FUMONISIN PRODUCTION IN CORN BY TOXIGENIC STRAINS OF FUSARIUM-MONILIFORME AND FUSARIUM-PROLIFERATUM

The fungi Fusarium moniliforme Sheldon and Fusarium proliferatum (Matsushima) Nirenberg produce a series of toxins on com which include the fumonisins of which fumonisin B1 and B2 are considered to have cancer promoting activity. Both fungi produce similar ratios of the fumonisins B1 to B2. Other mycotoxins produced include moniliformin, fusarin C and fusaric acid. Fumonisin B1 has been shown to be responsible for most of the toxicological affects observed from ingesting com infected by toxigenic isolates of these fungi. The distribution of the two fungi is generally similar, although F. proliferatum is isolated more frequently from sorghum than com. They occur worldwide on other food crops, such as rice, sorghum, millet, several fruits and vegetables. Both fungi are ear rot pathogens of com, thus, mycotoxin production occurs under field conditions, although it also may occur in storage. One or both fungi may have a frequency of occurrence of 90% or higher in com; 90% of the F. moniliforme isolates produce the fumonisins. On com and com products the range of concentrations reported is 0.3 to 330 mug/g of com-based product. These concentrations include both com-based animal feed and human foods.