the Marine Fungus Penicillium thomii Maire.

The fungal strain YPGA3 was isolated from the sediments of the Yap Trench and identified as Penicillium thomii. Eight new chromone derivatives, named penithochromones M−T (1–8), along with two known analogues, 9 and 10, were isolated from the strain. The structures were established by detailed analyses of the spectroscopic data. The absolute configuration of the only chiral center in compound 1 was tentatively determined by comparing the experimental and the calculated specific rotations. Compounds 7 and 8 represent the first examples of chromone derivatives featuring a 5,7-dioxygenated chromone moiety with a 9-carbon side chain. Bioassay study revealed that compounds 6–10 exhibited remarkable inhibition against α-glucosidase with IC50 values ranging from 268 to 1017 μM, which are more active than the positive control acarbose (1.3 mmol).

Destructive activity of hydrocarbon-oxidizing micromycetes extracted from the substrates of the coastal areas, the Barents and White Seas

We analyzed the hydrocarbon-oxidizing activity of 33 micromycetes strains isolated from water and soils of the White Sea and Barents Sea coastal territories. The microscopic fungi studied were represented by the following genera: Acremonium, Aspergillus, Meyerozyma, Oidiodendron, Paradendryphiella, Penicillium, Pseudoqymnoascus, Tolypocladium, Trichoderma, Sarocladium, Talaromyces, Umbelopsis. Hydrocarbon-oxidizing activity of fungi was carried out in a laboratory experiment for two time periods: 14 and 28 days. The residual concentration of oil hydrocarbons in the medium was determined by the infrared spectrometry method. We revealed that micromycetes had different oil-destructive activity. The decrease in oil content for the strains over 14 days ranged from 11 to 83 %. Tolypocladium inflatum st.1, T. inflatum st.2, Penicillium thomii, Meyerozyma guilliermondii, P. simplicissimum, P. camemberti, P. solitum and Trichoderma minutisporum strains had the greatest oil destructive activity, reducing the concentration in the medium by 57-83 %. These micromycetes were isolated from coastal substrates, the content of oil products in which did not exceed the MPC. We found that some individual strains of microscopic fungi had high oil-destructive activity for a longer period of time: Tolypocladium cylindrosporum reduced the content of oil hydrocarbons for 28 days by 95 %. No clear relationship between the fungal biomass and the degree of decomposition of oil products was found, but some tolerant species of micromycetes can actively decompose oil hydrocarbons without significantly increasing their biomass. The identified active strains of hydrocarbon-oxidizing micromycetes can be used to create biopreparations with the prospect of their further use for bioremediation of oil spills in the northern marine ecosystems.

A diverse global fungal library for drug discovery.

BackgroundSecondary fungal metabolites are important sources for new drugs against infectious diseases and cancers.MethodsTo obtain a library with enough diversity, we collected about 2,395 soil samples and 2,324 plant samples from 36 regions in Africa, Asia, and North America. The collection areas covered various climate zones in the world. We examined the usability of the global fungal extract library (GFEL) against parasitic malaria transmission, Gram-positive and negative bacterial pathogens, and leukemia cells.ResultsNearly ten thousand fungal strains were isolated. Sequences of nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) from 40 randomly selected strains showed that over 80% were unique. Screening GFEL, we found that the fungal extract from Penicillium thomii was able to block Plasmodium falciparum transmission to Anopheles gambiae, and the fungal extract from Tolypocladium album was able to kill myelogenous leukemia cell line K562. We also identified a set of candidate fungal extracts against bacterial pathogens.

Penithoketone and Penithochromones A-L, Polyketides from the Deep-Sea-Derived Fungus Penicillium thomii YPGA3.

Twelve new polyketides, including a naphthoquinone derivative, penithoketone (1), and 11 chromone derivatives, penithochromones A-L (2-12), together with three known compounds (13-15) were isolated from the deep-sea-derived fungus Penicillium thomii YPGA3. The structures of the metabolites were elucidated based on extensive analyses of the spectroscopic data, and the configuration of 1 was resolved by quantum chemical calculations of NMR shifts and ECD spectra and comparisons to experimental data. Compound 1, containing a naphthoquinone-derived moiety substituted with a butenolide unit, represents a new modified naphthoquinone skeleton. Interestingly, the 5,7-dioxygenated chromone derivatives 2-13 possessed different alkyl acid or alkyl ester side chain lengths, and those with side chain lengths of seven carbon atoms were discovered from nature for the first time. The metabolites were evaluated for their cytotoxicity against four cancer cell lines; compounds 1 and 15 were found to be active, with IC50 values ranging from 4.9 to 9.1 μM.

