Metabolites Identified during Varied Doses of Aspergillus Species in Zea mays Grains, and Their Correlation with Aflatoxin Levels
Aflatoxin contamination is associated with the development of aflatoxigenic fungi such as Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus on food grains. This study was aimed at investigating metabolites produced during fungal development on maize and their correlation with aflatoxin levels. Maize cobs were h...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2018-05-01
|
| Series: | Toxins |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/2072-6651/10/5/187 |
| _version_ | 1818039469940408320 |
|---|---|
| author | Titilayo D. O. Falade Panagiotis K. Chrysanthopoulos Mark P. Hodson Yasmina Sultanbawa Mary Fletcher Ross Darnell Sam Korie Glen Fox |
| author_facet | Titilayo D. O. Falade Panagiotis K. Chrysanthopoulos Mark P. Hodson Yasmina Sultanbawa Mary Fletcher Ross Darnell Sam Korie Glen Fox |
| author_sort | Titilayo D. O. Falade |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Aflatoxin contamination is associated with the development of aflatoxigenic fungi such as Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus on food grains. This study was aimed at investigating metabolites produced during fungal development on maize and their correlation with aflatoxin levels. Maize cobs were harvested at R3 (milk), R4 (dough), and R5 (dent) stages of maturity. Individual kernels were inoculated in petri dishes with four doses of fungal spores. Fungal colonisation, metabolite profile, and aflatoxin levels were examined. Grain colonisation decreased with kernel maturity: milk-, dough-, and dent-stage kernels by approximately 100%, 60%, and 30% respectively. Aflatoxin levels increased with dose at dough and dent stages. Polar metabolites including alanine, proline, serine, valine, inositol, iso-leucine, sucrose, fructose, trehalose, turanose, mannitol, glycerol, arabitol, inositol, myo-inositol, and some intermediates of the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA—also known as citric acid or Krebs cycle) were important for dose classification. Important non-polar metabolites included arachidic, palmitic, stearic, 3,4-xylylic, and margaric acids. Aflatoxin levels correlated with levels of several polar metabolites. The strongest positive and negative correlations were with arabitol (R = 0.48) and turanose and (R = −0.53), respectively. Several metabolites were interconnected with the TCA; interconnections of the metabolites with the TCA cycle varied depending upon the grain maturity. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T07:59:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-112525ff95a9499baa514d48556a3fbf |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-6651 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T07:59:08Z |
| publishDate | 2018-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Toxins |
| spelling | doaj.art-112525ff95a9499baa514d48556a3fbf2022-12-22T01:56:49ZengMDPI AGToxins2072-66512018-05-0110518710.3390/toxins10050187toxins10050187Metabolites Identified during Varied Doses of Aspergillus Species in Zea mays Grains, and Their Correlation with Aflatoxin LevelsTitilayo D. O. Falade0Panagiotis K. Chrysanthopoulos1Mark P. Hodson2Yasmina Sultanbawa3Mary Fletcher4Ross Darnell5Sam Korie6Glen Fox7International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Headquarters and West Africa Hub, Ibadan 200001, NigeriaMetabolomics Australia, Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, QLD 4072, AustraliaMetabolomics Australia, Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, QLD 4072, AustraliaQueensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland Health and Food Sciences Precinct, Coopers Plains, Brisbane, QLD 4108, AustraliaQueensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland Health and Food Sciences Precinct, Coopers Plains, Brisbane, QLD 4108, AustraliaCommonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Ecosciences Precinct, Dutton Park, Brisbane, QLD 4102, AustraliaInternational Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Headquarters and West Africa Hub, Ibadan 200001, NigeriaQueensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland