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Li T, Li J, Wang J, Xue KS, Su X, Qu H, Duan X, Jiang Y. The occurrence and management of fumonisin contamination across the food production and supply chains. J Adv Res 2024; 60:13-26. [PMID: 37544477 PMCID: PMC11156612 DOI: 10.1016/j.jare.2023.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fumonisins (FUMs) are among the most common mycotoxins in plant-derived food products. FUMs contamination has considerably impacted human and animal health, while causing significant economic losses. Hence, management of FUMs contamination in food production and supply chains is needed. The toxicities of FUMs have been widely investigated. FUMs management has been reported and several available strategies have been developed successfully to mitigate FUMs contamination present in foods. However, currently available management of FUMs contamination from different phases of food chains and the mechanisms of some major strategies are not comprehensively summarized. AIM OF REVIEW This review comprehensively characterize the occurrence, impacts, and management of FUMs contamination across food production and supply chains. Pre- and post-harvest strategies to prevent FUMs contamination also are reviewed, with an emphasis on the potential applications and the mechanisms of major mitigation strategies. The presence of modified FUMs products and their potential toxic effects are also considered. Importantly, the potential application of biotechnological approaches and emerging technologies are enunciated. KEY SCIENTIFIC CONCEPTS OF REVIEW Currently available pre- and post-harvest management of FUMs contamination primarily involves prevention and decontamination. Prevention strategies are mainly based on limiting fungal growth and FUMs biosynthesis. Decontamination strategies are implemented through alkalization, hydrolysis, thermal or chemical transformation, and enzymatic or chemical degradation of FUMs. Concerns have been raised about toxicities of modified FUMs derivatives, which presents challenges for reducing FUMs contamination in foods with conventional methodologies. Integrated prevention and decontamination protocols are recommended to control FUMs contamination across entire value chains in developed countries. In developing countries, several other approaches, including cultivating, introducing Bt maize, simple sorting/cleaning, and dehulling, are suggested. Future studies should focus on biotechnological approaches, emerging technologies, and metagenomic/genomic identification of new degradation enzymes that could allow better opportunities to manage FUMs contamination in the entire food system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taotao Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China
| | - Jiajia Li
- College of Tourism and Planning, Pingdingshan University, Pingdingshan 467000, China
| | - Jiasheng Wang
- Department of Environmental Health Science, College of Public Health, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
| | - Kathy S Xue
- Department of Environmental Health Science, College of Public Health, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Xinguo Su
- Tropical Agriculture and Forestry College, Guangdong AIB Polytechnic, No. 198, Yueken Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510507, China
| | - Hongxia Qu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China
| | - Xuewu Duan
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China
| | - Yueming Jiang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China; College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039, China.
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Cao A, de la Fuente M, Gesteiro N, Santiago R, Malvar RA, Butrón A. Genomics and Pathways Involved in Maize Resistance to Fusarium Ear Rot and Kernel Contamination With Fumonisins. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:866478. [PMID: 35586219 PMCID: PMC9108495 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.866478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Fusarium verticillioides is a causal agent of maize ear rot and produces fumonisins, which are mycotoxins that are toxic to animals and humans. In this study, quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and bulk-segregant RNA-seq approaches were used to uncover genomic regions and pathways involved in resistance to Fusarium ear rot (FER) and to fumonisin accumulation in maize kernels. Genomic regions at bins 4.07-4.1, 6-6.01, 6.04-6.05, and 8.05-8.08 were related to FER resistance and/or reduced fumonisin levels in kernels. A comparison of transcriptomes between resistant and susceptible inbred bulks 10 days after inoculation with F. verticillioides revealed 364 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). In the resistant inbred bulks, genes involved in sink metabolic processes such as fatty acid and starch biosynthesis were downregulated, as well as those involved in phytosulfokine signaling and many other genes involved in cell division; while genes involved in secondary metabolism and compounds/processes related to resistance were upregulated, especially those related to cell wall biosynthesis/rearrangement and flavonoid biosynthesis. These trends are indicative of a growth-defense trade-off. Among the DEGs, Zm00001d053603, Zm00001d035562, Zm00001d037810, Zm00001d037921, and Zm00001d010840 were polymorphic between resistant and susceptible bulks, were located in the confidence intervals of detected QTLs, and showed large differences in transcript levels between the resistant and susceptible bulks. Thus, they were identified as candidate genes involved in resistance to FER and/or reduced fumonisin accumulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Cao
