In vitro and in vivo mycotoxin production of Fusarium species isolated from Finnish grains

The capabilities of seven Finnish Fusarium species to produce mycotoxins under controlled laboratory (in vitro) conditions as well as on barley and wheat in the field (in vivo) were studied using mass spectrometric methods. In addition, the contaminating Fusarium species of the in vivo samples were identified and quantified with morphological and real-time polymerase chain reaction techniques. All investigated isolates (representing the species F. avenaceum, F. arthrosporioides, F. tricinctum, F. poae, F. culmorum, F. graminearum and F. sporotrichioides) produced mycotoxins on rice cultures and their production capabilities were generally in accordance with the available literature. The main mycotoxins produced were deoxynivalenol, 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol and zearalenone by F. culmorum and F. graminearum, beauvericin, diacetoxyscirpenol and HT-2/T-2 – toxins by F. sporotrichioides, beauvericin, enniatins, fusarenon-X, diacetoxyscirpenol and nivalenol by F. poae and enniatins and moniliformin by F. avenaceum/F. arthrosporioides and F. tricinctum. Most mycotoxins that were produced in vitro were also produced in vivo when concerning F. culmorum, F. graminearum and F. avenaceum. Statistical significance was recorded between the production of mycotoxins in vitro and in vivo for HT-2 and T-2 toxins in barley and for deoxynivalenol and T-2 toxin in wheat.