Fumonisin-production by <i>Aspergillus</i> section <i>Nigri</i> isolates from Japanese Foods and Environments

Abstract

Fumonisins are well known as mycotoxins produced by various Fusarium species. Recently Aspergillus niger has been reported to be a fumonisin B 2 (FB 2 ) producer. Aspergillus niger is a member of Aspergillus section Nigri. Members of this section are common food contaminants and are also distributed widely in the environment. This study aimed to determine 1) optimum culture conditions of A. niger for fumonisin production including growth medium, temperature and incubation period and 2) fumonisin production among isolates of Aspergillus section Nigri and closely related species isolated from Japanese food and environmental samples. Growth on Czapek yeast extract broth +5% NaCl (CYBS) at 28°C for 7 days resulted in the highest levels of FB 2 production as determined by quantitative LC-MS/MS of culture extracts. Sixty-two isolates were collected from various foods in domestic markets as well as from soil and air. The isolates principally separated into two groups; A. niger and A. luchuensis/A. piperis/A. tubingensis, following molecular phylogenetic analysis. ELISA using the tip culture method was shown to be suitable for screening of the fumonisin-producing strains. Phylogenic analysis of Aspergillus section Nigri isolates from food and environmental samples indicated that fumonisin producing strains could be grouped into the A. niger clade. Nineteen of 35 (54%) isolates classified as A. niger were FB 2 producers. The current study suggests that FB 2 -producing A. niger are distributed throughout several regions of Japan.

Toxicological and Medical Aspects of Aspergillus-Derived Mycotoxins Entering the Feed and Food Chain

“…When the temperature is below 30 • C, several molds are responsible for the observed varying mycotoxin exposures, but when the temperature is higher than 37 • C, predominantly black Aspergilli are responsible for FB2 and FB4 contents of these foods and drinks. The spreading of these species is even faster when the storing conditions are not optimal, and physical damages on the berries also help fungal invasion (Logrieco et al, 2011;Storari et al, 2012;Onami et al, 2018). Other commonly infected food grains are maize, wheat, barley, rice, millet, oats, and rye, but fumonisins are present in coffee beans, too (Palencia et al, 2010;Varga et al, 2010;Mudili et al, 2014).…”

Analysis of Mycotoxins and Cytotoxicity of Airborne Molds Isolated from the Zoological Garden—Screening Research

“…Three A. niger strains demonstrated the ability to produce fumonisin B. Fumonisins are secondary metabolites produced mainly by Fusarium verticillioides and Fusarium proliferatum [ 37 ]. Recently Aspergillus niger has been reported to be a fumonisin B2 (FB2) producer [ 38 ]. Fumonisin B toxins, as structural analogs of sphingoid bases, inhibit ceramide synthases, causing the disruption of the sphingolipid metabolism and leading to sphinganine (and sphingosine) accumulation in cells and tissues.…”

Toxigenic cosmopolitan micromycetes of the genus Aspergillus: new facts of recent decades

“…Образование фумонизина В 2 у изолятов A. niger коррелировало с присутствием fum8 -одного из генов его биосинтеза [41]. Его продуцирование было подтверждено в Японии для изолятов A. niger из пищевых продуктов с признаками заплесневения [42] и для 13 из 35 изолятов из пищевых продуктов (перец, кукурузные хлопья, рис) и объектов окружающей среды (древесины, воздуха) с накоплением количеств от 205 до 1950 мкг/кг [43].…”