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Senior Scientist or Principal Investigator
01 September 2001 - 01 September 2021
Drying optimization, to mitigate fungal growth and Ochratoxin A (OTA) contamination is a key topic for raisin and currant production. Specific indicators of environmental conditions and drying properties were analyzed using two seedless grape varieties (Crimson—red and Thompson—white), artificially inoculated with Aspergillus carbonarius under open air and tunnel drying. The air temperature (T), relative humidity, grape surface temperature (Ts) and water activity throughout the drying experiment, the grapes’ moisture content and the fungal colonization and OTA contamination during the drying process and their interactions were recorded and critically analyzed. Drying properties such as the water diffusivity (Deff) and peel resistance to water transfer were estimated. The grapes Ts was 5–7 °C higher in tunnel vs. open air–drying; the infected grapes had higher maximum Ts vs. the control (around 4–6 °C). OTA contamination was higher in tunnel vs. open air–dried grapes, but fungal colonies showed the opposite trend. The Deff was higher in tunnel than in the open air–drying by 54%; the infected grapes had more than 70% higher Deff than the control, differences explained by factors affecting the water transport. This study highlighted CFU and OTA indicators that affect the water availability between red and white grapes during open air and tunnel drying, estimated by the Deff and peel resistance. This raises new issues for future research.
Charalampos Templalexis; Paola Giorni; Diamanto Lentzou; Sabrina Mesisca; Dimitrios Tsitsigiannis; Paola Battilani; Georgios Xanthopoulos. Environmental Conditions Affecting Ochratoxin A during Solar Drying of Grapes: The Case of Tunnel and Open Air-Drying. Toxins 2021, 13, 400 .
AMA StyleCharalampos Templalexis, Paola Giorni, Diamanto Lentzou, Sabrina Mesisca, Dimitrios Tsitsigiannis, Paola Battilani, Georgios Xanthopoulos. Environmental Conditions Affecting Ochratoxin A during Solar Drying of Grapes: The Case of Tunnel and Open Air-Drying. Toxins. 2021; 13 (6):400.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCharalampos Templalexis; Paola Giorni; Diamanto Lentzou; Sabrina Mesisca; Dimitrios Tsitsigiannis; Paola Battilani; Georgios Xanthopoulos. 2021. "Environmental Conditions Affecting Ochratoxin A during Solar Drying of Grapes: The Case of Tunnel and Open Air-Drying." Toxins 13, no. 6: 400.
Climate change (CC) is predicted to increase the risk of aflatoxin (AF) contamination in maize, as highlighted by a project supported by EFSA in 2009. We performed a comprehensive literature search using the Scopus search engine to extract peer-reviewed studies citing this study. A total of 224 papers were identified after step I filtering (187 + 37), while step II filtering identified 25 of these papers for quantitative analysis. The unselected papers (199) were categorized as “actions” because they provided a sounding board for the expected impact of CC on AFB1 contamination, without adding new data on the topic. The remaining papers were considered as “reactions” of the scientific community because they went a step further in their data and ideas. Interesting statements taken from the “reactions” could be summarized with the following keywords: Chain and multi-actor approach, intersectoral and multidisciplinary, resilience, human and animal health, and global vision. In addition, fields meriting increased research efforts were summarized as the improvement of predictive modeling; extension to different crops and geographic areas; and the impact of CC on fungi and mycotoxin co-occurrence, both in crops and their value chains, up to consumers.
Marco Leggieri; Piero Toscano; Paola Battilani. Predicted Aflatoxin B1 Increase in Europe Due to Climate Change: Actions and Reactions at Global Level. Toxins 2021, 13, 292 .
AMA StyleMarco Leggieri, Piero Toscano, Paola Battilani. Predicted Aflatoxin B1 Increase in Europe Due to Climate Change: Actions and Reactions at Global Level. Toxins. 2021; 13 (4):292.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMarco Leggieri; Piero Toscano; Paola Battilani. 2021. "Predicted Aflatoxin B1 Increase in Europe Due to Climate Change: Actions and Reactions at Global Level." Toxins 13, no. 4: 292.
Meteorological conditions are the main driving variables for mycotoxin-producing fungi and the resulting contamination in maize grain, but the cropping system used can mitigate this weather impact considerably. Several researchers have investigated cropping operations’ role in mycotoxin contamination, but these findings were inconclusive, precluding their use in predictive modeling. In this study a machine learning (ML) approach was considered, which included weather-based mechanistic model predictions for AFLA-maize and FER-maize [predicting aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and fumonisins (FBs), respectively], and cropping system factors as the input variables. The occurrence of AFB1 and FBs in maize fields was recorded, and their corresponding cropping system data collected, over the years 2005–2018 in northern Italy. Two deep neural network (DNN) models were trained to predict, at harvest, which maize fields were contaminated beyond the legal limit with AFB1 and FBs. Both models reached an accuracy >75% demonstrating the ML approach added value with respect to classical statistical approaches (i.e., simple or multiple linear regression models). The improved predictive performance compared with that obtained for AFLA-maize and FER-maize was clearly demonstrated. This coupled to the large data set used, comprising a 13-year time series, and the good results for the statistical scores applied, together confirmed the robustness of the models developed here.
