A luminescent bacterium assay of fusaric acid produced by Fusarium proliferatum from banana.

Fusarium proliferatum was isolated as a major pathogen causing the Fusarium disease in harvested banana fruit. One of its major compounds, fusaric acid, was identified by high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS). Because the light intensity of the luminescent bacterium Vibrio qinghaiensis sp. Nov. Q67 can be inhibited by fusaric acid, the fusaric acid content of F. proliferatum was assessed and compared by both the HPLC and luminescent bacterium methods. Although both methods afforded almost similar values of fusaric acid, the latter indicated slightly lower content than the former. Czapek medium was more suitable for the growth of F. proliferatum and fusaric acid production than modified Richard medium, with an optimum pH of approximately 7.0. However, no significant (P < 0.05) correlation was obtained between the fusaric acid production and growth of mycelia of F. proliferatum. The study suggests that the bioevaluation by use of the luminescent bacterium was effective in monitoring fusaric acid production by F. proliferatum without expensive equipment.