Summary An experiment was conducted on rats to investigate the capacity of antioxidants to protect against acute toxicity caused by DON or T‐2 toxin. Male rats were fed two different feeds. One group received a feed deficient in vitamins C and E and selenium, whereas the other group was fed with a feed enriched in antioxidants. After two weeks, selected groups of rats were administered orally a single dose of DON or T‐2 toxin. After the treatment with mycotoxins, all rats were decapitated. The livers were analyzed for TBARS values, hepatic GSH content and for the activities of CyP‐450, CAT, SOD and GSH‐TR. Increases in lipid peroxides of 21% and 268% were observed in those rats which did not receive the supplement of antioxidants and which were administered DON or T‐2 toxin, respectively. There was no significant increase in the TBARS values in the groups receiving DON with selenium and vitamins, but increases of 57% and 79% were recorded in the groups administered T‐2 toxin and antioxidants. Furthermore, in the groups fed the deficient feed and administered DON or T‐2 toxin, the lipid peroxidation increased by 33 % and 307 %, respectively. No mortality, and a lower number of intoxicated animals were observed in rats fed a diet supplemented with antioxidants. Significant decreases of GSH, CAT, SOD, CyP‐450 and GSH‐TR were recorded in treated rats receiving the deficient feed. The results of this study demonstrate that trichothecenes stimulate lipid peroxidation with consequent decrease of GSH content, but that the dietary use of selenium, α‐tocopherol and ascorbic acid provides protection against acute toxicosis caused by DON or T‐2 toxin.

Sphingomonas species were commonly isolated from biofilms in drinking water distribution systems in Finland (three water meters) and Sweden (five water taps in different buildings). The Sphingomonas isolates (n = 38) were characterized by chemotaxonomic, physiological and phylogenetic methods. Fifteen isolates were designated to species Sphingomonas aromaticivorans, seven isolates to S. subterranea, two isolates to S. xenophaga and one isolate to S. stygia. Thirteen isolates represented one or more new species of Sphingomonas. Thirty‐three isolates out of 38 grew at 5 °C on trypticase soy broth agar (TSBA) and may therefore proliferate in the Nordic drinking water pipeline where the temperature typically ranges from 2 to 12 °C. Thirty‐three isolates out of 38 grew at 37 °C on TSBA and 15 isolates also grew on blood agar at 37 °C. Considering the potentially pathogenic features of sphingomonas, their presence in drinking water distribution systems may not be desirable.