Marco Camardo Leggieri; Marco Mazzoni; Paola Battilani. Machine Learning for Predicting Mycotoxin Occurrence in Maize. Frontiers in Microbiology 2021, 12, 1 .
AMA StyleMarco Camardo Leggieri, Marco Mazzoni, Paola Battilani. Machine Learning for Predicting Mycotoxin Occurrence in Maize. Frontiers in Microbiology. 2021; 12 ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMarco Camardo Leggieri; Marco Mazzoni; Paola Battilani. 2021. "Machine Learning for Predicting Mycotoxin Occurrence in Maize." Frontiers in Microbiology 12, no. : 1.
The aim of the study was to test in vitro and in vivo the efficacy of triazoles and biocontrol agents (BCAs) against Fusarium proliferatum and F. oxysporum, the former signaled as the main causal agent of garlic dry rot and the latter also involved. In vitro trials were organized using potato dextrose agar with added chemicals or BCAs inoculated with selected F. proliferatum and F. oxysporum. Garlic cloves were dipped before sowing in suspensions prepared with the fungicides showing the best performances in vitro; then they were dipped in Fusaria suspension before sowing. In in vitro trials, the maximum Fusaria growth inhibition was performed by Propiconazole + Prochloraz (100%), followed by Tebuconazole (88.9%). BCAs showed great capacity to control Fusaria, with a maximum growth inhibition of 80% (Trichoderma harzianum + T. gamsii). In vivo bacterial BCAs showed a similar capacity to control F. proliferatum and F. oxysporum compared to chemical products (mean of severity index 18.6% and 11.7%, respectively). In vivo results confirmed the in vitro performances, except for Trichoderma, which had the worst performances in vivo. Therefore, the results are preliminary but promising for future field application.
Letizia Mondani; Giorgio Chiusa; Paola Battilani. Chemical and biological control of Fusarium species involved in garlic dry rot at early crop stages. European Journal of Plant Pathology 2021, 160, 575 -587.
AMA StyleLetizia Mondani, Giorgio Chiusa, Paola Battilani. Chemical and biological control of Fusarium species involved in garlic dry rot at early crop stages. European Journal of Plant Pathology. 2021; 160 (3):575-587.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLetizia Mondani; Giorgio Chiusa; Paola Battilani. 2021. "Chemical and biological control of Fusarium species involved in garlic dry rot at early crop stages." European Journal of Plant Pathology 160, no. 3: 575-587.
Diaporthe eres has been recently reported as the causal agent of hazelnut defects, with characteristic brown spots on the kernels surface and internal fruit discoloration. Knowledge regarding the ecology of this fungus is poor but, is critical to support a rationale and effective hazelnut crop protection strategy. Therefore, a study was performed to describe and model the effect of different abiotic factors such as temperature (T, 5–35°C, step 5°C) and water activity (aw 0.83–0.99, step 0.03) regimes on D. eres mycelial growth, pycnidial conidiomata development and asexual spore production during a 60-day incubation period. Alpha conidia germination was tested in the same T range and at different relative humidities (RH = 94, 97 and 100%) over 48 h incubation period. Fungal growth was observed from the first visual observation; regarding pycnidia and cirrhi, their development started after 8 and 19 days of incubation, respectively and increased over time. The optimum T for growth was 20–25°C and for pycnidia and cirrhi development was 30°C; aw ≥ 0.98 was optimal for the tested steps of the fungal cycle. The best condition for conidial germination of D. eres was at 25°C with RH = 100%. Quantitative data obtained were fitted using non- linear regression functions (Bete, logistic and polynomial), which provided a very good fit of the biological process (R2 = 0.793–0.987). These functions could be the basis for the development of a predictive model for the infection of D. eres of hazelnuts.
Roberta Arciuolo; Marco Camardo Leggieri; Giorgio Chiusa; Giuseppe Castello; Giuseppe Genova; Nicola Spigolon; Paola Battilani. Ecology of Diaporthe eres, the causal agent of hazelnut defects. PLOS ONE 2021, 16, e0247563 .
AMA StyleRoberta Arciuolo, Marco Camardo Leggieri, Giorgio Chiusa, Giuseppe Castello, Giuseppe Genova, Nicola Spigolon, Paola Battilani. Ecology of Diaporthe eres, the causal agent of hazelnut defects. PLOS ONE. 2021; 16 (3):e0247563.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRoberta Arciuolo; Marco Camardo Leggieri; Giorgio Chiusa; Giuseppe Castello; Giuseppe Genova; Nicola Spigolon; Paola Battilani. 2021. "Ecology of Diaporthe eres, the causal agent of hazelnut defects." PLOS ONE 16, no. 3: e0247563.
