Production of citreoviridin by Penicillium citreonigrum strains associated with rice consumption and Beriberi cases in the Maranhão State, Brazil

ROSA C.A.R.; KELLER K.M.; OLIVEIRA A.A.; ALMEIDA T.X.; KELLER L.A.M.; MARASSI A.C.; KRUGER C.D.; DEVEZA M.V.; RODRIGUES M.A.A.; BARBOSA T.S.; ASTORECA A.; CAVAGLIERI L.R.; DIREITO G.M.; EIFERT E.C.; LIMA T.A.S.; MODERNELL K.G.; NUNES F.I.B.; GARCIA A.M.; LUZ M.S.; OLIVEIRA D.C.N.

FOOD ADDITIVES AND CONTAMINANTS

TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2010 vol. 27 p. 241 - 248

0265-203X

The aim of this study was to determine the levels of Penicillium citreonigrum and citreoviridin present in ricesamples from Maranha˜o State, Brazil, where an outbreak of beriberi was reported and 32 deaths occurred (7% ofthe notified cases died in 2006). The ability of P. citreonigrum to produce citreoviridin was assessed, and a totalof 420 samples of 21 different kinds of rice were collected. Mycobiota isolation and identification, the ability ofcitreoviridin strains to produce toxin, and the natural occurrence of citreoviridin were established. Rice sampleswere found to have high fungal counts and showed increasing levels from 2004 to 2007 harvest years. The mostfrequent genus was Aspergillus followed by Penicillium and Cladosporium. Ten out of eleven strains ofP. citreonigrum were able to produce citreoviridin. Three rice samples had levels of citreoviridin ranging from12 to 96.7 ng g1, and two bran samples had levels of 128 and 254 ng g1. These samples contaminated withP. citreonigrum and citreoviridin were involved in the beriberi cases from Maranha˜o State. Monitoring rice formycotoxins in areas where this substrate is the basic food is crucial to prevent outbreaks like the one reported inthis study, to improve management practice, and to diminish exposure risk of humans to these harmful toxins.