Fumonisins

Fumonisins were first described and characterized in 1988. The most abundantly produced member of the family is fumonisin B₁.

Fungi that produce them

Fumonisins are produced by a number of Fusarium species, notably Fusarium verticillioides.

They are also produced by F. proliferatum, and F. nygamai, as well as Alternaria alternata f. sp. lycopersici.

Substrates

It has been isolated at high levels in corn meal and corn grits.

A possible case of acute exposure to fumonisin B₁ involved villages in India, where consumption of unleavened bread made from moldy sorghum or corn caused transient abdominal pain, borborygmus, and diarrhea.

Economic implications

The major species of economic importance is F. verticillioides, which is present in virtually all corn samples. Most strains do not produce the toxin, so the presence of the fungus does not necessarily mean that fumonisin is present.

Associated diseases

They cause leukoencephalomalacia (hole in the head syndrome) in equines and rabbits; pulmonary edema and hydrothorax in swine; and hepatotoxic and carcinogenic effects (and apoptosis in the liver of rats. In humans, there is a probable link with esophageal cancer. It has been hypothesized that a cluster of anencephaly and spina bifida cases in southern Texas may have been related to fumonisins in corn products.

Bennett & Klich, 2003, Breitenbach et al 2002, and Peraica et al, 1999