During the last decade, there have been many advances in research and technology that have greatly contributed to expanded capabilities and knowledge in detection and measurement, characterization, biosynthesis, and management of mycotoxins in maize. MycoKey, an EU‐funded Horizon 2020 project, was established to advance knowledge and technology transfer around the globe to address mycotoxin impacts in key food and feed chains. MycoKey included several working groups comprising international experts in different fields of mycotoxicology. The MycoKey Maize Working Group recently convened to gather information and strategize for the development and implementation of solutions to the maize mycotoxin problem in light of current and emerging technologies. This feature summarizes the Maize WG discussion and recommendations for addressing mycotoxin problems in maize. Discussions focused on aflatoxins, deoxynivalenol, fumonisins, and zearalenone, which are the most widespread and persistently important mycotoxins in maize. Although regional differences were recognized, there was consensus about many of the priorities for research and effective management strategies. For preharvest management, genetic resistance and selecting adapted maize genotypes, along with insect management, were among the most fruitful strategies identified across the mycotoxin groups. For postharvest management, the most important practices included timely harvest, rapid grain drying, grain cleaning, and carefully managed storage conditions. Remediation practices such as optical sorting, density separation, milling, and chemical detoxification were also suggested. Future research and communication priorities included advanced breeding technologies, development of risk assessment tools, and the development and dissemination of regionally relevant management guidelines.
Antonio Logrieco; Paola Battilani; Marco Camardo Leggieri; Yu Jiang; Geert Haesaert; Alessandra Lanubile; George Mahuku; Akos Mesterházy; Alejandro Ortega-Beltran; Marco Pasti; Irina Smeu; Adriana M Torres; Miss Jing Xu; Gary P Munkvold. Perspectives on Global Mycotoxin Issues and Management From the MycoKey Maize Working Group. Plant Disease 2021, 105, 525 -537.
AMA StyleAntonio Logrieco, Paola Battilani, Marco Camardo Leggieri, Yu Jiang, Geert Haesaert, Alessandra Lanubile, George Mahuku, Akos Mesterházy, Alejandro Ortega-Beltran, Marco Pasti, Irina Smeu, Adriana M Torres, Miss Jing Xu, Gary P Munkvold. Perspectives on Global Mycotoxin Issues and Management From the MycoKey Maize Working Group. Plant Disease. 2021; 105 (3):525-537.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAntonio Logrieco; Paola Battilani; Marco Camardo Leggieri; Yu Jiang; Geert Haesaert; Alessandra Lanubile; George Mahuku; Akos Mesterházy; Alejandro Ortega-Beltran; Marco Pasti; Irina Smeu; Adriana M Torres; Miss Jing Xu; Gary P Munkvold. 2021. "Perspectives on Global Mycotoxin Issues and Management From the MycoKey Maize Working Group." Plant Disease 105, no. 3: 525-537.
Fusarium proliferatum has been reported as the main causal agent of garlic dry rot during the postharvest stage, but information on this fungus during the crop growth stage is lacking. We focused on the cropping season of garlic (Allium sativum L.) in the field, until its harvest, with the aim of clarifying the role of F. proliferatum in bulb infection as well as the impact of crop growing conditions on pathogen-plant interaction. Studies were conducted in Piacenza (northern Italy) for three seasons from 2016 to 2019. Six garlic farms were sampled. A different field was sampled every year. Soil samples were recovered at sowing time for the counting of fungal colony forming units (CFU). Plant samples were collected at three growth stages, from BBCH 15 (fifth leaf visible) to BBCH 49 (ripening), for which disease severity assessment and fungi isolations were performed. Fusarium was the most frequently isolated genus, of which F. proliferatum and F. oxysporum were the dominant species. F. proliferatum registered the highest incidence in all the farms tested, but F. oxysporum was dominant in the first year of the study. F. oxysporum incidence was correlated with dry weather, whereas F. proliferatum was correlated with rainy weather. In conclusion, our result confirms the association of F. proliferatum with garlic bulbs from the crop’s early growth stages, suggesting potential seed transmission as a source of this fungal pathogen. Further studies should investigate the link between fusaria occurrence in the field and dry rot outbreaks occurring postharvest and during storage of garlic.
Letizia Mondani; Giorgio Chiusa; Paola Battilani. Fungi Associated with Garlic During the Cropping Season, with Focus on Fusarium proliferatum and F. oxysporum. Plant Health Progress 2021, 22, 37 -46.
AMA StyleLetizia Mondani, Giorgio Chiusa, Paola Battilani. Fungi Associated with Garlic During the Cropping Season, with Focus on Fusarium proliferatum and F. oxysporum. Plant Health Progress. 2021; 22 (1):37-46.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLetizia Mondani; Giorgio Chiusa; Paola Battilani. 2021. "Fungi Associated with Garlic During the Cropping Season, with Focus on Fusarium proliferatum and F. oxysporum." Plant Health Progress 22, no. 1: 37-46.
