• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
• /
• v.30 no.1
• /
• pp.77-88
• /
• 2010

In order to ensure good animal health and performance, it is essential to produce forages with high feeding value and good hygienic quality. However, huge amounts of forages consumed by ruminants are contaminated with mold prior to harvest or during storage as hay, straw or silage. These mold can grow in forages only when nutrients are available, correct temperature exist, oxygen is present, and unbound water is available. Fungal 'species can be divided into two groups: field fungi and storage fungi. Field fungi invade the forages while the crop is still in the field, require high moisture conditions, and are such as species of Fusarium, Alternaria, Clodosporium, Diplodia, Gibberrella and Helminthosporium. Storage fungi invade forages during storage and need less moisture than field fungi. These such as species of Aspergillus and Penicillium usually do not occur any problem before harvest. Mold growth can spoil the nutritional aspects of the forages and also results in secondary metabolites that are highly toxic to animal, humans and plants. Moldy feeds are less palatable and may reduce dry matter intake. This, in turn, leads to a reduction of nutrition intake, reducing weight gains or milk production. Performance losses of 5 to 10 percent are typical with moldy feeds. Mycotoxins are toxic substances produced by fungi (molds) growing on crops in the field or storages. While greater than 400 mycotoxins have been chemically identified, the biological or veterinary medical impact of only several mycotoxins is known. Mycotoxins have attracted considerable attention as potential causes for poor performance and health disorders in domestic livestock. They can be carcinogenic, hepatotoxic, hematotoxic, immunosuppressive, estrogenic, or mutagenic. So, feeding moldy forages has adverse effects on animal health and milk consumers. Also, this author reported that rice straw hay was contaminated mycotoxigenic fungi such as Penicillium roqueforti and Fusarium culmorum in Korea. Therefore, it is an urgent need to develop an improved post harvest storage method to reduce nutrient loss and mycotoxin contamination of forages, which will have a positive impact on human health.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
• /
• v.18 no.12
• /
• pp.466-472
• /
• 2017

This study was designed to examine the diversity census of fungi in rumen microbiome via meta-analysis of fungal 28S rDNA sequences. Both terms, "rumen" and "ruminal," were searched to retrieve the sequences of rumen fungi. As of September 2016, these sequences (n=165) of ruminal origin were retrieved from the Ribosomal Database Project (RDP; http://rdp.cme.msu.edu), an archive of all 28S rDNA sequences and were assigned to the phyla Ascomycota, Neocallimastigomycota, and Basidiomycota, which accounted for 109, 48, and 8 of the 165 sequences, respectively. Ascomycota sequences were assigned to the genera Pseudonectria, Magnaporthe, Alternaria, Cochliobolus, Cladosporium, and Davidiella, including fungal plant pathogens or mycotoxigenic species. Moreover, Basidiomycota sequences were assigned to the genera Thanatephorus and Cryptococcus, including fungal plant pathogens. Furthermore, Neocallimastigomycota sequences were assigned to the genera Cyllamyces, Neocallimastix, Anaeromyces, Caecomyces, Orpinomyces, and Piromyces, which may degrade the major structural carbohydrates of the ingested plant material. This study provided a collective view of the rumen fungal diversity using a meta-analysis of 28S rDNA sequences. The present results will provide a direction for further studies on ruminal fungi and be applicable to the development of new analytic tools.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
• /
• v.37 no.4
• /
• pp.277-284
• /
• 2022

To investigate the occurrence of fungi in dried ginseng products, we collected 24 white and 26 red ginseng samples from the retail market. Fungi were detected in 50% and 46% of white and red ginseng samples, respectively. The average level of fungal contamination was 0.5 and 0.2 log₁₀ CFU/g in white and red ginseng, respectively. In white ginseng, Penicillium polonicum, P. chrysogenum, and Rhizopus microsporus dominated with each having an occurrence of 18.2%. In red ginseng, Aspergillus spp. was dominant with an occurrence of 87.6%, with A. chevalieri having the highest occurrence (50%). PCR screening for mycotoxigenic potential showed that the 13 isolates of 4 species (P. polonicum, P. chrysogenum, P. melanoconidium, and A. chevalieri) tested were negative for the citrinin biosynthetic gene. These results show that the samples tested in this study had low risk of mycotoxin contamination. However, there is a possibility of dried ginseng products, such as white and red ginseng, being contaminated with fungi.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
• /
• v.34 no.6
• /
• pp.571-575
• /
• 2019

Fungal occurrence during production of dried red pepper was investigated using red pepper samples collected at harvest, before and after washing, and before, during or after drying. Fungal incidence was evaluated by counting the number of fungal colonies grown after incubating random pepper cuts on potato dextrose agar plates. Washing with ground water had no significant effect on reduction of fungal contamination. Fungal increase was observed in some samples, and the insides of washer and containers were contaminated with fungi. Drying caused significant fungal increase regardless of drying method although the fungal incidence after machine drying was lower than that after greenhouse drying. Fungal increase was observed in the samples being dried in a greenhouse and some mycotoxigenic species were also detected. Therefore, the most important control point for fungal contamination during dried pepper production appears to be the drying process, especially in a greenhouse.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
• /
• v.31 no.4
• /
• pp.451-462
• /
• 2011