- Misión Biológica de Galicia (CSIC), Pontevedra, Spain
| | | | | | - Rogelio Santiago
- Misión Biológica de Galicia (CSIC), Pontevedra, Spain
- Agrobiología Ambiental, Calidad de Suelos y Plantas (UVIGO), Unidad Asociada a la MBG (CSIC), Pontevedra, Spain
| | - Rosa Ana Malvar
- Misión Biológica de Galicia (CSIC), Pontevedra, Spain
- Agrobiología Ambiental, Calidad de Suelos y Plantas (UVIGO), Unidad Asociada a la MBG (CSIC), Pontevedra, Spain
| | - Ana Butrón
- Misión Biológica de Galicia (CSIC), Pontevedra, Spain
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3
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Passera A, Follador A, Morandi S, Miotti N, Ghidoli M, Venturini G, Quaglino F, Brasca M, Casati P, Pilu R, Bulgarelli D. Bacterial Communities in the Embryo of Maize Landraces: Relation with Susceptibility to Fusarium Ear Rot. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9112388. [PMID: 34835513 PMCID: PMC8621305 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9112388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Locally adapted maize accessions (landraces) represent an untapped resource of nutritional and resistance traits for breeding, including the shaping of distinct microbiota. Our study focused on five different maize landraces and a reference commercial hybrid, showing different susceptibility to fusarium ear rot, and whether this trait could be related to particular compositions of the bacterial microbiota in the embryo, using different approaches. Our cultivation-independent approach utilized the metabarcoding of a portion of the 16S rRNA gene to study bacterial populations in these samples. Multivariate statistical analyses indicated that the microbiota of the embryos of the accessions grouped in two different clusters: one comprising three landraces and the hybrid, one including the remaining two landraces, which showed a lower susceptibility to fusarium ear rot in field. The main discriminant between these clusters was the frequency of Firmicutes, higher in the second cluster, and this abundance was confirmed by quantification through digital PCR. The cultivation-dependent approach allowed the isolation of 70 bacterial strains, mostly Firmicutes. In vivo assays allowed the identification of five candidate biocontrol strains against fusarium ear rot. Our data revealed novel insights into the role of the maize embryo microbiota and set the stage for further studies aimed at integrating this knowledge into plant breeding programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Passera
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences–Production, Landscape, Agroenergy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 2, 20133 Milan, Italy; (A.F.); (N.M.); (M.G.); (G.V.); (F.Q.); (P.C.); (R.P.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Alessia Follador
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences–Production, Landscape, Agroenergy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 2, 20133 Milan, Italy; (A.F.); (N.M.); (M.G.); (G.V.); (F.Q.); (P.C.); (R.P.)
| | - Stefano Morandi
- Institute of Sciences of Food Production, Italian National Research Council, Via Celoria 2, 20133 Milan, Italy; (S.M.); (M.B.)
| | - Niccolò Miotti
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences–Production, Landscape, Agroenergy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 2, 20133 Milan, Italy; (A.F.); (N.M.); (M.G.); (G.V.); (F.Q.); (P.C.); (R.P.)
| | - Martina Ghidoli
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences–Production, Landscape, Agroenergy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 2, 20133 Milan, Italy; (A.F.); (N.M.); (M.G.); (G.V.); (F.Q.); (P.C.); (R.P.)
| | - Giovanni Venturini
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences–Production, Landscape, Agroenergy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 2, 20133 Milan, Italy; (A.F.); (N.M.); (M.G.); (G.V.); (F.Q.); (P.C.); (R.P.)
| | - Fabio Quaglino
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences–Production, Landscape, Agroenergy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 2, 20133 Milan, Italy; (A.F.); (N.M.); (M.G.); (G.V.); (F.Q.); (P.C.); (R.P.)
| | - Milena Brasca
- Institute of Sciences of Food Production, Italian National Research Council, Via Celoria 2, 20133 Milan, Italy; (S.M.); (M.B.)
