Comparison of methods for estimating the biomass of three food-borne fungi with different growth patterns

Use of solid-phase extraction to determine ergosterol concentrations in plant tissue colonized by fungi

At present, the ergosterol and acetate-to-ergosterol techniques are generally considered to be the methods of choice to quantify fungal biomass, growth rate, and productivity under natural conditions. Both methods rely on the accurate isolation and quantification of ergosterol, a major membrane component of eumycotic fungi. Taking advantage of the solid-phase extraction (SPE) technique, we present a novel method to determine the ergosterol concentration in lipid extracts derived from plant tissues and dead organic matter colonized by fungi. In this method, a primary alkaline extract is acidified and passed through a reversed-phase (C(inf18)) SPE column. The column is then washed with an alkaline methanol-water solution to eliminate interfering substances and increase pH and is thoroughly dried in air. Ergosterol is eluted with alkaline isopropanol. This eluting solvent was chosen to produce a strongly basic pH of the final extract and thus confer stability on the ergosterol molecule before high-performance liquid chromatography analysis. The recovery of ergosterol from plant tissues and the O(infhf) horizon of a woodland soil ranged from 85 to 98%, and the overall extraction efficiency was similar to that obtained by a conventional procedure involving liquid-liquid extraction. Potential pitfalls of ergosterol analysis by SPE include (i) insufficient acidification before sample loading on the extraction column, resulting in a poor affinity of ergosterol for the sorbent; (ii) incomplete drying of the sorbent bed before the elution step; and (iii) chemical breakdown of ergosterol after elution, which was found to be related to a low pH of the final extract and a high concentration of matrix compounds. When these pitfalls are avoided, SPE is an attractive alternative to existing methods of ergosterol analysis of environmental samples.

Determination of ergosterol in organic dust by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

A gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric method was developed for the determination of ergosterol in organic dust. Samples were hydrolyzed under alkaline conditions, and the hydrolysate was extracted, purified on a silica-gel column, and subjected to derivatization. The limit of detection of the trimethylsilyl ether derivative of ergosterol was approximately 10 pg and that of the tert.-butyldimethylsilyl ether derivative was approximately 20 pg (injected amounts). House dust contained 6-45 micrograms ergosterol/g and air from a pig barn contained 0.2-0.3 ng ergosterol/liter. The proposed method can be used as a complement or alternative to microscopy and culturing for measuring fungal biomass in air-borne organic dust.

Biocontrol of mold growth in high-moisture wheat stored under airtight conditions by Pichia anomala, Pichia guilliermondii, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Pichia anomala inhibits the growth of Penicillium roqueforti and Aspergillus candidus on agar. In this investigation, antagonistic activity on agar against 17 mold species was determined. The abilities of Pichia anomala, Pichia guilliermondii, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae to inhibit the growth of the mold Penicillium roqueforti in nonsterile high-moisture wheat were compared by adding 10(3) Penicillium roqueforti spores and different amounts of yeast cells per gram of wheat. Inoculated grain was packed in glass tubes, incubated at 25 degrees C with a restricted air supply, and the numbers of yeast and mold CFU were determined on selective media after 7 and 14 days. Pichia anomala reduced growth on agar plates for all of the mold species tested in a dose-dependent manner. Aspergillus fumigatus and Eurotium amstelodami were the most sensitive, while Penicillium italicum and Penicillium digitatum were the most resistant. Pichia anomala had the strongest antagonistic activity in wheat, with 10(5) and 10(6) CFU/g completely inhibiting the growth of Penicillium roqueforti. Inhibition was least pronounced at the optimum temperature (21 degrees C) and water activity (0.95) for the growth of Penicillium roqueforti. Pichia guilliermondii slightly reduced the growth of Penicillium roqueforti in wheat inoculated with 10(5) and 10(6) yeast CFU/g. S. cerevisiae inhibited mold growth only weakly at the highest inoculum level. Pichia anomala grew from 10(3) to 10(7) CFU/g of wheat in 1 week. To reach the same level, Pichia guilliermondii had to be inoculated at 10(4) CFU while S. cerevisiae required an inoculum of 10(5) CFU to reach 10(7) CFU/g of wheat.