Alternaria

PATRIARCA, ANDREA; FERNÁNDEZ PINTO, VIRGINIA

Reference Module in Food Science

Elsevier

Año: 2018; p. 1 - 8

Alternaria is a ubiquitous fungal genus that causes pre- and post-harvest damage to agricultural products including cereal grains, fruits and vegetables. In addition to spoiling a wide variety of foods, several Alternaria species are able to produce secondary metabolites considered as both phytotoxins, which play an important role in the pathogenesis of plants, and mycotoxins, which can be harmful to humans and animals. This article presents an overview of the genus Alternaria covering the current status of taxonomy, secondary metabolites production, ecophysiology, association with plant diseases and natural occurrence of Alternaria mycotoxins in foods.