Abstract
Freshly harvested soybean, rice and corn from farms and corn-based pelleted feeds were collected from ranches from the coastal and mountain regions in Ecuador during 1998, and assessed for fungal contamination. The most prevalent fungi on pelleted feed were Aspergillus flavus and Fusarium graminearum. The prevalent fungi recovered from soybean were F. verticillioides, F. semitectum, Aspergillus flavus and A. ochraceus. In rice, F. oxysporum was the most prevalent toxigenic fungal species recorded, followed by F. verticillioides and A. flavus. In corn, F. verticillioides was the most prevalent fungus isolated in both the coastal and mountain regions, with high isolation frequencies of A. flavus and A. parasiticus at the coast. Based on the toxigenic species recovered, ochratoxin A may pose a contamination risk for soybean. A higher probability of aflatoxin contamination of corn was found in the coastal samples compared to those of the mountain region, while a risk of fumonisin contamination of corn exists in both regions.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Marasas WFO, Nelson PE. Mycotoxicology. Introduction to the mycology, plant pathology, chemistry, toxicology and pathology of naturally occurring mycotoxicoses in animals and man. University Park, Pennsylvania: The Pennsylvania State University Press, 1987.
FAO/WHO. Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives. Summary and Conclusions. Fifty-sixth meeting, Geneva, 6-15 February, 2001; 19 pp.
Farnochi MC, Ramírez ML, Reynoso MM, Chulze S. Mating type of Fusarium strains (Section Liseola) isolated from Ecuadorian maize. Proceedings of II Congreso Latinoamericano de Micotoxicología, Maracay, Venezuela, 1997; pp. 128–129.
Mühlemann M, Lüthy J, Hübner P. Mycotoxin contamination of Food in Ecuador. A: Aflatoxins. Mitt Gebiete Lebensm Hyg 1997a; 88: 474–496.
Hurtado O, Cueva C, Lara J, Carrión A, Espinoza R, Cevallos G, Cordero L, Borrero A. Manual de informacićn cultural del Ecuador. Quito: Científica Latina Editores CIA, Ltd, 1986.
Heineken H, González HHL, Resnik SL. Selección de medios de cultivo agarizados. CALIBA 1999; 6: 12–14.
Pitt JI, Hocking AD, Glenn DR. An improved medium for the detection of Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus. J Appl Bacteriol 1983; 54: 109–114.
King AD, Hocking AD, Pitt JI. Dichloran-rose bengal medium for enumeration and isolation of molds from foods. Appl Environ Microbiol 1983; 37: 959–964.
Nash SM, Snyder WC. Quantitative estimation by plate counts of propagules of the bean root rot Fusarium in field soils. Phytopathology 1962; 52: 567–572.
Nelson PE, Toussoun TA, Marasas WFO. Fusarium species: An illustrated manual for identification. University Park, Pennsylvania: The Pennsylvania State University Press, 1983.
Pitt JI and Hocking AD. Fungi and Food Spoilage. London-New York: Blackie Academic & Professional, 1997.
Ramírez C. Manual and Atlas of the Penicillia. Elsevier Biomedical Press, 1982.
Ellis M. Dematiaceous Hyphomycetes. Kew, Surrey, England: Commonwealth Mycological Institute, 1971.
Von Arx JA. The genera of Fungi Sporulating in Pure Culture. J. Cramer Press, 1981.
Smith D, Onions HS. The Preservation and Maintenance of Living Fungi. Kew, Surrey, England: Commonwealth Mycological Institute, 1983.
González HHL, Resnik SL, Boca RT, Marasas WFO. Myco-flora of Argentinian corn harvested in the main production area in 1990. Mycopathologia 1995; 130: 29–36.
Devore JL. Probability and Statistics for Engineering and the Sciences. Monterrey, California: Brooks-Cole Publishing Company, 1987; pp. 352–354.
Statistix Version 4.1. User's Manual. Analytical Software, Borland International Inc. and Fleming Software, 1994.
Pitt JI, Hocking AD, Bhudhasamai K, Miscamble BF, Wheeler KA, Tamboon-Ek P. The normal mycoflora of commodities from Thailand 2. Beans, rice, small grains and other commodities. Int J Food Microbiol 1994; 20: 211–226.
Vaamonde G, Scarmato G, Bonera N. Zearalenone production by Fusarium species isolated from soybean. Int J Food Microbiol 1987; 4: 129–133.
Marasas WFO, Nelson PE, Toussoun TA. Toxigenic Fusarium species. Identity and Mycotoxicology. University Park and London: The Pennsylvania State University Press, 1984.
Fischer NL, Marasas WFO, Toussoun TA. Taxonomic importance of microconidial chains in Fusarium Section Liseola and effects of water potential on their formation. Mycologia 1983; 75: 693–698.
Mora M, Lacey J. Handling and aflatoxins contamination of white maize in Costa Rica. Mycopathologia 1999; 138: 77–89.
Mühlemann M, Lüthy J, Hübner P. Mycotoxin contamination of food in Ecuador. B: Ochratoxin A, deoxynivalenol, T-2 toxin and fumonisin. Mitt Gebiete Lebensm Hyg 1997b; 88: 593–612.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Pacin, A., González, H., Etcheverry, M. et al. Fungi associated with food and feed commodities from Ecuador. Mycopathologia 156, 87–92 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022941304447
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022941304447