Further data on the production of beauvericin, enniatins and fusaproliferin and toxicity to Artemia salina by Fusarium species of Gibberella fujikuroi species complex.

The knowledge of toxigenic profiles of fungal plant pathogens is of extreme importance for evaluating the potential toxicity of infected plant products. Ninety-six fungal isolates belonging to 28 species in the Gibberella fujikuroi complex were studied for the production of beauvericin, enniatins and fusaproliferin in rice cultures. Toxin production ranged from 5 to 3000 ¼g/g for beauvericin, 2 to 131 ¼g/g for enniatins, and 4 to 440 ¼g/g for fusaproliferin. Beauvericin was the most common metabolite produced by 16 species followed by fusaproliferin with 11 species and enniatins with 4 species. Brine shrimp larvae were most sensitive to culture extracts of F. acutatum (up to 94±3%), F. concentricum (up to 99±1%), F. denticulatum (up to 100%) and F. sacchari (up to 100%). These data indicate that beauvericin and fusaproliferin are common metabolites of species of the G. fujikuroi complex and pose a risk for a possible toxin accumulation in their respective host plant products. However, data from the brine shrimp bioassay showed that further toxic metabolites within this complex need to be characterized.