Biodiversity of ochratoxigenic Aspergillus species isolated from çavuş and karalahna grapes in Bozcaada, Türkiye

Abstract

This study reports the presence and OTA production of ochratoxigenic Aspergillus species isolated from Bozcaada Çavuş and Karalahna grapes. The study was conducted with Aspergillus isolates from grape samples collected during ripening in 2015 and 2016. First, the secondary metabolite profiles of 290 Aspergillus isolates were determined using Thin-Layer Chromatography. Among the isolates, 122 were identified as potential producers of OTA. Forty-three isolates, selected based on colony morphologies on different culture media, were identified using calmodulin gene sequencing analysis. A. tubingensis, A. carbonarius, A. niger/welwitschia/awamori, A. welwitschia, A. spelaeus, and A. fructus were identified. OTA production was investigated in six isolates. Using HPLC-FLD, these isolates were found to produce OTA in quantities ranging from 3.550 ± 0.240 to 92.346 ± 0.818 ppb. Consequently, OTA-producing Aspergillus species were isolated from grapes. The presence of A. spelaeus and A. fructus was reported for the first time in grapes.

In vitro Antifungal Activity of Mentha piperita and Thymus vulgaris Essential Oils against Ochratoxigenic Aspergillus carbonarius Isolated from Bozcaada Çavuş Grape

“…A. carbonarius PP264185 (NCBI gen bank number) (closely related species accession number MK778845.1), isolated from grape samples taken from the Çavuş vineyard in Bozcaada Çayır location in 2015, was used in the study (Özcan Ateş and Zorba, 2020;Özcan Ateş et al, 2024). It was determined through HPLC analysis that the isolate produced 49.448 ± 0.354 ppm of OTA in the medium (Özcan Ateş et al, 2024).…”