[Determination of the profiles of secondary metabolites characteristic of Alternaria strains isolated from tomato].
BACKGROUND
Many Alternaria species have been studied for their ability to produce bioactive secondary metabolites, such as tentoxin (TEN), some of which have toxic properties. The main food contaminant toxins are tenuazonic acid, alternariol (AOH), alternariol monomethyl ether (AME), altenuene, and altertoxins i, ii and iii.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the profiles of secondary metabolites characteristic of Alternaria strains isolated from tomato for their chemotaxonomic classification.


METHODS
The profiles of secondary metabolites were determined by HPLC MS.


RESULTS
The Alternaria isolates obtained from spoiled tomatoes belong, according to their morphological characteristics, to the species groups Alternaria alternata, Alternaria tenuissima and Alternaria arborescens, with A. tenuissima being the most frequent. The most frequent profiles of secondary metabolites belonging to the species groups A. alternata (AOH, AME, TEN), A. tenuissima (AOH, AME, TEN, tenuazonic acid) and A. arborescens (AOH, AME, TEN, tenuazonic acid) were determined, with some isolates of the latter being able to synthesize AAL toxins.


CONCLUSIONS
Secondary metabolite profiles are a useful tool for the differentiation of small spored Alternaria isolates not easily identifiable by their morphological characteristics.
Departamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Martha Elizabeth
ME
Benavidez Rozo
Departamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Andrea
A
Patriarca
Departamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Gabriela
G
Cabrera
Departamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Electronic address: virginia@qo.fcen.uba.ar.
Virginia E
VE
Fernández Pinto
D000528:Alternaria / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D001118:Argentina; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005506:Food Contamination; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000382:microbiology*; D016533:Mycological Typing Techniques; D009183:Mycotoxins / Q000032:analysis*; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D064210:Secondary Metabolism; D013045:Species Specificity; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry
D009183:Mycotoxins
Alternaria; Metabolitos secundarios; Micotoxinas; Mycotoxins; Secondary metabolites; Tomate; Tomato