Fungi of the genus Diaporthe have been reported as the main causative agent of hazelnut defects in the Caucasus area. This study aimed to define which fungal species are present in defective hazelnuts grown in Turkey and confirm the role of Diaporthe spp. Seven hazelnut orchards were selected, with each one located in a different Turkish Province (Düzce, Giresun, Ordu, Samsun, Sakarya, Trabzon, and Zonguldak), and hazelnuts were collected at early and full ripening. Fungal isolation and identification were performed at the genus level based on morphological characteristics. Several genera were isolated, with Diaporthe spp. being among the prevalent. This was the only genus with increasing incidence from early to full ripening, and incidence at full ripening was positively correlated both with internal (ρ = 0.86) and visible defects (ρ = 0.81), which confirmed its role as the key causative agent of hazelnut defects. The correlation of defect occurrence with rainfall, reported in previous study, was not confirmed, possibly due to the low defect incidence. A total of 86 Diaporthe monosporic strains isolated from Turkish hazelnut samples, together with 33 strains collected in the Caucasus region and 6 from Italy, were analyzed with a multi-locus phylogeny based on three genomic loci (ITS, EF1-α, and tub). The results showed that Diaporthe strains can be grouped into 7 distinct clades, with a majority of Turkish strains (95%) being placed into a single clade related with D. eres. These samples were organized into several sub-clades, which indicates the existence of genetically diverse sub-populations.
Roberta Arciuolo; Carla Santos; Célia Soares; Giuseppe Castello; Nicola Spigolon; Giorgio Chiusa; Nelson Lima; Paola Battilani. Molecular Characterization of Diaporthe Species Associated With Hazelnut Defects. Frontiers in Plant Science 2020, 11, 1 .
AMA StyleRoberta Arciuolo, Carla Santos, Célia Soares, Giuseppe Castello, Nicola Spigolon, Giorgio Chiusa, Nelson Lima, Paola Battilani. Molecular Characterization of Diaporthe Species Associated With Hazelnut Defects. Frontiers in Plant Science. 2020; 11 ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRoberta Arciuolo; Carla Santos; Célia Soares; Giuseppe Castello; Nicola Spigolon; Giorgio Chiusa; Nelson Lima; Paola Battilani. 2020. "Molecular Characterization of Diaporthe Species Associated With Hazelnut Defects." Frontiers in Plant Science 11, no. : 1.
Dry rot is an emerging postharvest disease of garlic (Allium sativum) attributed to Fusarium proliferatum, which has caused huge economic losses in the past few years. In this study, we aimed to detect the presence of F. proliferatum on garlic bulbs postharvest during prolonged storage, and to identify other fungal species associated with garlic dry rot. We also quantified the level of fumonisins in symptomatic and asymptomatic cloves. A total of 100 plants were sampled from three production seasons at six farms located in Northern Italy at three time points (at harvest, processing, and 6 months post-storage at –4 °C). The Fusarium–garlic pathosystem was split into two parts: basal plate/root and bulb. F. proliferatum was the dominant fungus in infected bulbs and was confirmed as the causal agent of dry rot in garlic postharvest (mean incidence: 35.4 %). F. oxysporum co-occurred with F. proliferatum but caused disease only in the basal plate/root. Dry rot incidence slightly increased during cold storage (from 14.6 % at processing to 18.4 % at 6-month storage). Although F. proliferatum incidence was stable during cold storage, fumonisins were produced. Symptomatic cloves were more contaminated than asymptomatic cloves, both by the fungus (mean incidence 39 % vs. 25.3 %) and the toxin (287.0 vs. 24.4 μg kg−1). These results suggest that cold storage delays the progression of dry rot, but the risk of health issues related to fumonisins and the occurrence of infection in asymptomatic cloves should be seriously considered.
Letizia Mondani; Giorgio Chiusa; Amedeo Pietri; Paola Battilani. Monitoring the incidence of dry rot caused by Fusarium proliferatum in garlic at harvest and during storage. Postharvest Biology and Technology 2020, 173, 111407 .
AMA StyleLetizia Mondani, Giorgio Chiusa, Amedeo Pietri, Paola Battilani. Monitoring the incidence of dry rot caused by Fusarium proliferatum in garlic at harvest and during storage. Postharvest Biology and Technology. 2020; 173 ():111407.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLetizia Mondani; Giorgio Chiusa; Amedeo Pietri; Paola Battilani. 2020. "Monitoring the incidence of dry rot caused by Fusarium proliferatum in garlic at harvest and during storage." Postharvest Biology and Technology 173, no. : 111407.
Mycotoxins pose a significant threat to the safety of food and its products. A rapid, reliable, and cheap method of testing for the most important regulated mycotoxins would be useful and time saving. This study aimed to evaluate the potential use of an electronic nose (e-nose) for rapid identification of mycotoxin contamination above legal limits in maize samples. A total of 316 maize samples were collect from a commercial field in Northern Italy from 2014 to 2018 and analyzed for contamination with aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and fumonisins (FBs), both using a conventional method (HPLC-MS) and a portable e-nose “AIR PEN 3” (Airsense Analytics GmbH, Schwerin, Germany) equipped with a 10-metal oxide sensor array. Artificial neural network (ANN), logistic regression (LR), and discriminant analysis (DA) were used to investigate whether the e-nose was capable of separating samples contaminated at levels above or below the legal limits, either for AFB1 or FBs. All the methodologies used showed high accuracy (≥70%) in distinguishing maize grain contamination above or below the legal limit. Notably, ANN performed better than the other methods, with 78% and 77% accuracy for AFB1 and FBs, respectively. This was the first time that five years of data and three different statistical approaches have been adopted to check e-nose performance. Results suggest that the e-nose supported by ANN could be a rapid and reliable tool for the detection of AFB1 and FBs in maize.
