Acta Pharmaceutica, Vol. 55 No. 4, 2005.
Original scientific paper
Verruculogen production in airborne and clinical isolates of Aspergillus fumigatus Fres.
IVAN KOSALEC
MAJA ŠEGVIĆ KLARIĆ
STJEPAN PEPELJNJAK
Abstract
Among airborne aspergilli sampled in outdoor air of the Zagreb area (2002/2003), Aspergillus niger (v. Teigh.) and A. fumigatus (Fres.) were the most abundant species (20-30%), with low mean annual concentrations (0.21-1.04 CFU m-3). Higher concentrations of A. fumigatus were observed in autumn and winter (0.5-1.05 CFU m-3) than in spring and summer (0-0.4 CFU m-3). On the other hand, A. fumigatus was found to be the most frequent isolate from upper and/or lower respiratory tracts of imunocompromised patients in many studies. This species produces several mycotoxins including the tremorgenic mycotoxin verruculogen that can be found in spores and during myceliar growth. Verruculogen production ability was tested by biosynthesis on 30 airborne and 33 clinical isolates of A. fumigatus. In both groups, high percentage of verruculogen-producing strains was noticed (84% of airborne and 91% of clinical isolates). Verruculogen production was not significantly different in the groups of airborne isolates (0.34 ± 0.16 mg mL-1) and clinical isolates (0.26 ± 0.19 mg mL-1, p > 0.05).
Keywords
verruculogen; Aspergillus fumigatus; toxicity; mycotoxin; yeast extract
Hrčak ID:
18119
URI
Publication date:
1.12.2005.
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