Natural occurrence of aflatoxins and cyclopiazonic acid (CPA) contamination in peanuts was investigated. Co-occurrence of CPA and aflatoxins was detected in two of 50 samples analysed. The levels of these toxins found in positive samples were 4300 and 493 μg kg ^-1 for CPA, 625 and 435 μg kg ^-1 for aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁), and 625 and 83 μg kg ^-1 for aflatoxin G₁ (AFG₁), respectively. Levels of CPA contamination in the positive samples were similar to those registered in other substrates. This is the first report of natural co-occurrence of CPA and aflatoxins in Argentina.

The principal agents of Fusarium head blight in the main cropping area of Argentina were investigated in heavily infected samples. The ability of the isolates to produce trichothecenes was determined by GC and HPLC. Fusarium graminearum was the predominant species and of 33 isolates, 10 produced deoxinivalenol (DON) (0.1- 29 mg kg-1), 13 produced both deoxinivalenol (1.0- 708 mg kg-1) and nivalenol (0.1- 6.2mg kg-1), 12 produced 3-acetyldeoxinivalenol (0.1- 14 mg kg-1), 13 produced 15-acetyldeoxinivalenol (0.1- 1.9 mg kg-1), 10 produced Fusarenone X (0.1- 2.4 mg kg-1) and 7 produced zearalenone (0.1- 0.6 mg kg-1). These results suggest that F. graminearum strains isolated from the wheat growing regions in Argentina belong to DON chemotype. Although some strains produced both deoxinivalenol and nivalenol, nivalenol was produced in lower levels. The natural occurrence of nivalenol in wheat affected by head-blight collected in the main production area during two years (2001-2002) was also determined. From 19 samples 13 were contaminated with deoxinivalenol in a range of 0.3 to 70 mg kg-1and 2 samples with both deoxinivalenol (7.5 and 6.7 mg kg-1) and nivalenol (0.05 and 0.1 mg kg-1), respectively. This is the first report of natural occurrence of nivalenol in wheat cultivate in Argentina. O principal causador de giberela no trigo na Argentina e sua capacidade de produzir tricotecenos foram estudados por GC e HPLC em amostras altamente infectadas. A espécie predominante foi Fusarium graminearum, sendo que de um total de 33 isolados, 10 produziram deoxinivalenol (0,1-29 mg kg -1), 13 produziram deoxinivalenol (1,0-708 mg kg-1) e nivalenol (0,1-6,2 mg kg-1), 12 produziram 3-acetildeoxinivalenol (0,1-14 mg kg-1), 13 produziram 15-acetildeoxinivalenol (0,1-1,9 mg kg-1), 10 produziram fusarenona X (0,1- 2,4 mg kg-1) e 7 produziram zearalenona (0,1- 0,6 mg kg-1). Esses resultados sugerem que as cepas de F. graminearum isoladas de trigo cultivado na Argentina pertencem ao quimiotipo DON. Embora algumas cepas tenham produzido tanto DON quanto NIV, NIV foi produzido em quantidade inferior ao DON. A ocorrência natural de nivalenol em trigo afetado pela giberela coletado na principal área de produção durante dois anos (2001-2002) foi também determinada. De 19 amostras, 13 estavam contaminadas com deoxinivalenol na faixa de 0,3 a 70 mg kg-1 e 2amostras continham tanto deoxinivalenol (7,5 e 6,7 mg kg-1) quanto nivalenol (0,05 e 0,1 mg kg-1), respectivamente. Esse é o primeiro relato da ocorrência de nivalenol em trigo cultivado na Argentina

The Fusarium graminearum species complex (FGSC) is a group of mycotoxigenic fungi that are the primary cause of Fusarium head blight (FHB) of wheat worldwide. The distribution, frequency of occurrence, and genetic diversity of FGSC species in cereal crops in South America is not well understood compared to some regions of Asia, Europe and North America. Therefore, we examined the frequency and genetic diversity of a collection of 183 FGSC isolates recovered from wheat grown during multiple growing seasons and across a large area of eastern Argentina, a major wheat producing region in South America. Sequence analysis of the translation elongation factor 1−α and β-tubulin genes as well as Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) analyses indicated that all isolates were the FGSC species F. graminearum sensu stricto. AFLP analysis resolved at least 11 subgroups, and all the isolates represented different AFLP haplotypes. AFLP profile and geographic origin were not correlated. Previously obtained trichothecene production profiles of the isolates revealed that the 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol chemotype was slightly more frequent than the 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol chemotype among the isolates. These data extend the current understanding of FGSC diversity and provide further evidence that F. graminearum sensu stricto is the predominant cause of FHB in the temperate main wheat-growing area of Argentina. Moreover, two isolates of F. crookwellense and four of F. pseudograminearum were also recovered from wheat samples and sequenced. The results also suggest that, although F. graminearum sensu stricto was the only FGSC species recovered in this study, the high level of genetic diversity within this species should be considered in plant breeding efforts and development of other disease management strategies aimed at reducing FHB.