Marco Camardo Leggieri; Marco Mazzoni; Sihem Fodil; Maurizio Moschini; Terenzio Bertuzzi; Aldo Prandini; Paola Battilani. An electronic nose supported by an artificial neural network for the rapid detection of aflatoxin B1 and fumonisins in maize. Food Control 2020, 123, 107722 .
AMA StyleMarco Camardo Leggieri, Marco Mazzoni, Sihem Fodil, Maurizio Moschini, Terenzio Bertuzzi, Aldo Prandini, Paola Battilani. An electronic nose supported by an artificial neural network for the rapid detection of aflatoxin B1 and fumonisins in maize. Food Control. 2020; 123 ():107722.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMarco Camardo Leggieri; Marco Mazzoni; Sihem Fodil; Maurizio Moschini; Terenzio Bertuzzi; Aldo Prandini; Paola Battilani. 2020. "An electronic nose supported by an artificial neural network for the rapid detection of aflatoxin B1 and fumonisins in maize." Food Control 123, no. : 107722.
In recent years, very many incidences of contamination with aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in pistachio nuts have been reported as a major global problem for the crop. In Europe, legislation is in force and 12 μg/kg of AFB1 is the maximum limit set for pistachios to be subjected to physical treatment before human consumption. The goal of the current study was to develop a mechanistic, weather-driven model to predict Aspergillus flavus growth and the AFB1 contamination of pistachios on a daily basis from nut setting until harvest. The planned steps were to: (i) build a phenology model to predict the pistachio growth stages, (ii) develop a prototype model named AFLA-pistachio (model transfer from AFLA-maize), (iii) collect the meteorological and AFB1 contamination data from pistachio orchards, (iv) run the model and elaborate a probability function to estimate the likelihood of overcoming the legal limit, and (v) manage a preliminary validation. The internal validation of AFLA-pistachio indicated that 75% of the predictions were correct. In the external validation with an independent three-year dataset, 95.6% of the samples were correctly predicted. According to the results, AFLA-pistachio seems to be a reliable tool to follow the dynamic of AFB1 contamination risk throughout the pistachio growing season.
Michail D. Kaminiaris; Marco Camardo Leggieri; Dimitrios I. Tsitsigiannis; Paola Battilani. AFLA-PISTACHIO: Development of a Mechanistic Model to Predict the Aflatoxin Contamination of Pistachio Nuts. Toxins 2020, 12, 445 .
AMA StyleMichail D. Kaminiaris, Marco Camardo Leggieri, Dimitrios I. Tsitsigiannis, Paola Battilani. AFLA-PISTACHIO: Development of a Mechanistic Model to Predict the Aflatoxin Contamination of Pistachio Nuts. Toxins. 2020; 12 (7):445.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMichail D. Kaminiaris; Marco Camardo Leggieri; Dimitrios I. Tsitsigiannis; Paola Battilani. 2020. "AFLA-PISTACHIO: Development of a Mechanistic Model to Predict the Aflatoxin Contamination of Pistachio Nuts." Toxins 12, no. 7: 445.
Ochratoxin A (OTA) is the most toxic member of ochratoxins, a group of toxic secondary metabolites produced by fungi. The most relevant species involved in OTA production in grapes is Aspergillus carbonarius. Berry infection by A. carbonarius is enhanced by damage to the skin caused by abiotic and biotic factors. Insect pests play a major role in European vineyards, and Lepidopteran species such as the European grapevine moth Lobesia botrana are undoubtedly crucial. New scenarios are also emerging due to the introduction and spread of allochthonous pests as well as climate change. Such pests may be involved in the dissemination of OTA producing fungi even if confirmation is still lacking and further studies are needed. An OTA predicting model is available, but it should be integrated with models aimed at forecasting L. botrana phenology and demography in order to improve model reliability.
Letizia Mondani; Roberta Palumbo; Dimitrios Tsitsigiannis; Dionysios Perdikis; Emanuele Mazzoni; Paola Battilani. Pest Management and Ochratoxin A Contamination in Grapes: A Review. Toxins 2020, 12, 303 .
AMA StyleLetizia Mondani, Roberta Palumbo, Dimitrios Tsitsigiannis, Dionysios Perdikis, Emanuele Mazzoni, Paola Battilani. Pest Management and Ochratoxin A Contamination in Grapes: A Review. Toxins. 2020; 12 (5):303.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLetizia Mondani; Roberta Palumbo; Dimitrios Tsitsigiannis; Dionysios Perdikis; Emanuele Mazzoni; Paola Battilani. 2020. "Pest Management and Ochratoxin A Contamination in Grapes: A Review." Toxins 12, no. 5: 303.
