Fumonisin production on irradiated corn kernels: effect of inoculum size.

Production of fumonisins B1, B2, and B3 by Fusarium moniliforme was evaluated on irradiated corn kernels inoculated with different spore concentrations (10, 10(2), 10(3), 10(5), and 10(6)), a water activity of 0.97, and a temperature of 25 degrees C. There was a direct relationship between the level of toxin produced and inoculum size. The highest levels of total fumonisin produced after 35 days of incubation were 5,028 and 9,063 ng/g at 10(5) and 10(6) spores per ml, respectively. The pattern of fumonisin production (FB1 > FB2 > FB3) in cultures growing from different inocula was not affected during the 35 days of incubation. The ratio between FB2 and FB1 varied from 0.15 to 0.42, whereas the ratio between FB3 and FB1 varied from 0.34 to 0.87.