BIOTOXIC ACTIVITY IN THE MUCORALES

The toxigenicity of representatives of 15 species of Mucorales (Absidia glauca, Actinomucor elegans, Cunninghamella elegans, Helicostylum piriforme. Mortierella isabellina, Mortierella (Mucor) rammaniana, Mucor hiemalis, Mucor mucedo, Mucor spinosus, Phycomyces blakesleeanus, Rhizopus oligosporus, Rhizopus stolonifer, Syncephalastrum racemosum, Thamnidium elegans, Zygorhynchus moelleri) towards the larvae of brine shrimp (Artemia salina) and the growth of pea seedlings (Pisum sativum) and tobacco plants (Nicotiana tabacum) was evaluated. The fungi were cultivated on malt extract agar and aqueous solutions of the cultures were tested. Thamnidium elegans showed a marked toxic action towards brine shrimp (mortality: 74.1%) and Phycomyces, Actinomucor and Syncephalastrum were only weakly toxic. Length and weight of stems of pea seedlings were moderately reduced by extracts of Absidia, Cunninghamella. Zygorhynchus and Thamnidium and to a lesser degree by Mucor spinosus. Cunninghamella and Mucor spinosus also inhibited the development of pea hypocotyls. The length of tobacco stems was reduced by Mortierella ramanniana, Rhizopus stolonifer and Cunninghamella elegans. Wilting or other toxic phenomena were never observed with both test plants. Considering the present results and data from literature it is suggested that species of Mucorales have only a weak toxigenicity.