The occurrence of mycotoxins differs greatly from year to year and this variation has been attributed to climate variability. The aim of this study was to consider the variability of fungal infection and mycotoxin contamination on a small geographic scale as a possible result of local weather conditions. The presence of Fusarium spp. and Aspergillus spp. and their related mycotoxins was investigated in 51 maize fields grown in 2014 in the Emilia Romagna region, in northern Italy; information regarding the cropping system was collected for all the fields. Samples collected at harvest were analysed for fumonisins, aflatoxins and trichothecenes. Hourly meteorological data were collected from nine stations and fields were clustered with the stations based on the shortest distance principle. Fusarium spp. and Aspergillus spp. incidence varied between 17.6-46.0% and 0.6-6.3%, respectively. Fumonisins ranged between 1,718 and 106,054 μg/kg and aflatoxin B1 between
M. Camardo Leggieri; A. Lanubile; Chiara Dall'Asta; A. Pietri; P. Battilani. The impact of seasonal weather variation on mycotoxins: maize crop in 2014 in northern Italy as a case study. World Mycotoxin Journal 2020, 13, 25 -36.
AMA StyleM. Camardo Leggieri, A. Lanubile, Chiara Dall'Asta, A. Pietri, P. Battilani. The impact of seasonal weather variation on mycotoxins: maize crop in 2014 in northern Italy as a case study. World Mycotoxin Journal. 2020; 13 (1):25-36.
Chicago/Turabian StyleM. Camardo Leggieri; A. Lanubile; Chiara Dall'Asta; A. Pietri; P. Battilani. 2020. "The impact of seasonal weather variation on mycotoxins: maize crop in 2014 in northern Italy as a case study." World Mycotoxin Journal 13, no. 1: 25-36.
Dietary (co)-exposure to mycotoxins is associated with human and animal health concerns as well as economic losses. This study aims to give a data-based insight from the scientific literature on the (co-)occurrence of mycotoxins (i.e., parent and modified forms) in European core cereals, and to estimate potential patterns of co-exposure in humans and animals. Mycotoxins were mainly reported in wheat and maize showing the highest concentrations of fumonisins (FBs), deoxynivalenol (DON), aflatoxins (AFs), and zearalenone (ZEN). The maximum concentrations of FB1+FB2 were reported in maize both in feed and food and were above legal maximum levels (MLs). Similar results were observed in DON-food, whose max concentrations in wheat, barley, maize, and oat exceeded the MLs. Co-occurrence was reported in 54.9% of total records, meaning that they were co-contaminated with at least two mycotoxins. In the context of parental mycotoxins, co-occurrence of DON was frequently observed with FBs in maize and ZEN in wheat; DON + NIV and DON + T2/HT2 were frequently reported in barley and oat, respectively. Apart from the occurrence of ZEN and its phase I and phase II modified forms, only a limited number of quantified data were available for other modified forms; i.e., mainly the acetyl derivatives of DON. Data gaps are highlighted together with the need for monitoring studies on multiple mycotoxins to identify co-occurrence patterns for parent mycotoxins, metabolites, and their modified forms.
Roberta Palumbo; Alfonso Crisci; Armando Venâncio; José Cortiñas Abrahantes; Jean-Lou Dorne; Paola Battilani; Piero Toscano. Occurrence and Co-Occurrence of Mycotoxins in Cereal-Based Feed and Food. Microorganisms 2020, 8, 74 .
AMA StyleRoberta Palumbo, Alfonso Crisci, Armando Venâncio, José Cortiñas Abrahantes, Jean-Lou Dorne, Paola Battilani, Piero Toscano. Occurrence and Co-Occurrence of Mycotoxins in Cereal-Based Feed and Food. Microorganisms. 2020; 8 (1):74.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRoberta Palumbo; Alfonso Crisci; Armando Venâncio; José Cortiñas Abrahantes; Jean-Lou Dorne; Paola Battilani; Piero Toscano. 2020. "Occurrence and Co-Occurrence of Mycotoxins in Cereal-Based Feed and Food." Microorganisms 8, no. 1: 74.
No information is available in the literature about the influence of temperature (T) on Penicillium and Aspergillus spp. growth and mycotoxin production on cheese rinds. The aim of this work was to: (i) study fungal ecology on cheese in terms of T requirements, focusing on the partitioning of mycotoxins between the rind and mycelium; and (ii) validate predictive models previously developed by in vitro trials. Grana cheese rind blocks were inoculated with A. versicolor, P. crustosum, P. nordicum, P. roqueforti, and P. verrucosum, incubated at different T regimes (10–30 °C, step 5 °C) and after 14 days the production of mycotoxins (ochratoxin A (OTA); sterigmatocystin (STC); roquefortine C (ROQ-C), mycophenolic acid (MPA), Pr toxin (PR-Tox), citrinin (CIT), cyclopiazonic acid (CPA)) was quantified. All the fungi grew optimally around 15–25 °C and produced the expected mycotoxins (except MPA, Pr-Tox, and CIT). The majority of the mycotoxins produced remained in the mycelium (~90%) in three out of five fungal species (P. crustosum, P. nordicum, and P. roqueforti); the opposite occurred for A. versicolor and P. verrucosum with 71% and 58% of STC and OTA detected in cheese rind, respectively. Available predictive models fitted fungal growth on the cheese rind well, but validation was not possible for mycotoxins because they were produced in a very narrow T range.
