Tremorgenic mycotoxins from Aspergillus fumigatus as a possible occupational health problem in sawmills

Abstract

Wood-trimmers' disease, generally called extrinsic allergic alveolitis, which affects workers in sawmills, is thought to be caused by fungal diaspores. The importance of Aspergillusfumigatus on the surface of wood dried in kilns is accentuated by its ability to produce tremorgenic mycotoxins. Eight strains of A. fumigatus from five different sawmills were isolated and cultivated on liquid media, and one of the strains was also cultivated on wood blocks. Extracts were prepared, and the tremorgenic reactions were induced by oral administration of extracts to rats. Extracts of the strain grown in liquid medium and on wood blocks induced very strong tremorgenic reactions when administered orally to rats. Four other strains induced mild tremorgenic reactions. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis revealed two tremorgenic mycotoxins, verruculogen and fumitremorgen C, in the five toxic strains. One nontoxic strain produced detectable levels of verruculogen. These results, coupled with the known resemblance of the acutely toxic phase of wood-trimmers' disease to the symptoms produced by these tremorgens, imply that wood-trimmers' disease and similar occupational diseases are, at least in part, mycotoxicoses.

How to improve the hygienic quality of forages for horse feeding

“…These two fungi are known to produce toxic secondary metabolites 32, 33. Among toxins of A. fumigatus , gliotoxin presents immunosuppressive, genotoxic, cytotoxic and apoptotic effects,34–36 verruculogen shows tremorgenic and genotoxic effects,37, 38 fumagillin appeared cytotoxic and genotoxic39, 40 and helvolic acid have a cytotoxic effect 40. Fumagillin, gliotoxin and verruculogen were not detected in hays produced in this experiment.…”

Intratracheal exposure of rats to Aspergillus fumigatus spores isolated from sawmills in Sweden

“…Five fungal cultures of A. fumigatus (A, B, D, H, and K) were chosen for the experiment. In a previous experiment, strains A, B, D, and H were found to produce tremorgenic mycotoxins (8). The A. fumigatus cultures were isolated from progressive kilns and identified by the criteria of Raper and Fennell as described earlier (8).…”

“…In a previous study, we established that some isolates of A. fumigatus from sawmills are able to produce tremorgenic mycotoxins (8). It has also been reported that A. fumigatus can produce another mycotoxin, gliotoxin, with antiphagocytic activity (13).…”

Airborne Mycotoxins in Agricultural and Indoor Environments

“…fumigatus. Tremorgenic mycotoxins were identified in A. fumigatus strains sampled from indoor air in sawmills (Land et al, 1987). Emanuel and co-workers (1975) reported an acute, febrile illness, with marked inflammatory reaction in lung tissue in farm workers who inhaled massive quantities of airborne fungal propagules when cleaning their silos.…”