Investigation of the Metabolic Profile and Toxigenic Variability of Fungal Species Occurring in Fermented Foods and Beverage from Nigeria and South Africa Using UPLC-MS/MS

• Published in: Toxins 2019-02, Vol.11 (2), p.85
• Main Authors: Adekoya, Ifeoluwa, Njobeh, Patrick, Obadina, Adewale, Landschoot, Sofie, Audenaert, Kris, Okoth, Sheila, De Boevre, Marthe, De Saeger, Sarah
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acids; Aflatoxin B1; Aflatoxins; Agricultural commodities; Aspergillus; Association analysis; Beverages - microbiology; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Clustering; Cyclopiazonic acid; Deoxynivalenol; Domestication; Fermented food; fermented foods; Fermented Foods - microbiology; Food; Fumonisin B1; Fungi; Fungi - isolation & purification; Fungi - metabolism; Liquid chromatography; Mass spectrometry; Mass spectroscopy; Metabolism; Metabolites; Mycotoxins; Mycotoxins - metabolism; Nigeria; Ochratoxin A; Roquefortine; Secondary Metabolism; Secondary metabolites; Sorghum; South Africa; Species; Sterigmatocystin; Sucrose; Tandem Mass Spectrometry; toxigenicity; UPLC-MS/MS; Yeasts
• ISSN: 2072-6651; 2072-6651
• DOI: 10.3390/toxins11020085

Fungal species recovered from fermented foods and beverage from Nigeria and South Africa were studied to establish their toxigenic potential in producing an array of secondary metabolites including mycotoxins ( = 49) that could compromise human and animal safety. In total, 385 fungal isolates were grown on solidified yeast extract sucrose agar. Their metabolites were extracted and analyzed via ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. To examine the grouping of isolates and co-occurrence of metabolites, hierarchal clustering and pairwise association analysis was performed. Of the 385 fungal strains tested, over 41% were toxigenic producing different mycotoxins. and strains were the principal producers of aflatoxin B₁ (27⁻7406 µg/kg). Aflatoxin B₁ and cyclopiazonic acid had a positive association. Ochratoxin A was produced by 67% of the strains in the range of 28⁻1302 µg/kg. The sterigmatocystin producers found were ( = 12), ( = 4), and ( = 6). Apart from none of the spp. produced roquefortine C. Amongst the strains tested, produced fumonisin B₁ (range: 77⁻218 µg/kg) meanwhile low levels of deoxynivalenol were observed. The production of multiple metabolites by single fungal species was also evident.