| | - Paola Casati
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences–Production, Landscape, Agroenergy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 2, 20133 Milan, Italy; (A.F.); (N.M.); (M.G.); (G.V.); (F.Q.); (P.C.); (R.P.)
| | - Roberto Pilu
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences–Production, Landscape, Agroenergy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 2, 20133 Milan, Italy; (A.F.); (N.M.); (M.G.); (G.V.); (F.Q.); (P.C.); (R.P.)
| | - Davide Bulgarelli
- Plant Sciences, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Invergowrie DD2 5DA, UK;
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Stępień Ł, Lalak-Kańczugowska J. Signaling pathways involved in virulence and stress response of plant-pathogenic Fusarium species. FUNGAL BIOL REV 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fbr.2020.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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5
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Santiago R, Cao A, Malvar RA, Butrón A. Genomics of Maize Resistance to Fusarium Ear Rot and Fumonisin Contamination. Toxins (Basel) 2020; 12:E431. [PMID: 32629954 PMCID: PMC7404995 DOI: 10.3390/toxins12070431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Revised: 06/26/2020] [Accepted: 06/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Food contamination with mycotoxins is a worldwide concern, because these toxins produced by several fungal species have detrimental effects on animal and/or human health. In maize, fumonisins are among the toxins with the highest threatening potential because they are mainly produced by Fusarium verticillioides, which is distributed worldwide. Plant breeding has emerged as an effective and environmentally safe method to reduce fumonisin levels in maize kernels, but although phenotypic selection has proved effective for improving resistance to fumonisin contamination, further resources should be mobilized to meet farmers' needs. Selection based on molecular markers linked to quantitative trait loci (QTL) for resistance to fumonisin contamination or/and genotype values obtained using prediction models with markers distributed across the whole genome could speed up breeding progress. Therefore, in the current paper, previously identified genomic regions, genes, and/or pathways implicated in resistance to fumonisin accumulation will be reviewed. Studies done until now have provide many markers to be used by breeders, but to get further insight on plant mechanisms to defend against fungal infection and to limit fumonisin contamination, the genes behind those QTLs should be identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rogelio Santiago
- Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ciencias del Suelo, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Vigo, As Lagoas Marcosende, Agrobiología Ambiental, Calidad de Suelos y Plantas (UVIGO), Unidad Asociada a la MBG (CSIC), 36310 Vigo, Spain;
| | - Ana Cao
- Misión Biológica de Galicia (CSIC), Apdo. 28, 36080 Pontevedra, Spain; (A.C.); (R.A.M.)
| | - Rosa Ana Malvar
- Misión Biológica de Galicia (CSIC), Apdo. 28, 36080 Pontevedra, Spain; (A.C.); (R.A.M.)
| | - Ana Butrón
- Misión Biológica de Galicia (CSIC), Apdo. 28, 36080 Pontevedra, Spain; (A.C.); (R.A.M.)
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Landoni M, Puglisi D, Cassani E, Borlini G, Brunoldi G, Comaschi C, Pilu R. Phlobaphenes modify pericarp thickness in maize and accumulation of the fumonisin mycotoxins. Sci Rep 2020; 10:1417. [PMID: 31996735 PMCID: PMC6989515 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-58341-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2019] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Phlobaphenes are insoluble phenolic compounds which are accumulated in a limited number of tissues such as seed pericarp and cob glumes, conferring on them a typical red-brown pigmentation. These secondary metabolites, derived from 3-deoxy flavonoids, are thought to have an important role in plants' resistance against various pathogens, e.g. by reducing fungal infection, and also to have beneficial effects on human and animal health due to their high antioxidant power. The aim of this work was to determine the role of phlobaphenes in reducing mycotoxin contamination on maize kernels. We analysed the effect of the P1 (pericarp color 1) gene on phlobaphenes accumulation, pericarp thickness and fumonisins accumulation. Analysing fumonisins accumulation in different genetic backgrounds through three seasons, we found a clear decrease of these toxins through the three years (Wilcoxon test, Z = 2.2, p = 0.0277) in coloured lines compared with the isogenic non-coloured ones. The coloured lines, carrying P1 allele showed an increase of phlobaphenes (about 10-14 fold) with respect to colourless lines. Furthermore there was a correlation between phlobaphenes accumulation and pericarp thickness (R = 0.9318; p = 0.0067). Taken together, these results suggest that the P1 gene plays a central role in regulating phlobaphenes accumulation in maize kernels, and indirectly, also tackles mycotoxins accumulation. The development and cultivation of corn varieties rich in phlobaphenes could be a powerful tool to reduce the loss of both quality and yield due to mycotoxin contamination, increasing the safety and the quality of the maize product.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michela Landoni
