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SESSION 6: FUTURE CHALLENGE FOR EUROPE AND WORLDWIDE
P138 - Occurrence of Fusarium spp., black
Aspergillus spp., and associated mycotoxins in Italian
maize in 2011
A. Moretti 1 , A. F. Logrieco 1 , A. Susca 1 , M. Sulyok 2 , R. Krska 2 , G. Mulè 1 , G. P.
Munkvold 3
1 Institute of Sciences of Food Production, National Research Council, CNR-ISPA, Via Amendola
122/O, 70126 Bari, Italy; 2 Center for Analytical Chemistry, Department of Agrobiotechnology (IFA-
Tulln), University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna, Konrad Lorenzstr. 20, A-
3430 Tulln, Austria; 3 Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Iowa State University, 160
Seed Science Ames, IA 50011, USA
E-mail: munkvold@iastate.edu
Infection by mycotoxigenic species of Fusarium is common in Italian maize, and
unacceptable levels of associated mycotoxins can sometimes occur. Levels of
infection and mycotoxin contamination vary across locations and years, therefore
monitoring these phenomena is an important ongoing activity. While fumonisin
contamination has traditionally been attributed solely to species of Fusarium,
recent evidence suggests that fungi in the genus Aspergillus (Section Nigri) may
also contribute to fumonisins in maize. In 2011, 153 maize kernel samples were
collected at harvest from fields in 7 Italian regions; incidence of fungal infection
was evaluated by culturing a subsample of kernels. Tentative species
identification by morphological characteristics was confirmed by sequencing part
of the β-tubulin (βt) and calmodulin (caM) genes, while a LC/MS/MS multimycotoxin
method was used to measure mycotoxins. Greater than 96% of
samples were contaminated by Fusarium species, ranging from 1% to 100% of
kernels, with a mean incidence per region ranging from 39.7% to 76.2%. Species
of Aspergillus in section Nigri occurred in approximately 29% of samples, ranging
from 1% to 33% of kernels with a mean incidence per region ranging from 0% to
4.3%. In samples infected with Aspergillus section Nigri, there was an inverse
relationship between levels of infection by Aspergillus spp. and levels of infection
by Fusarium spp. The occurrence of FBs was very high: 144 samples contained
FB1 with 74 samples ranging from 1 mg/kg to 181 mg/kg; 113 samples contained
FB2 with 35 samples ranging from 1 mg/kg to 45.1 mg/kg; 114 samples contained
FB3 with 12 samples ranging from 1 mg/kg to 10.3 mg/kg. Considering the high
levels of contamination by fumonisin-producing Fusarium species, it appears that
fumonisin contamination was primarily due to Fusarium spp., with little
contribution by Aspergillus spp. Other Fusarium mycotoxins also were common,
sometimes at high levels
Keywords: Aspergillus, fumonisins, Fusarium, Italy, maize
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