Fungal Laccases and Fumonisin Decontamination in Co-Products of Bioethanol from Maize.

Maize ( L.) may be infected by and , and consequently contaminated with fumonisins (FBs), as well as the co-products of bioethanol intended for animal feed. Laccase enzymes have a wide industrial application such as mycotoxin degradation.

Aflatoxin Decontamination in Maize Steep Liquor Obtained from Bioethanol Production Using Laccases from Species within the Basidiomycota Phylum.

Maize ( L.) is an important crop in Argentina. section can infect this crop at the pre-harvest stage, and the harvested grains can be contaminated with aflatoxins (AFs).

Bacillus velezensis RC218 and emerging biocontrol agents against Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium poae in barley: in vitro, greenhouse and field conditions.

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is one of the most common diseases in Argentina, affecting the quality and yield of barley grains. Fusarium graminearum sensu stricto (ss) and Fusarium poae are causal agents of FHB and potential sources of mycotoxin contamination in barley. Conventional management strategies do not lead to a complete control of FHB; therefore, biological control emerges as an eco-friendly alternative in the integrated management of the disease.

Pre-harvest strategy for reducing aflatoxin accumulation during storage of maize in Argentina.

Maize (Zea mays L.) is an important crop in Argentina. Aspergillus flavus may infect this crop at growing stage and the harvested kernels can be contaminated with aflatoxins (AFs), whose levels may increase during storage.

Divergence and Gene Flow Between and Isolated from Maize in Argentina.

and are two important fungal pathogens of maize whose distinctness as separate species has been difficult to assess. We isolated strains of these species from commercial and native maize varieties in Argentina and sequenced >28,000 loci to estimate genetic variation in the sample. Our objectives were to measure genetic divergence between the species, infer demographic parameters related to their split, and describe the population structure of the sample.

Toxigenic fungal species and natural occurrence of mycotoxins in crops harvested in Argentina.

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by fungal species that mainly belong to Aspergillus, Fusarium, Penicillium and Alternaria, which can grow in a variety of crops including cereals, oilseeds and fruits. Consequently, their prevalence in foods and by-products not only affects human and animal health but also causes important losses in both domestic and international markets. This review provides data about toxigenic fungal species and mycotoxin occurrence in different crops commonly grown in Argentina.

Fusarium graminearum species complex occurrence on soybean and F. graminearum sensu stricto inoculum maintenance on residues in soybean-wheat rotation under field conditions.

Aims: The aims of this study were to determine the occurrence of Fusarium graminearum species complex (FGSC) on soybean pods, seeds and roots, including rhizoplane, during the period of soybean crop in rotation with wheat and to evaluate the FGSC dynamics on wheat and soybean residues during two soybean growing seasons in rotation with wheat, particularly F. graminearum sensu stricto (FGss).

Methods And Results: Soybean roots, pods and seeds were analysed during 2012/13 and 2013/14 seasons.

Effect of water activity and temperature on growth and trichothecene production by Fusarium meridionale.

Fusarium meridionale has been frequently isolated from soybean in Argentina and showed similar pathogenicity as F. graminearum sensu stricto. However, no data on their growth and mycotoxin production under different environmental conditions are yet available.

Biocontrol of Fusarium graminearum sensu stricto, Reduction of Deoxynivalenol Accumulation and Phytohormone Induction by Two Selected Antagonists.

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a devastating disease that causes extensive yield and quality losses to wheat and other small cereal grains worldwide. Species within the Fusarium graminearum complex are the main pathogens associated with the disease, F. graminearum sensu stricto being the main pathogen in Argentina.

Biodiversity of Aspergillus section Nigri populations in Argentinian vineyards and ochratoxin A contamination.

Aspergillus section Nigri are described as the main source of ochratoxin A (OTA) contamination in grapes and wine worldwide. The knowledge of the factors affecting grape contamination by species included in this section and OTA production is essential to be able to reduce their presence, not only to improve wine quality, but also to maintain their safety. Therefore, the aims of this study were to determine the incidence of Aspergillus section Nigri species harvested in different grape-growing regions from Argentina, their ability to produce OTA, to correlate with meteorological conditions and geographical coordinates with their prevalence and to evaluate the OTA natural occurrence in grapes and wines.

Evaluation of potential biocontrol agent for aflatoxin in Argentinean peanuts.

Biocontrol by competitive exclusion has been developed as the most promising means of controlling aflatoxins in peanuts. A 2-year study was carried out to determine the efficacy of an Aspergillus flavus strain as biocontrol agent to reduce aflatoxin production in peanuts under field conditions in Argentina. The competitive strain used was a nontoxigenic A.

Control of ochratoxin A production in grapes.