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 26, 20133, Milano, Italy
| | - Daniel Puglisi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Ambientali - Produzione, Territorio, Agroenergia, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 2, 20133, Milano, Italy
| | - Elena Cassani
- Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Ambientali - Produzione, Territorio, Agroenergia, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 2, 20133, Milano, Italy
| | - Giulia Borlini
- Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Ambientali - Produzione, Territorio, Agroenergia, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 2, 20133, Milano, Italy
| | - Gloria Brunoldi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Ambientali - Produzione, Territorio, Agroenergia, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 2, 20133, Milano, Italy
| | - Camilla Comaschi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Ambientali - Produzione, Territorio, Agroenergia, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 2, 20133, Milano, Italy
| | - Roberto Pilu
- Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Ambientali - Produzione, Territorio, Agroenergia, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 2, 20133, Milano, Italy.
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Bernardi J, Stagnati L, Lucini L, Rocchetti G, Lanubile A, Cortellini C, De Poli G, Busconi M, Marocco A. Phenolic Profile and Susceptibility to Fusarium Infection of Pigmented Maize Cultivars. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2018; 9:1189. [PMID: 30154815 PMCID: PMC6102558 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2018.01189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2018] [Accepted: 07/25/2018] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Maize is a staple food source in the world, whose ancient varieties or landraces are receiving a growing attention. In this work, two Italian maize cultivars with pigmented kernels and one inbred line were investigated for untargeted phenolic profile, in vitro antioxidant capacity and resistance to Fusariumverticillioides infection. "Rostrato Rosso" was the richest in anthocyanins whilst phenolic acids were the second class in abundance, with comparable values detected between cultivars. Tyrosol equivalents were also the highest in "Rostrato Rosso" (822.4 mg kg-1). Coherently, "Rostrato Rosso" was highly resistant to fungal penetration and diffusion. These preliminary findings might help in breeding programs, aiming to develop maize lines more resistant to infections and with improved nutraceutical value.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamila Bernardi
- Department of Sustainable Crop Production, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Piacenza, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Stagnati
- Department of Sustainable Crop Production, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Piacenza, Italy
| | - Luigi Lucini
- Department for Sustainable Food Process, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Piacenza, Italy
- Research Centre for Biodiversity and Ancient DNA, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Piacenza, Italy
| | - Gabriele Rocchetti
- Department of Animal Science, Food and Nutrition, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Piacenza, Italy
| | - Alessandra Lanubile
- Department of Sustainable Crop Production, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Piacenza, Italy
| | | | | | - Matteo Busconi
- Department of Sustainable Crop Production, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Piacenza, Italy
- Research Centre for Biodiversity and Ancient DNA, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Piacenza, Italy
| | - Adriano Marocco
- Department of Sustainable Crop Production, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Piacenza, Italy
- Research Centre for Biodiversity and Ancient DNA, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Piacenza, Italy
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Górna K, Perlikowski D, Kosmala A, Stępień Ł. Host extracts induce changes in the proteome of plant pathogen Fusarium proliferatum. Fungal Biol 2017; 121:676-688. [PMID: 28705396 DOI: 10.1016/j.funbio.2017.