Metabolic activity of cryogenic soils in the subarctic zone of Siberia towards “green” bioplastics

The present study investigates, for the first time, the structure of the microbial community of cryogenic soils in the subarctic region of Siberia and the ability of the soil microbial community to metabolize degradable microbial bioplastic – poly-3-hydroxybutyrate [P(3HB)]. When the soil thawed, with the soil temperature between 5-7 and 9–11 °C, the total biomass of microorganisms at a 10-20-cm depth was 226–234 mg g−1 soil and CO2 production was 20–46 mg g−1 day−1. The total abundance of microscopic fungi varied between (7.4 ± 2.3) × 103 and (18.3 ± 2.2) × 103 CFU/g soil depending on temperature; the abundance of bacteria was several orders of magnitude greater: (1.6 ± 0.1) × 106 CFU g−1 soil. The microbial community in the biofilm formed on the surface of P(3HB) films differed from the background soil in concentrations and composition of microorganisms. The activity of microorganisms caused changes in the surface microstructure of polymer films, a decrease in molecular weight, and an increase in the degree of crystallinity of P(3HB), indicating polymer biodegradation due to metabolic activity of microorganisms. The clear-zone technique – plating of isolates on the mineral agar with polymer as sole carbon source – was used to identify P(3HB)-degrading microorganisms inhabiting cryogenic soil in Evenkia. Analysis of nucleotide sequences of rRNA genes was performed to identify the following P(3HB)-degrading species: Bacillus pumilus, Paraburkholderia sp., Pseudomonas sp., Rhodococcus sp., Stenotrophomonas rhizophila, Streptomyces prunicolor, and Variovorax paradoxus bacteria and the Penicillium thomii, P. arenicola, P. lanosum, Aspergillus fumigatus, and A. niger fungi.

Combination of phosphorus mobilizing and solubilizing fungi with phosphoric rocks and volcanic materials for growth promotion of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) plants

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) increase the uptake of soluble phosphates, while phosphorus solubilizing fungi (S) promote the solubilization of insoluble phosphate complexes, together benefiting plant nutrition. The use of these organisms in combination with minerals or rocks that provide nutrients is another alternative to maintain crop productivity. The objective of this work was to combine AMF and S with pyroclastic materials (ashes and pumicites) from the Puyehue volcano and phosphoric rocks (PR) from the Río Chico Group (Chubut) and to evaluate the performance of these mixtures as substrates for potted production of Lactuca sativa. To formulate the substrates, a mixture of Ter-rafertil® with ashes was used as a base. Penicillium thomii was the S and spores of the fungus Rhizophagus intraradices (AEGIS® Irriga) served as the source of AMF. Various combinations of microorganisms and the addition or not of RP were evaluated. The treatments were: (1) substrate; (2) substrate + AMF; (3) substrate + S; (4) substrate + AMF + S; (5) substrate: PR; (6) substrate: PR + AMF; (7) substrate: PR + S, and (8) substrate: PR + AMF + S. There were 3 replicates per treatment. The parameters evaluated were total and assimilable P content in the substrate, P in plant tissue and dry biomass. All of them were significantly higher in the plants grown in the substrate added with PR and inoculated with S and AMF. This work confirms that the S/AMF combination with volcanic ashes from Puyehue and PR from Grupo Río Chico formulated with a commercial substrate promote the growth of L. sativa. Thus, it is possible to increase the added value of geomaterials of national origin.

Penitholabene, a rare 19-nor labdane-type diterpenoid from the deep-sea-derived fungus Penicillium thomii YPGA3

Chemical examination of the fermented material of the deep-sea-derived fungus Penicillium thomii YPGA3 led to the identification of a rare 19-nor labdane-type diterpenoid, named penitholabene (1). The structure was elucidated based on extensive analyses of the spectroscopic data and quantum chemical calculations of the 13C NMR and ECD data. A synthetic compound from commercial sources with the same planar structure is recorded in SciFinder (CAS number: 1217878–75-5), but there is no related reference and the configurations of chiral centers and double bond are not depicted. Penitholabene was reported as a new compound in the current study. To our knowledge, Penitholabene represents the first 19-nor labdane-type diterpenoid found in nature. It showed inhibitory effect against α-glucosidase with an IC50 value of 282 μM, being more active than the positive control acarbose (1.33 mM).

