Opportunistic pathogenic fungi arise in agricultural crops as well as in surrounding human daily life. The recent increase in antifungal-resistant strains has created the need for new effective antifungals, particularly those based on plant secondary metabolites, such as capsaicinoids and capsinoids produced by Capsicum species. The use of such natural compounds is well-aligned with the One Health approach, which tries to find an equilibrium among people, animals, and the environment. Considering this, the main objective of the present work is to review the antifungal potential of capsaicinoids and capsinoids, and to evaluate the environmental and health impacts of biofungicides based on these compounds. Overall, capsaicinoids and their analogues can be used to control pathogenic fungi growth in plant crops, as eco-friendly alternatives to pest management, and assist in the conservation and long-term storage of agrifood products. Their application in different stages of the agricultural and food production chains improves food safety, nutritional value, and overcomes antimicrobial resistance, with a lower associated risk to humans, animals, and the environment than that of synthetic fungicides and pesticides. Nevertheless, research on the effect of these compounds on bee-like beneficial insects and the development of new preservatives and packaging materials is still necessary.

Berry fruits of Capsicum annuum L. cv. “Cacho de Cabra” are used for the manufacture of a traditional pepper powder known as Merkén. In the present study, aflatoxins (AFs) and ochratoxin A (OTA) contamination in berry fruits of C. annuum was determined at harvest, drying, and smoking stages of Merkén production, in cumin and coriander seeds used as Merkén ingredients, and in the final packaged Merkén produced by local farmers. Additionally, Merkén samples from local markets in the region of La Araucanía (Chile) were also evaluated. Chromatographic analysis was based on a qualitative method. AFs and OTA were not detected on pepper pods and seeds. There was no detection of AFs and OTA on cultured Aspergillus and Penicillium strains isolated from pepper pods, cumin and coriander seeds and Merkén. The lack of AFs/OTA-producers among the isolated fungal species can explain and support the absence of contamination in pepper pods. In contrast, the AFB₁ was detected in 75% of Merkén obtained from farmers and 46% of Merkén samples purchased from local markets; while OTA was detected in 100% of Merkén samples obtained from farmers and local markets. In the Merkén production chain, the harvest and post-harvest are key stages for fungal growth while the commercialization stage is highly susceptible to AFs and OTA contamination.

Antarctic soil represents an important reservoir of filamentous fungi (FF) species with the ability to produce novel bioactive lipids. However, the lipid extraction method is still a bottleneck. The objective of the present work was to isolate and identify cultivable FF from Antarctic soils, to assess the most effective methods for fatty acid (FA) extraction, and to characterise the obtained lipids. A total of 18 fungal strains belonging to the Botrytis, Cladosporium, Cylindrobasidium, Mortierella, Penicillium, Pseudogymnoascus, and Talaromyces genera and the Melanommataceae family were isolated and identified. The Folch, Bligh and Dyer, and Lewis extraction methods were assessed, and methyl esters of FA (FAMEs) were obtained. The Lewis method was the best in recovering FAMEs from fungal biomass. A total of 17 FAs were identified, and their chemical compositions varied depending on fungal species and strain. Oleic, linoleic, stearic, and palmitic acids were predominant for all fungal strains in the three assessed methods. Among the analysed strains, Cylindrobasidium eucalypti, Penicillium miczynskii, P. virgatum, and Pseudogymnoascus pannorum produced high amounts of FA. This suggests that the soils of Antarctica Bay, as well as harbouring known oleaginous fungi, are also an important source of oleaginous filamentous fungi that remain poorly analysed.

Zea mays var. amylacea and Zea mays var. indurata are maize ecotypes from Paraguay. Aspergillus section Flavi is the main spoilage fungus of maize under storage conditions. Due to its large intraspecific genetic variability, the accurate identification of this fungal taxonomic group is difficult. In the present study, potential mycotoxigenic strains of Aspergillus section Flavi isolated from Z. mays var. indurata and Z. mays var. amylacea that are marketed in the metropolitan region of Asunción were identified by a polyphasic approach. Based on morphological characters, 211 isolates were confirmed to belong to Aspergillus section Flavi. A subset of 92 strains was identified as Aspergillus flavus by mass spectrometry MALDI-TOF and the strains were classified by MALDI-TOF MS into chemotypes based on their aflatoxins and cyclopiazonic acid production. According to the partial sequencing of ITS and CaM genes, a representative subset of 38 A. flavus strains was confirmed. Overall, 75 A. flavus strains (86%) were characterized as producers of aflatoxins. The co-occurrence of at least two mycotoxins (AF/ZEA, FUM/ZEA, and AF/ZEA/FUM) was detected for five of the Z. mays samples (63%). Considering the high mycological bioburden and mycotoxin contamination, maize marketed in the metropolitan region of Asunción constitutes a potential risk to food safety and public health and requires control measures.

Antarctic soil represents an important reservoir of filamentous fungi (FF) species with capability to produce novel bioactive lipids. However, the lipid extraction method is still bottleneck. The objective of the present work was to isolate and identify cultivable FF from Antarctic soils, to assess the most effective methods for fatty acids (FA) extraction, and to characterise the lipids obtained. A total of 18 fungal strains belonging to the genera Botrytis, Cladosporium, Cylindrobasidium, Mortierella, Penicillium, Pseudogymnoascus, Talaromyces, and to the Melanommataceae family were isolated and identified. The Folch, Bligh & Dyer and Lewis extraction methods were assessed, and methyl esters of FA (FAME) were obtained. The Lewis method was the best one in recovering FAME from fungal biomass. A total of 17 FA were identified and their chemical compositions varied depending on fungi species and strains. Oleic, linoleic, stearic and palmitic acids were predominant for all fungal strains in the three methods assessed. From the strains analysed, Cylindrobasidium eucalypti, Penicillium miczynskii, P. virgatum and Pseudogymnoascus pannorum produced high amounts of FA. This suggests that the soils of Antarctica Bay, as well as harbouring known oleaginous fungi, are also an important source of oleaginous filamentous fungi that are still poorly analysed.