Marco Camardo Leggieri; Amedeo Pietri; Paola Battilani. Modelling Fungal Growth, Mycotoxin Production and Release in Grana Cheese. Microorganisms 2020, 8, 69 .
AMA StyleMarco Camardo Leggieri, Amedeo Pietri, Paola Battilani. Modelling Fungal Growth, Mycotoxin Production and Release in Grana Cheese. Microorganisms. 2020; 8 (1):69.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMarco Camardo Leggieri; Amedeo Pietri; Paola Battilani. 2020. "Modelling Fungal Growth, Mycotoxin Production and Release in Grana Cheese." Microorganisms 8, no. 1: 69.
The mycotoxins zearalenone and alternariol may contaminate food and feed raising toxicological concerns due to their estrogenicity. Inter-species differences in their toxicokinetics and toxicodynamics may occur depending on evolution of taxa-specific traits. As a proof of principle, this manuscript investigates the comparative toxicodynamics of zearalenone, its metabolites (alpha-zearalenol and beta-zearalenol), and alternariol with regards to estrogenicity in humans and rainbow trout. An in silico structural approach based on docking simulations, pharmacophore modeling and molecular dynamics was applied and computational results were analyzed in comparison with available experimental data. The differences of estrogenicity among species of zearalenone and its metabolites have been structurally explained. Also, the low estrogenicity of alternariol in trout has been characterized here for the first time. This approach can provide a powerful tool for the characterization of interspecies differences in mycotoxin toxicity for a range of protein targets and relevant compounds for the food- and feed-safety area.
Luca Dellafiora; Isabelle P. Oswald; Jean-Lou Dorne; Gianni Galaverna; Paola Battilani; Chiara Dall'Asta. An in silico structural approach to characterize human and rainbow trout estrogenicity of mycotoxins: Proof of concept study using zearalenone and alternariol. Food Chemistry 2019, 312, 126088 .
AMA StyleLuca Dellafiora, Isabelle P. Oswald, Jean-Lou Dorne, Gianni Galaverna, Paola Battilani, Chiara Dall'Asta. An in silico structural approach to characterize human and rainbow trout estrogenicity of mycotoxins: Proof of concept study using zearalenone and alternariol. Food Chemistry. 2019; 312 ():126088.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLuca Dellafiora; Isabelle P. Oswald; Jean-Lou Dorne; Gianni Galaverna; Paola Battilani; Chiara Dall'Asta. 2019. "An in silico structural approach to characterize human and rainbow trout estrogenicity of mycotoxins: Proof of concept study using zearalenone and alternariol." Food Chemistry 312, no. : 126088.
Among plant fungal diseases, those affecting cereals represent a huge problem in terms of food security and safety. Cereals, such as maize and wheat, are very often targets of mycotoxigenic fungi. The limited availability of chemical plant protection products and physical methods to control mycotoxigenic fungi and to reduce food and feed mycotoxin contamination fosters alternative approaches, such as the use of beneficial fungi as an active ingredient of biological control products. Competitive interactions, including both exploitation and interference competition, between pathogenic and beneficial fungi, are generally recognized as mechanisms to control plant pathogens populations and to manage plant diseases. In the present review, two examples concerning the use of competitive beneficial filamentous fungi for the management of cereal diseases are discussed. The authors retrace the history of the well-established use of non-aflatoxigenic isolates of Aspergillus flavus to prevent aflatoxin contamination in maize and give an overview of the potential use of competitive beneficial filamentous fungi to manage Fusarium Head Blight on wheat and mitigate fusaria toxin contamination. Although important steps have been made towards the development of microorganisms as active ingredients of plant protection products, a reasoned revision of the registration rules is needed to significantly reduce the chemical based plant protection products in agriculture.
Sabrina Sarrocco; Antonio Mauro; Paola Battilani. Use of Competitive Filamentous Fungi as an Alternative Approach for Mycotoxin Risk Reduction in Staple Cereals: State of Art and Future Perspectives. Toxins 2019, 11, 701 .
AMA StyleSabrina Sarrocco, Antonio Mauro, Paola Battilani. Use of Competitive Filamentous Fungi as an Alternative Approach for Mycotoxin Risk Reduction in Staple Cereals: State of Art and Future Perspectives. Toxins. 2019; 11 (12):701.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSabrina Sarrocco; Antonio Mauro; Paola Battilani. 2019. "Use of Competitive Filamentous Fungi as an Alternative Approach for Mycotoxin Risk Reduction in Staple Cereals: State of Art and Future Perspectives." Toxins 11, no. 12: 701.
The authors wish to make the following correction to their paper
Antonio Mauro; Esther Garcia-Cela; Amedeo Pietri; Peter J. Cotty; Paola Battilani. Correction: Mauro, A., et al. Biological Control Products for Aflatoxin Prevention in Italy: Commercial Field Evaluation of Atoxigenic Aspergillus flavus Active Ingredients. Toxins 2018, 10, 30. Toxins 2019, 11, 117 .