A Novel Ethyl 3(R)-Acetamido-3-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)Propanoate from the Marine Isolate of the Fungus Penicillium thomii KMM 4680

A Novel Ethyl 3(R)-Acetamido-3-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)Propanoate from the Marine Isolate of the Fungus Penicillium thomii KMM 4680

Terpenoids from the Deep-Sea-Derived Fungus Penicillium thomii YPGA3 and Their Bioactivities

A chemical study of the ethyl acetate (EtOAc) extract from the deep-sea-derived fungus Penicillium thomii YPGA3 led to the isolation of a new austalide meroterpenoid (1) and seven known analogues (2−8), two new labdane-type diterpenoids (9 and 10) and a known derivative (11). The structures of new compounds 1, 9, and 10 were determined by comprehensive analyses via nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and mass spectroscopy (MS) data. The absolute configurations of 1, 9, and 10 were determined by comparisons of experimental electronic circular dichroism (ECD) with the calculated ECD spectra. Compound 1 represented the third example of austalides bearing a hydroxyl group at C-5 instead of the conserved methoxy in other known analogues. To our knowledge, diterpenoids belonging to the labdane-type were discovered from species of Penicillium for the first time. Compound 1 showed cytotoxicity toward MDA-MB-468 cells with an IC50 value of 38.9 μM. Compounds 2 and 11 exhibited inhibition against α-glucosidase with IC50 values of 910 and 525 μM, respectively, being more active than the positive control acarbose (1.33 mM).

Secondary Metabolites of Fungus Penicillium thomii Associated with Eelgrass Zostera marina

Secondary Metabolites of Fungus Penicillium thomii Associated with Eelgrass Zostera marina

Effect of Polyketides from the Marine Fungus Penicillium thomii Maire KMM 4675 on Productivity and Growth of Spring Barley Sprouts

Eleven polyketides that have been tested in laboratory and field conditions as growth stimulants of the spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) were educed from marine fungus Penicillium thomii Maire KMM 4675, which was obtained from mycobiota of the brown seaweed Sargassum pallidum (Novik Bay, Russky Island, Sea of Japan). Depending on the chemical structure, polyketides have different effects on the growth of barley sprouts. It is shown that the compounds pallidopenilline A, 1-acetoxy-pallidopenilline A, 1-deacetyl- pallidopenilline B, pallidopenilline E, pallidopenilline F, and pallidopenilline H have a stimulating effect on the growth of sprout roots (from 2 to 24%) and the compounds pallidopenilline A and 1-acetoxy-pallidopenilline A stimulate the productivity of the spring barley at concentrations of 1.0 μg/mL (17.1%) and 10.0 μg/mL (19.5%), respectively. Pallidopenilline A and its acetylized derivative 1-acetoxy-pallidopenilline A showed the maximum stimulatory effect (24 and 10%, respectively) on the growth of barley sprouts at a concentration of 0.01 μg/mL. Pallidopenilline A is recommended for wider use in the field conditions as a growth stimulant.

Occurrence of Toxigenic Fungi and Mycotoxins during Smoked Paprika Production

'La Vera' smoked paprika is a traditional Spanish product regulated under a protected designation of origin. Mycotoxins are possible contaminants in paprika, yet there is little information about mycotoxin production during the processing of smoked paprika. In this study, samples of dried peppers collected from six traditional dryers from four producers were evaluated for physicochemical parameters, mycotoxins, and mycotoxin-producing fungi. The moisture content and water activity of the peppers ranged from 11.0 to 16.3% and 0.513 to 0.611, respectively, with significant differences among the dryers (P ≤ 0.05). Culture methods revealed fungal counts of 2.6 to 5.7 log CFU/g, with significant differences among the dryers (P ≤ 0.05), and real-time PCR revealed aflatoxin-producing fungi (2.00 to 3.42 log CFU/g) in all dryers. However, mycotoxins were not detected in dried pepper samples. Sixty-seven mold species isolated from dried peppers were identified by sequencing of the ITS1-5.8S rRNA-ITS2 region and characterized by mycotoxigenic ability. Four isolates of Penicillium expansum, four isolates of Penicillium thomii, and one isolate of Aspergillus parasiticus were producers of patulin, penicillic acid, and aflatoxins, respectively. Toxigenic fungi were inoculated onto smoked dried peppers and stored at 84, 91, 94, and 97% relative humidity (RH) at 20°C for 30 days. Patulin was not detected under any of these conditions. Penicillic acid was detected in dried samples stored at 91 to 97% RH, although the optimum condition was isolate dependent. Aflatoxins G2, B1, and B2 were detected at 91 to 97% RH, with the highest concentrations at 94% RH. According to our results, hazard analysis critical control point systems should be used to control the drying and storage conditions of dried peppers until the milling step to avoid rehydration, which encourages fungal growth and mycotoxin production.

