Fullerol C₆₀(OH)₂₄ Nanoparticles Affect Secondary Metabolite Profile of Important Foodborne Mycotoxigenic Fungi In Vitro

Abstract

Despite the efforts to control mycotoxin contamination worldwide, extensive contamination has been reported to occur in food and feed. The contamination is even more intense due to climate changes and different stressors. This study examined the impact of fullerol C60(OH)24 nanoparticles (FNP) (at 0, 1, 10, 100, and 1000 ng mL−1) on the secondary metabolite profile of the most relevant foodborne mycotoxigenic fungi from genera Aspergillus, Fusarium, Alternaria and Penicillium, during growth in vitro. Fungi were grown in liquid RPMI 1640 media for 72 h at 29 °C, and metabolites were investigated by the LC-MS/MS dilute and shoot multimycotoxin method. Exposure to FNP showed great potential in decreasing the concentrations of 35 secondary metabolites; the decreases were dependent on FNP concentration and fungal genus. These results are a relevant guide for future examination of fungi-FNP interactions in environmental conditions. The aim is to establish the exact mechanism of FNP action and determine the impact such interactions have on food and feed safety.

Keywords

• fullerol C₆₀(OH)₂₄
• nanoparticles
• foodborne mycotoxigenic fungi
• mycotoxins
• secondary metabolism
• <i>Aspergillus</i> spp.