PRODUCTION OF NEOSOLANIOL BY FUSARIUM-TUMIDUM

Extracts from autoclaved maize culture of Fusarium tumidum strain R-58 23 were toxic towards Artemia salina. Bioassay-guided fractionation of the organic extract led to the isolation of the toxic compound that w as identified as the trichothecene toxin neosolaniol (NEOS) by H-1, C- 13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and low-resolution electron ic impact mass spectrometry. The amount of NEOS produced by the strain R-5823 was 300 mg/kg maize culture, NEOS was also detected by HPLC in cultures of four out of seven additional strains of F. tumidum and Gi bberella tumida with different origin, in amounts ranging from 1 to 31 1 mg/kg. This is the first report on the production of a trichothecene toxin by F. tumidum.