Combinación de hongos movilizadores y solubilizadores de fósforo con rocas fosfóricas y materiales volcánicos para la promoción del crecimiento de plantas de lechuga (Lactuca sativa L.)

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) increase the uptake of soluble phosphates, while phosphorus solubilizing fungi (S) promote solubilization of insoluble phosphates complexes, favoring plant nutrition. Another alternative to maintaining crop productivity is to combine minerals and rocks that provide nutrients and other desirable properties. The aim of this work was to combine AMF and S with pyroclastic materials (ashes and pumices) from Puyehue volcano and phosphate rocks (PR) from Rio Chico Group (Chubut) - to formulate a substrate for the production of potted Lactuca sativa. A mixture of Terrafertil®:ashes was used as substrate. Penicillium thomii was the solubilizing fungus and Rhizophagus intraradices spores (AMF) was the P mobilizer (AEGIS® Irriga). The treatments were: 1) Substrate; 2) Substrate+AMF; 3) Substrate+S; 4) Substrate+AMF+S; 5) Substrate: PR; 6) Substrate: PR+AMF; 7) Substrate: PR+S and 8) Substrate: PR+AMF+S. Three replicates were performed per treatment. All parameters evaluated (total and assimilable P content in substrate, P in plant tissue and plant dry biomass) were significantly higher in plants grown in substrate containing PR and inoculas with S and AMF. This work confirms that the combination of S/AMF with Puyehue volcanic ashes, PR from the Río Chico Group and a commercial substrate promote the growth of L. sativa, thus increasing the added value of national geomaterials.

Pallidopenillines: Polyketides from the Alga-Derived Fungus Penicillium thomii Maire KMM 4675 as Stimulators of the Initial Stages of Crop Plant Development

The pallidopenilline A (I), 1-acetylpallidopenilline A (II), 1-deacetylpallidopenilline B (III) and pallidopenilline C (IV) isolated from marine fungus Penicillium thomi Maire KMM 467 5 were examined for their ability to stimulate growth of seedling roots of buckwheat ( Fagopyrum esculentum Moench), soy { Glycine max (L.) Merr.}, barley ( Hordeum vulgare) and wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.). The stimulatory effects depend on the chemical structure of the compounds and on the plant species. Compound I was efficient for growth of seedling roots of soy, barley and wheat. Compound II and III were efficient for growth of seedling roots of soy and barley. Compound IV was efficient for growth of seedling roots of buckwheat. These compounds can be recommended for field study as plant growth stimulators.

New Thomimarine E from Marine Isolate of the Fungus Penicillium thomii

The new eudesmane-type sesquiterpene thomimarine E (1) and the known compounds guaiadiol A (2) and 4,10,11-trihydroxyguaiane (3) were isolated from the marine isolate of the fungus Penicillium thomii. The structures of the compounds were established using NMR spectroscopy and high-resolution mass spectrometry. The ability of all compounds to inhibit production of NO in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated murine macrophages (RAW 264.7 line) at nontoxic concentrations was studied.

Zosteropenillines:PolyketidesfromtheMarineDerivedFungusPenicilliumthomii.

Twelve new polyketides, zosteropenillines A–L (1–12), together with known polyketide pallidopenilline A (13), were isolated from the ethylacetate extract of the fungus Penicillium thomii associated with the seagrass Zostera marina. Their structures were established based on spectroscopic methods. The absolute configuration of zosteropenilline A (1) as 4R, 5S, 8S, 9R, 10R, and 13S was determined by a combination of the modified Mosher’s method, X-ray analysis, and NOESY data. Absolute configurations of zosteropenillines B–D (2–4) were determined by time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) calculations of ECD spectra. The effect of compounds 1–3, 7, 8, 10, and 11 on the viability of human drug-resistant prostate cancer cells PC3 as well as on autophagy in these cancer cells and inhibitory effects of compounds 1, 2, and 8–10 on NO production in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 murine macrophages were examined.

Pallidopenillines: Polyketides from the Alga-Derived Fungus Penicillium thomii Maire KMM 4675.

Eleven new polyketides, pallidopenillines 1-11, were isolated from the alga-derived fungus Penicillium thomii. The structures of these compounds were established based on spectroscopic methods. The absolute configuration of pallidopenilline A (1) as 4R, 5S, 8S, 9R, 10R, 13R was established using a combination of the modified Mosher's method, X-ray analysis, and NOESY data. The absolute configurations of 2-5 were determined by time-dependent density functional theory calculations of the ECD spectra and ECD and NOESY data. It was shown that 1-acetylpallidopenilline A (2) and pallidopenilline G (10) inhibit the growth of colonies of 22Rv1 cells by 40% at 2 and 1 μM, respectively.