Mycotoxin from a blue-eye mold of corn.

High-moisture yellow dent corn became heavily molded by Penicillium martensii after storage for 6 months at 1 C. Mice ingesting corn molded by P. martensii died within a few days. The toxin was isolated and identified as penicillic acid. Large quantities of the toxin accumulated over a 3-month period on artificially inoculated corn incubated at temperatures between 1 and 15 C. At higher temperatures, the toxin disappeared within 45 days.