Cytotoxicity of fungal metabolites to lepidopteran (Spodoptera frugiperda) cell line (SF-9)

The toxicity of sixteen fungal metabolites produced by some entomopathogenic fungi or biological control fungi agents was evaluated on lepidopteran Spodoptera frugiperda (SF-9) cell line by Trypan blue dye exclusion and MTT-colorimetric assay, after 48 h of incubation. No statistical difference was found between IC(50)values (50% Inhibiting Concentration) and CC50 values (50% Cytotoxicity Concentration) obtained by MTT test and Trypan blue dye exclusion for each fungal metabolite. By MTT assay, the cytotoxicity ranking was fusarenon X (IC50 0.3 muM) = diacetoxyscirpenol (IC50 0.5 muM) = beauvericin (IC50 2.5 muM) = nivalenol (IC50 5.3 muM) = enniatin (IC50 6.6 muM) greater than or equal to gliotoxin (IC50 7.5 muM) > zearalenone (IC50 17.5 muM) > deoxynivalenol (IC50 47.6 muM). By Trypan blue dye exclusion the cytotoxicity ranking was fusarenon X (CC50 0.4 muM) = diacetoxyscirpenol (CC50 1.1 muM) beauvericin = (CC50 3.0 muM) = gliotoxin (CC50 4.0 muM) = enniatin (CC50 6.7 muM) greater than or equal to nivalenol (CC50 9.5 muM) > zearalenone (CC50 18.3 muM) > deoxynivalenol (CC50 45.0 muM). The comparison with other bioassays showed that the SF-9 insect cell line could represent a further tool to screen for the toxic effects of fungal metabolites especially for beauvericin, gliotoxin, and zearalenone. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.