title: Inhibition of Fusarium Growth and Mycotoxin Production in Culture Medium and in Maize Kernels by Natural Phenolic Acids.
abstract: The possible role of natural phenolic compounds in inhibiting fungal growth and toxin production has been of recent interest as an alternative strategy to the use of chemical fungicides for the maintenance of food safety. Fusarium is a worldwide fungal genus mainly associated with cereal crops. The most important Fusarium mycotoxins are trichothecenes, zearalenone, and fumonisins. This study was conducted to evaluate the potential of four natural phenolic acids (caffeic, ferulic, p-coumaric, and chlorogenic) for the control of mycelial growth and mycotoxin production by six toxigenic species of Fusarium . The addition of phenolic acids to corn meal agar had a marked inhibitory effect on the radial growth of all Fusarium species at levels of 2.5 to 10 mM in a dose-response pattern, causing total inhibition (100%) in all species except F. sporotrichioides and F. langsethiae . However, the effects of phenolic acids on mycotoxin production in maize kernels were less evident than the effects on growth. The fungal species differed in their responses to the phenolic acid treatments, and significant reductions in toxin concentrations were observed only for T-2 and HT-2 (90% reduction) and zearalenone (48 to 77% reduction). These results provide data that could be used for developing pre- and postharvest strategies for controlling Fusarium infection and subsequent toxin production in cereal grains.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón, Universidad de Zaragoza-CITA, Veterinary Faculty, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ferruz
authors.affiliation: Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón, Universidad de Zaragoza-CITA, Veterinary Faculty, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: Susana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Loran
authors.affiliation: Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón, Universidad de Zaragoza-CITA, Veterinary Faculty, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Herrera
authors.affiliation: Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón, Universidad de Zaragoza-CITA, Veterinary Faculty, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gimenez
authors.affiliation: Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón, Universidad de Zaragoza-CITA, Veterinary Faculty, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: Noemi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bervis
authors.affiliation: Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón, Universidad de Zaragoza-CITA, Veterinary Faculty, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Barcena
authors.affiliation: Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón, Universidad de Zaragoza-CITA, Veterinary Faculty, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: Juan Jose
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Carramiñana
authors.affiliation: Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón, Universidad de Zaragoza-CITA, Veterinary Faculty, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Juan
authors.affiliation: Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón, Universidad de Zaragoza-CITA, Veterinary Faculty, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Herrera
authors.affiliation: Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón, Universidad de Zaragoza-CITA, Veterinary Faculty, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: Agustin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ariño
mesh_terms: D005506:Food Contamination; D005670:Fusarium; D062385:Hydroxybenzoates / Q000494:pharmacology; D009183:Mycotoxins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D014255:Trichothecenes / Q000096:biosynthesis; D003313:Zea mays
chemical_list: D062385:Hydroxybenzoates; D009183:Mycotoxins; D014255:Trichothecenes; C017616:phenolic acid
keywords: Caffeic acid; Chlorogenic acid; Control; Ferulic acid; Fusarium; p-Coumaric acid