Purification and quantification of nivalenol

A mean of 2.7 g fusarenon-X (FUS-X)/L was produced in cultures ofFusarium sp Fn-2B on SSA, a synthetic medium containing sucrose and asparagine. When culturing Fn-2B on several other media, or using otherFusarium strains, much lower concentrations of FUS-X or nivalenol (NIV) were obtained. The SSA-incubations with Fn-2B in an optimal volume of 100 mL were stopped just before reaching maximal FUS-X concentration and the start of conversion to NIV. FUS-X was extracted from the 22 days old cultures and partially purified on a silica gel column. It was then hydrolysed to NIV, which was rechromatographed on silica and crystallized.The purity and the chemical and physical properties of the NIV produced were investigated. Potential sources of error when quantifying NIV were also studied.