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a mycotoxin commonly present in cereals, grapes, coffee, spices, and cocoa. Even though the main objective of the food and feed chain processors and distributors is to avoid the extended contamination of plant-derived foods and animal feeds with mycotoxins, until now, complete OTA removal from foods and feedstuffs is not feasible. Prevention through pre-harvest management is the best method for controlling mycotoxin contamination.

Biocontrol as a strategy to reduce the impact of ochratoxin A and Aspergillus section Nigri in grapes.

The efficacy of two strains of Kluyveromyces thermotolerans in preventing the growth and ochratoxin A (OTA) accumulation of ochratoxigenic fungi both "in vitro" and "in situ" was evaluated. The data from this study showed that both yeast strains were able to control Aspergillus carbonarius and A. niger aggregate species growth and ochratoxin A accumulation.

Phylogenetic characterization and ochratoxin A--fumonisin profile of black Aspergillus isolated from grapes in Argentina.

Aspergillus section Nigri populations isolated from seven growing regions from Argentina were characterized by sequencing in order to identify species responsible for production of ochratoxin A (OTA) and fumonisins (FB(s)). Sequences of genes encoding calmodulin, β-tubulin, the second largest subunit of RNA polymerase II and translation elongation factor 1 alpha were analysed. The phylogenetic analysis showed the presence of six lineages: A.

Molecular characterization and toxigenic profile of Aspergillus section Nigri populations isolated from the main grape-growing regions in Argentina.

Aims: The objective of this study was to evaluate the biodiversity of Aspergillus section Nigri populations from Argentinean vineyards by morphological, toxigenic and AFLP analysis.

Materials And Methods: Five hundred and thirty-eight strains were isolated from grapes during 2006/07 and 2007/08 vintages. The morphological identification and toxigenic profile for all strains isolated were performed.

Natural occurrence of ochratoxin A in musts, wines and grape vine fruits from grapes harvested in Argentina.

In this study, ochratoxin A (OTA) occurrence in Argentinean musts, wines and dried vine fruits was evaluated, alongside with the performance of OchraStar(TM) columns for OTA extraction. In all the three matrices analyzed, the OchraStar(TM) columns showed good performance. The analysis of natural occurrence of OTA in the red must and the red wine samples showed low incidence with low levels of mean OTA contamination (0.

Influence of Planococcus ficus on Aspergillus section Nigri and ochratoxin A incidence in vineyards from Argentina.

Aim: The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of Planococcus ficus infection in red wine grapes on Aspergillus section Nigri and ochratoxin A (OTA) contamination.

Methods And Results: During 2006/2007 and 2008/2009 vintages, Merlot, Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon varieties divided into two categories of grape samples (undamaged and damaged by P. ficus) were evaluated.

Fate of ochratoxin A content in Argentinian red wine during a pilot scale vinification.

The aim of this work was to evaluate the fate of ochratoxin A (OTA) content from must to wine during the red wine making process in a pilot scale vinification. The study was done using musts obtained from two red grape varieties (Bonarda and Tempranillo) artificially contaminated with two OTA levels. A duplicate set of tanks of 100 I each was established for each must (Bonarda and Tempranillo).

Aspergillus section Nigri species isolated from different wine-grape growing regions in Argentina.

Vineyards located in eight grape growing regions of Argentina during the harvest season 2006/07 were evaluated. The aims of this study were to determine the incidence of Aspergillus section Nigri, their ability to produce ochratoxin A (OTA) and to evaluate the OTA natural occurrence in grapes. Bunches of grapes at maturation stage were collected, and grapes (50 per sample) were plated on Petri dishes containing dichloran-glycerol 18% agar (DG18) and dichloran-rose bengal-chloramphenicol agar (DRBC) media.

Molecular characterization of Aspergillus section Flavi isolates collected from peanut fields in Argentina using AFLPs.

Aims: The objectives of this study were: (i) to evaluate genetic relatedness among Aspergillus section Flavi strains isolated from soil and peanut seeds in Argentina; (ii) to determine if AFLP molecular markers could be useful to identify isolates up to species level, and to correlate these markers with the isolates' toxigenic potentials and/or vegetative compatibility group (VCG) affiliations.

Methods And Results: Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLPs) analysis was applied to compare 82 isolates of Aspergillus section Flavi. Cluster analysis showed a clear separation of A.

Genetic diversity in Aspergillus parasiticus population from the peanut agroecosystem in Argentina.

Aims: The aims of this work were to identify potential sources of Aspergillus parasiticus inoculum and to evaluate the sclerotial and toxigenic profiles of this species from the peanut agroecosystem in Argentina. Likewise, the genetic diversity of A. parasiticus population was analysed using vegetative compatibility group (VCG) analysis.