Interacting Environmental Stress Factors Affect Metabolomics Profiles in Stored Naturally Contaminated Maize.

There is interest in understanding the relationship between naturally contaminated commodities and the potential for the production of different useful and toxic secondary metabolites (SMs). This study examined the impact of interacting abiotic stress parameters of water availability and temperature of stored naturally contaminated maize on the SM production profiles. Thus, the effect of steady-state storage water activity (aw; 0.

Determining future aflatoxin contamination risk scenarios for corn in Southern Georgia, USA using spatio-temporal modelling and future climate simulations.

Aflatoxins (AFs) are produced by fungi in crops and can cause liver cancer. Permitted levels are legislated and batches of grain are rejected based on average concentrations. Corn grown in Southern Georgia (GA), USA, which experiences drought during the mid-silk growth period in June, is particularly susceptible to infection by Aspergillus section Flavi species which produce AFs.

Comparative Growth Inhibition of Bread Spoilage Fungi by Different Preservative Concentrations Using a Rapid Turbidimetric Assay System.

Bread and intermediate moisture bakery products are mainly spoiled by yeasts and filamentous fungi. The inoculum load and preservation system used determines their shelf life. To extend the shelf life of such commodities, the use of chemical preservatives is the most common way to try and control the initiation of mold spoilage of bread.

Water and temperature relations of Fusarium langsethiae strains and modelling of growth and T-2 and HT-2 mycotoxin production on oat-based matrices.

In the UK and Northern Europe, ripening oats can become contaminated with T-2 and HT-2 mycotoxins, produced mainly by Fusarium langsethiae. There are indicative levels related to the maximum limits for oat grain for these toxins. The objectives of this study were to examine the effect of interacting conditions of temperature (10-30 °C) and water activity (a, 0.

Interacting Abiotic Factors Affect Growth and Aflatoxin B Production Profiles of Strains on Pistachio-Based Matrices and Pistachio Nuts.

Pistachio nuts are an economically important commodity produced by many countries. They can be colonized by mycotoxigenic fungi, especially , resulting in contamination with , especially aflatoxin B (AFB), a Class 1a carcinogen. The objectives were to examine the effect of interactions between the two key abiotic factors, temperature and water activity (a ) on (a) growth and AFB production by four strains of isolated from pistachio nuts, on a milled pistachio nut medium modified ionically (NaCl) and non-ionically (glycerol) in the range 20-35°C and 0.

Unveiling the effect of interacting forecasted abiotic factors on growth and aflatoxin B production kinetics by Aspergillus flavus.

The aim was to decipher the temporal impact of key interacting climate change (CC) abiotic factors of temperature (30 vs 37 °C), water activity (a; 0.985 vs 0.930) and CO exposure (400 vs 1000 ppm) on (a) growth of Aspergillus flavus and effects on (b) gene expression of a structural (aflD) and key regulatory gene (aflR) involved in aflatoxin B (AFB) biosynthesis and (c) AFB production on a yeast extract sucrose medium over a period of 10 days.

Interacting climate change factors (CO and temperature cycles) effects on growth, secondary metabolite gene expression and phenotypic ochratoxin A production by Aspergillus carbonarius strains on a grape-based matrix.

Little is known on the impact that climate change (CC) may have on Aspergillus carbonarius and Ochratoxin A (OTA) contamination of grapes, especially in the Mediterranean region where in CC scenarios temperature are expected to increase by +2-5 °C and CO from 400 to 800/1200 ppm. This study examined the effect of (i) current and increased temperature in the alternating 11.5 h dark/12.

Dynamics of solute/matric stress interactions with climate change abiotic factors on growth, gene expression and ochratoxin A production by Penicillium verrucosum on a wheat-based matrix.

Penicillium verrucosum contaminates temperate cereals with ochratoxin A (OTA) during harvesting and storage. We examined the effect of temperature (25 vs 30 C), CO (400 vs 1000 ppm) and matric/solute stress (-2.8 vs -7.

Three-Dimensional Study of Colonisation of Stored Wheat: Post-Harvest Growth Patterns, Dry Matter Losses and Mycotoxin Contamination.

causes significant post-harvest quality losses and mycotoxin contamination in stored wheat but the colonisation dynamics of the grain and how this may be affected by the initial inoculum position in the grain mass is poorly understood. This study examined the 3D growth kinetics and mycotoxin production (deoxynivalenol and zearalenone) by during hyphal colonisation from different initial inoculum positions in wheat microcosms (top-centre, bottom-centre, and bottom-side) maintained at two water activities (a; 0.95 and 0.

Visualizing the invisible: class excursions to ignite children's enthusiasm for microbes.

We have recently argued that, because microbes have pervasive - often vital - influences on our lives, and that therefore their roles must be taken into account in many of the decisions we face, society must become microbiology-literate, through the introduction of relevant microbiology topics in school curricula (Timmis et al. 2019. Environ Microbiol 21: 1513-1528).

Assessment of the Effect of and Essential Oils on Growth and Aflatoxin Production at Different Water Activities.

