Meta-analytic review on the impact of temperature and water activity in deoxynivalenol synthesis by fusarium graminearum

Abstract

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a mycotoxin produced by Fusarium species, causing involuntary regurgitation in animals including humans. Some studies showed that its synthesis is influenced by environmental factors such as temperature and water activity (aw). This article presents a meta-analysis of two major studies on the phenomenon, discussing on what should be expected in future research in this direction. The specimens were cultured in maize and wheat. In all experiments, Fusarium graminearum was incubated at 15oC, 22oC, 25oC, 28oC and 30oC. At room temperature, the water activity was set to 0.95, 0.97, 0.99, and 0.995. Then, levels of DON were quantified weekly since the 14th day until the 49th day, using HPLC with UV detector at 220 nm. Temperature and water activity seem to have an impact on DON synthesis, though the true correlations still require further analysis.