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2017] [Revised: 04/28/2017] [Accepted: 04/29/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Fusarium proliferatum is a polyphagous pathogenic fungus able to infect many crop plants worldwide. Differences in proteins accumulated were observed when maize- and asparagus-derived F. proliferatum strains were exposed to host extracts prepared from asparagus, maize, garlic, and pineapple tissues. Seventy-three unique proteins were up-regulated in extract-supplemented cultures compared to the controls. They were all identified using mass spectrometry and their putative functions were assigned. A major part of identified proteins was involved in sugar metabolism and basic metabolic processes. Increased accumulation of proteins typically associated with stress response (heat shock proteins, superoxide dismutases, and glutaredoxins) as well as others, putatively involved in signal transduction, suggests that some metabolites present in plant extracts may act as elicitors inducing similar reaction as the abiotic stress factors. As a case study, thirteen genes encoding the proteins induced by the extracts were identified in the genomes of diverse F. proliferatum strains using gene-specific DNA markers. Extract-induced changes in the pathogen's metabolism are putatively a result of differential gene expression regulation. Our findings suggest that host plant metabolites present in the extracts can cause biotic stress resulting in elevated accumulation of diverse set of proteins, including those associated with pathogen's stress response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karolina Górna
- Department of Pathogen Genetics and Plant Resistance, Institute of Plant Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Strzeszyńska 34, 60-479 Poznań, Poland
| | - Dawid Perlikowski
- Department of Environmental Stress Biology, Institute of Plant Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Strzeszyńska 34, 60-479 Poznań, Poland
| | - Arkadiusz Kosmala
- Department of Environmental Stress Biology, Institute of Plant Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Strzeszyńska 34, 60-479 Poznań, Poland
| | - Łukasz Stępień
- Department of Pathogen Genetics and Plant Resistance, Institute of Plant Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Strzeszyńska 34, 60-479 Poznań, Poland.
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Oldenburg E, Höppner F, Ellner F, Weinert J. Fusarium diseases of maize associated with mycotoxin contamination of agricultural products intended to be used for food and feed. Mycotoxin Res 2017; 33:167-182. [PMID: 28455556 DOI: 10.1007/s12550-017-0277-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2017] [Revised: 04/05/2017] [Accepted: 04/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Infections of maize with phytopathogenic and toxinogenic Fusarium spp. may occur throughout the cultivation period. This can cause different types of diseases in vegetative and generative organs of the plant. Along with these infections, mycotoxins are often produced and accumulated in affected tissues, which could pose a significant risk on human and animal health when entering the food and feed chain. Most important fungal species infecting European maize belong to the Fusarium sections Discolour and Liseola, the first being more prevalent in cooler and humid climate regions than the second predominating in warmer and dryer areas. Coexistence of several Fusarium spp. pathogens in growing maize under field conditions is the usual case and may lead to multi-contamination with mycotoxins like trichothecenes, zearalenone and fumonisins. The pathways how the fungi gain access to the target organs of the plant are extensively described in relation to specific symptoms of typical rot diseases regarding ears, kernels, rudimentary ears, roots, stem, leaves, seed and seedlings. Both Gibberella and Fusarium ear rots are of major importance in affecting the toxinogenic quality of grain or ear-based products as well as forage maize used for human or animal nutrition. Although rudimentary ears may contain high amounts of Fusarium toxins, the contribution to the contamination of forage maize is minor due to their small proportion on the whole plant dry matter yield. The impact of foliar diseases on forage maize contamination is regarded to be low, as Fusarium infections are restricted to some parts on the leaf sheaths and husks. Mycotoxins produced in rotted basal part of the stem may contribute to forage maize contamination, but usually remain in the stubbles after harvest. As the probability of a more severe disease progression is increasing with a prolonged cultivation period, maize should be harvested at the appropriate maturity stage to keep Fusarium toxin contamination as low as possible. Ongoing surveillance and research is needed to recognise changes in the spectrum of dominating Fusarium pathogens involved in mycotoxin contamination of maize to ensure safety in the food and feed chain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth Oldenburg
- Julius Kühn-Institute (JKI), Institute for Plant Protection in Field Crops and Grassland, Messeweg 11/12, 38104, Braunschweig, Germany.
| | - Frank Höppner
- Julius Kühn-Institute (JKI), Institute for Crop and Soil Science, Bundesallee 50, 38116, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Frank Ellner
- Institute for Ecological Chemistry, Plant Analysis and Stored Products, Julius Kühn-Institute (JKI), Königin-Luise-Strasse 19, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Joachim Weinert
- Department of Plant Protection, The Chamber of Agriculture Lower Saxony, Wunstorfer Landstrasse 9, 30453, Hannover, Germany
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