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ARS Home » Plains Area » College Station, Texas » Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center » Crop Germplasm Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #222259
Title: Mycotoxigenic potential of ten Fusarium species grown on sorghum and in vitro

Author
item ISAKETT, THOMAS - TEXAS A&M UNIV
item Prom, Louis
item Wheeler, Michael - Mike
item Puckhaber, Lorraine
item Liu, Jinggao

Submitted to: Plant Pathology Journal
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/17/2008
Publication Date: 11/7/2008
Citation: Isakett, T., Prom, L.K., Wheeler, M.H., Puckhaber, L.S., Liu, J. 2008. Mycotoxigenic potential of ten Fusarium species grown on sorghum and in vitro. Plant Pathology Journal. 7:183-186.

Interpretive Summary: This study was conducted to look at the abilities of some fungi to produce certain harmful chemicals in plants and plant-based products. If such plant-based products containing these harmful chemicals are eaten by humans and animals, a variety of illnesses can occur. In this study, 12 fungi obtained from sorghum, barley, wheat, corn and from the soil were used. The work showed that five of the six fungi obtained from moldy sorghum seeds have the ability to produce at least one of the harmful chemicals under laboratory conditions. This means that certain fungi which are often found on sorghum grain in the field or in storage have the potential to add harmful chemicals into sorghum-based human food and animal feed. Therefore, controlling these fungi in the field will reduce the likelihood of having these harmful chemicals in our plant-based foods or feeds.

Technical Abstract: The objective of this study was to determine the mycotoxigenic potential of 12 Fusarium species including six isolated from sorghum, when grown in pure culture on autoclaved sorghum seed. Single-spore isolates of the following species were tested: F. thapsinum, F. semitectum, F. graminearum, and F. sporotrichioides from barley kernels with grain mold; F. poae, F. acuminatum from wheat seed; F. verticillioides from infected corn kernels; and F. nygamai isolated from soil. The production of fumonisin and zearalenone was determined following incubation on autoclaved seed for 21 days and 25°C, while fusaric acid production in liquid medium was determined. F. thapsinum (SC8 and CS121) and F. semitectum (SC7) produced fusaric acid only. F. graminearum (KB172) and F. semitectum (CS152) produced zearalenone only. F. proliferatum (CS183), F. verticillioides (TX02), and F. nygamai produced both fumonisin and fusaric acid. F. poae (KB662) did not produce any of these three mycotoxins. Five of the six Fusarium species isolated from sorghum had mycotoxigenic potential. Fusarium spp. naturally occurring on sorghum in the field have the potential to contribute to mycotoxin contamination, either singly or in combination.