Mycotoxin from a blue-eye mold of corn

Area of Science:

• Mycology
• Food Science
• Toxicology

Background:

• Mold contamination of stored grains poses a significant food safety risk.
• Penicillium martensii is a fungus known to contaminate agricultural products.
• Mycotoxins produced by fungi can have severe health implications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the mycotoxin production of Penicillium martensii on high-moisture yellow dent corn.
• To identify the specific toxin produced and assess its toxicity.
• To determine the influence of storage temperature on toxin accumulation and degradation.

Main Methods:

• High-moisture yellow dent corn was stored at 1°C for 6 months and inoculated with Penicillium martensii.
• Mice were used to assess the toxicity of the molded corn.
• The toxin was isolated, identified, and its accumulation/degradation was studied under varying temperatures (1-15°C and higher).

Main Results:

• Penicillium martensii heavily molded the corn within 6 months at 1°C.
• Mice ingesting the molded corn died rapidly, indicating high toxicity.
• The identified toxin was penicillic acid, which accumulated significantly between 1-15°C over 3 months.
• Penicillic acid degraded within 45 days at temperatures higher than 15°C.

Conclusions:

• Penicillium martensii produces toxic penicillic acid on stored corn.
• Low temperatures (1-15°C) favor penicillic acid accumulation, posing a risk.
• Higher temperatures accelerate the degradation of penicillic acid, reducing risk.