Aflatoxin and fumonisin contamination of corn (maize, Zea mays) hybrids in Arkansas

Abstract A severe infestation by aflatoxin-producing fungi diminished food quality of southern United States corn (maize) in 1998. Corn hybrids (65) naturally infected with Fusarium spp. and Aspergillus spp. were evaluated from 1998 to 2001 for resistance to mycotoxin contamination. Kernel corn samples were assayed at harvest for aflatoxins and fumonisins. In 1998, samples from all hybrids exceeded 20 ppb aflatoxin (mean levels: 21–699 ppb) and 2 ppm fumonisins (mean levels: 23–79 ppm), the maximum levels permitted by United States Food and Drug Administration guidelines. Samples from hybrids planted in the same and other locations in Arkansas in 1999 and 2001 were shown by similar methods to contain aflatoxin levels ranging from not detected to 255.3 ppb and fumonisin levels from 0.3 to 83.6 ppm. The fumonisin levels in 2001 were very high in all hybrids, ranging from 8 to 83.6 ppm while aflatoxin levels were low ranging from 1 and B 2 in samples was confirmed by thin layer chromatography and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry and fumonisins B 1 , B 2 , B 3 , B 4 and C 4 by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. During the period studied, a positive correlation was observed between aflatoxin and fumonisin levels, indicating that natural infection with Fusarium spp. did not appear to protect against aflatoxin production.

[1]  N. W. Widstrom,et al.  Weather-Associated Changes in Aflatoxin Contamination of Preharvest Maize , 1990 .

[2]  H. Abbas,et al.  Mycotoxins and Fusarium spp. associated with infected ears of corn in Minnesota , 1988, Applied and environmental microbiology.

[3]  W. Marasas,et al.  Mycoflora of Argentinian corn harvested in the main production area in 1990 , 2005, Mycopathologia.

[4]  Participants,et al.  Study of the reproducibility characteristics of a liquid chromatographic method for the determination of fumonisins B1 and B2 in corn : IUPAC collaborative study , 1993 .

[5]  N. Bosque-pérez,et al.  Interactions Between Fusarium verticillioides, Aspergillus flavus, and Insect Infestation in Four Maize Genotypes in Lowland Africa. , 2000, Phytopathology.

[6]  J. C. LaPrade.  Relation of Insect Damage, Vector, and Hybrid Reaction to Aflatoxin B1Recovery from Field Corn , 1977 .

[7]  W. Williams,et al.  Effects of the Southwestern Corn Borer on Aspergillus flavus Kernel Infection and Aflatoxin Accumulation in Maize Hybrids. , 1999, Plant disease.

[8]  Viñas,et al.  Ecological determinants for germination and growth of some Aspergillus and Penicillium spp. from maize grain , 1998, Journal of applied microbiology.

[9]  J. Miller,et al.  Fusarium toxins in field corn. I. Time course of fungal growth and production of deoxynivalenol and other mycotoxins , 1983 .

[10]  L. Bullerman,et al.  Fumonisins in Food , 1996, Advances in Experimental medicine and Biology.

[11]  G. Payne,et al.  Aflatoxin in maize , 1992 .

[12]  T. Hastie,et al.  Incidence, geographic distribution, and toxigenicity of Fusarium species in South African corn. , 1979 .

[13]  W. Marasas,et al.  Hepatotoxicity and -carcinogenicity of the fumonisins in rats. A review regarding mechanistic implications for establishing risk in humans. , 1996, Advances in experimental medicine and biology.

[14]  John M. Tisler,et al.  Action Levels for Poisonous or Deleterious Substances in Human Food and Animal Feed , 1978 .

[15]  W. Shier,et al.  Cultural Methods for Aflatoxin Detection , 2004 .

[16]  H. Abbas,et al.  Production of fumonisins by Fusarium moniliforme cultures isolated from jimsonweed in Mississippi , 1992 .

[17]  M. Pascale,et al.  Fusarium and fumonisin occurrence in Argentinian corn at different ear maturity stages. , 1996 .

[18]  W. Tolleson,et al.  The mycotoxin fumonisin induces apoptosis in cultured human cells and in livers and kidneys of rats. , 1996, Advances in experimental medicine and biology.

[19]  C. Bacon,et al.  Levels of fumonisin B1 in corn naturally contaminated with aflatoxins. , 1993, Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association.

[20]  J. Devries,et al.  Comparison of rapid high pressure liquid chromatographic and CB methods for determination of aflatoxins in corn and peanuts. , 1982, Journal - Association of Official Analytical Chemists.

[21]  W. Shier,et al.  Aflatoxin and fumonisin contamination of commercial corn (Zea mays) hybrids in Mississippi. , 2002, Journal of agricultural and food chemistry.

[22]  S. Marín,et al.  Environmental factors, in vitro interactions, and niche overlap between Fusarium moniliforme, F. proliferatum, and F. graminearum, Aspergillus and Penicillium species from maize grain , 1998 .

[23]  W. Marasas,et al.  Fumonisins--novel mycotoxins with cancer-promoting activity produced by Fusarium moniliforme , 1988, Applied and environmental microbiology.

[24]  G. E. Scott,et al.  Interaction of Fusarium moniliforme and Aspergillus flavus on kernel infection and aflatoxin contamination in maize ears , 1992 .

[25]  D. Bhatnagar,et al.  Mycotoxins in Agriculture and Food Safety , 1998 .

[26]  N. W. Widstrom.  The Aflatoxin Problem with Corn Grain , 1996 .

[27]  J. Greene,et al.  Pulmonary Edema and Hydrothorax in Swine Produced by Fumonisin B1, a Toxic Metabolite of Fusarium Moniliforme , 1990, Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation : official publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Inc.

[28]  W. Marasas,et al.  Leukoencephalomalacia in a horse induced by fumonisin B1 isolated from Fusarium moniliforme. , 1988, The Onderstepoort journal of veterinary research.

[29]  N. Abdullah,et al.  Survey of fungal counts and natural occurrence of aflatoxins in Malaysian starch-based foods , 2004, Mycopathologia.

[30]  W. Marasas,et al.  Interaction of fumonisin B(1) and aflatoxin B(1) in a short-term carcinogenesis model in rat liver. , 2002, Toxicology.

[31]  W. Marasas.  Mycoflora of Corn Produced in Human Esophageal Cancer Areas in Transkei, Southern Africa , 1981 .

[32]  R. Francis,et al.  Surveys of Fusaria and Other Fungi Associated with Stalk Rot of Maize in Eastern Australia , 1975 .

[33]  L. Cavaglieri,et al.  Aflatoxin B1 and fumosin B1 in mixed cultures of Aspergillus flavus and Fusarium proliferatum on maize. , 1999, Natural toxins.

[34]  J. Richard,et al.  Preharvest aflatoxin contamination of maize inoculated withAspergillus flavus andFusarium moniliforme , 1994, Mycopathologia.

[35]  M. S. Zuber,et al.  Aflatoxin in corn before harvest: interaction of hybrids and locations. , 1980 .