Health and Food Sciences Precinct, Coopers Plains, Brisbane, QLD 4108, AustraliaAflatoxin contamination is associated with the development of aflatoxigenic fungi such as Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus on food grains. This study was aimed at investigating metabolites produced during fungal development on maize and their correlation with aflatoxin levels. Maize cobs were harvested at R3 (milk), R4 (dough), and R5 (dent) stages of maturity. Individual kernels were inoculated in petri dishes with four doses of fungal spores. Fungal colonisation, metabolite profile, and aflatoxin levels were examined. Grain colonisation decreased with kernel maturity: milk-, dough-, and dent-stage kernels by approximately 100%, 60%, and 30% respectively. Aflatoxin levels increased with dose at dough and dent stages. Polar metabolites including alanine, proline, serine, valine, inositol, iso-leucine, sucrose, fructose, trehalose, turanose, mannitol, glycerol, arabitol, inositol, myo-inositol, and some intermediates of the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA—also known as citric acid or Krebs cycle) were important for dose classification. Important non-polar metabolites included arachidic, palmitic, stearic, 3,4-xylylic, and margaric acids. Aflatoxin levels correlated with levels of several polar metabolites. The strongest positive and negative correlations were with arabitol (R = 0.48) and turanose and (R = −0.53), respectively. Several metabolites were interconnected with the TCA; interconnections of the metabolites with the TCA cycle varied depending upon the grain maturity.http://www.mdpi.com/2072-6651/10/5/187aflatoxinAspergillus parasiticusmetabolomicsmetaboliteZea mays |
| spellingShingle | Titilayo D. O. Falade Panagiotis K. Chrysanthopoulos Mark P. Hodson Yasmina Sultanbawa Mary Fletcher Ross Darnell Sam Korie Glen Fox Metabolites Identified during Varied Doses of Aspergillus Species in Zea mays Grains, and Their Correlation with Aflatoxin Levels Toxins aflatoxin Aspergillus parasiticus metabolomics metabolite Zea mays |
| title | Metabolites Identified during Varied Doses of Aspergillus Species in Zea mays Grains, and Their Correlation with Aflatoxin Levels |
| title_full | Metabolites Identified during Varied Doses of Aspergillus Species in Zea mays Grains, and Their Correlation with Aflatoxin Levels |
| title_fullStr | Metabolites Identified during Varied Doses of Aspergillus Species in Zea mays Grains, and Their Correlation with Aflatoxin Levels |
| title_full_unstemmed | Metabolites Identified during Varied Doses of Aspergillus Species in Zea mays Grains, and Their Correlation with Aflatoxin Levels |
| title_short | Metabolites Identified during Varied Doses of Aspergillus Species in Zea mays Grains, and Their Correlation with Aflatoxin Levels |
| title_sort | metabolites identified during varied doses of aspergillus species in zea mays grains and their correlation with aflatoxin levels |
| topic | aflatoxin Aspergillus parasiticus metabolomics metabolite Zea mays |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/2072-6651/10/5/187 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT titilayodofalade metabolitesidentifiedduringvarieddosesofaspergillusspeciesinzeamaysgrainsandtheircorrelationwithaflatoxinlevels AT panagiotiskchrysanthopoulos metabolitesidentifiedduringvarieddosesofaspergillusspeciesinzeamaysgrainsandtheircorrelationwithaflatoxinlevels AT markphodson metabolitesidentifiedduringvarieddosesofaspergillusspeciesinzeamaysgrainsandtheircorrelationwithaflatoxinlevels AT yasminasultanbawa metabolitesidentifiedduringvarieddosesofaspergillusspeciesinzeamaysgrainsandtheircorrelationwithaflatoxinlevels AT maryfletcher metabolitesidentifiedduringvarieddosesofaspergillusspeciesinzeamaysgrainsandtheircorrelationwithaflatoxinlevels AT rossdarnell metabolitesidentifiedduringvarieddosesofaspergillusspeciesinzeamaysgrainsandtheircorrelationwithaflatoxinlevels AT samkorie metabolitesidentifiedduringvarieddosesofaspergillusspeciesinzeamaysgrainsandtheircorrelationwithaflatoxinlevels AT glenfox metabolitesidentifiedduringvarieddosesofaspergillusspeciesinzeamaysgrainsandtheircorrelationwithaflatoxinlevels |