BEAUVERICIN PRODUCTION BY FUSARIUM SUBGLUTINANS FROM DIFFERENT GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS

The capability of sixty-five F. subglutinans, mostly from maize, isola tes to produce beauvericin (BEA) was evaluated. Strains from various g eographic areas were cultured on autoclaved corn kernels for 4 weeks a t 25 degrees C. The number of BEA producers/number of tested strains f rom maize per country was: Poland, 22/26; Canada, 10/12; Argentina, 0/ 7; Austria, 4/4; Italy, 0/4; South Africa 3/3; United States, 0/2. BEA was produced by thirty-nine strains from maize in amounts up to 200 m g of toxin kg(-1) dry culture. In addition, BEA was produced by four s trains from wheat in Poland (from 20 to 200 mg kg(-1)), by one strain from oat in Poland (30 mg kg(-1)), whereas no BEA was produced by one strain from Polish barley. Four strains reported as toxic towards anim als were also able to produce BEA. In particular, strains M-1351, M-81 1, M-1168 from maize in South-Africa and strain M-1354 from Haemanthus spp. in Germany produced BEA in amounts from 20 to 100 mg kg(-1). Thi s is the first report of BEA produced by strains of F. subglutinans wh ich caused toxicity to experimental animals. In addition these finding s indicate that most F. subglutinans strains, widespread on com in sev eral geographic areas, have the potential for producing BEA.