Aspergillus carbonarius is a saprobic filamentous fungus, food spoiling fungus and a producer of ochratoxin A (OTA) mycotoxin. In this study, the in vitro antifungal activity of neem oil (0.12% p/p of azadirachtin) was evaluated against the growth of six strains of A. carbonarius and the production of OTA. Four different concentrations of neem oil were tested in addition to three incubation times. Only the concentration of 0.3% of neem oil inhibited more than 95% of the strain’s growth (97.6% ± 0.5%), while the use of 0.5% and 1.0% of neem oil showed lower antifungal activity, 40.2% ± 3.1 and 64.7% ± 1.1, respectively. There was a complete inhibition of OTA production with 0.1% and 0.3% neem oil in the four strains isolated in the laboratory from grapes. The present study shows that neem essential oil can be further evaluated as an auxiliary method for the reduction of mycelial growth and OTA production.

The concern regarding toxicity from the presence of deoxynivalenol (DON) in wheat that affects both economy and public health leads to the need to find appropriate detection methods for determining the degree of DON contamination in terms of the equipment available and the speed required for obtaining the incidence. The objective of this study was to compare the performance of two alternative analytical techniques for DON quantification for use in the food industry with a reference technique. Samples of wheat and the commercial by-products were analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with an ultraviolet detector as the reference method and the results compared with those obtained from a rapid lateral-flow immunochromatographic device (Reveal Q+) and of a Fourier-transform-infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy technique. Pearson’s correlation coefficient between the HPLC and Reveal-Q+ data (0.45), although significant (P<0.0003), was lower than that obtained between HPLC and the FTIR method (0.94,P<0.0001). Both methods were considered efficient in quantifying DON levels in wheat-flour samples. This study was aimed at assisting the producers in choosing an appropriate tool for the purpose of analysis and upon consideration of the available equipment.

Sorghum has numerous agronomic advantages, a great economic importance in food production and various industrial applications. Its consumption has increased in the last ten years and probably its importance may even increase in the future, considering its relationship with global warming since this plant is less demanding with water. However, its productivity is affected by various fungal diseases with the production of mycotoxins that cause great economic losses. Alternaria, Epicoccum and Pyricularia genera are the main fungal contaminants in sorghum grains, and recognized producers of tenuazonic acid, a mycotoxin previously found in assayed sorghum samples in the Mycology and Mycotoxicology laboratory belonging to the Center for Research and Development in Industrial Fermentations. Fungal isolates obtained from these sorghum grains from the National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA, Manfredi, Córdoba, Argentina) were characterized using a polyphasic approach based on morphological and genetic characteristics and in the ability to produce mycotoxins. Morphological analysis suggested the identity of Epicoccum sorghinum, which was later confirmed by molecular analysis. The ability of these isolates to produce tenuazonic acid was evaluated and it was determined that 65% of the studied isolates produced tenuazonic acid at variable levels. This is the first study that provides a molecular approach to E. sorghinum isolates in Argentina and clearly confirms the wide genetic and phenotypic variability previously reported for this species in other countries. The presence of these tenuazonic acid-producing isolates in sorghum grains represent an economic and health problem for Argentina that it is considered one of the main exporters worldwide.