AMA StyleAntonio Mauro, Esther Garcia-Cela, Amedeo Pietri, Peter J. Cotty, Paola Battilani. Correction: Mauro, A., et al. Biological Control Products for Aflatoxin Prevention in Italy: Commercial Field Evaluation of Atoxigenic Aspergillus flavus Active Ingredients. Toxins 2018, 10, 30. Toxins. 2019; 11 (2):117.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAntonio Mauro; Esther Garcia-Cela; Amedeo Pietri; Peter J. Cotty; Paola Battilani. 2019. "Correction: Mauro, A., et al. Biological Control Products for Aflatoxin Prevention in Italy: Commercial Field Evaluation of Atoxigenic Aspergillus flavus Active Ingredients. Toxins 2018, 10, 30." Toxins 11, no. 2: 117.
Capsicum products are widely commercialised and consumed worldwide. These substrates present unusual nutritional characteristics for microbial growth. Despite this, the presence of spoilage fungi and the co-occurrence of mycotoxins in the pepper production chain have been commonly detected. The main aim of this work was to review the critical control points, with a focus on mycotoxin contamination, during the production, storage and distribution of Capsicum products from a safety perspective; outlining the important role of ecophysiological factors in stimulating or inhibiting mycotoxin biosynthesis in these food commodities. Moreover, the human health risks caused by the ingestion of peppers contaminated with mycotoxins were also reviewed. Overall, Capsicum and its derivative-products are highly susceptible to contamination by mycotoxins. Pepper crop production and further transportation, processing and storage are crucial for production of safe food.
Jéssica Souza da Costa; Rodrigo Rodríguez; Esther Garcia-Cela; Angel Medina; Naresh Magan; Nelson Lima; Paola Battilani; Cledir Santos. Overview of Fungi and Mycotoxin Contamination in Capsicum Pepper and in Its Derivatives. Toxins 2019, 11, 27 .
AMA StyleJéssica Souza da Costa, Rodrigo Rodríguez, Esther Garcia-Cela, Angel Medina, Naresh Magan, Nelson Lima, Paola Battilani, Cledir Santos. Overview of Fungi and Mycotoxin Contamination in Capsicum Pepper and in Its Derivatives. Toxins. 2019; 11 (1):27.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJéssica Souza da Costa; Rodrigo Rodríguez; Esther Garcia-Cela; Angel Medina; Naresh Magan; Nelson Lima; Paola Battilani; Cledir Santos. 2019. "Overview of Fungi and Mycotoxin Contamination in Capsicum Pepper and in Its Derivatives." Toxins 11, no. 1: 27.
This study aimed to investigate the possible correlation between 5-n-alkylresorcinols and hydroxycinnamic acids on mycotoxin accumulation in grains under field conditions. At this purpose, ten different grain varieties characterized by different degree of ploidy (hexaploid, tetraploid, diploid) were chosen, among them common and durum wheat, einkorn, emmer, and spelt. The contamination, expressed as the sum of DON and DON3Glc, was found to be significantly lower in common wheat and spelt than in emmer, durum wheat and einkorn, following a trend hexaploid < tetraploid < diploid species. The mycotoxins content negatively correlated with the total 5-n-alkylresorcinols and the ratio AR21:0/AR23:0, recently reported as an indicator of antifungal activity. Interestingly, DON3Glc was negatively correlated with the ratio AR17:0/AR21:0, reported as a genetic-related indicator, in agreement with its biological role; in fact, it is formed in plant as detoxification product. On the contrary, no correlation was pointed out with total and free HCA. The results obtained indicated that only the lipophilic phenolic fraction in wheat could exert an inhibitory effect towards mycotoxin accumulation.
Laura Righetti; Martina Cirlini; Silvia Folloni; Roberto Ranieri; Gianni Galaverna; Terenzio Bertuzzi; Chiara Dall'Asta; Paola Battilani; Paola Giorni. 5-n-alkylresorcinols but not hydroxycinnamic acids are directly related to a lower accumulation of deoxynivalenol and its glucoside in Triticum spp. Genotypes with different ploidity levels. Journal of Cereal Science 2018, 85, 214 -220.
AMA StyleLaura Righetti, Martina Cirlini, Silvia Folloni, Roberto Ranieri, Gianni Galaverna, Terenzio Bertuzzi, Chiara Dall'Asta, Paola Battilani, Paola Giorni. 5-n-alkylresorcinols but not hydroxycinnamic acids are directly related to a lower accumulation of deoxynivalenol and its glucoside in Triticum spp. Genotypes with different ploidity levels. Journal of Cereal Science. 2018; 85 ():214-220.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLaura Righetti; Martina Cirlini; Silvia Folloni; Roberto Ranieri; Gianni Galaverna; Terenzio Bertuzzi; Chiara Dall'Asta; Paola Battilani; Paola Giorni. 2018. "5-n-alkylresorcinols but not hydroxycinnamic acids are directly related to a lower accumulation of deoxynivalenol and its glucoside in Triticum spp. Genotypes with different ploidity levels." Journal of Cereal Science 85, no. : 214-220.