Beauvericin is a cyclohexadepsipeptide mycotoxin which has insecticidal properties and which can induce apoptosis in mammalian cells. Beauvericin is produced by some entomo- and phytopathogenicFusarium species (Fusarium proliferatum,F. semitectum, and F. subglutinans) and occurs naturally on corn and corn-based foods and feeds infected byFusarium spp. We tested 94 Fusarium isolates belonging to 25 taxa, 21 in 6 of the 12 sections of theFusarium genus and 4 that have been described recently, for the ability to produce beauvericin. Beauvericin was produced by the following species (with the number of toxigenic strains compared with the number of tested strains given in parentheses): Fusarium acuminatum var. acuminatum (1 of 4), Fusarium acuminatum var. armeniacum (1 of 3), F. anthophilum (1 of 2), F. avenaceum (1 of 6), F. beomiforme (1 of 1), F. dlamini (2 of 2),F. equiseti (2 of 3), F. longipes (1 of 2),F. nygamai (2 of 2), F. oxysporum (4 of 7),F. poae (4 of 4), F. sambucinum (12 of 14), andF. subglutinans (3 of 3). These results indicate that beauvericin is produced by many species in the genusFusarium and that it may be a contaminant of cereals other than maize.

This study compares the susceptibility of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars to Fusarium head blight (FHB) and accumulation of mycotoxins in kernels and chaff under different climatic conditions in two locations-Cerekwica near Poznan (Central West Poland) and Sitaniec, near Zamosc, Lublin region (South East Poland). Very high variations were found in the concentrations of mycotoxins (zearalenone, ZEA; nivalenol, NIV; deoxynivalenol, DON; moniliformin, MON) in examined fractions: Fusarium-damaged kernels (FDK) and healthy looking kernels (HLK) and in chaff for individual cultivars in both locations. In most cases, significantly higher concentrations of investigated toxins were recorded in wheat from the area of Lublin than from Poznan (p < 0.05). The highest Fusarium infection rates and mycotoxin biosynthesis levels were observed in the Lublin location, with the percentage of the FDK fraction ranging 8.1-81.6. In this region, ZEA concentration (microg g(-1)) after inoculation with F. culmorum and F. graminearum ranged from 0.02-0.48 and 0.32-1.04, respectively. In the Poznan area, the toxin concentrations were considerably lower, ranging 0.01-0.10 and 0.03-0.13 microg g(-1) for both isolates, respectively. The concentration of DON was significantly higher than ZEA or NIV levels. The levels of MON accumulation (microg g(-1)) in the FDK fraction were between 0.14 and 1.73 (Poznan area) and ND (not detected) to 2.51 (Lublin area). F. avenaceum infection rate ranged 7-35% in samples where the toxin was detected.

Zearalenone and its metabolites, α-zearalenol and β-zearalenol, demonstrate estradiol-like activity and disrupt physiological functions in animals. This article evaluates the carryover of zearalenone and its selected metabolites from the digesta to intestinal walls (along the entire intestines) in pre-pubertal gilts exposed to low doses of zearalenone over long periods of time. The term “carryover” describes the transfer of mycotoxins from feed to edible tissues, and it was used to assess the risk of mycotoxin exposure for consumers. The experimental gilts with body weight of up to 25 kg were per os administered zearalenone at a daily dose of 40 μg/kg BW (Group E, n = 18) or placebo (Group C, n = 21) over a period of 42 days. In the first weeks of exposure, the highest values of the carryover factor were noted in the duodenum and the jejunum. In animals receiving pure zearalenone, the presence of metabolites was not determined in intestinal tissues. In the last three weeks of the experiment, very high values of the carryover factor were observed in the duodenum and the descending colon. The results of the study indicate that in animals exposed to subclinical doses of zearalenone, the carryover factor could be determined by the distribution and expression of estrogen receptor beta.

High incidence of Fusarium head blight occurred in Northern and Southern Poland in the 2009 season. Head samples from 106 wheat fields were collected before harvest from Northern, Central and Southern Poland in August 2009. Fusarium species were identified in 1,311 heads with visible scab symptoms and the collected material was subjected to mycotoxin analyses. Fusarium graminearum was identified as the most frequently occurring species on wheat, present in 48% of all samples examined. This species prevailed in Northern and Southern Poland, with the frequencies of 53% and 55%, respectively, and its frequency has increased over five-fold after two decades. In the central part of the country, Fusarium culmorum was the major pathogen of wheat, with a frequency of 43%, although in this region the incidence of infected heads in wheat fields was lower than 1%. Several other species, including Fusarium avenaceum, Fusarium cerealis and Microdochium nivale, occurred with lower frequencies. Microscopic identification of species was confirmed using species-specific markers in DNA extracted directly from sporodochia. For the first time, glucosylated deoxynivalenol was identified in Polish cereals, in amounts of 1.6 to 7.4 mg/kg. Deoxynivalenol (DON) content was estimated between 1.7 and 11.9 mg/kg for the healthy looking kernels (HLK) fraction, while the Fusarium-damaged kernels (FDK) were contaminated with high amounts of DON, from 57.3 to 312.3 mg/kg, and zearalenone, from 0.035 to 4.48 mg/kg. The HLK fractions contained about 20 times less DON and zearalenone (ZEA) than the FDK fractions. ZEA accumulated in both FDK kernels and chaff fractions at a similar level. DON was accumulated in the chaff fraction in much lower amounts than in the FDK fraction.

Ergosterol (ERG) is a major sterol constituent of most fungi. Its concentration is negligible in higher plants, but can be used as a chemical marker of the presence of fungal contaminations. In this study, ERG concentration was assessed in randomly collected samples of naturally contaminated grain (wheat, barley and oat) and in samples of grain (wheat, barley, triticale and oat) harvested after inoculation of heads with conidia of different Fusarium species. Wheat samples were analysed at three stages of grain development. The lowest ERG concentration was found in non-inoculated samples at the first stage of grain development. This concentration was increasing with grain ripening. In naturally contaminated samples collected after harvest, ERG concentration was lower in wheat than in barley and oat. ERG concentrations in inoculated samples varied significantly, but were always significantly higher than in naturally contaminated samples. In the above cereal samples it was much lower than the levels assayed in laboratory cultures inoculated with fungi from genus Fusarium. The content of ERG was also analyzed in milling products of small-grained cereals and other foodstuffs, where a considerable variation was observed. The lowest ERG amounts were assayed in flours with a high degree of purification, while the highest ones in case of flours and products with a low purification rate. The results indicate the potential application of HPLC combined with microwave-assisted extraction both when assaying samples with low ERG concentrations (naturally contaminated) and those characterized with high contents of fungal biomass (strongly infected, artificially inoculated). It also facilitates analyses of fungal biomass in technological processes, where results may be expected to vary considerably.