title: Modified microwave-assisted extraction of ergosterol for measuring fungal biomass in grain cultures.
abstract: Ergosterol is a measure for fungal biomass. The recovery rates using a previously described microwave-assisted-extraction (MAE) method for ergosterol analysis tended to be low for grain cultures (pure culture in sterilized 40% moisture content grain) inoculated with Fusarium graminearum . An improved MAE method for measuring ergosterol in grain cultures was developed and compared. Modification to the original MAE included alterations in duration of microwave exposure and extraction solvents. Four autoclaved grains (wheat, rice, barley, and corn) were inoculated with F. graminearum or spiked with ergosterol at concentrations from 0.88 to 100 microg/g and extracted with both methods. The ergosterol recovery rates were significantly different (p < 0.05) for the two methods in assaying both the spiked and grain culture samples. The modified method provided greater recovery rates than the previously reported MAE method for the spiked samples and F. graminearum grain cultures.
authors.affiliation: Great Plains Institute of Food Safety, Department of Veterinary and Microbiological Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, 58105, USA.
authors.forename: Huimin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Charlene
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wolf-Hall
authors.forename: Clifford
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hall
mesh_terms: D018533:Biomass; D005591:Chemical Fractionation / Q000379:methods*; D002523:Edible Grain / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000382:microbiology; D004875:Ergosterol / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D005658:Fungi / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D008872:Microwaves; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts; D004875:Ergosterol