The purpose of this study was to investigate fungi and mycotoxin contamination of the rice straw bale silage in Korean. It was tested the 33 samples of rice straw round bale silage with various condition which fed cattle in the farm. The level of fungal contamination was $2.1{\times}10^6\;cfu\;g^{-1}$ in the average and $9.2{\times}10^8\;cfu\;g^{-1}$ in the maximum. The fungal contamination was detected in the all of normal samples which good condition of rice straw bale silage. When the fungi was isolate and identify, it was found 28 species and mycotoxin producing fungi were 8 species as following as Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus fumigatus, Fusarium culmorum, Fusarium verticillioides, Penicillium carneum, Penicillium paneum, Penicillium roqueforti, Penicillium viridicatum. Specially, Penicillium paneum was found 42% of samples and Aspergillus sp. (A. flavus, A. fumigatus) are 21% of samples. In case of mycotoxin contamination, the 42% of samples are detected more than one kind of mycotoxin. Some samples are contaminated three kinds of mycotoxin. This study was not found aflatoxin ($B_1$, $B_2$, $G_1$, $G_2$) and fumonisin ($B_1$, $B_2$), but were detected the contamination of ochratoxin A (1.0~5.8 ug/kg), deoxynivalenol (DON, 156.0~776.7 ug/kg) and zearalenone (ZON, 38.0~750.0 ug/kg). Therefore, the above results show that rice straw round bale silage expose on hazard factors as mycotoxigenic fungi and mycotoxin contamination, and than need more research about mycotoxin in animal feed to protect animal and human healthy.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
• /
• v.16 no.4
• /
• pp.274-279
• /
• 2001

Generally, non-aflatoxigenic fungi, such as Aspergillus oryzae, and Aspergillus are main microflora in Korean traditional fermented foods including Meju and soybean paste, but sometimes, Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus can be contaminated and accumulated aflatoxins during fermentation and storage. So the screening of aflatoxigenic strains in fermented traditional food is very important to improve the sanitary quality of those foods. In this work, we screened aflatoxin producing fungi from commercial Meju and soybean paste in Western Gyeongnam by immunoassay. Samples were randomly purchased from market of the commercial Meju(10 EA) and soybean paste(20 EA) in nine areas of Western Gyeongnam. Of the samples collected,24 strains and 22 strains of Aspergillus sp. were isolated from Meju and soybean paste, respectively. The isolated strains were cultured on SLS media at $25^{\circ}C$ for 15 days. The cultured broth were extracted with ethyl acetate and were analysed to determine aflatoxin B$_1$(AFB$_1$) by direct competitive ELISA(DC-ELISA). Six strains(25%) isolated from Meju, and 2 strains(9%) isolated from saybean paste, were confined as aflatoxin producing strains. The average range of aflatoxin productivity of isolates from Meju was 54.6 $\pm$ 38.7 ng/ml and that from soybean paste was 11.1 $\pm$ 8.6 ng/ml, respectively. Among them, isolated strain No. M-5-4 produced a high level of AFBl and showed 98.26 ng/ml of AFB$_1$. Every isolates were also re-confined their AFB$_1$productivity by thin layer chromatography(TLC). The TLC results also showed same trend as DC-ELISA results. As the above results, the screening of hazard mycotoxigenic fungi from traditional fermented foods should be necessary for the safety and the application of HACCP system in the food manufactory in Korea.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
• /
• v.33 no.1
• /
• pp.21-29
• /
• 2013

The studies were conducted to investigate real condition of mycotoxin contamination in the fields before harvest and by the storages of rice straw used as roughage in Korea. It was found mycotoxin contamination before harvest of rice straw that the rice plants were detected deoxynivalenol at the initial growth, ochratoxin A and deoxynivalenol at the middle growth, and deoxynivalenol and zearalenone at the harvest periods in the fields. Also, the rice plants were contaminated by various fungi such as Fusarium sp., Fusarium proliferatum, Penicillium sp., Gibberella sp., Gibberella zeae, Mucor circinelloides and Aspergillus oryzae. The levels of fungal contamination were $10^{3-4}$ cfu/g at the initial growth, and $10^{4-5}$ cfu/g at the middle growth and harvest periods. All storage types of rice straw were contaminated with zearalenone, deoxynivalenol and ochratoxins A. The samples of rice straw contaminating mycotoxins were account for 3% in bundle rice straw, and 38% in both types of square rice straw and rice round bale silage, respectively. When 105 samples of rice bale silage were analyzed for mycotoxins depending on the regional area, mycotoxin contamination was found in 46% of total samples in Korea. Regional contaminations of mycotoxins were respectively 48, 33, 40, 50 and 57% of samples in Gyeonggi, Gangwon, Chungcheng, Yeongnam and Honam area. Rice round bale silage was contaminated by three kinds of mycotoxins (zearalenone, deoxynivalenol and ochratoxinsA) in the all of area without Chungcheong area where was contaminated zearalenone and deoxynivalenol. Ochratoxins A, deoxynivalenol and zearalenone were respectively determinated with the average levels of 2.6, 413 and $338{\mu}g/kg$ in rice round bale silage for the overall area, even if it was some difference depending on each regional area. Therefore, the above results clearly show that the rice straws were exposed to the contamination by mycotoxin and mycotoxigenic fungi before harvest in the fields, and mycotoxin contamination was not dependent on the regional area or the storage types such as bundle rice straw, square rice straw and rice round bale silage.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
• /
• v.49 no.3
• /
• pp.303-313
• /
• 2021

