BEAUVERICIN PRODUCTION BY FUSARIUM SUBGLUTINANS FROM DIFFERENT GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS

The capability of sixty-five F. subglutinans, mostly from maize, isolates to produce beauvericin (BEA) was evaluated. Strains from various geographic areas were cultured on autoclaved corn kernels for 4 weeks at 25 degrees C. The number of BEA producers/number of tested strains from maize per country was: Poland, 22/26; Canada, 10/12; Argentina, 0/7; Austria, 4/4; Italy, 0/4; South Africa 3/3; United States, 0/2. BEA was produced by thirty-nine strains from maize in amounts up to 200 mg of toxin kg(-1) dry culture. In addition, BEA was produced by four strains from wheat in Poland (from 20 to 200 mg kg(-1)), by one strain from oat in Poland (30 mg kg(-1)), whereas no BEA was produced by one strain from Polish barley. Four strains reported as toxic towards animals were also able to produce BEA. In particular, strains M-1351, M-811, M-1168 from maize in South-Africa and strain M-1354 from Haemanthus spp. in Germany produced BEA in amounts from 20 to 100 mg kg(-1). This is the first report of BEA produced by strains of F. subglutinans which caused toxicity to experimental animals. In addition these findings indicate that most F. subglutinans strains, widespread on com in several geographic areas, have the potential for producing BEA.