Fumonisin B(2) production by Aspergillus niger from grapes and natural occurrence in must.

Aspergillus niger has been recently found to produce fumonisin B(2) (FB(2)). Thirty-one strains belonging to four Aspergillus species isolated from grape were evaluated for FB(2) production on agar plates. Four out of eight strains of A. niger produced FB(2) (29-293 microg g(-1)). None of the strains of A. uvarum (n = 7), A. tubingensis (8) and A. carbonarius (8) produced detectable amounts of toxin. The capability to produce FB(2) was also confirmed by some A. niger strains artificially inoculated on grape berries. Natural occurrence of FB(2), at levels of 0.01 and 0.4 microg ml(-1), was found in two samples of must collected in Apulian cellars in 2007. This is the first report of FB(2) contamination in must. These findings suggest that there is a potential risk of exposure to FB(2) in the grape-wine chain for consumers and that A. niger may represent the major fumonisin-producing species among black Aspergilli occurring on grapes.