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In vitro toxicity of indoor Chaetomium Kunze ex Fr
1Institute of Preventive and Clinical Medicine, Limbova 14, SK-833 01 Bratislava, Slovakia. pieckova@upkm.sk
Abstract:
Microscopic fungi in the indoor environment present a serious health risk for people living in affected buildings. The potentially toxic ascomycete genus Chaetomium is supposed to be the third most frequent indoor fungal contaminant. Its brief mycological, toxicological and ecological characterization is given. The work was aimed at in vitro study of toxicity of endo- and exometabolites of 14 strains of Chaetomium spp., including 4 strains of Ch. globosum, isolated from mouldy buildings in Slovakia and Denmark, and 3 Ch. globosum strains from the Czechoslovak Collection of Microorganisms (CCM). The endometabolites of 10 isolates of Chaetomium spp. were active: 7 isolates (41% of total strain number) stopped tracheal ciliary movement of 1-d-old chickens after 24 h, 9 isolates (53%) after 48 h and 10 strains (59%) after 72 h. In the case of exometabolites, the extracts of 6 Chaetomium strains showed some ciliostatic activity: 2 isolates (12% of strains tested) after 24 h, 5 isolates (29%) after 48 h and 6 isolates (35%) after 72 h. In general, 5 isolates of Danish origin (83%) produced ciliostatically active exometabolites and 2 isolates (33%) produced such endometabolites, while only 4 strains isolated in Slovakia (50%) and 3 strains (37%) respectively did the same under experimental conditions. Most toxic metabolites were produced by Chaetomium spp. isolated from dwellings, whereas hospital isolates were not able to produce active compounds. Chaetomia as indoor contaminants can contribute to ill health of occupants of mouldy damp buildings.
Insights
Microscopic fungi like Chaetomium are common indoor contaminants posing health risks. This study found that metabolites from Chaetomium strains isolated from homes significantly impacted tracheal ciliary function in chickens.
Area of Science:
- Mycology
- Toxicology
- Environmental Health
Background:
- Microscopic fungi, particularly the genus Chaetomium, are significant indoor contaminants.
- Chaetomium species are recognized as potentially toxic and are among the most frequent indoor fungal contaminants, posing health risks to occupants of affected buildings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the in vitro toxicity of endo- and exometabolites from various Chaetomium species.
- To assess the impact of these metabolites on tracheal ciliary movement in a model system.
Main Methods:
- Cultured 14 strains of Chaetomium spp., including isolates from mouldy buildings in Slovakia and Denmark, and reference strains.
- Tested the ciliostatic (cilia-movement inhibiting) activity of fungal endo- and exometabolites on tracheal ciliary movement of 1-day-old chickens over 72 hours.
Main Results:
- Endometabolites from 59% of tested Chaetomium strains inhibited ciliary movement within 72 hours.
- Exometabolites from 35% of strains demonstrated ciliostatic activity within 72 hours.
- Isolates from dwellings generally produced more toxic metabolites than those from hospitals, with Danish isolates showing higher activity.
Conclusions:
- Chaetomium spp. found in indoor environments produce toxic metabolites that can impair respiratory functions.
- These findings highlight the contribution of indoor Chaetomium contamination to occupant ill health in damp buildings.
