This study assessed, for the first time, the mycotoxicological risks from consumption of complementary foods by infants and young children in Nigeria. Molds belonging to Aspergillus aculeatinus, A. flavus, A. luchuensis, A. tubingensis, A. welwitschiae and Geotrichum candidum were recovered from the complementary foods. Twenty-eight major mycotoxins and derivatives, and another 109 microbial metabolites including chloramphenicol (a bacterial metabolite), were quantified in 137 food samples by LC-MS/MS. Aflatoxins and fumonisins co-contaminated 42% of the cereal- and nut-based food samples, at mean concentrations exceeding the EU limits of 0.1 and 200 μg/kg set for processed baby foods by 300 and six times, respectively. Milk contained mainly beauvericin, chloramphenicol and zearalenone. The trichothecenes, T-2 and HT-2 toxins, were quantified only in infant formula and at levels three times above the EU indicative level of 15 μg/kg for baby food. Chronic exposure estimate to carcinogenic aflatoxin was high causing low margin of exposure (MOE). Exposures to other mycotoxins either exceeded the established reference values by several fold or revealed low MOEs, pointing to important health risks in this highly vulnerable population. The observed mycotoxin mixtures may further increase risks of adverse health outcomes of exposure; this warrants urgent advocacy and regulatory interventions.

Soil microbial communities are suitable soil ecosystem health indicators due to their sensitivity to management practices and role in soil ecosystem processes. Presently, information on structural and functional differentiation of bacterial communities in post-coal mining reclamation soils of South Africa is sparse. Here, bacterial communities in three post-coal mining reclamation soils were investigated using community-level physiological profiling (CLPP), enzyme activities, and next-generation sequencing of 16S rRNA gene. Inferences were drawn in reference to adjacent unmined soils. CLPP-based species diversity and proportionality did not differ significantly (P > 0.05) whereas activities of β-glucosidase, urease and phosphatases were significantly (P < 0.05) influenced by site and soil history (reclaimed vs unmined). Bacterial communities were influenced (PERMANOVA, P < 0.05) by soil history and site differences, with several phylotypes differentially abundant between soils. Contrastingly, predicted functional capabilities of bacterial communities were not different (PERMANOVA, P > 0.05), suggesting redundancy in bacterial community functions between reclamation and unmined soils. Silt content, bulk density, pH, electrical conductivity, Na and Ca significantly influenced soil bacterial communities. Overall, results indicate that bacterial community structure reflects underlying differences between soil ecosystems, and suggest the restoration of bacterial diversity and functions over chronological age in reclamation soils.

Microbial lipids, also known as single-cell oils (SCOs), are highly attractive feedstocks for biodiesel production due to their fast production rates, minimal labor requirements, independence from seasonal and climatic changes, and ease of scale-up for industrial processing. Among the SCO producers, the less explored filamentous fungi (molds) exhibit desirable features such as a repertoire of hydrolyzing enzymes and a unique pellet morphology that facilitates downstream harvesting. Although several oleaginous filamentous fungi have been identified and explored for SCO production, high production costs and technical difficulties still make the process less attractive compared to conventional lipid sources for biodiesel production. This review aims to highlight the ability of filamentous fungi to hydrolyze various organic wastes for SCO production and explore current strategies to enhance the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the SCO production and recovery process. The review also highlights the mechanisms and components governing lipogenic pathways, which can inform the rational designs of processing conditions and metabolic engineering efforts for increasing the quality and accumulation of lipids in filamentous fungi. Furthermore, we describe other process integration strategies such as the co-production with hydrogen using advanced fermentation processes as a step toward a biorefinery process. These innovative approaches allow for integrating upstream and downstream processing units, thus resulting in an efficient and cost-effective method of simultaneous SCO production and utilization for biodiesel production.

Severe cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) managed in the intensive care unit are prone to complications, including secondary infections with opportunistic fungal pathogens. Systemic fungal co-infections in hospitalized COVID-19 patients may exacerbate COVID-19 disease severity, hamper treatment effectiveness and increase mortality. Here, we reiterate the role of fungal co-infections in exacerbating COVID-19 disease severity as well as highlight emerging trends related to fungal disease burden in COVID-19 patients. Furthermore, we provide perspectives on the risk factors for fungal co-infections in hospitalized COVID-19 patients and highlight the potential role of prolonged immunomodulatory treatments in driving fungal co-infections, including COVID-19-associated pulmonary aspergillosis (CAPA), COVID-19-associated candidiasis (CAC) and mucormycosis. We reiterate the need for early diagnosis of suspected COVID-19-associated systemic mycoses in the hospital setting.