Peanuts in storage were estimated for mycotoxigenic fungi and mycotoxins. Peanut samples collected from storages in Gochang were mainly contaminated with Fusarium (17.2±28.0%), Penicillium (12.4±28.0%), and Aspergillus (8.0±7.6%). Other genera, including Talaromyces, Rhizopus, Rhizoctonia, Trichocladium, Clonostachys, Mucor, Chaetomium, Trametes, Epicoccum, and Humicola, were also found. Although aflatoxins were not detected in the peanut samples, 29 strains of Aspergillus flavus were identified using molecular marker genes. Among them, 17 selected isolates produced aflatoxins in solid culture media ranging from 0.61-187.82 ㎍/kg. All of them could produce both aflatoxin B₁ and B₂ and some (n=5) produced additional G₁, G₂, or both. This study is the first report that A. flavus stains obtained from Korean stored peanut are aflatoxigenic.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.55 no.3
• /
• pp.226-233
• /
• 2019

Ochratoxin A (OTA) that is one of mycotoxins produced mainly by Aspergillus spp. is a common contaminant of stored grains and poses health hazards to human and livestock. The aim of this study is to explore the ability of isolated bacteria Bacillus subtilis AF13 and Streptomyces shenzhenensis YR226 to inhibit growth and OTA production of 3 ochratoxigenic Aspergillus strains. The antifungal activity against mycelial growth and sporulation of Aspergillus strains was examined by coculture with AF13 and YR226 on potato dextrose agar plate. AF13 and YR226 reduced 77.58 and 78.48% of fungal colony radius, respectively, and both strains inhibited fungal sporulation up to 99% in 10 days of incubation. YR226 also reduced more than 91% of spore germination of 3 fungal strains. When Aspergillus strains were cocultured with AF13 or YR226 in yeast extract sucrose medium, mycelial growth and OTA production decreased in all three fungal strains. In particular, AF13 completely inhibited the mycelial growth of A. alutaceus and inhibited its OTA production by 99%, and YR226 also reduced mycelial growth and toxin production up to 99%, respectively. Antimicrobial substances produced by AF13 and YR226 included siderophore, chitinase, protease, ${\beta}$-1,3-glucanase and biosurfactant. These results suggest that AF13 and YR226 can be used in a biological method to prevent valuable crops against mycotoxigenic fungi, and therefore decrease economic damage in agriculture and feed industry.

• Research in Plant Disease
• /
• v.17 no.3
• /
• pp.280-287
• /
• 2011

This investigation was undertaken to survey toxigenic fungal contamination of various rice samples in 93 rice processing complexes (RPC) in Korea. Rice was grown in 2009 and the samples were collected in 2010. Seven types of rice samples such as unhusked, brown, blue-tinged, discolored, polished, half-crushed, and rice husks were obtained from each RPC. One-hundred and five grains of each sample were placed on PDA plates after surface disinfection. The incidence of fungal contaminants was 26.8%. Aspergillus spp. was the most dominant fungal contaminants and Fusarium spp. was the most frequently occurred in samples. The heaviest Fusarium contamination was found in unhusked grain, rice husks, and bare blue-tinged rice and followed by colored rice whereas broken rice was the least contaminated. Regional difference of fungal contamination was distinctive. Fusarium incidence in the rice samples from southern region of Korea including Jeolla and Gyeongsang Provinces was higher than those from central region including Chungcheong, Gyeonggi, and Gangwon Provinces. In contrast to Fusarium spp., Aspergillus spp. and Penicillium spp. were dominated in brown and polished rice samples and their incidences were more severe in central region than southern region. The major contaminants shown more than 1% of kernels infected were Aspergillus (5.0%), Fusarium (2.0%), Alternaria (1.4%), Dreschlera (1.3%), Penicillium spp. (1.3%), and Nigrospora spp. (1.0%). Collectotrichum, Pyricularia, Myrothecium, Epicoccum, Cladosporium, Moniliella, Gloeocercospora, Chaeto- mium, Curvularia, Phialopora, Acremonium, Gliomastix, Trichoderma, Rhizopus, Phomopsis, Paecilomyces, Genicularia, Geotrichum, Acremoniella, Rhizoctonia, Phoma, Oidiodendran, and Candida spp. were among the rest observed at low incidence. The major contaminants of rice samples were well-known as toxigenic fungal genera so toxin producibility of these fungal isolates is necessary to be examined in future. It is also needed to study Myrothecium spp. on species level as it was detected for the first time in rice.