Zearalenone Contamination and the Causative Fungi in Sorghum

Abstract

Natural contamination by zearalenone, a toxic metabolite of Fusarium fungi, was surveyed in 160 samples of sorghum imported from 2001 to 2006 into Japan for feed. Of these 160 samples, 84 (52.5῍) were contaminated with zearalenone, ranging in concentration from 60 to 7,260 mg/kg. In the contaminated sorghum samples, F. semitectum, F. verticillioides, F. oxysporum, and other Fusarium spp. were detected. The concentration of zearalenone was well correlated with the development of colonies of F. semitectum and other Fusarium spp. When the isolates of F. semitectum and F. verticillioides were cultivated on sorghum, zearalenone was found only in F. semitectum culture. These results indicate that F. semitectum is a causal fungus of zearalenone contamination in sorghum.

Formation Ratios of Zearalanone, Zearalenols, and Zearalanols <i>versus</i> Zearalenone during Incubation of <i>Fusarium semitectum</i> on Sorghum and Ratios in Naturally Contaminated Sorghum

“…The standards of ZEN and the 5 ZRCs were purchased Fungal strain studied F. semitectum was isolated from sorghum as previously described 20) . Briefly, ground sorghum was homogenized in 0.1 peptone-water.…”

“…ZEN and the 5 ZRCs were extracted and purified according to the ZEN production assay for Fusarium species as previously described 20) . In summary, ZEN and the ZRCs in the purified solution were determined by LC-MS with an atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) interface according to the conditions of our previous report 20) with the addition of monitoring of 5 ZRC ions (m/z 319 for ZAN and α-or β-ZEL, and 321 for α-or β-ZAL). Detection of ZEN or the 5 ZRCs by LC-MS was confirmed by LC-MS/MS with an electrospray ionization (ESI) interface.…”

“…Detection of ZEN or the 5 ZRCs by LC-MS was confirmed by LC-MS/MS with an electrospray ionization (ESI) interface. The LC-MS/MS conditions used were as previously described 20) . However, the following conditions were added in the present study: the collision energy for the 5 ZRCs was set to 20 eV, and the precursor and product ions were selected to be m/z 319 and 275, respectively, for ZAN and α-or β-ZEL, and 321 and 277, respectively, for α-or β-ZAL.…”

“…Next to maize, sorghum is the main feed ingredient in Japan. We previously reported on ZEN contamination of sorghum 20) , and demonstrated that sorghum is a significant source of ZEN contamination, of which the primary causative fungus is F. semitectum. In this study, we examined the production of the 5 ZRCs during incubation of F. semitectum on sorghum and also measured their levels in naturally contaminated sorghums.…”

Possible microbial and biochemical contaminants of an indigenous banana beer Urwagwa: A mini review

“…Furthermore, it has been reported that Fusarium isolates from bananas can also produce zearalenone (Jiménez et al, 1997). Table 2 indicates a variety of Fusarium strains which are of great concern as they produce zearalenone in sorghum grain (González et al, 1997;Aoyama et al, 2009). Zearalenone is a mycotoxin of low acute toxicity, but some of its metabolites have high binding affinity for oestrogen receptors, which can result in reproductive problems (cause of infertility, affecting ovulation, conception, implantation, fetal development and the newborn's viability) in all animal species (Aoyama et al, 2009) and can enhance the proliferation of estrogen responsive tumor cells.…”