Detection of mycotoxins produced by Fusarium species in Colombia

Abstract

The genus Fusarium produces mycotoxins that are metabolites of low molecular weight that affect the quality of crops, and even more importantly, they affect the health of humans and animals. Among those that cause damage to health are trichothecenes, fumonisins, and zearalenones. The objective of this study was to quantify the mycotoxins produced by species of the genus Fusarium from a population of isolates obtained from different crops and locations in Colombia. From 206 isolates, only 14 amplified to regions associated with mycotoxins deoxynivalenol (DON) belonging to the group of trichothecenes, fumonisin (FUM) and zearalenone (ZEA) using PCR. Each isolate with the presence of mycotoxins was conserved in potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium. Eight days after seeding in corn kernel medium, the samples were processed to perform the quantitative analysis of DON, ZEA and FUM using an ELISA kit based on enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The results show that mycotoxins were present in the evaluated isolates and their levels were above the standards regulated by Mercosur and the European Union. The use of immunosorbent assays using the ELISA technique becomes a useful tool to detect and quantify mycotoxins of species of the genus Fusarium that affect different crops in Colombia.

Keywords

• fumonisins
• trichothecenes
• zearalenone
• ELISA