MONILIFORMIN, A MYCOTOXIN FROM FUSARIUM-FUSARIOIDES

Fusarium fusarioides was found to be highly toxic to ducklings and rats. The toxic metabolite, moniliformin (sodium or potassium salt of 1-hydroxycyclobut-1-ene-3,4-dione) was isolated as the sole toxin from F. fusarioides. Isolates obtained from peanuts, sorghum, millet, peaches, soil, and dried fish were all toxic to ducklings. The chronic toxicity of an isolate from millet was determined, and 10, 25, and 50% moldy meal incorporated into commercial rat mash all proved toxic. The effect of different incubation temperatures and periods was investigated. Material produced at three different temperatures was of approximately equal toxicity, although less of the material produced at higher temperature was consumed. Analysis showed that the material incubated at 31°C contained the most moniliformin. Self-heating to a maximum of 6-8°C took place at all incubation temperatures. The thin-layer chromatographic analytical method was applied to four randomly selected isolates, all of which produced moniliformin, ranging in quantities from 200-840 mg/kg. Methods are described for the analyses and isolation of moniliformin from yellow corn inoculated with cultures of F. fusarioides. The anaMical methodology involves either thin-layer chromatography of the extracts or purification of these on Dowex-1 (Cl-) resin; 0.2 M sodium chloride elutes the moniliformin which is subjected to quantitation by UV spectroscopy. © 1978, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.