Aflatoxin contamination of foodstuffs poses a serious risk to food security, and it is essential to search for new control methods to prevent these toxins entering the food chain. Several essential oils are able to reduce the growth and mycotoxin biosynthesis of toxigenic species, although their efficiency is strongly influenced by the environmental conditions. In this work, the effectiveness of and essential oils to control growth was evaluated under three water activity levels (0.

Resilience of Biocontrol for Aflatoxin Minimization Strategies: Climate Change Abiotic Factors May Affect Control in Non-GM and GM-Maize Cultivars.

There has been significant interest in the development of formulations of non-toxigenic strains of for control of toxigenic strains to reduce the aflatoxin B (AFB) contamination of maize. In the future, climate change (CC) abiotic conditions of temperature (+2-4°C), CO (existing levels of 400 vs. 800-1,200 ppb), and drought stress will impact on the agronomy and control of pests and diseases.

Influence of Two Garlic-Derived Compounds, Propyl Propane Thiosulfonate (PTS) and Propyl Propane Thiosulfinate (PTSO), on Growth and Mycotoxin Production by Species and in Stored Cereals.

Two garlic-derived compounds, Propyl Propane Thiosulfonate (PTS) and Propyl Propane Thiosulfinate (PTSO), were examined for their efficacy against mycotoxigenic species (, , ). The objectives were to assess the inhibitory effect of these compounds on growth and mycotoxin production , and in artificially inoculated wheat, oats and maize with one isolate of each respectively, at different water activity (a) conditions when stored for up to 20 days at 25 °C. , 200 ppm of either PTS or PTSO reduced fungal growth by 50-100% and mycotoxin production by >90% depending on species, mycotoxin and a conditions on milled wheat, oats and maize respectively.

Correction: Mauro, A., et al. Biological Control Products for Aflatoxin Prevention in Italy: Commercial Field Evaluation of Atoxigenic Aspergillus flavus Active Ingredients. Toxins 2018, 10, 30.

The authors wish to make the following correction to their paper [...

Overview of Fungi and Mycotoxin Contamination in Capsicum Pepper and in Its Derivatives.

Capsicum products are widely commercialised and consumed worldwide. These substrates present unusual nutritional characteristics for microbial growth. Despite this, the presence of spoilage fungi and the co-occurrence of mycotoxins in the pepper production chain have been commonly detected.

Fusarium graminearum in Stored Wheat: Use of CO₂ Production to Quantify Dry Matter Losses and Relate This to Relative Risks of Zearalenone Contamination under Interacting Environmental Conditions.

Zearalenone (ZEN) contamination from Fusarium graminearum colonization is particularly important in food and feed wheat, especially during post-harvest storage with legislative limits for both food and feed grain. Indicators of the relative risk from exceeding these limits would be useful. We examined the effect of different water activities (a; 0.

Interacting Environmental Stress Factors Affects Targeted Metabolomic Profiles in Stored Natural Wheat and That Inoculated with F. graminearum.

Changes in environmental stress impact on secondary metabolite (SM) production profiles. Few studies have examined targeted SM production patterns in relation to interacting environmental conditions in stored cereals. The objectives were to examine the effect of water activity (a; 0.

Biological Control Products for Aflatoxin Prevention in Italy: Commercial Field Evaluation of Atoxigenic Aspergillus flavus Active Ingredients.

Since 2003, non-compliant aflatoxin concentrations have been detected in maize produced in Italy. The most successful worldwide experiments in aflatoxin prevention resulted from distribution of atoxigenic strains of to displace aflatoxin-producers during crop development. The displacement results in lower aflatoxin concentrations in harvested grain.

Effect of ultraviolet radiation A and B on growth and mycotoxin production by Aspergillus carbonarius and Aspergillus parasiticus in grape and pistachio media.

The effects of two exposure times per day (6 and 16 h) of UV-A or UV-B radiation, combined with dark and dark plus light incubation periods during 7-21 d on fungal growth and mycotoxins production of Aspergillus species were studied. Aspergillus carbonarius and Aspergillus parasiticus were inoculated on grape and pistachio media under diurnal and nocturnal temperatures choosing light photoperiod according to harvest conditions of these crops in Spain. Ultraviolet irradiation had a significant effect on A.

Fungal diversity, incidence and mycotoxin contamination in grapes from two agro-climatic Spanish regions with emphasis on Aspergillus species.

Background: Fourteen vineyards from two different agro-climatic regions in Spain were sampled in two consecutive years in order to determinate the grape mycobiota and diversity indexes with the final aim to define the potential mycotoxigenic species from both regions and their relationship.

Results: The most common fungal genera encountered were Aspergillus (30.0%), Alternaria (53.

Ochratoxigenic moulds and effectiveness of grape field antifungals in a climatic change scenario.

Background: The presence of ochratoxin A (OTA) in grapes and grape derivatives has been reported mainly in the Mediterranean area. Consequently, great efforts are being made to prevent the growth of Aspergillus on grapes. However, the European Commission suggests that climate change may result in increased temperatures and longer drought periods in southern Europe.